This is a wonderful Park ! It has soft playing surfaces and many slides for all needs. The view is so beautiful from up there.

This place brings me happiness and sadness when I come here. I used to go to school as a kid across the street and while at the crosswalk heading towards the playground, one of my classmates got hit by a car. He didn't make it. I still remember him wearing his green overalls. It was quite tragic and I don't want that happening to anyone else. Please be careful when you cross the street to this playground. If you arrive at the top of the hill, cars coming up can't see you and often times people drive like they're driving a manual car and they end up in the crosswalk before they actually stop. Remember where there term California roll comes from. Drivers often don't stop at all despite the top of the hill intersection at Scott and Jackson being a 4-way stop. This is one of the few playgrounds where the trek to the playground itself is part of the experience. The proximity of a playground to the street is always an important aspect of the design. It impacts safety in a big way. It's often a challenge to balance the distance to be close enough to be seen as a public place but not so close that passersby and people who don't really belong there get exposure to your kids. Safety rating of this park is a 5 out of 5. This is the first and currently only 5 out of 5 rating I've given to the other 11 playground reviews I've written so far. The clearly identified entrances/exits to the playground further the safety measures. Aside from the ingress/egress gates, the structures are surrounded by a gate. The hill part of the perimeter is also a grassy field where lots of parents oversee their kids. That in itself is a good thing. When parents are actually watching their kids, paying attention to where they are and who they're interacting with is good company to be in. No true for every park, I can assure you that. The vantage point from the grassy hill also allows all parents to see kids that aren't theirs. This is great for safety. The structures are far apart enough where parents have vantage points between the structures to be able to see most of the playground. Density plays a bit role in safety of playgrounds as well. Some are so close together that it pretty much creates a wall where parents can only see their kids from one side. Again, the grassy area being on a hill provides a great view of your kids particularly with the higher elevation looking down into the playground. Kids ride their bikes along the perimeter. I assume kids will continue to do that even after the playground itself opens up from Covid closure. So watch out when walking along the path or entering/exiting the play structure area. I've seen on more than one occasion where kids smack themselves into the gate and fall of their bikes. Luckily they didn't hit a 2 year old. I'm doing playground reviews for two reasons. I have kids of my own and am on the search for playgrounds to take them to once the 95% of them that are currently closed (this one included) open back up. The second reason is that I'm on a trek to find the best FPV quadcopter flying site and so far this is my top choice. These particular structure designs are great for navigating through. The length of the playground is also perfect. Width isn't too tight either so plenty of space. Ideal seating areas all around for best video signal and view of the quad if flying line of site. Before anyone gets caught up in me flying quads in a playground, note that my quad is well under the 250g that's internationally recognized as toy grade. I'm also only planning to fly for the duration that parks are closed during the Covid shutdown. Once these playgrounds open up again, I'm gone. In the unlikely event that my quad hits you, it won't hurt more than a Halloween sized pack of Skittles slapping you. I've got propeller guards too so it literally won't feel like anything more than possibly an annoyance. These tinywhoops are quiet as ever so I haven't had any issue with anyone so far. Most are just curious and excited to watch. For those that aren't aware, the video quality on what's typically an analog feed to the goggles, is no better than looking at a bad 80's VHS tape. So don't you worry about privacy. The video quality is pretty poor by design. Reducing latency is much more important than improving video quality when flying and for that reason, anyone seen in the video can't be recognized as it's all just a blur. In other words, I'd have a hard time deciding whether to swipe right or swipe left on you if my drone footage was a replacement for Coffee Meets Bagel. read more

Alta Plaza Playground - Playground with probably the best city backdrop. - Playgrounds Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Beautiful park and playground. Super clean with a gorgeous view. Today was my first time here with my 2 y.o. son. A preschool nearby apparently uses this playground for their children. A countless amount of preschoolers overwhelming took over the playground with only so many teachers to watch over all of them. One of the preschoolers was giving my two y.o. tot a hard time. That child was probably 4 yo. He would intentionally block him from climbing the stairs and even had laid hands on him in a way where I thought he was going to start picking on my 2 y.o! Before I could intervene, one of the preschool teachers had to come and tell him to not touch his "friend" to which the young child gave her an attitude and said "he's not my friend". She then tried to let him know it wasn't okay for him to lay hands on my son and apologized to me. I mean, what can you do, they're kids. Other preschoolers would take over the merry go round while my son was enjoying himself on it. It was a bit overwhelming when my son was enjoying himself and then a whole bunch of preschoolers come over and take over in an unruly way. My child goes to ECEC that have teachers where they teach them at a young age about mannerisms and not to push kids out of the way and also how to take turns. I had to cut my son's time on it short (he wasn't too happy), since several preschoolers wanted to go super fast on it. I love children, don't get me wrong. They're all super adorable. While it's understandable children get excited especially at a playground like that, our experience today was a let down to know my son wanted to enjoy himself a lot more but was in essence pushed out by preschoolers that were a bit unruly at a public playground. I'm sure this park can be fun for some or during other circumstances. Just be mindful of the times you go and what to expect if you do go. read more

