This rec center is a building across from Kimbell Field. I went here to referee dodgeball. I went swimming at Hamilton. Tomorrow I am playing tennis at Hamilton. It's definitely a prime meeting place for adult rec sports and it's orderly and clean. Busy area on Geary. read more

Hamilton Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is yet another amazing SF Park. We have rented the field for a bubble soccer birthday and my son played futsal in the gym. The pool costs $1 for kids and is heated. But please note the water slides have been closed since the pandemic hit and they have no clear date to reopen them. I believe they are also only open on Saturday as there is lap swimming on the other days. Parking is very easy on Geary Street, right in front. read more

Clean and good size swimming pool, life guard on duty, not crowded, very safe water slides, affordable price.

Another great pool brought to us by SF Parks & Rec. The Hamilton Recreation Center recently underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment and it shows: The pool is pristine, the rec rooms for basketball, ping pong and games are organized and well-maintained and (I hear) the locker rooms are clean and beautiful- and thoughtfully designed with water conservation in mind. (My child was at first confused how to use the showers as the shower heads have built-in motion sensors). And once again, it's the fantastic Parks & Rec staff who makes these swim lessons a fun, learning experience for the children. Small groups (this class has 6 children in it) guarantee lots of 1:1 attention. I'm still amazed that such an outstanding program is so unbelievably affordable: It's only $18 for five weekly, half hour swim lessons! Financial aid is also available for this and all Parks & Rec programs. read more

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Have you seen the water slides inside this place? They're epic looking. As a kid, being the water child that I was, I would have killed for the opportunity to clumsily propel myself down those chutes. Have you played late night HORSE here on their basketball courts? There's no one around. The courts are yours and watching your shot go in, nothing but net, underneath the moon's glow - is something else. (oh and only try this - if you're nice and quiet - so as to be respectful of sleeping neighbors) Have you played on the tennis courts yet? Free (I believe) and in the midst of the city. Banging balls over the net - as cars cruise by. Hamilton Recreation Center - may not be perfect - but it exists for the community. It's a resource that was built for the public - and I find it hard to hate on something - that's sole purpose is to help make athletic activities - like swimming, basketball, and tennis - more accessible to San Francisco locals. Trust. read more

Hamilton Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - San Francisco, California

3.5 STARS I attended a baby shower here a little more than a week ago. I arrived on Saturday, February 11th around 1pm. They rented out a room to the right of the entrance. From the room, there was also a doorway to their multi-purpose room / basketball court. I believe my friends rented the place from 12 noon until 5pm as the baby shower was 1pm-4pm. I didn't have anything to do with the rental, but I think the venue provided the tables and chairs. One good thing about the room was the sink inside it. Made it easier to set up the food and clean up all the beverages afterwards. I didn't help with the set up much, but I did with the clean up. It was easy to break everything down and throw everything away as we were provided dollies and plenty of trash cans. The room itself is a pretty good size. We only had about 30 people at the shower, so there was plenty of room and more. I can't speak of the venue as a place for kids to play, but if you want to rent a room for an event, Hamilton isn't a bad option. However, the event must be PG as they do not allow alcohol on the premises. I was bummed, but I guess for a baby shower, that's okay. read more

Hamilton Pool was my second home for many years -- I swam with the masters team and loved it. Things in my life changed and I stopped swimming with the masters team and eventually ended up in the East Bay in 2004 -- but held onto a nearly new scrip card bought in 2002. I was told they never expire. I tested that today - and had a swim at Hamilton. It's changed a lot. For one thing, the pool is no longer 100' (33 1/3 yds) long but 25 yds. Not so happy about this change. The water is cooler than the outdoor pool where I usually swim -- I liked that, but there are fewer lanes and they are a bit narrower. Other than that - it was sort of the same... except: THE LOCKER ROOMS! Wow - when did they get roomy clean lockers? Those locker rooms are so wildly different from the old locker rooms it's hard to know where to start except to say THANK YOU FOR NOT CHEAPING OUT! I can actually put my helmet, boots, bag, motorcycle jacket & pants all in a single locker! The showers are a mixed bag -- motion activated, which is great for water conservation. However, you have to stand VERY close to the wall (eww, don't touch it!) and the water doesn't get very warm at all. Fortunately, nobody was using the water slides or that could've gotten ugly. read more

