I've been to this park a few times. It's OK. I'm glad it's here, although this corner is much sadder since they built the condos in Double Play's parking lot and since Double Play's fire. I've spent dozens, possibly hundreds of hours waiting for the 22 or 33 buses here. See, I really don't enjoy waiting for the 22 or the 33 (or now the 55) at the corner of 16th & Mission, so if one of the other buses comes, I hop on it, and I get off at the corner of 16th & Bryant to wait for the correct bus. That stop is so much chiller and more low key than anything near a BART station. It's also the stop where the 22 drivers switch between shifts. But while standing at that bus stop, which is below Franklin Square Park, I've seen at least six different rats running through the foliage. I know this is the city and that there are rats everywhere, but these particular rats were all very well fed, and they weren't afraid of people in the slightest. Between the third and fourth time I saw the rats, the city did cut down a significant portion of the overgrowth spilling out of the park's northern fence, but the plants have returned, and so have the rats. Again, this is the city, and I'm not about to live in any of its parks, but I'd like to think it's safe to lie down on the grass in most parks that aren't in or near downtown, but I won't ever be able to unsee all those rats. Pro tip: If you're here and all you need is a park, take the 22 east and get off at 16th & Wisconsin. Walk one block south to Jackson Playground Park. It's cleaner, and I've never seen a rat there. read more

Beautiful landscaping, clean, and well-maintained. Some things to note: - There's a calisthenics equipment here (double lateral bars, pull up bar, monkey bars) that is separate from the children's playground. - The soccer field is really nicely maintained turf. On any given day, even during the pandemic, you can see adults and kids playing soccer alike. - Gated children's playground looks like the equipment is pretty new. The floor is rubberized and it's across from the calisthenics area. - Beautiful landscaping and greenery surrounding the walking trail. My dog loves prancing in the lush grass and sniffing the flowers. No dogs allowed on the soccer field, but don't let that prevent you from walking around this park! - The park is also near some great restaurants (check out Mikado Sushi!) and a very popular plaza with a Petco, Ross, Safeway, Jamba, Noah's Bagels, and more. - It's a convenient area overall, with plenty of free parking if you're driving to visit. read more

Franklin Square Park - A wonderful path to walk your dog - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I really enjoy playing soccer at this park due to its convenient location near MUNI (I take the 27, but can also do 16th and Mission Bart and bus a couple of blocks to Bryant). Aside from it's location it is a public artificial turf field, which is pretty rare. I haven't had much luck catching pick up games here, but there's always league games going on if you want to be a spectator. This field also has a great view of SF's skyline. Definitely one of my favorite places to play soccer. read more

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Someone put some thought into this playground. The layout is nice. Walking paths shaded by trees with seating separates different sections of the playground area. Work out area at the perimeter attracts the young and fit. That's not me. I'm borderline young, but ain't fit. I discovered this place accidentally as I was driving by the neighborhood wondering how suitable this place would be to fly my FPV quad. During this Covid crisis about 95% of the playgrounds are closed which makes them perfect flying fields - some more perfect than others. Adjoining the playground area next to the soccer field is a good sized grassy area on a hill. Saw a yoga dance instructor there giving private lessons. The other side of the soccer field is another nice walking path. Good variety of spaces worth checking out. Safety rating? 7. Decent part of the City. It's high enough in elevation and far enough off the street such that passers by don't go there out of convenience. It's not exactly a short cut to get from one side to the other. Anyone who is there intends to be here. I'm still keeping my kids within diving distance of me as is my usual standard of operation. read more

ONE THE COOLEST PLAYGROUND I'VE SEEN/PLAYED ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had one in my 'hood. Look so new. Swings that squeak and sound like an elephant when I swing on it. Spinning thing...that they use to have at the playground next to A.P. Giannini like this http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GGH5uKbdTesDMEBFdvK1YA?select=7Z4uuhj0fdkKzUQdrPh56Q They also have a cool obstacle course, a train, see-saw for 3 ...a cool slide that took a few seconds to figure out. The slide instructs you to put each leg on each side of the slide then slide down, like so http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GGH5uKbdTesDMEBFdvK1YA?select=5MT_SKMnNWLFAy-T8P-sIQ MANNN I need to advocate for a park like this in my neighborhood. read more

