Came during off time so very quiet and cleared out Clean enough, but suspicious stains and wear and tears Some of the Lights are dull and yellow Wide enough Disable friendly and colorful inside the BART read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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They have a story machine! A definite plus but it doesn't get the station to 4 stars just yet. The station could be maintained better, especially entering from the Geneva escalator/stairwell, which tends to be a trash magnet. Transfer here if you're on a Daly City bound train and need to get to points further south. read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Story machine! - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Can't miss it on the highway overpass convenient for those living in city college Geneva ST. Can get busier in the afternoon. read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Champions - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

When it comes to going to work or enjoying my day off from work!!! I am very happy to have this Balboa Park Bart Station of San Francisco, Ca which is close to home!!! The one thing that... I really like most about this Balboa Park Station of San Francisco,Ca is when I have to go to work... I always rely on this Balboa Park Bart Station just to get myself to work and to get off at the Powell Bart Station!!! And on my day off from work... I like to get on the Bart and go some where far like to the city of San Bruno, Millbrae, Pleasanton, Oakland, which is very convenient for me and I don't have to drive with the crazy freeway headache traffic!!! When I can sit back and enjoy myself on the Bart Ride to those city destinations that I like going to!!! Thank you to the City Of San Francisco, Ca for having this Transportation which is also good for the locals like me and also tourists from another city U.S. State or another Foreign Country!!! The only thing that I don't like about the Bart Train is when there is a Bart Train Delay!!! I can't do anything about it happens it happens!!! read more

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In the decade-plus since my last review, the station has gotten quite a bit better. First, the finally created a dedicated platform for folks to catch the J & K trains to downtown. The downside is that the platform to downtown is located in the middle of the block on San Jose Ave., between Geneva Ave. and Ocean Ave. Another downside is that the last stop for the J & K are way closer to the Ocean Ave. side, although BART has since opened a dedicated gate on that side so folks don't need to walk all the way closer to the Geneva Ave. side of the station to enter to BART. However, for folks that need to get to the Geneva side, it is a much longer walk. They did make the trek a bit easier by building a level dedicated walkway with a railing that will keep you off the tracks. In the past, there used to be a pole that kind of stuck out on the walkway on the Geneva side. They've since removed it and gave those precious inches back to the pedestrians. Even now, there's nothing to prevent you from walking directly onto the trackway, but it's definitely an improvement from the old configuration. read more

Ever since they got rid of the old trains Bart has been slower with fewer trains running in the morning.

BART and you're there! It's reliable, stress free, cost efficient public transportation. The station has outbound and inbound trains on either side of the platform, so there's no need to cross over to catch a train. I had to dock it a star for lack of cleanliness. But seriously? I'm not even sure a clean BART station exists. (+++) public transportation read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Balboa Park BART Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Being a native San Franciscan, I can definitely say that the Balboa Bart Station is one of the most important stations here in the City. We are all so lucky to have this station so close to City College of San Francisco. If it weren't for this station, I would never have been able to attend my evening classes on time after work. I will always appreciate how I was able to easily get to the downtown area and the financial district by catching the Bart train from this station when I used to live in the Geneva and Mission area. read more

Like most BART stations, this one moves a ton of people everyday. I first thought this station was really sketchy but it's not so bad. There's always people (not the bad kind) around at all times of the night but I'd still suggest staying alert after 10:00pm. The station is designed with 3 entrances 1 on the north and south side of Geneva and an entrance on Ocean, the north most street of the station. There's even a drop off area on the south side of Geneva! This station is more convenient than most because it is also a major hub for MUNI. The J,K and M lines all meet here and make transfers very. Lastly this station has bathrooms available for riders, if you dare to take your chances. read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - The train entering the station. Shutter speed 1/800 - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Passengers here congregate by the stairwell and when a 10 car train stops, they all seem to jam that one car that stops in front of the stairwell. W T F, people? There's more than one car. You people are like cows or lemmings and have no mind of your own. You just follow the crowd even when that crowd leads you to a slaughter. And some idiot is always propping the door open for those people who are walking slow. You f*cking moron, you're gonna put the train out of commission. There's another train 5 minutes behind you, you f*cking idiot. Note to self: When the Zombie apocalypse start, this is a bad place to be since everyone will get infected within seconds. Get your weapons ready just in case you do get caught here. read more