My go-to place for the weekend. Hamilton Rev is a great means to stay active with friends. The outdoor tennis and basketball courts are well maintained, complete with nightlight. There is also a pool as well as an indoor basketball court. The facility also provides equipments you can borrow from basketball to tennis rackets! Its proximity to Japantown is the cherry on top. After exercise, it's always good to know that there's a bowl of ramen less than two blocks away. read more

NIce pool for bigger kids 6+ water was rather cold but for $1 a kid cant really complain water slide was a hit i'll come again when both kids are bigger and weather or pool is warmer changing rooms were clean w hot showers and tog dryers..love those things read more

Hamilton Recreation Center - Good lil playground - Recreation Centers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I am done with Hamilton pool and will start going to Balboa which is closer to me. I liked Hamilton because there isn't a lot of people and most times I get my own lane but I lost it and blew up at another swimmer who is an older man, probably in his late 60's or maybe 70's and swims every day. He does laps usually in the slow lane and doesn't stop at all. He keeps going for an hour or so and doesn't quite care who else is in the lane with him. Anyways, what happened was I had the lane to myself in the slow lane and he joined. He asked me clearly if we can split the lane. I said yes and there was clear communication and understanding that we were splitting one lane. Over time, 2 other people joined the lane and we started swimming in circles since there were 4 people. Eventually, 1 person left and then another one and then there were 2 of us. I started to swim on my side holding onto a dumb bell with my left hand with my head turned to the side. I was practicing my head position for when I do freestyle. I was on the right side of the lane because I thought we were still doing circles (no communication to split the lane now that there were only 2 people). Halfway through the pool, I am bumped pretty hard by the old man and he says to me out loud split the 2 lanes in a condescending tone and kept on swimming. No apologies, nothing. I blew up. I said out loud and yelled what the f#$#$ and threw up my arms and all the swimmers looked like I was the bad guy. I looked at the lifeguard (won't name names) who told me to move to the beginner lane, the very first lane to do exercises. I said I wasn't doing exercises. I was moving at a consistent speed swimming on my side doing scissor kicks and holding onto a dumb bell. Besides, I see people use dumb bells, kick boards, and buoys all the time in other lanes, even fast lanes, not just the beginner lane. After moving over to the side to talk to the lifeguard to explain what happened which the lifeguard still didn't seem to get, I asked him to please talk to the old man. The old man kept on swimming as if nothing happened. Long story short, I told the lifeguard that there was no communication to split the lane after the 2 people got out and that I was continuing on from before on the right side of the lane. I explained that we were going in circles because there were 4 people. 2 people left and then there were the 2 of us. The lifeguard went to talk to the old man as he was getting out of the pool. The old man told the lifeguard that I was the one who bumped him and that he communicated with me to split the lane. Really? Did he yell across to me from the other end of the pool? No. Did he use sign language to indicate he wanted to split the lane? No. Did he gesture his hands wildly to get my attention to tell me to split the lane? No. Did he stare at me hard and try to telepathically communicate with me that he wanted to split the lane? Maybe but I can't read minds and I'm not telepathic so that communication did not work. Basically, there was no communication to split the lane even though in the old man's mind he somehow magically communicated with me to split the lane and that I was the one who bumped into him. Usually, if you want to split the lane, you verbally talk to the other swimmer who is NEXT to you. You don't communicate to another swimmer on the other end of the pool or Yell out loud to a swimmer at the other side, "Hey, do you want to split the lane?" I've never seen that happen. Usually, people communicate verbally with one another that they should split the lane. It's very clear communication. Another swimmer that was in our lane before moved to another lane and told me the same old man kicked her hard last time she swam and never apologized. She says she will no longer swim in the same lane with him. There was no awareness by the old man. He was not aware of his surroundings or even cared about other swimmers. It was all about him, his ego, and his own little world. It's like he owned the lane and didn't care who else was in the lane. The lifeguard did not help either. He didn't help solve the situation because he didn't see what happened. All he told me to do was that next time that happened to call him over. Really? Should I call him over after another swimmer runs into me? Another swimmer in the next lane saw what happened and told me she clearly saw what happened and that the old man ran into me. Whatever. I'm done with the lack of swimming etiquette by other swimmers and the poor way the lifeguard handled the situation. There was no resolution to the problem. I'm going to balboa now and I'm done with this pool. For all you other swimmers out there, good luck! read more

