Did not know this park had such an amazing view of ocean beach! you're up high so you can see a…read morelot. gorgeous at night too with the evening street lights and sometimes bonfires esp in the summertime when you're allowed to host bonfires. there are some picnic tables so you can sit down and enjoy some food. be cautious, it is windy though since youre near the ocean so your plates or table cloth may be blowing away. easy parking on the street and there are some lots

What a beautiful park. There was no parking at the visitors center so we parked near the houses up…read morethe street. Parking on the street where we parked is 2 hours, which is enough time to take the loop and going to Lands End Lookout. The trails are well maintained. At the upper parking lot you can find a port-o-potty for those that really need to go. Thus, there are two onsite lots, we didn't see the upper lot, so there might have been parking there, but street parking worked out for us this time. There are indoor facilities at the visitor's center. Around 6 stalls, but there still is a line. We went on Sunday and it was a beautiful day, prefect for jeans and a t-shirt. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and no fog so the view was incredible. We could see the golden gate bridge clearly. We hiked to around to the look out, it was actually a leisurely walk, which is just my pace. I'm not a hiker. I didn't see any water fountains on the trail or garbage cans. even without those two things the trails were kept clean, no trash laying around and many people were carrying their own water bottles or other types of drinks. I'd like to go back and take the trail to the Legion of Honor. It's .6 miles so a little bit of a hike, but so worth it. It's beautiful over there too. I might have to find a 4 hour parking spot so I can really take my time, but if I'm quick we can make it in the 2 hour limit, but I'd rather not take my chances.

Embarcadero Plaza - the center of the waterfront neighborhood! Today Torani Italian syrups is…read moreholding a pop-up with a mini-tasting truck! Make your own drink based on your preferences. This will be here tomorrow too...same time! A San Francisco flavor tastemaker - Torani!

I write to say simply that urban planning of a bygone era was misguided. Embarcadero Plaza and the…read morewhole area is a wonderful public space now. But for a couple of generations, 480, the Embarcadero Freeway, ran along the waterfront, and it took the 1989 earthquake to destroy what blighted a city. The other story about recovery from the natural disaster, now forgotten, is the deal made by civic leaders to construct a subway line to Chinatown: it took 25 years to make good on the promise, to serve a neighborhood that has been part of the city since it was a city, but which was deliberately underserved throughout that history. If you hang out at Embarcadero Plaza, take a look at the news articles. There are persuasive accounts about all of this. I have posted a simple summary. It shows how much the built environment can lift or crush the spirit.

Inside Presidio Park, I got a lovely view of the Bay on a clear winter day. It was perfectly…read morelovely. Please come and create your own adventure.

This is a nice stop while hiking in the presidio. But there's a pay parking lot here for…read moreconvenience, too. There are several different maps on site, featuring the golden gate national recreation area (beaches, wildlife, historic former military installations), points of interest in the presidio, hiking and biking trails, and transit options. A couple of benches allow for seating, and it's certainly a lovely space for relaxing among nature. But it's hard to just sit back when there are such lovely views all around, to explore. Looking over the concrete edge, you can see the water in the distance with sailboats floating by and the islands of the SF bay adding to the scenery. Beautiful landmarks can be seen, like The Palace of Fine Arts and Alcatraz. Toward the right, former military buildings of the presidio, as well as SF residences lining the hills. And trees and greenery. LOTS of trees! You would think they are partially blocking the views. But the way I see it, they make the views what they are... captivating!

I love walking in the Presidio with the children I work with. This is one of my favorite spots in…read morethe Presidio because of the trees and the path with the logs. It is fun to bring the children here because it is great to play with the children and the branches that make the tree houses. One time my kids and I made a tree house and it was there when we came back the following week and people added more to the house.

One of my absolute favorite field trip spots for my students is the Wood Line in the Presidio of…read moreSan Francisco. This is a super popular place for professional photos. A quick tip: because of the way the Wood Line is designed, this stretch can turn into a full-on wind tunnel. Definitely layer up; it can get chilly even on a sunny day. What makes this area so special for young students is the natural layout. The rows of eucalyptus trees create built-in boundaries, which makes it much easier to manage a group while still giving them a sense of freedom and exploration. There are also spots nearby where kids can build and expand on makeshift shelters using fallen branches, perfect for imaginative play, teamwork, and a little hands-on engineering. There are often dogs off leash in this part of the Presidio, but we've never had any issues along this particular stretch. One especially memorable visit included spotting an owl nesting in the trees. A park ranger was stationed nearby to ensure the owl's safety, and my students even got to ask questions and learn more about the habitat. It turned into an unexpected and magical lesson in urban wildlife. If you're looking for a unique, outdoor San Francisco, add the Wood Line to your list.

Cool plaza to walk around and do many museums and other areas of interest surround the plaza…read more This place attracts a lot of protesters for many causes. It also has an underground paid parking lot, which is useful info if you are going to a nearby museum or a concert venue. There are places to picnic and a playground. Super close to Market Street. BART ( Bay Area Rapid Transit) has a stop here.

The centerpiece of one of the finest ensembles of classical architecture in the United States,…read moredesigned as part of the "City Beautiful" movement in 1911, this plaza's City Hall was site of the Great Earthquake relief efforts (1906), United Nations Charter Signing (1945), Gen. MacArthur's ticker-tape parade (1951), Marilyn Monroe's marriage to Joe DiMaggio (1954), various Vietnam War and nuclear protests (1960s), the birth of Pride (1970s), and the massive homeless encampment known as Camp Agnos (1989), two years after being designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The plaza sits atop a three-story underground parking garage and Brooks Hall, an underground exhibition space, and BART and Muni Metro stations, with ​the Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds atop. ​ Today it features "Civic Center Soundtrack" concert series on Tuesdays and Thursdays, "Hip Hop on the Plaza" Fridays, along with the long-running Heart of the City Farmers Market on Sundays and Wednesdays, and every day is Homeless Day! With a capacity of approximately 25,000 people, the field is used for memorials, which is what brought me there: the ​Bob Weir Memorial, where thousands of fans (including Joan Baez, John Mayer, and Nancy Pelosi) gathered to celebrate the Grateful Dead co-founder. I found the site to be secure and clean. Usually the city has broken windows, poop, and needles, and that's just the donut shop.

