Glenview Park: A Commitment to Community
The Park You’ve Never Been To
Ever driven down Lamar Avenue and wondered about the tennis courts across from the McLean intersection? Or perhaps you live in Cooper Young and have been curious if there’s a good walking path nearby. Glenview Park is a 24 acre oasis right in the middle of the Historic Glenview District featuring a beautiful community center, playground, pathways, and basketball court. But chances are, if you don’t frequent the park, you don’t even know it exists.
Off the Beaten Path
The Historic Glenview Neighborhood is a residential area just south of Lamar Ave in Midtown Memphis that features homes built between 1910 and 1940 and is a remarkable example of early suburban neighborhood planning. The area’s park was founded in 1943 as a feature to woo young families to a neighborhood that offered a diversity of architectural elements, more sprawling “country-like” lots, and easy access to the cities’ Parkway roadways. The community center came years later but neither the beauty of the park nor the community center’s commitment to the neighborhood has changed. You may not see the park or center from Lamar at first…both are tucked away a bit, but once you pull into the parking lot, you get an idea of why Glenview Park is an ideal city neighborhood park.
Amenities for Neighbors
The park features a modern playground sponsored by a local AKA Chapter as well as fenced tennis courts that are frequently used by neighbors and for free community classes every fall. The walking paths that circle the park are perfect for walking, jogging, or biking and though Glenview Park is wooded in many areas, the trees in the actual park landscape are large and spaced out, allowing almost full vision of the park from most places on the path. This makes it easy to track your child as they ride their bike through the entirety of the park, or keep your eyes on your teens playing basketball as you get in your steps.
Perhaps the Glenview Community Center is the true gem, though. Ms. Linda Bates has been running the Center for years and she makes sure the neighborhood is well served on every front. From the wheelchair basketball team that practices in the gym throughout the week to the free tap dance classes; from the exercise room to the computer lab, Glenview offers a safe, educational, active environment for everyone in the neighborhood. A visit inside is always welcomed with a smile from Ms. Linda and an invitation to come back and participate again soon.
Glenview Park may not be on your radar but it should be. Next time you’ve got an hour or two, make your way to Lamar Avenue, grab a bite at the famous Payne’s BBQ, and stop into the Glenview Community Center across the street to say hello. You may find your next favorite park in town.