Allyne Park is a hidden Oasis in the hustle and bustle of Cow Hollow. A block off Union Street but world's away, Allyne Park is the perfect spot to let your pooch run free. In addition to the larger grassy area there is also a great landscaped area with benches, flowers and huge trees. On sunny days the park is teeming with dogs, sunbathers and couples canoodling in the grass (I love a good canoodle) Pop in to Blue Fog Market across the street for some Blue Bottle and some snacks, grab your blanket and enjoy one of San Francisco's hidden treasures! read more

Well, this place is so small (.735 acres) its not even shown on most maps (or listed on Yelp - until now)...which is sort of its charm. If you're in Cow Hollow and need a place to mellow out from all the yuppie boutique nonsense on Union St., this spot is the place to go. Tucked away behind some trees, it's not super-obvious from Gough. But inside is a nice, small lawn and a little garden-type sitch with some flowers and other shubbery. Benches to sit on as well. Check out the Octagon house on next door on Gough. Wow - trippy... Besides the size, the drawbacks are that the tall trees block most sun and its a meeting point for everyone in the neighborhood who owns those little yapping terrier dogs. (Again, it's not that I dislike dogs perse...I just don't like yours). read more

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What a little oasis in Cow Hollow! My wife, dog, and I love relaxing here and meeting new people. It's a very, friendly atmosphere and well maintained. I'd go here every day to simply de-stress. read more

This won't be a review about about Union Street/The Cow Hollow, and the out-pouring of sentiments people have towards this area. This will be a review about a little park that is worth knowing about if you happen to spend time in the area. Allyne Park is a terrific place that is rooted in SF history. Much like some of my other favorite spots in SF, you can literally walk by without a second thought and not even notice it exists. Allyne Park is located on Green Street, just northwest of Gough. Why you might never realize that it's here is because it occupies a couple of lots and is surrounded by a fence on two sides and properties on the other two. Who is its neighbor? First, the Octagon House, look it up kids. Second, the echos of the past. By which I mean the Allyne Mansion, which was a baller old mansion built in the late 19th century by oil man John Winslow Allyne and the his wife, Mary Newell Burr (her dad was once mayor of SF). Suffice it to say, they had means. Their daughters inherited it, as well as the grounds. Long story longer, eventually they died in the 1960's and the mansion was torn down and eventually turned into the now eponymous park. I love the seclusion that you feel here. It's boxed in on all sides by a fence, and it is full of mature trees with lots of coverage. I almost think of this as sort of a Secret Garden, because you can walk right past the two very small gates without noticing. The grounds inside are very shaded and peaceful, and it has some terrific landscaping. There is a nice open field (which as of January 2016 is fenced in for re-growth) for a little bit of breathing room. The park is segmented well so even though it's small, you have a bunch of different areas. There are a number of benches to sit and chill. I enjoy coming by in the morning with a cup of coffee (alright, a Diet Coke) and sitting for a few moments enjoying some quality time with my iPhone. If I had a dog or a kid and lived in the neighborhood, this would be a no-brainer. It's beautiful, peaceful, and in one of the most posh (real posh, not tech posh) neighborhoods in The City. Is there a reason to go out of your way to come here? Eh... Not really. But, it is a cool spot if you're walking through The Cow Hollow and are ready to take a load off outdoors. My one word of caution, it is a secluded park despite the fact it's right in a neighborhood. I could see how someone might feel a bit apprehensive given that it is fenced and not particularly busy. read more

Allyne Park - Secluded little park in the Cow Hollow - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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People are absolutely fetish about their dogs. They buy special food for them. Dress them in doggie couture. They walk them by two's and three's or carry them in purses. Send them to doggie day care, and let them holiday at doggie hotels! They decorate them in doggie bling and take them to the finest doggie groomers. And today, as I walked by the teeny, tiny Allyne Park, near Cow Hollow, I got to see a group of dog lovers hold a special party for teeny-weeny silky terriers. Imagine if you will, silky terriers playing games in their sassy outfits with other silky terriers! Their owners obsessively beaming at their cuteness! Compulsively cheering on their antics! Doggie bows and doggie bling frantically flouncing about the adorable fenced-off park! Like a car wreck, I stopped to gawk. All that doggie dress up stuff was kind of weird, but I really love that sweet little park. It seems like the perfect place to rest and read and laze about on a warm autumn day. ((sigh)) Sadly, today was not that day... read more