Balboa BART. It's not the cleanest station out there, but it definitely gets riders from Point A to Point B in no time. Unlike the Embarcadero station, this station doesn't have random street music performers or a fancy Peet's Coffee in house. Rather, there is a run-down roach coach outside that sells simple goodies such as water, apple juice, soda, chips, and assorted (possibly day old, or worse, even older) pastries. Eek! Located across the street is a cafe for folks that seriously need a strong cup of joe to help get through their morning. Although signs reflect a no to food or drinks while on the train, I've seen riders happily munchin' on breakfast goodies & sippin' on their coffee in the AM. You can't stop breakfast from happening. After all, it is the most important meal of the day. Tips: *Be careful eating or drinking on BART. If cited, you're hit with a $250 fee. Yikes! *Hold on to your personal belongings, the last time I was here I witnessed a kid snatch someone's "man bag". It happens. But wait, where's BART police when you need them? :X Go BART!!!?! read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Oh Bal BART, the gem of stations in SF This BART station is the key to success when you need to get to downtown and live by CCSF and SFSU. No joke, I can either endure the long M Muni ride which is never on time and takes forever (a good hour and a half which includes ride and wait time) OR I can hop on BART and be downtown in 20-30 mins. It's actually INCORRECT when people say this station smells like pee, well sorta, only when you enter through the side where the K and J start their mission where you walk pass the tiny little alcove, other than that the other 3 entrance/exits don't smell at all. If you read the reviews of the people that say this station smells like pee, it obvious that they DO NOT take this station anywhere, they either are passing by or have been here a few times. I stand accurate with my 100+ check in's here because I take this station on a daily, this station is reguarly maintained; it's a bunch of suits, laborers, college kids and high school students that take this station and I find it rare to see a hobo here. This station is not in downtown, it's the burbs for christ sake. You'll always find students fulfilling their political stand point and handing out flyers or the really nice lady that hands out the Guardian, nothing more, nothing less, this station actually has it together. Thanks Bal Bart. read more

There's a large sign about if contemplating suicide ,to call these numbers on the wall of this station. Well ,I was there this past Sunday to BART up to the city. All the trains were running on half hour schedules ,running late and standing room only. On my way back, while stopped at the Glen Park station, a medical emergency arose at Balboa station. Appears as somebody did a nose dive off the station platform. The train turned around and told us to disembark ,because they were going back to Dublin. Now I know the reason for the suicide prevention signs. read more

The BART is a great public transportation and this station is convenient and safe.

It's a lot cleaner than it used to be, and a little safer too. It helps that Ingleside station is within spitting distance of this location because it keeps the undesireables away... for the most part. The station agents are not going to help you so you're better off asking a fellow patron or using an online tool. I believe there's a stigma that the glass wall barrier means they don't have to help you. Make sure to stay behind the yellow safety strip or they will yell at you on the overhead. I feel bad for the poor people who get yelled at. Parking - non-existant. Look around Balboa Park or surrounding streets but be aware. This is not exactly the friendliest neighborhood so please do not keep anything valuable, strike that, anything visible in your car at all. Lastly, this is a transfer station soutbound for any station(s) past Daly City so it does get quite busy any time of the day. Be aware of your surroundings and safe travels! read more

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This station is indeed very convenient for students attending City College of San Francisco (Main Campus). My class for English 96 and 1B were held at CCSF Mission Campus for two consecutive spring semesters (2010 and 2011). I'd take a ride on BART since the one-way fare from here to 24th St / Mission is only $1.75 and it is super fast. Get on BART at Balboa Park Station and I'd be at 24th St / Mission Station in 5-10 minutes. "Hop on BART and you're there!" It is much faster and saves commuters a lot of time as compared to sitting in traffic. This is strategically a smarter commute approach. Want an approach you can consider to be efficient with time management? BART is your answer! As I always say, sometimes it's not just about the public transit you rely on for your daily commute. Rather, it's more about choosing the most efficient incentive possible. Don't want to sit in traffic whether you drive or take the bus? The subway trains are the number one answer for this part. Taking BART is the answer if you want to get over to downtown using the shortest travel time possible. BART trains are known to have an on time performance of 80%-90%. Therefore, they are very reliable! read more

While not the best BART station, I had fond memories of this station because I would get off for City College. This is a busy station because of that. This station also doesn't have parking as an option. With it being busy and even closer to downtown, you will get some sketchy folks and some characters for sure. read more