Alta Plaza Playground - Playgrounds Near Me - San Francisco, California

I think this is my favorite playground in San Francisco. The place is gorgeous, the park and games are in amazing shape. Any kid will enjoy so much a few hrs playing here. I totally recommend this playground before any other... read more

Alta Plaza Playground - Sand box - Playgrounds Near Me - San Francisco, California

My kids and I loved the place , the view was grate , The only problem was there was no parking parking, the park was ok most empty People living near the park toke all the parking space read more

Alta Plaza Playground - View - Playgrounds Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is one of our favorite playgrounds. Especially good for little kids because it is completely fenced in. Beautiful view of the city. read more

Alta Plaza Playground - Playgrounds Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had to take my mom to an appointment at the hospital, but didn't want to wait 2+ hours with my 2 year old boy. Luckily, I found out this park was only a 3min drive from where I was and I fell in LOVE with it! Beautiful view, awesome gated play area and all the people that were there with their kids were super nice. I would love to bring my son back everyday, but we live in South City and this is super far for us. I will for sure bring him back on the weekends=) read more

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I think the alta plaza playground is beautiful and especially the view and someday I want to go too because this is one of San Francisco's beautiful outdoor green spaces. Alta Park is a combination huge lawn area for laying out a blanket and picnicking, beautiful views of the city, and a playground for the kids. read more

As far as playgrounds go, it's top notch: Fenced in, awesome if you have a runner, I have a runner VIEWS! Better weather than a block in any direction, mysterious Awesome sand play Cushie ground stuff There are some pitfalls that should be noted. The posh after-school crowd and their inattentive parents, nannies and often parents with their nannies are infuriating! If you are there with a little, watch out. Older boys and girls racing on the baby gear is a daily disaster! Trust me on this one, don't use the baby swing on the end, the chasing kids take that corner tight. The place is WAY over crowded. Leave before school gets out. Also some of the craziest Moms I've encountered. Pretty sure they're all popping something. OK, maybe that's not nice...Not all, just most. Another handy tip, watch out for the grass up the hill, you may be thinking about giving your little one some freedom to run in the grass. If you see a lumpy area in the distance and don't act, don't say you weren't warned...something very close to manure is up under the trees and it's a sinkhole version. Turned a perfectly good park day into the most heinous crying stinky event so far into this baby adventure. Thanks a lot perfect Alta Plaza Playground, there's no way my guy isn't traumatized somehow from the poo fest, I know Mommy is. read more

Really, really great playground! I love the fact that there is a little toddler section and the big kid section. I love the weird, squishy ground. I love the sand is clean and is the big, soft grains that easier to clean up after the kid goes in. The views are fantastic. The equipment is fantastic and there is a lot of activities to choose from. This is a extremely popular park and I can see why. read more

It's a nice playground once you are up there! But there's no easy way of pulling a stroller up (lots of stairs!)

Arguably the best Playgrounds in the City. The place is new, very large and well maintained. Equipment is diverse and the view is extraordinary. read more

Another great park I've taken my kids to play. I love that it has a huge climbing structure and it has awesome views of the city. parking is along the street, so it can get busy at times. read more

20 minutes walk for us but worth it! We live minutes away from Julius Kahn Playground, but we actually go to Alta Plaza more often (around once a week) because it's bigger, sunnier, the view is amazing, and it's just steps away from Fillmore where we usually have a late lunch at Crepevine, then grab a drink at the coffee shop, and walk on over here. It's a fantastic playground for the kid to burn off all that lunch. I think anyone who comes here ends up loving this playground. The restrooms are open on Saturday afternoons (I don't know about Sundays). I have never seen an unhappy child here, and not once have I seen a parent allow their child to boss other kids around. Lots of people chillaxing on the grass and dogs abound outside of the playground. I highly recommend this park! read more

Absolutely incredible place! The location has the most beautiful view and the playground was perfect for kids. Clean and restrooms nearby. Coming back for sure! read more

Great GATED playground in the city. Perfect spot if you have a "runner" as one reviewer calls it. Smack in the middle of Pacific Heights, it has a great vibe and many things to do (swings , climbing, sand pit, play structures, etc) and the entire playground is padded! A well maintained playground for kids. read more

As parks go this one is definitely a must try for any city kid. My city kid gives this playground two thumbs up and applauds the padded rubber mat surface, colorful play sets with varied physical skill levels and a well designed out sandbox. OK so maybe he didn't say all that, but I sure appreciate it. The mere fact that he keeps asking to go back is a sure sign it's one of his faves. I'm not kidding when I say he can literally spend hour here playing with other kids or by himself in the sandbox. Oh and view? Forgeddabout it. read more

It's a 30 minute walk & a hike up the hill for us, but worth every huff & puff. I had to run an errand over in Pacific Heights so I thought I'd check out Alta Plaza with my 11 month old son. What a find!! Here's why: - The view is phenomenal - The ground is made from a spongy, springy material so it was totally safe for my son to crawl around (unlike the sand in other parks that could be peppered with needles & dog poo) - There's lots of equipment suitable for the crawlers like a tiny merry-go-round, baby swings, and a mini-ship - It's clean!! - It's friendly - There's restrooms right next to the playground - phew! read more