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This review pertains to the playground within Franklin Square Park. The new playground is spectacular! We go out of our way to come here in spite of there being three other playgrounds closer to where we live. It is well-frequented, but does not get overrun with large groups of kids from afterschool or summer programs (nothing against this, but as a parent of a very young child, active groups like that can pose a danger to toddlers). It is wonderful for older babies and toddlers. There is plenty of space for crawling and walking practice in addition to a small area with two small creatures to climb on. There is a sand pit, a play area for smaller children (including two baby swings and a locomotive) separate from the equipment for bigger kids. When my son was learning to walk, the lily pad-type setup of the area for bigger kids was actually quite useful in helping him to "cruise" around. I only wish that there was more shade, but there are young trees that will come into their own some day. FYI, there are no bathroom facilities nearby (other than at Safeway at 16th and Bryant or at Starbucks at Bryant and Mariposa). There is a drinking fountain outside the gates of the playground. This place could also really use some garbage and recycling cans as there isn't a single one in the playground itself. read more

Be careful with your dogs and keep them leashed!!! This is a nice park and I was excited to find it but there is a HAWK that will dive at both you and your dog. It dove at me and my 12lb dog 4 times and came right at me. He was close on a short leash. read more

This park is the park I would have wished for when I was young and my heart was an open book. I used to say live and let live. You know I did, you know I did, u no I did. At this park I have: (this is not a multiple choice question, but real things) a. hurt my nuts on the slide, because you're supposed to put your legs on the outside of it. b. launched my son face first off the merry go round. c. stepped in poop in the sandbox. d. gotten vomitous on the spinning circle stick of laughter at the end of the monkey bars area. e. slipped off the planter by the street. f. met other parents who let their kids run freely because it's totally contained... g. walked here while waiting for my tires to be replaced at Costco. h. given food to homeless women and their dogs. i. given food to homeless teens and their dogs. j. talked to migrant farm workers looking for some work. k. listened to tons of children from all walks of life laugh their faces off. l. enjoyed the architecture and physics of the play structure and discussed the merits of old vs new playgrounds m. taken my kids there time and time again even though it's not really in our 'hood. n. run barefoot all over the area, while rich moms were disgusted and continued to text their mom's group about it. o. left numerous hats and accessories that we never found again. FUN ps- side note to Yelp: If someone is reviewing a playground, I like how you offer the Good For Kids choices at the bottom. It probably helps parents decide which parks are legit. read more

Franklin Square Park - Bury me!! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I play soccer here on Monday mornings. It's great, and I don't understand the low rating. The field is that new artificial field turf, and the black rubber bits can get in your shoes, but heck, it's a fast surface and people use it almost every day. Gringos with the 9-5 jobs use the field evenings and weekends, so unless you want to pony up some serious bucks to join a league and play on a perfectly night-lit field, get there on a weekday morning or afternoon. I happen to play there Monday mornings with a bunch of restaurant industry guys who work afternoons/evenings or have flexible schedules like myself. IT's friggen great. Matches start at 8AM Monday morning, and although I rarely make it there that early, there's still some players around after the matches and you can get some practice in during the afternoon before the Gringos take over. The park has a reputation for being filled with druggies and alcoholics and I think the soccer field has changed a lot of that. Certain high school girls teams either play or practice there. The industry folks who work nights are there in the mornings, and yes, even the 9-5 Monday-Friday Gringos improve the park by taking over during the evenings and weekends. "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLL!!!" read more

I play in a Sunday soccer league and a lot of our games are at Franklin Square. The park consists mostly of a fenced-off turf soccer field and a pretty nice playground. I like that there's a soccer field/park like this tucked in the mission, very easily accessible by bus and they have a parking lot too. The views are nice, which is definitely a plus. The downside is that the field is getting really worn down and I'm starting to wonder what kind of effort goes into maintenance. The fake grass part is very worn, so much that a large amount of the rubber bits that go beneath the fake grass are exposed, which sucks because they can get kicked up very easily into your eyes or mouth. One of the corners has a big pile of these pieces built up to the point where you almost can't take a corner kick there. Also, the water fountains don't work, which is a big disappointment for both the soccer players and the playground players. Still, overall, I'm a fan. If they would resurface the field and fix the water fountains, this place would be amazing. I'd imagine that both of those will happen at some point, just a question of when... read more

This soccer field has recently been renovated and it looks amazing! Awesome job for the folks tha doing the renovation. As of writing, there is a soccer league going on. Super like! read more

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This place is clean and has a pretty nice playground. We had a good time. There are a few climbing areas, swings, and a sand pit. read more