Super neat facility with pools, community rooms for events and even nice basketball courts. This is truly a great facility for the city. read more

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This is the most whack excuse for an athletic field that I've ever seen. I play kickball here every Thursday, and if I'm not tripping over giant mountains of crab grass on the way to first base, I'm throwing jagged rocks and broken glass from the field of play to the sidelines. If you want to bleed or break your ankle, you've found the right spot. read more

This review is about the tennis courts. Sorry guys, I don't swim! Back in the days, the Hamilton tennis courts were cratered and the net was held up with the help of soup cans. The tennis courts were light at night but the rest of the park is completely dark. And when I say dark, I mean not even the Viet Cong could see through this darkness. But one day the courts were resurfaced. Now they are great courts but there's only two and if you're planning to play at a weekday night, be prepared to wait. When I say wait, I've mean bring a good book and something to keep you warm. If you're lucky enough to get a court, they'll pretty sweet. I've played a lot of tennis in my life and the lights are wrapped completely around the court. That means that you'll see shadows and lose some depth perception (this is minimized when the lights surrounded the side and back of the courts). It still isn't bad. Now here's the shady part, literally. The courts are right next to Western Addition so be prepared at some sketchy people to hang out at the park. Other than the lighted tennis courts, the rest of the park is pitch black. I do have to say that I've never had bottles and fireworks thrown at me (only at the Western Addition courts) here but when the lights go out it'll be pitch black. Someone mentioned that parking isn't bad but they must have not played during a weekday afternoon. During the day, the street parking is taken up by the neighboring businesses and hospital. I've played here during the day and almost always have to park either way down in the Western Addition or park at the Japantown garage. Though I prefer a busy lighted court over a court without light I think the problem is that San Francisco doesn't have enough lighted courts. If they light up the Golden Gate Park Tennis Complex, not only could they collect court fees but also light up 20+ courts for those people who have to work. Oh wait, GGTC used to have lights but they were removed *grumble* read more

I guess I have to give it one star since I"m still swimming there. Today's "bio-matter" included a lovely strand of mucus (or somesuch) backlit ever so wonderfully by those "go to the light Carol-Anne" spotlights. This place is actually great for science experiments - you can actually see how fog forms - no joke, the blast of cold air from the open doors over the near-boiling water and you see fog rising (or it might be steam since the water is so hot). What gets me the most is how the lane lines are ABOVE the black lines, so you have absolutely no sense of where you are in the lane. since I swim like a drunk driver, I'm constantly drifting over to the left to be closer to the line, which is actually in the way of oncoming "traffic" Oh, and those spotlights at the end of the lane???? Fortunately I can send out sonar signals like a dolphin and can triangulate my position relative to the wall, because otherwise I'm blinded by the light. read more