The windows were down and my hair was blowing in the wind. I closed my eyes, and smelled what seemed a thousand scents, My heart beat faster knowing fun was just around the corner. I made my way to the park as fast as I could get there hoping I could say hi to my friends. I entered the park and it had to be the gate to heaven Green grass, a cool breeze and new faces to meet I ran around the entire park area like an animal turned loose. A few trees, nice shaded areas and even benches! I must have been out of shape because before I knew it, I was having fun and out of breath i didn't waste anytime saying hi to others in the park and before I knew it I had friends In fact I felt so comfortable, I decided to piss straight on the grass, 5 times mind you! Now although the toilet wasn't like the one at home, I just couldn't hold it anymore and crapped right on the lawn! No one seemed too mad at me when I did it so I just resumed having fun. I sniffed around here and there and some other losers thought they owned the park I showed them I was the new boss in town and made sure this territory was marked as mine. After about an hour or so I was very tired and took a nap on the cool grass until my sister woke me up. Damn her! So I'm riding back home now, dreaming about my new favorite place, Allyne Park. Mom and dad simply can't appreciate it as much as I can. My name is Sammi ... I'm a Yorkshire Terrier read more

What a beautiful park - and such a wonderful gift to the city by the Allyne sisters. We should always remember that they were the 'spinsters' who donated land for the relocation of the Octagon house, and Lucy Allyne donated the remainder of the land for this public park. I can just barely recall visiting Ms. Lucy Allyne with my parents when I was very young - barely 3 or so. The house was big and amazing, and she led me up to their attic area, where there was a small room with quite a few old wooden toys that I could play with. Just a few years ago, my father was recalling that visit and told me that I was playing with Aaron Burr's childhood toys! The Allyne sisters were the great-(?)-granddaughters of Aaron Burr (their mother was a Burr). I had gone looking for their old home quite a long time ago, and was surprised that it was gone, but the park was perfect and lovely and peaceful. It just spoke to me of the generosity of Ms. Lucy Allyne. She would have loved to see how much everyone enjoys it. read more

I get hugely sentimental over this park. It's where I had my first romp as a toddler, it's where I had my first Easter egg hunt, it's where my dog had his first dog-in, and it's where we (my dog and I) continue to chill. Have you ever taken in all the foliage in this park? And get a hold of those redwood trees...yes, redwoods! Where else will you find redwoods in Cow Hollow/Marina?? Only at Allyne. As I said, I get hugely sentimental over this park... read more

I used to love this park. I've been coming here for years. The compact walking garden and welcoming lawn at the bottom of the park's gentle slope are perfect, especially if you come in the morning when the dew is still on the grass and you can enjoy the park with a cup of coffee and nothing but silence around you. However, within the last year this place has become a full-on dog park. Despite signs being posted EVERYWHERE (every entrance, on posts, even nailed to trees) asking people to keep their dogs on leashes, it's now a free for all. It's now impossible to sit on a bench without a dog coming over to you and jumping up on you while the owner is nowhere to be seen. I love dogs to no end, but if you own one in the Marina then take him to Crissy Field or up near Danielle Steele's house. As usual, it's not the dog's fault (or the park's) but idiot, entitled owners' who either can't read the signs or don't care about anyone else. read more

Sunny little park near my work where can sit in the sun and look at the hummingbirds fight over territory. Sometimes a dog will walk up to me when I am eating lunch and beg for food. I love those days. read more

There is nothing that can ruin lunch faster than a (unleashed) dog putting his face and slobber all over my food and clothes while I'm trying to eat. And where is the owner? Oh, he's casually walking behind smiling. Sorry dude, I don't love your dog like you do, and I don't want his drool all over me. Thanks for ruining my lunch break and not even caring that your dog just spat all over me and my sandwich. Yes, i'm talking to you hippie dude with the light brown pitbull. DOG OWNERS: I love dogs and I don't mind that everyone seems to ignore the signs saying that your dog should be leashed, but PLEASE have some curtesy and DO NOT let your dogs harass other people, especially when they are trying to EAT. Call your dog back or if they're not trained, don't let them off the leash. read more

This park is appears outta nowhere. Literally. You could be trekking somewhere off Union Street after a fat burger or a complicated SBUX drink (not me, but she adds a lot of variations to her latte). And then, you see this great patch of greenery surrounded by wooden fencing. It's tiny but large enough to get the job done. There are several benches around. The sun was shining brightly that day, and there were two dogs chasing their tennis balls which seemed like forever (one was a pug and the other was a beagle). Nice place to finish off an afternoon as you soak in a rare patch of SF greenery. read more

Hidden, private, and on the smaller end of little parks. I saw an entire spectrum of individuals here. On one side are some benches, where people look to be taking a break, sunning themselves, chatting, and meditating? On another side are the yummy mummy's with babies and on the side facing Gough are one or two homeless persons looking through the trash. You can bring your doggie here and they have one of those communal poopie bag stands. Buster loves to root around in the grass here! read more