Dear Balboa Park Station, Thank you for being somewhat near my house. I would never get anywhere "fast" without you. Sometimes late at night, you're a tad on the sketchy side, but overall, you do your job. Sometimes you smell a bit on the funky side, but usually I'm trying to speed-walk through the hustle and bustle of commuters, so it doesn't affect me too much. It's always nice to see familiar faces when I'm waiting for the Bart or Muni because then I know I'm either on-time, early, or friggin late. They don't know it, but I make up names for them: Asian young-ish married couple (on time! i can buy coffee!) Same black double-breasted trench coat girl (phew just made it) Buzzcut-northface jacket dresspants Asian dude (fml! bleh iz late) Greasy-haired middle school girl (on time!) Tall-ish old-ish young-ish Asian man (on time!) Super adorable little girl who knows she's cute and pregnant mom Year older dude that went to my high school but I forget his real name And most other people are just the general "no-sense-of-personal-space" peeps or "smells-like-cigarette-stink" men, or old pushy people. Either way, I'm glad I don't have to wake up earlier to take the 8BX to work. It may be door-to-door almost, but I can't force myself to wake up early anymore. Thanks for getting me to work so fast, or to the Mish for burritos, or just going out. Most of all, thanks for the extra sleep. P.S. It's a stop for the 43, 8BX, 8X, 29, 54, and 88. Isn't it odd that your bus stop, which is a major stop for commuters doesn't have the muni LED time estimate for the buses? Thank god i can haz intarwebs on my smrtz phone! Sincerely, bigass Columbia-jacket Asian girl (because it's always so windy waiting for the bus) read more

Balboa Bart station can kiss my ass. Tonight, after never having taken the M-Line from Balboa Bart station, I asked the station agent if the M-Line for muni stops near there. He looks at me blankly and says, "I don't know." He wasn't even polite about it. He didn't even offer help. Okay, I know that Muni and Bart are two different entities but given that the muni train line and Bart share the same freakin' terminal that they would at least offer some guidance or help. And figuring that most commuters in San Francisco use both BART and MUNI they would offer some sort of information about the other. So --there goes another dissapointment in San Francisco public transportation. I know - big surprise, right? (Ahem, that was sarcasm) read more

The train was empty until they boarded at West Oakland station. Men and women collapse across dingy seats, their bodies contorted at oblique angles. Not dead, but enraptured, engrossed in one another, in love, in lust. Theirs was intimate yoga of drunken lovers, preformed as the train lurched through a grey rainstorm, dipping below the dark, cool waters of the Bay. The windows steamed with the humidity of their breath as they stole heat and moisture from one another's mouths. It was the last train of the night, a car for couples. I tried to gaze at the passing lights of the Transbay Tube, but only caught their reflections in tremulous grotesquerie. We arrived at Balboa Park station. Upon the opposite platform, a single woman in a vivid red shirt stood in quarter profile under sodium lamps, her face turned to the distant ether as her black hair streamed behind her, borne on the onrushing wind of the approaching Pittsburg/Bay Point Train. She looked as lonely as I felt. A real (terse) review: Just another standard, brutalist BART station. Transfer point for Muni Metro, 29, 43, 49, 52, and all East Bay/Airport/Millbrae trains. No bathrooms (as far as I can tell). Unremarkable in every way, shape, and form. read more

I wanted to write a review of the most HORRIFIC mass transit I have ever had the agony of experiencing but there seems to be no general BART entry so I'll pick the one I'm sitting now after 3.45 hours trying to get from San Jose Airport (lovely but if you don't have a car don't even THINK about going there) to San Leandro I AM LOSING my hearing and I can't believe all of San Francisco and surrounding areas don't walk around with hearing aids. Loud, hideous, filthy, drab. There is NOTHING good to say about this system. Service is nonexistent. The machines are antiquated and like DC and other systems outside the ONLY good subway in America I've been--MTA--have various zones. I suppose within the San Francisco downtown it's okay. but seriously, the carpet looks like it's a combination of vomit and tar. There is just simply no way to say how repellent the BART is. A reason NOT to live in the Bay Area as far as I am concerned. The Cal Train is even worse in terms of service and frequency but at least doesn't make me feel like I'm going to catch a horrible disease. And I'm not at all germophobic but this is beyond filth , squalor and sheer sewage. Also, why is it the trains just sit for 5 minutes for no apparent reason. There is WiFi but who the hell cares? I could not take this system on a daily basis without earplugs. It's the most depressing experience. I would rather be on a Greyhound with piss everywhere and passengers having fist fights. Knife fights? A close call. read more

