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    Cayuga Playground

    4.5 (47 reviews)

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    Montage of images from Cayuga Playground
    Ed U.

    It's still uhh-maze-zing that I'm still discovering old episodes of "California's Gold" that I've never seen before. There was an entire show taped back in 2006 that was devoted to this hidden playground and park in the Outer Mission where the late Huell Howser browsed the rustic wooden sculptures that peppered the grounds. The man responsible for the statuary and landscaping was a longtime Parks & Recreation gardener named Demie Braceros who was featured on the show. Braceros took it upon himself to create what turned into an open-air museum uniquely reflecting his inspirations and thoughts. He used tree stumps, castaway branches, and scraps as his primary materials and let his creativity flow for a quarter-century until he retired in 2014. To get there, you can easily take BART to Balboa Park and walk about ten minutes down Alemany. Located under the elevated BART tracks between Balboa Park and Daly City, It's uhh-maze-zing, as Huell would say. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37B1acE

    Bart train passing overhead the playground
    Corinne C.

    Love this playground! It's nestled deep into a neighborhood, it's got a pretty gate, there's a large field with a nice paved path (uphill) leading up to it, and a great playground. My kids also liked watching people play tennis or basketball on the nearby court. I appreciated that there were clean and accessible bathrooms super close to the playground. The playground itself had a nice mix of structures for the younger toddler set AND for the older kids (the GIANT rope gym). My kids also LOVED the fact that BART would whoosh by above every few minutes, so maybe don't come here if you want some quiet...but if you want quiet, what are you doing at a playground?! There's also a lot of quirky wooden carved totems, statues, and figures scattered around the landscaping and the path to the field, and my kids liked running around and looking for their favorites. Saw lots of families and kids hanging out, on a Saturday right before lunch. Great family ambiance.

    This is a review only for their basketball hoops. The ball gets stuck in both of the hoop nets because it's so tight. Fix this issue ASAP.

    John G.

    Labor of Love! I grew up near this park on Alemany on the border of San Francisco and Daly City in the mid 80's. It was a different time back then, and this park was a place to avoid with all the stupid gangs and drug dealers that mostly occupied this park. Then along came a man named Demetrio Braceros, who came from a family of farmers in the Philippines. He single-handedly transformed this park from a trash-littered environment full of gang activities to a place full of lush vegetation, walking trails, landscaped gardens and wooden sculptures that has been the trademark of this playground. Some of his wooden sculptures are homage to local and famous celebrities. Some have biblical meanings while others are folk arts with inspiration from the Philippines and world events. A devout Catholic, and yet inclusive of all cultures and different religions as everyone is welcome in this park...unless if you're up to no good. And most of his sculptures are designed like Totem Poles proudly erected as wonderful pieces of art to be enjoyed by many. Mr. Braceros' contribution as a gardener for the city has paid dividends in more ways that one could ever imagine. He was destined to be assigned to this playground as he was the chosen one; the one and only person that could have made a huge impact on the rebirth of a playground that made the community come together. He came to work with a passion and had the vision to realize this park's full potential as a heaven and escape for the neighborhood kids and families as it was meant to be. By pouring his heart and love to his work, the community came together to protect this park and take it back from the people bent on destroying rather than creating. He was the bridge that finally brought life to this park, along with kids' laughter as they can freely and safely play without worry of criminal activities. To say that he transformed this park is truly an understatement. It was more than a transformation and close to a revolution on a civic scale. After working for more than 24 years, Mr. Braceros retired and was rightfully honored with the grand re-opening of the park at a cost of 9.4 million in renovation. Demetrio Braceros (or Demi) is now synonymous with Cayuga Playground as his photo and story is now a permanent fixture in its showcase. On that note, it's now up to the next generation to take care of this park and don't let history repeat itself. Some of his sculptures needs a lot of TLC as the paint has faded, wood has decayed and some appear to have been vandalized. There's cobwebs that needs to be removed and weeds growing that needs to be pulled. San Francisco Recreation and Park Department could learn a lesson from Mr. Bracero and pour a little bit of love in maintaining this place. A little goes a long way.

    ...And of course the rope pyramid.
    Brian Q.