(Review is for the swimming pool) This recreation center has a great pool, with six 25-yard lanes, a shallow kiddy pool and two water slides. I usually came on Saturday afternoon for lap swim, it rarely got crowded, at most two people sharing a lane. Also tried the recreation swim once, it was a bit awkward being an adult around kids actions. I got to try one of the two waterslides, while secretly longing for the other more exciting waterslide which I believe is kids only. They closed the waterslides prior to the end of recreation swim. Shower and locker rooms were moderately clean, sometimes I found 'surprise' in the swimsuit wring machine or on the floor. I'd recommend bringing a lock for the locker for any valuables. The shower is motion sensor based, and definitely more on the "saving" side - it could be difficult to take a full shower, but I understand preserving water is higher priority for a public pool. The down sides for me were the limited hours (closed on Sundays and last year closed for about 1.5 months for maintenance) and the motion activated shower. However, it's certainly worth $6 max per entry. read more

I went for a swim here for the first time today, and totally loved it. For $5 at a public pool I was expecting everything to be a bit run down and stinky. But instead everything is nice and clean. The pool has one end that is deeper which is really nice for those who dive. Lanes were not crowded around lunch time. I had to share a lane which is not a big deal. Water temperature was perfect and not too chlorinated. Locker room and shower nice and clean. Shower has a weird sensor control that is a bit too sensitive, but no big deal. I think I'll start going more often. I can't believe wasted two years living in the neighborhood without trying this one out! read more

Watch out for this iPhone thief. Stole my son's iPhone at the poolside. The facility does not have security cameras, so we could not get the phone back. Don't let this woman get near you! It is a shame that she steals from a child. read more

Thanks to Hamilton, I may have found a potential place to get my weekly swim on! If I can make it in time.. The pool: The pool was pretty clean - tasted a bit salty, so it's probably a mixture of chlorine and something salt-based. At 6pm there were 6 lanes open for lap swimming with about 2-3 swimmers per lane. I think their indoor pool length is the standard 25m - although it felt much longer because I haven't swam in forever! Also, it was only $5 - but you need EXACT change because they make you insert it in a little box. There was also a little kids/shallow area separated from the lap swim with buoys. This is the same area the giant, yellow, tube slide lets you shoot into! Didn't see anyone on the slide though... Amenities: Lockers are plentiful in the locker room - they have the swimsuit spin dryer, doors on the individual showers, and restrooms. Street parking (metered) was also easy to find outside the rec center. The only thing that's setting me back are the lap swim hours. They are closed on Sundays and don't have lap swim friday night due to swim classes. When they do have lap swim, it's either early in the morning at 6am or 7am, or at 6:15pm but only for an hour!! So if I hit traffic coming home, BAM, no lap swim for me! Also, the showers smelled nasty... so I didn't shower there afterwards :( read more

After a stint at UCSF, I started going to the Hamilton pool since $5 / day beats $15 (as much as I loooooove the UCSF pools...). I would say it's 90% as good for 33% the price, which is a win. The pool has recently been remodeled, so it's quite nice and very clean & well-cared for. I go 6-7 am Monday Wednesday Friday, when there are six full lanes open for lap swimming, which is actually an improvement over UCSF's three. I have had to split a lane a few times (totally fine) & not once had to circle swim. The laps are usually labeled with cones as 'fast,' medium,' & 'slow' so that if you have to share a lane people know where they should join. The water is not quite as warm as UCSF, but it's still comfortable, especially after a few minutes of swimming. The locker rooms are clean & well taken care of & there are lots of available lockers. You have to be buzzed in to the locker rooms by the front desk attendant, so I always feel like my stuff & I are safe. My only reason for giving it four stars instead of five is that the showers are sensor activated & there is no temperature control. The sensor means that you pretty much have to stand *right up against the wall* to keep the water going; move half an inch too far, & it cuts off. This can make bathing tricky. The water is usually ice cold when it first comes out, so you have to kind of stand back & hold your hand over the sensor until it starts to warm up. (Once it does, though, it's perfectly comfortable.) I haven't noticed anything sketchy about the showers, but as with any other public shower area, I still wear flip flops. Oh, and be sure to bring exact change! You have to drop your money in a little slot at the front desk. read more