Sometimes, I'm cheap. Like when I take BART from the Mission to SFO. Instead of catching a train directly from either 16th or 24th Street to SFO, I board at one of the Mission stops, use my Muni Fast Pass, get off at Balboa Park, go upstairs with my luggage, exit the fare gates, reenter the fare gates with my BART EZ Rider card, and catch the next train to SFO. This only saves me a few cents, but it makes me feel really good. If I weren't in a hurry and I had to get from, say, SFO to Pittsburg, I would take a train from SFO to Balboa Park, get off, reenter using my Muni Fast Pass, catch another train, exit at Embarcadero, and reenter to catch a train to Pittsburg. See, a Muni Fast Pass pays for any trip within San Francisco, and since I'm getting screwed over in every other way financially by living here, I figure I can save some pennies here and there. But I'm weird. The station itself is clean and not gross and underground like the Mission stations. It's actually semi-open air. read more

2 MAJOR things to remember with this station... 1. Its the SECOND MOST BUSY STATION IN THE SYSTEM (The first being Powell Street Station). There is a TON of college types, and low income people traveling through here. So fare lines and gates get backed up. 2. From the END of the platform (like the rear) count 8 BLACK TILES (these are where the doors to the train are) at ANY other station in the network. When the train stops at Balboa Park, it will put you RIGHT at the Escalator (which gets FULL OF PEOPLE VERY FAST), so your the first one off, and out of that horrible station. Since a majority of the station is below ground, but has no roof (like a trench) its a pain in the butt if its raining or cold. There is not many places to sit, most of the places are taken up anyway, so standing is an option. People are impatient and rude here, and will have no issues cutting in line to get on or off the train before you. I just push people and say..."EXCUSE YOU!" UPDATE - As of 5/29/2008 there is a latin guy and black girl panhandling, asking for change for the phone, or tickets with some sob story "I need to get back to the eastbay". If they were downtown, Id believe it a little more, but the simple fact they are in Balboa, NEIT! When I confronted them on this they said they are there daily just for money, and if I dont like it, "Shut the fuck up and dont say anything". I started to fear actually going to this station, and next time will immediately alert BART Police to the problem. read more

This station has its pros and cons for me. The big plus: easy to navigate between BART & Muni. The 2 minuses: a) Muni stops are skinny as hell, (if your not use to this feels like you can be side swiped by the Muni trains). b) The homeless guy who watched for people loading money onto the card; gave him a $1 and he still wanted to bother me for 50cents more :|. read more

This place is excellent for a Muni-to-BART transfer, but not for the reverse. I ride the J home, so it would seem to make sense to hop off from SFO at Balboa Park and hop on the J. Well, except for one thing... the Muni drivers invariably go on break for 20 minutes or more, leaving you to stand in the cold, dirty "waiting area" that's not much more than a dirty curb. (They won't let you wait on the train.) I've waited more than half an hour sometimes, and calls to Muni Information only are met with incorrect estimates of when the driver will decide to head in. I f you're coming in from SFO, just go downtown and transfer there... It may seem ass-backwards, but at least you'll avoid having to stand in the cold. read more

If you want to go all the way to Millbrae or perhaps the airport, you have to get off here and transfer to a SFO train. It can get cold here but seems to have that sunroof effect if you can sit at a certain spot of the station. read more

It just always so prety and clean in this station. For those transfering however either going north or going south this is the BEST place to do it. If you're going south to sfo this platform doesn't have stair for you to climb etc. If you are going north on ANY line especially during commute hours this is a great place to do it so ou can get a seat. If you missed getting of at daly city then this is you next best bet. Commute on BART is getting more and more hectic. read more

BART - Balboa Park Station - Really guy???? - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

I pass by this station all the time and I always feel like my lungs are contaminated afterwards. It smells like pee everywhere! I'm not exaggerating. Seriously everywhere! From the walkways outside to the escalator entrances and ticket machines, this place is like a third world toilet. It doesn't help that I always see tons of random puddles outside when there has been no rain recently. There's also an impressive collection of pigeon droppings and pigeon feathers. I shudder just thinking about it. The only redeeming factor is that the platform is mostly indoors so it doesn't get that cold when you wait for your train and you can get out of the rain. It's also not that bad at night. The area looks a little ghetto but I've walked past at all hours of the night and I've never seen anything shady. read more

This is the best station to transfer if you are coming from SF and going all the way to SFO or Millbrae. It is less crowded than any of the downtown SF stations, and it is indoor. read more

Ever since they added the new walkway that leads out to Ocean Avenue, this station looks a lot better and all the foot traffic from CCSF students makes it feel more friendlier and accessible. What they should do sooner than later is continue the construction so that all the trains are going inside, rather than having the J & K trains stop outside. I think this is part of the Balboa Park BART improvement project, but I'm not sure when it will actually happen. They could use more lighting on the Ocean Avenue walkway and the waiting area for the J & K, as it gets dark and shady-looking after 7PM. read more

