The person on the phone was very kind and I do appreciate that there are umbrellas for shade over…read morethe skate park. However, the yellow caution tape gives a weird vibe and the park itself does not have a lot of areas to do fun things like drop ins and tricks. My son wanted to leave after 30 minutes when yesterday he stayed at a different skate park for six hours because of how much fun he was having. I'm glad they have at least something for the community, but in general, we would not come back.

Fun little skatepark. A mannie pad, a few ledges, a flat bar, a bank, and smoooooth concrete…read more Nicely shaded too. Has water fountains in case you forget to bring water with you and bathrooms both indoor and outdoor. All you really need to have some fun. And nice people working at the office checking in on you once in a while to make sure all is good. Good stuff.

This is an excellent third space for walking, running, and biking (with caution)…read more Flat terrain, no shaded areas, but most of all the sense of community from the regulars who trek Hansen Dam. I've been visiting for a year on a weekly basis. One thing to be mindful for are the horse scat droppings that some horse riders apparently are careless to pick after. I've walked during the morning, midday, afternoon, and evening time. I've felt safe during all times of day and even bring my family on weekends.

Good place to walk or run before or right around sunrise or sunset. Last time we came out to Hansen…read moredam we found a dog in the walking pathway who seemed lost, thirsty and wounded. Thankfully we got him out of there by running with him all the way to the parking lot, using a blanket as a leash, and taking him to the shelter where he has since been adopted. Now I carry a leash, extra water and water bowl just in case this happens again here or elsewhere. Nice place overall but no shade, water fountains, or animal fountains like in other parks in LA. Would also be nice to have more history of this place, educational signs, and have native habitat be restored!

Where do I begin...For background info, I've been a regular- occasional tennis player at these…read morecourts and generally know of the people around here. Pros: -Good number of courts. Six courts and they are all lighted!! -Courts aren't totally trashed. May find abandoned tennis metal lids, leftover snacks, and a trail of ants near the benches but get cleaned at some point. -Useable filtered water fountain that has come in handy during hot days -I've been safe. There are homeless in daytime but they do gather around and prowl at night. On a random night, I played here close to midnight- 2am and I wasn't bothered. Cons: -Super long wait times to get a court -a lot of homeless. I've never been harmed or too bothered. I've had a few flashes of unclothed people. -The ambiance can be a bit whack depending on the type of people around. You've got normal people just wanting to play tennis, old folks that play here all the time and want to coach you, coaches expecting you to leave the court mid-game so they can do their private lessons (which is not allowed because I called the city and coaches need a permit to hold lessons here! Only 1 coach has a permit and he's at the last court, always). Players who yell, cuss, and play explicit loud music on their speaker... -Real world vibe. I've had a few arguments at these courts too which has caused me to not come as much/ call the city. I normally keep to myself and only come here to practice by myself since it's most convenient.

We come here a lot because my kids do participate in the many sports activities that this…read morerecreation center offers. We have done ballet, taekwondo, and baseball. It's a huge park and even has a new baseball field being built. It had a skatepark and a nice playground for them to enjoy. The bad: it is full of homeless people, and the issue has yet to be addressed. They just sleep anywhere in the park, which I get is common at parks, but this park is just crawling with them. The worst part is they openly do drugs in front of people, and not a single thing is done about it. There's a lot of trash everywhere, and I have seen very sketchy people just hanging out around the area. I have my concerns with safety and usually keep my kiddos incredibly close when I take them here. I think the city needs to do a huge cleanup, and if successful, it can be a huge asset to the community. Nonetheless, the recreation center offers a lot for my kids to do, and we do take advantage of it, like today's Easter egg hunt was a blast!

Great local park! Clean, super friendly community vibe. The play equipment is great for kids!…read moreHighly recommend!

This is the only skatepark in the city of Burbank which is close to the boundary of North…read moreHollywood. Don't expect it to look like Venice Skate Park. The size isn't that big but skateboarders have no other choice. Operating hours are as follows: Sunday: 12 PM - 8 PM Monday - Thursday: 4 PM - 8 PM Friday: 4 PM - 9 PM Saturday: 12 PM - 9 PM These hours could be improved during summer season when kids are out of school. It should be open earlier during weekdays so the kids could enjoy longer hours practicing their skate boarding skills.

Awesome skate park. Came on a Friday and closed at 8pm. The crowd was medium and still enough space…read moreto work on whatever trick you're trying to learn. I've been looking for a skate park in the valley for its mini ramps and different sized bowls to learn. I felt comfortable at this skate park to cruise around and practice. It's a good skate park for all skill levels. When I went, I noticed groups of young people hanging around the outside entrance huddled together. On my way out, there were people shouting, wrestling, and horse playing. I just went on my way but I hope this park continues to be a safe environment for kids to feel welcome too! Update- Took the review from 4 stars to 3 stars. Beware of a skinny, young, small, pale white woman wearing a floral SnapBack backwards with brown curly hair driving an all black GT Mustang. I didn't see her skating at the park at all but she was parked in the lot accompanied by a passenger (don't know who they were). I was already exiting my parking spot and was reversing to straighten my wheel to get out and she aggressively honked at me for no reason. She didn't like how I was in front of her. I threw my hands up and I honked because she aggressively cut me off in the parking lot. They honked again and this time the passenger flipped me off LOL and sped off! I was with the car at the next traffic light and witnessed the car was aggressively changing lanes trying to be first in line, tailgating me, cutting me off, and driving horribly. I was just in shock and laughing at them because they acted so immaturely. It did leave a bad impression and I'm thinking of not coming back to this area!

Good skate park! It has lots ramps, steps, bowls, and mini bowls to skate in. It wasn't too crowded…read morewhen I went but I'm sure it gets busy on the weekends. Great place to practice!