    I'm nearing two dozen reviews on playgrounds in the Bay Area. Scouting them out for when Covid ends, I know where to bring my own kids and this one makes the list. I'm also in search of the best parks to fly FPV sub 250g tinywhoop quadcopters while Covid is in place and a vast majority of playgrounds are closed to visitors which makes them suitable for flying through (see attached video). This park is great for both. Hidden gem! I've driven by this place a zillion times and didn't even know it. Some parks I would call "convenience parks" where visitors go there out of convenience more than a real intention. Those tend to be less safe and less enjoyable. This is not one of those. This is by contrast, definitely a "destination" playground. No one stumbles upon this place or ends up here b/c it's "on the way." There are no "anchor" shops that promote traffic to this place which is again, a good thing. Everyone here planned to come here and it shows. Safe playgrounds need dedicated entrances which this has. The entrance to both the park and the playground are very inviting. I was so intrigued by the artistic entrance gate that even though I accessed the park from the hill, I walked down to check it out. Looks like a themed park where you'd expect them to charge a nominal fee for entrance. I didn't use the restrooms, but from afar, they looked like they were in good shape. Also not stuck in the corner where it would feel unsafe. Entrances to both men/women are in front of the building where they should be as opposed to the sides. I see that flawed design all too often at other facilities. Proximity off the street is good, meaning access is close enough but not so close that you have people lurking who shouldn't be. Getting to and from the park isn't difficult, but takes some effort. That's a good thing for parents. If you're looking for a safe place to bring your kids, this would be one of the few in the City. Seating is plentiful as the concrete border surrounding one edge of the play structures acts as a bench. Vantage points are good you. Close enough in proximity to the structures but far enough where you get a good view of the entire place. Few blind spots. Seating with tables are available and situated in a good place. The only thing that may interrupt the vibes is the passing BART overhead, but you'll get used to it in no time and besides, kids love trains!

    Jimmy C.

    My little daughter loves playgrounds so much that she would consider going. My family and I have decided to take her to Cayuga Playground. There are two entrances. Since we're at Alemany Blvd, the Trail of Hope is where we go to, pass Demetrio's wooden sculptures, into the large grassy area, and towards the right side is where the playground is. That large grassy area would be perfect for me to fly a kite like others did when its windy. While at the playground, my little daughter loves to run around and around. Although she has tried most of the obstacles including the steel roller slide, it'll take long for her to discover how she will overcome both the vertical chute and the rope climb. Cayuga is still the best playground along with the basketball and tennis courts. Though the large grassy area has less grass, the overall of Cayuga is so much fun under the roaring of the passing BART train.

    Joan W.

    Cool little park in the outer mission. I came here with my friend and her 2-year-old who loved the good sized play structure with swings, slides, and a sandbox. The playground has that soft foam ground so it's perfect for little kids running around. What I loved the most was the interesting sculptures scattered around the park. It was quite inspirational that the gardener transformed old fallen cypress trees to different carved painted figurines giving the park some uniqueness and flair. Check out the tree chairs.

    Melissa H.

    I love this playground!!! My dog loves it even more!!!!! omg the park is lovely!!!! Super clean, great art to view!!! It's just a great neighborhood playground. Lots of dog owners come and let their doggies have fun. It's so nice and chill here.

    Crisy G.

    Finally here.. Yelp map got me lost..3 times... it jus so so hard to find parking..great thingy today both bathrooms are open..

    Welcome to Cayuga Playground/Park!
    L W.

    Gorgeous playground and park! They did a great job with the renovations and it's definitely a park that Cayuga Terrance can be proud of. What I like most about the park is the wooden sculptures carved by retired gardener Demetrios Bracero. Every few steps, you would see a sculpture planted right by the path or hidden behind some tree. It's definitely worth visiting.

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    9 years ago

    The park is very nice and I would love to rent the rec center for my son bday but the only problem is the parking.

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    12 years ago

    Street parking and BART noise, but super cool city kids park t ok explore

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    11 years ago

    Love the new makeover . Hopefully it can stay this nice for many years to come. The new clubhouse is also very nice.

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    11 years ago

    They offer free Zumba classes here. Go to Jackie's class at 6:30PM on Tuesday nights.

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    Review Highlights - Cayuga Playground

    The kids love watching the Bart come by overhead, and you don't even notice the highway maybe 50ft away.

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    Mount Tamalpais State Park

    Mount Tamalpais State Park

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    Just past SF this park has so many different trail options perfect for all hiking levels. The…read moredownside is this place gets PACKED! My sister and I arrived before 8am at the Watershed parking lot and barely found a space. We did the trail that took us to the West Point Inn for the pancake breakfast and round trip was close to 5 miles so it was a great workout. There's gorgeous views and well! On the way back to the 101 however it's a mess. The road on the way down is crowded with parked cars, which makes driving through challenging. That's the only thing about this park, other than that I'd love to come back in spring when everything is green and vibrant!

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    4.7(1.4k reviews)
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    4.5(186 reviews)
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    We really enjoy coming to Lafayette Park Playground this morning for an early Easter egg hunting…read moreevent--it's quite unique compared to other playgrounds in the city. The layout is more challenging and perfect for little explorers who love to climb, balance, and stay active. My 3-year-old always finds something new to do, and it keeps them engaged for a long time. I also appreciate that babies aren't left out--there are designated areas where younger kids can safely play too. The restroom is conveniently located and clean, which is a big plus for families. That said, some of the rocky edges can be a bit risky for adventurous kids, so it's definitely a place where you'll want to keep a close eye on them at all times. The only downside is parking--it can be pretty tough to find a spot, especially during busy times. Overall, it's a fun and exciting playground that's great for kids of different ages, as long as you're prepared for a bit of supervision and a parking hunt!

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