A quiet, cozy, off the beaten path, mini park with lovely flowers and trees in between busy areas…read more Recommend, especially if you can find parking.

Big things comes in small packages…read more There are several mini parks in almost every neighborhood in San Francisco, and Cottage Row is a historic district (#82000983) located in Japantown that stretches along the block of Bush and Sutter streets and flanked between Webster and Fillmore streets. I would often walk to my wife's work as part of my exercise after work. I'd start from New Montgomery & Market Street all the way to Pacific Heights, which is roughly about 3 1/2 miles or so depending on the route I take. I vary my route some days and have taken different streets that are more hilly depending how I feel that particular day. On one of my many routes, I discovered this gem of a place just a block from Japantown Center. From Sutter St., there are signs posted regarding the park in front of a brick steps and pathway that stretches one block ending on Bush St. Along the path are Victorian-era houses, which adds a unique charm to the park. The park itself is well manicured with beautiful flowers, plants and even lone Redwood tree standing tall and proudly in the center. It may be small, but this mini park actually feels very spacious due to the layout and brilliant design of the park. It definitely maximizes the space without feeling cluttered and it feels very relaxing just being here. The smell of flowers and different plants provides an illusion that you are in a forest garden. I can feel my stress levels diminish as I soak in the energy of the park. Doing some research, the brick pathway along the backside of the park used to be called Japan Street due to the families living there were primarily Japanese-Americans. Sadly, they were interned during WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor. An unfortunate time in American history that must never be forgotten and repeated. Now the park is maintained by the city, and they do a wonderful job of doing so. I can imagine the people in the neighborhood utilize this space by sitting on the benches while reading a good book; playing with their kids or grandkids; walking and playing with their dogs or enjoying a casual stroll to get some sun. Either way, it's a charming little park that is worth a visit should you be in the area.

This staircase feels really rustic and hidden with a lot of lush greenery around. It's mainly wood…read morebut the first leg starting at Laidley St is cement, 239 steps in total which is pretty long and good for a workout. There are about 4 houses along the staircase which seems interesting to live because it feels like you are in the remote woods while being located in the middle of a major city. I wouldn't come just for the stairs unless I lived around here but I usually incorporate it with a hike around Billy Goat Hill, Glen Canyon Park, or the various stairs in the Noe Valley neighborhood (Valley, Castro, Duncan-Castro open space, 27th street) and make it a 2-3 mile loop. This is a nice hike for locals that has been everywhere else and looking for something different but for a tourist I'd suggest nearby Twin Peaks before here.

My favorite San Francisco stairs…read more.. This is truly a hidden gem located in the residential neighborhood of Glen Park. Not many people know about these steps and I'm not even sure if residents living in nearby streets know about these stairs, the path is not obvious and not easily seen especially while driving... we didn't find it immediately, we had to search for the street sign which was tipped by the first reviewer from her photo. Finding parking was challenging, we parked down the hill so our first exercise was ascending the steep hill... and then the steps. Gaahhh... So here we go, we started from the bottom of the steps on Laidley Street. The steps were concrete in the beginning and they were short in height. There is one switchback when you reach 1/3 of the way, make a right on the bend and the stairs turns into wooden steps. There are some 230 steps total when you reach the top on Beacon Street. You are not able to view the steps from bottom to top (and vise versa)... the trees, plants and foliage makes these stairs elusive. I loved seeing the cute houses along Harry Street. Living in these homes gives you the feeling as if you're in a mountain retreat or something. There are five (maybe six) homes that reside along the steps so you can say that this is a legit street and the only way to get to your home are these steps. It's a hiker's dream LoL Yikes! oh the thought of bringing the groceries in from your car! Anyway, one of the homes is 30 Harry... there is a forwarding address attached on the mailbox. Since there aren't that many houses on the stairs it's rare that one comes up for sale. There was no For Sale sign so I'm not sure what the status is but the home is empty. The homes on Harry Street are small with square footage of less than 1,500 but I love the charm and seeing the balconies that look like they're hanging from the hill. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom house near the foot of the stairs hit the market asking $1.395 million, and that was a Redfin data from 2014. Anyway, when we reached the top on Beacon Street there was not much to see... the fog just completely enveloped the view so we will have to come back when my soreness goes away and when the weather is better. LoL Review #2070

Obscure park to visit ..open ..smaller ..nice walking tour Russian Hill instead of north beachread more

It feels like someone's carefully maintained private yard, perfect for a tastefully small wedding…read morewith a string quartet. However, it's an actual public park, just a quarter acre in size, courtesy of longtime resident Mary Fay Berrigan, a brigadier general's wife, who left their Russian Hill property to the city in 1998. Its twin gazebos and large floral displays reminded me of something. It'll come to me... Oh yeah, Shirley MacLaine's backyard in "Terms of Endearment" when she was yelling over the hedge at Jack Nicholson to keep it down. It's only a block away from "the most crooked street in the world", tourist-congested Lombard Street, but surprisingly, no one knows to walk less than a block down Leavenworth Street to find it. That's good since the tranquility of the space is the major draw here. RELATED - Exploring Russian Hill? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2IfTVOB