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I love taking my niece and nephew here! They have so much fun. I love that this is gated off and a sign clearly states that NO ADULT IS ALLOWED TO ENTER UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A CHILD. Thank you San Francisco! read more

I play my league games here and the field leaves a lot to be desired. The fences are low so any errant shot on goal goes over the fence and thus into the street or oblivion. I've had a bunch of friends lose balls here. Its a turf field but it may as well be concrete with a felt covering. I wear cleats but you're probably better off with turfs or flats. The field is on a hill so its primed for cold blustering winds to roar through. Basically, avoid this field if you can. The location is convenient (close to BART and several bus lines) but that's all it has going for it. read more

They did a great job on the new playground! It's clean! It's fun! And it's not full of junkies! My friend and I took her 3 year old to check out Franklin Square Playground and we all had a blast - lots of different structures and areas and kids and parents from all over (escaping the fog and coming to holiday in the sun in the Mission). There's a little kid slide and climbing structure, a big kid one, a play train, a sandbox, merry go round, big kid swings and baby swings and rubber matting throughout. Check it out - it's the opposite of gross now! read more

This review is for the playground. First of all, THERE'S PARKING! The playground is fantastic, it is split into sections for children of every age. I bring my 1.5yr old twins during the week and I never feel it is too crowded with kids. I like that it is frequented by moms/dads, grandmas/pas more often than nannies (nothing against nannies). read more

I work really close to this park, so going for a run here over my lunch break is super convenient. But, this park is and does get super sketchy. I would NOT recommend coming here at night. However, I do recommend running on the pavement around their soccer field! Just be safe. :) read more

New turf good field upgrades but remember ball goes over the fence out to the road way if you kick it too hard. You will lose the ball. Has kids playground next to it read more

Looks like major renovations are being done to this park, (gee wonders if my review had anything to do with it?) I can't wait for the final outcome, it's one of those great outdoor spaces..."if only". read more

The city did a great Job renovating the park but shame on the city for not providing restrooms in a park this size. There are too many bums that hang out here. read more

This is an amazing success story of how to turn around a park! A couple of years ago this park was really -- how shall I say -- sketchy. My dog was even scared to go there and would put his tail between his legs just walking by it. Now, after adding a new playground, it has a completely different feel. It is clean and peaceful. There are still some homeless people sleeping there, but nothing like the scene there a few years ago when drug dealing and using in broad daylight was the norm. A huge congratulations to the City for its foresight in installing the playground, and thereby, revitalizing the park! Hooray for small successes in a time when it is easy to be cynical. read more

Nice play area for the kiddo. There may be some bums hanging around, but that's not uncommon in SF anymore, unfortunately. Lots of space for my kiddo to run and climb and be a kid. There's a huge soccer field above too, so it felt safe and family friendly. read more

heroin? no i don't want any thanks anyway though. i'm going to go over this way now. i've only been in this park once. i walked up the stairs and saw what looked like a nice soccer field. right behind the guys with separate needles and tourniquets shooting up (laying on the ground) and the crazy looking dealer (the only one standing up) staring me down. that's right, he gave me the nod. so i guess i'm either cool or he wanted to sell me some smack. either way it was a little bit of an odd vibe so i turned around and walked back down the stairs. yea.. maybe we could play some soccer sometime. read more

It's a really nice park than I expected but there are two things I do not like about this park. One ramp and the soccer field is right next to the playground. It can be dangerous! read more

This is an amazing success story of how to turn around a park! A couple of years ago this park was really -- how shall I say -- sketchy. My dog was even scared to go there and would put his tail between his legs just walking by it. Now, after adding a new playground, it has a completely different feel. It is clean and peaceful. There are still some homeless people sleeping there, but nothing like the scene there a few years ago when drug dealing and using in broad daylight was the norm. A huge congratulations to the City for its foresight in installing the playground, and thereby, revitalizing the park! Hooray for small successes in a time when it is easy to be cynical. read more

The playground is amazing and the soccer field is fine. There's parking too! The HUGE problem is that there is no bathroom. There's a Starbucks 1 block away, but that's not the same. How can Rec and Park rebuild places and not put in bathrooms? It's unconscionable and outrageous. read more

Wreck & Park hasn't taken care of the artificial turf here. Big health hazard, especially for children! Don't go there and call the Mayor's office and ask he get this fixed! read more

Love this park. If you'd like to participate in our park group to make the park even better, email me at msilva@sfnpc.org