I love this park! Its about 2 blocks away from our apartment, which is great for us because Hunter (our dog) loves to be outside. My wife and I bring Hunter to the park every day and have gotten to know most of the dog owners who come to enjoy the park too. Most of us have become friendly with one another over the past year and a half, and usually only know the Human through the Dogs name. Over the past month or so, I have been noticing a lot of activity from the Police or Park Ranger, who come to the park and demand that "you leash your dog". Technically Allyne Park is an "On- Leash only" park; it says so on a sign before you enter, but over the past year and a half, all I have noticed is off leash dogs. There has never been an incident or complaint about the dogs being off leash, so this park has been an "unofficial" dog park, where rarely you see people who aren't dog owners occupying the park...other than those pesty feral homeless people who frequently use the park as their bedroom...and BATHROOM...but that's a story for another day. Back to my point: the influx in Cops and Park Rangers. Yesterday, as usual, I took Hunter to the park, and he played with his usual buddies. Running around, chasing the ball, and doing what dogs do. After about 20 minutes, a man walks in with his son. They want some space to play soccer, so they go to the opposite end of the park. The man looked annoyed when he walked in, and looked really annoyed when the dogs interfered with his soccer match with his young son. To make a long story short, the guy is a fan of dogs, but doesn't understand "why the city can't partition off the park" so that dogs and humans alike can enjoy the park together. I agreed with him and made a friend. In listening to him, he revealed that there was an incident with a blonde woman, who had a "white dog with brown patches" on him. The woman told him and his son about playing soccer "You probably shouldn't play here because this is a DOG PARK". This infuriated the man, and I am certain this is why he is annoyed by dogs at Allyne Park. I assured him that I know everyone that comes here, and that there will ALWAYS be a few bad seeds in the crowd, but 99% of dog owners here respect his concerns. We ended our conversation with a handshake, they played fetch with Hunter for about 10 minutes (so he likes dogs...at least Hunter), and I said that I will start an online petition to the Parks and Rec department, for the separation of the park, so that ALL citizens will feel happy. Below is my petition. Please add your name to it. I am trying to get as much support as possible, so that the influx of Police and Park Rangers become non existent! Thanks http://www.change.org/petitions/san-francisco-recreation-and-parks-san-francisco-recreation-and-parks-will-you-please-divide-allyne-park-located-at-2609-gough-st-in-two-sections-1-dog-park-and-2-recreation-park?share_id=sDTApVSIRB&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition read more