Fancy sand. Completely enclosed space. Rubber mats. Giant sandbox (with aforementioned fancy sand) has many sand sieve and sand fussing tables. What makes the sand fancy? There's no dust to the polished grains. This is a great place. One of my favorite parks to take my toddler. read more

This is the best of the best as far as playgrounds go for my kids! First off, it's enclosed so you can sit on one of the benches or tables and relax while watching your kids...you don't have to worry about them running out of the playground. It has a colorful, padded rubber surface. There is a sandbox, baby swings, big kid swings, teeter totter, merry go round, giant spider web...and much more. This park seriously has it all, on top of great city views! Me, and my kids, definately recommend! read more

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It is just too awesome. You get to see the views of the city. The kids get to play in a fenced in playground and see all the wonderful dogs getting exercised in the park. It's just warms a mom's heart with all the joy. read more

Such a great park in a great neighborhood. Parking wasn't too easy, but it was worth the extra effort. Totally kid friendly, there is a gate around the entire play ground to keep the dogs out and the kids in. We'll definitely be visiting this park again when we're in San Francisco. read more

Parking is nightmare that's the only reason I give it 4 stars. I paid $9 for 2 hours. Restroom is needed more cleaning.

By far one of the BEST children's playground! Actually has real metal slides. Plus the view for the parents is amazing. Two thumbs up Highly recommended!! read more

Birthday parties for little kids are fun. Especially when the face painter that was hired looks like a fairy tale princess. And even more so, if this princess looks like she didn't want to get up this morning, since last night's binge drinking event lasted a little longer than initially planned. The kids must have still been able to smell the alcohol on her breath, but it didn't seem to bother them. Good times. I was watching this from a distance, one eye on my own daughter, sitting on a bench with my coffee, catching my breath from the climb up to this playground. The climb makes for great city views. It's a nice, clean playground. No broken bottles in the sand, as you will find in Dolores Park. No homeless people hanging around, as is the case with the Civic Center playgrounds. Lots of white folks. Lots. read more

Best views in the city as far as parks go...I would challenge Dolores, seriously. I really love taking the kids I nanny for to this playground. It's super central and convenient and not to mention renovated somewhat so it feels clean. Due to the numerous schools in the area, there are a ridiculous amount of kids here almost constantly. The top hill is a great dog run, and the stairs on the eastern side of the park are a wonderful, quick work out. One of my go-to parks in SF. read more

It is incredible that this Playground hasn't been reviewed yet. It is most magnificent: top notch equipment, big. It has everything, including a big sand area (unlike Rossi playground). And the views of the city are breath taking. Not to be missed! read more

Loved it! The playground is nice and sunny, the kids are well-attended and there are many activities for kids of different ages. The gate is always closed prperly. The parents or caregivers seem also like nice people, I enjoyed talking to some of them, and my son loved playing with the kids. Most people come from other parts of town, although some are local from the area. It's a great place for a family outing. The views are amazing and food on Fillmore is also great. We take our son for a haircut, have coffee at Peet's, eat at La Mediterrane, and then go to the playground. By the time we are done, the kid is tired and falls asleep. And then it's time to seat in peace, watch him sleeping and enjoy the views. Also, people play close attention to what is going on around them. At one point while we were playing, an old man came by with a beautiful parrot. He couldn't go inside, so he came to the gate and started showing his parrot to the kids, trying to talk to the stranger kids. I thought that was very wrong. The guy was kind of obnoxious and would just stare at the kids and annoy them. But the parents of the kids he was talking to were near by, so I didn't know what to do. Well, as I was sitting there, being indecisive, somebody called the police and they came very promtly. I am sure it was a separate incident. All and all, it's one of the best playgrounds in the city. read more

Playground with a fabulous city view! Good sun, great place for picture taking. I live close by but I like the fact that there a kids from all over the city making it very festive. I feel very safe with my toddler here. read more

My new favorite playground! Lots of exciting things for my toddler to do ( and me!). Ok, so it gives me an excuse to play on all the structures ! There's a fairly good sized slide that's pretty fun. Watch out coz you go really fast! I love climbing to the top and teasing my daughter that she can't catch me and she loves it! We usually go around dinner time to the parks to avoid the crowd and embarrassment of me wanting to join in on the action. Oh, did I mention the view! Spectacular! read more

Fantastic playground with an amazing view. Very nice playground, newer than some playgrounds in the city, very very nice. Nice larger park and excellent playground. Great times guaranteed and gorgeous view read more

Great for my 3 year old. Great views! No shade, so wear a hat or sunscreen on a sunny day.

Just can't help cheering up and loving SF when I enjoy this playground with the kids.

hands-down our favorite playground. we live in oakland and regularly make the trip (especially on weekend mornings when travel time is about 15 mins!). if i can sneak in a stop at the pine st. boulange on the way it is pretty much the happiest place on earth : ) read more