There are often dead pigeon bodies laying around this station, and it creeps me out. It provoked me to write a review. You usually see the bodies where muni drops you off. It makes me want to barf. Can someone tell me if there is a pigeon serial killer that lurks around here? Other than that, this station is a lot better than the downtown SF stations. There aren't crazy people harassing you, or people begging for cash, or smells of defecation, which is a nice change from typical SF Bart stations. read more

Come 5PM, Balboa Park Bart station is full fledge ass hour traffic...probably because it's the most active BART station outside the city, it's near the Excelsior District (the highest percentage of homeowners compared to all districts of San Francisco (Represent!) and near the entrance to I-280, a busy commute route for Daly City residents & San Franciscans. Balboa Park Bart station is also near SF City College by walking distance and SFSU by the 29 Sunset bus route. It's also the platform for many of the populous MUNI bus lines such as the 9X, 26 Valencia, 36 Teresita, 43 Masonic, 54 Felton, etc. I would like to thank Balboa Park Bart station for accommodating me during the several roles I've fulfilled growing up in my hood... as a 6th grader selling chocolate bars for our school fundraiser, a high school cheerleader in need of transportation to a basketball game, a college student in need of transportation to the next political rally and at the present moment, a 9-5 government employee on its way to work like the rest of everybody in the rat race read more

I think you're the TOPS! You're usually on time and I like that. I can forgive the small handful of time you were late. Its no biggie because you always make me happy. Its when I get off and have to deal with your retarded friend MUNI that just gets me all riled up. Thanks for making my commute easy. read more

Ok so I stopped going to the Daly City Bart Station for parking & decided to use Balboa Park Station. I dread going here cause I have to walk 9 blocks. Yes, I know its good exercise but it is time consuming. I also dread going up & down the stairs to get to the Platforms. Ugh! and it also has the stinky Piss smell. *gag* I guess this is what I get for moving to SF from LA. read more

A three star because the bathrooms were out of service although its clean trains take forever when there is a platform out of service.

I was here transferring on the train out to the airport ya'll. I had to review this place because damn nothing beats SD's BALBOA PARK.

the closest bart station to my house. i usually use this station whenever i need to go to civic center or downtown area. I would rather take bart to civic center and downtown since i don't have to worry about parking and can take you there under 15 minutes. about 8 minutes to civic center, about 10 minutes to powell station, and montgomery/embarcadero station is about 12 or 13 minutes. i would said a lot quicker than driving. some people complain how this station isn't clean, the only thing that isn't clean is the stairs where there some trash. other then that, to me, the inside of this bart station is pretty clean. read more

Very clean. , the Lighting is bright, Nice and Neat and Clean! This Station is Organized and has a safe environment feel to it.. 5 Stars read more

You know what, bart is bart. I will merit the fact that it gets me from point a to b. How is anything wrong with that? You have to keep in mind that this is a public form of transportation and ALL walks of life use it (yes, even my dog). I'm thankful for that. About this station: I personally think the workers are great. The few times I needed their assistance they were fine and that's all I need. I don't need kiss ass help, I just need decent help. Lol. I really like that there are bus and muni stops here. It is a walk away from CCSF and a strip of grocery stores, quick stop shops, small easy restaurants or fast food stuff. Pretty clean, I don't see too much stuff except the leaves or water leak here and there. CONS: - Sometimes when I use a ticket that doesn't have enough cash fare on it, I have to go to the ticket vendor to add money. It's CASH ONLY and you can't use 20's or anything big. Also, NO DEBIT/CREDIT. How frustrating!? - I have had someone asked to use my phone and I was listening to music. I said no, it's my iPod because it was lol, and he argued with ME about how I lied to him. "Maaan, how you gone tell me that's an iPod. I know an iPhone when I SEE ONE". This could be a pro though because he ended up sitting right next to me on the train and no words were exchanged after that, just a salty teen hatin' on my life. But since we didn't stab each other, that may be a pro? Not sure. read more

I lived 10 minutes away from this station by walking. I happened to work at 24th and Church St. I had two ways of getting to work - Option 1: go to Balboa Park, wait a good 15 minutes for the J Church to show up, pay $2 for a ride that is long, jerky, and makes frequent stops. Option 2: go to Balboa Park, immediately catch an East bay bound train for only $1.75, arrive at 24th & Mission in just five minutes, then grab a tasty Mission burrito before enjoying a refreshing 10 minute walk up to my work. BART for the win. read more