Came to check out the splash pad water play area, but it is CLOSED. It's fenced off and it seems…read morelike it's under construction. There are dirt piles around it. There is no mention of this closure on their website, so hopefully this will help you to know before you go. Luckily, we had time to drive over to the North Hollywood Rec Center.

The splash pad is permanently broken! the playground looks like nice. It is rather disappointing.read more

Love coming to this park! Its clean and back in the day we use to play tennis here! They have…read morechanged the playground no more sand. Which is fine but my niece said it wasnt as fun as the old playground. Be mindful of other dogs around, please keep your dog on a leash and kindly pick up after them. Dont be a prick! Thanks

Such a wonderful park. There is plenty of parking and it is SO clean! The play structures look…read morebrand new and they have an area for smaller kids and for bigger ones. I love the soft flooring here, making it a little extra safe if your little one takes a tumble. They really had everything here! Slides, swings, a seesaw, rock wall and so much more. There are lots of surrounding grassy areas and picnic benches around if you want to picnic. The trees provide some shade around the park, but only a few of the picnic areas have shade. You can reserve these for birthday parties and other gatherings! It really wasn't that crowded and there are benches along the outskirts of the playground for parents to sit. They also have bathrooms and tennis courts. Really my only "complaint' is that trash cans were so hard to find! I'd love to see some more around the park.

*Kids tennis and swim review* My daughter has been taking tennis lessons at Ritchie Valens Park for…read moreover a year, and she absolutely loves Coach Tim. She truly believes he is the best coach. His teaching and training style is both fun and effective. He uses thoughtful exercises and drills that are perfectly suited for helping kids learn tennis while staying engaged and excited to be there. As a parent, I really appreciate how professional he is and, most importantly, the way he speaks to the kids. Coach Tim has a special way of motivating them, encouraging them, and building their self-esteem through his words. We are very sad to hear that Coach Tim will be moving away and will no longer be teaching here. He has made such a positive impact on my daughter, and he will truly be missed by our family. We are so grateful for the time our daughter was able to learn from him and wish him all the best. Swim Classes Review: The swim classes here are also wonderful. The lifeguards/ teachers are friendly, patient, and great with kids. I really like that the program has clear levels and that kids are tested. I had a hard time teaching my daughter to swim at home, but once she started classes, she learned to float in just one class and was swimming by the second level. I highly recommend the swim classes, they are very affordable, and I love that they're offered daily (seasonal only).

***Tennis Class Review Only***…read more I was recommended to sign up for the tennis adult class at Ritchie Valens Park by one or Tim's current students, and I'm glad I joined. I started last summer and it's been a great experience. Coach Tim does a great job balancing rally practices with skill development for all levels. He takes his time to go over proper form and technique, which has helped me improve. The sessions are both fun and instructional. I highly recommend taking the class!

We attended the Tish & Gomez Skate Oddity event for Valentine's Day. I am not a regular skater so…read moreit takes me awhile to get my balance and beginner's routine going on the cement rink. You have first timers and experts rolling around the rink. It's all fun with the gloomy dark atmosphere and the DJ playing mostly goth and post punk music. The entrance fee was 20 bucks and you can pay cash, zelle, or with a credit card. They also rent skates for 7 bucks.

Spent an afternoon here with my little ones. We came specifically for the playground and it was…read moreprobably one of the coolest set ups we've seen in a while. It has 2 separate parts a smaller side for babies / toddlers & the big kid playground. It's very well taken care of and clean!! Parking was also easy to find it has a pretty big lot + street parking.

When you arrive parking is plentiful along the borders of the park or in the parking spaces. I love…read morecoming to this park for dog training and for spending time with my dog allowing her to sniff and run on an extended leash (either 30 to 45 feet leash). The great thing about this park is that there is a sidewalk to walk on to walk the perimeter of the lake, or there are many areas of large green fields that surround the park. I have seen other dogs off leash, and normally this gives me great hesitation, but in a large park like this, you can be far enough distance away from everyone else and their dogs to avoid them. Now that it's spring, everything is blossoming and blooming, but be careful, when I was here the grass had not yet been mown, and there are so many foxtails growing right now. So many got caught in my shoes and thankfully I checked my dog's body completely and her feet and none had stuck to her. When things are mown it's great but also beware of the ants. When I was on the side of the park that has the football field sized grass area, I was watching my dog sniff and play and suddenly I felt something biting me. I looked down and dozens of red ants were climbing me from the dirt. I must have mistakenly stood on an ant mound. Thirdly, just also keep aware of coyotes, I have seen a coyote several times at Lake Balboa and they do not seem fearful whatsoever and they are just walking around casually in the middle of the day. This park is a true gem because of how beautiful and serene it makes life feel. There are people fishing in the lake, walkers, runners, people relaxing on benches reading, friends playing cards, birthday parties or other events, people bicycling or skateboarding. I love this park.

It's one of those places that feels like a mini escape without having to leave LA. The lake is…read morebeautiful, especially in the mornings and around sunset, and the walking path around it is perfect for a chill stroll, jog, or bike ride. There's always a good mix of people here families, couples, dog walkers, and folks just trying to get some fresh air. The park is spacious, well-maintained, and surprisingly peaceful considering how central it is. Plenty of picnic tables, grassy areas to relax, and spots to just sit and people-watch. The ducks and birds add to the whole vibe. Parking is usually easy, which is a huge plus, and the restrooms are decent for a public park. On weekends it can get busy, but it never feels overwhelming because there's so much space. Whether you're looking for a quick walk, a picnic date, or a calm place to clear your head, Lake Balboa is a solid go-to. Definitely one of my favorite outdoor spots in the Valley.