It's a sweet park. tiny, but a great place to sit and chill in the middle of the big city. I have a personal history with this park. I grew up a block from here on Green Street between Octavia and Laguna. When I was little, I went to elementary school a block on the other side of Allyne - so I walked past it on my way home from school. Back then, I believe two spinster sisters (last name Allyne) lived there in a big Victorian house in the middle of what is now the big green meadow. When they died, they left it to the City to be turned into a park. My friends and I would sneak in and peek through the windows of the empty house. There was also a small greenhouse. Back then, there were lots more trees on the grounds. You couldn't see from one corner of the park to the other, like you can now. Once it was turned into a park, the structures were torn down, creating the meadow, but they left the trees. It was so overgrown with trees that you could play hide-and-go-seek and REALLY hide. We would have neighborhood parties there. But then over the years, they thinned the trees, possibly to keep homeless people from camping there as San Francisco became a mecca for the homeless. It lost something for me when they did that. I've always had dogs in San Francisco - and still live in the neighborhood so I bring my dog here occasionally. A few years ago the then-gardener got annoyed with the damage the dogs were doing to the grass, so she had the gates taken off. Bummer. Though I could see her point, it made it not quite so safe for doggies who are not under the best voice control. I wish I could find out the names of the old sisters who left this little gem to the City. we should put up a plaque in their memory, bless them. [edited 2/23/12 to add information about the Allyne sisters:] I was curious to see if I could find some info about the Allyne sisters on the web, so I did some googling and found their names here: http://www.verlang.com/sfbay0004ref_19thc_003.html Their names were Lucy H. and Edith W. Allyne, and interestingly they also owned the lot where the Octagon House is now located, and donated that lot so the Octagon House could be moved to its present site. Once I found their names, I could google their full names rather than just "Allyne sisters" as I had been doing, and that yields a lot more info! http://www.askart.com/askart/a/lucy_helen_allyne/lucy_helen_allyne.aspx "Born in San Francisco, CA on Sept. 24, 1873. Lucy Allyne was a member of a wealthy, pioneer family. She was born in the family mansion at 2609 Gough Street and lived there all her life. During the 1890s she painted watercolors and was a pupil of L. P. Latimer whose influence is seen in her work. Many of her turn-of-the-century landscapes are of Marin County. A spinster, she died on June 19, 1963. Her estate is now a public park." {it would be nice to have a party there on 6/19/2013 to commemorate her gift on the 50th anniversary of her death!} More info: http://goarticles.com/article/Cow-Hollow/3733149/ "Just uphill is the "Treasure House of Gough Street," the former Victorian home of the octogenarian sisters, Edith and Lucy Allyne, who never lived anywhere else. Granddaughters of pioneer Ephraim W. Burr, onetime mayor of San Francisco, the sisters inherited a $3 million fortune and the house, built in 1871, from their father. Part of its fittings include an Oriental porcelain urn once used as a watering trough for Captain Allyne's cow." Searching for info on their grandfather Ephraim W. Burr, he has a wikipedia entry with a link to a page that gives information about Edith and Lucy's father, who married Ephraim's daughter: "John Winslow Allyne was born April 18, 1841 in Brewster Massachusetts to Samuel Hinkley Allyne and Sophronia Winslow. Ten days after his birth, his mother died. In 1859, at age 18, JWA, with his father, came around the Horn to California on the ship Memmon. They were later joined by other members of his family. For some time, JWA was a clerk in the Stanford Brothers store. His sister, Helen, had married Josiah Stanford in 1861. Then in 1870-, JWA became the successor of that store with William H. White. These partners, Allyne and White, had the first finery store in North Beach, and also made the first successful experiments with black oil in its use on railroad car axles. This invention was put to use on the old Central Pacific Railroad and began their fortunes in business in San Francisco. Much of the proceeds from the oil business was invested in real estate in San Francisco and New York. JWA married Mary Newell Burr on September 20, 1871 in the Unitarian Church of San Francisco. She was the daughter of Ephraim Willard Burr and Abbie Miller Child and was born at Warren Rhode, Island on May 11, 1844. JWA died at his home on Gough and Green Streets, San Francisco, on December 4, 1901. Mary died in San Francisco on September 13, 1921." read more

This beautifully landscaped oasis is NOT a dog park. Sorry. Dogs MUST be on leash. It is illegal to let your pooch run free in Allyne Park. So if you want to do that, you have to do it someplace else. Thank you for being a responsible dog owner. read more

Love this place and the garden. Love that I can bring the dog here and have a cup of coffee on the bench. Yes dogs are allowed but this is not a dog park! So for those of you who suggest have dog gates, read the SIGN and keep your dogs on leash. Be glad it's not a stinky or gross dog park. For those who live in the area, we love it and don't want to change it. read more

a hidden dog park? a great place to relax and let your pooches free. read more

Just moved here from the East Coast last Wednesday and came to this cute little park for a puppy meetup over the weekend. It's an adorable and well-maintained park! There's plenty of glass, trees, sun, and shade for everyone to enjoy and all the dog owners are responsible with cleaning up (at least I assumed so since I didn't notice any obvious "piles"). My only issue is that the park is small and has 2 open entrances where my dogs could accidentally wander out and onto the streets. It seems like it would be easy to install short gates and not detract from the park at all but for now I'll have to keep looking for a fully-enclosed park for my dogs. read more

Allyne park is a nice small park in the middle of the city that allows our yorkie meetup pals that meet once a month. It is enclosed by fencing, has a variety of plants and benches to rest. Parking sucks, but it is also close to public transportation. read more

Little piece of paradise in Cow Hollow. The Mutt loves it!

I came of age in Allyne Park in the late 60s and early 70s, along with a crew of other kids from the area. This was our after high school hangout, our Friday and Saturday night drinking and smoking spot, among other activities. ;-) We had lots of memorable times there. In fact, some of us Allyne Park OGs are thinking about organizing a reunion there for those of us who still survive. read more

This is my little neighborhood park. It is not a dog park and I do wish that people who come there with their dogs would keep that in mind. I am a dog lover, too, but it is not for throwing balls and frisbees with your dog. Lots of us like to come and have a quiet moment or two. It's not driving me away but sometimes it does make me walk past, which is too bad. Oh yes, and I also should add that it's not a park for taking a drunk bus and entering for the purpose of peeing and throwing up. Shouldn't need to be added but this is SF. read more

A secret green space where you can rest up before rejoining the crazyness of Union Street. Thank you to the Allyne sisters for donating their former home and garden to the city so we could all enjoy what had been theirs aone. read more