Since I've used the rec center only for lap swimming, I'll review that. This place has basic amenities. Locker rooms, showers, a swimsuit spinner/dryer. It's only $5 to get in, and the natural light streaming in is quite nice when you're swimming. On the down side, the hours for lap swimming are very limited. You either get there at 6:30 am and hope not too many other people had the same idea, or you have a really flexible schedule so you can go in the middle of the day or early evening. Check the schedule (PDF): http://sf-recpark.org/ftp/uploadedfiles/wcm_recpark/Pool/HamiltonPool.pdf Other pros: Pool is clean and in good condition. Kickboards & pull buoys available. Other swimmers are generally friendly and respectful. I found the staff friendly, but that might be because at 6:30 am we're all half asleep anyway. :) Every morning the lifeguards test the water slide. Maybe they'll ask you to try it out for them! The deep end is DEEP. It's awesome to swim in that much water. Other cons: You must bring exactly $5 and stuff it in a slot to get in. The desk staff is not authorized to handle money or make change. There are 3 huge lanes instead of 6 normal-sized lanes. Seems wasteful. Showers are hot and operate on finicky motion sensors. Overall it's a decent, clean spot that meets expectations for a basic lap swim. Glad the city offers it. read more

This pool is in terrible shape and is very poorly managed. I have swam here on and off for 10 years, so I have some basis for making this judgment. One of my favorite stories about *any* pool comes from this pool manager. When I expressed concerns that my swim team was suffering in the overly hot water, he told me that the pool thermometer "goes all the way to 300 degrees" and I should be thankful it wasn't higher than it was (probably 85-90, much too hot for lap swimming for most people). The boiling point of water, lest we forget, is 212 degrees. I'm sure that some on the staff are trying to do the best they can within an underfunded, poorly managed system. If and when a new pool is constructed here (as of 9/07 the City says that is their intention), the City should also look at better management of *all* aquatic facilities. Pools in the City seem to be run by people who have no background in aquatics and see the pools as little more than water playgrounds needing supervision. A newer, nicer structure run under the same lackadaisical management, will in turn be just as bad as the situation is today. SFRP should look to other communities in California and the world for examples of how to run pools: Heather Farms in Walnut Creek, the City of Santa Monica swim center, the Berlioux Pool at Les Halles in Paris.... anything but the same paradigm, please! read more

This review is regarding the indoor basketball gym. I live pretty close to here and I play here pretty regularly. As far as the gym itself goes, its pretty solid. The courts are clean and not dust-ridden as many are. You get pretty good traction and don't have to wipe the bottom of your shoes off with your hands every 2 minutes. Like most gyms, there is one big full court and two shorter full courts going perpendicular to the main one. On the negative side, the rims are unusually loose (they'll rattle even on a swish) and the nets always seem to get ripped up. There's usually a good number of people there, not too crowded but enough to get some pick-up games going. The competition is decent but nothing special, often a bunch of high school kids. Overall, one of the better public places for indoor hoops in SF, especially while Chinese Rec and Sunset Rec are under construction. read more

This review is just for the tennis courts. If you're looking for lighted public courts in the pac heights / marina area, there aren't too many options. Basically Alta Park, Moscone Recreation Center, and now Hamilton Rec Center. Hamilton is the best for a few reasons: 1. These are the newest courts and in the best condition 2. Parking on Geary right next to the courts is never a problem 3. It's relatively uncrowded. Because they're new courts, I don't think a lot of people know about them. I've been pretty much once or twice a week and only have to wait about 20% of the time. The only problem I've run into is that twice in the past few months the lights have been broken (though it's usually gotten fixed within a week). read more

Am I really giving this place 5 stars? It might not deserve it, but I'm not thinking objectively right now. Originally projected to reopen in March 2009, then Dec 2009. So, I'm super excited that they're finally open as of this weekend. And, it's a brand new pool, so I think it deserves some love. I stopped by during the opening ceremony and was pretty impressed. I went for a swim this morning - they're still ironing out some of the kinks, most of which were taken care of by the time I finished my swim. But, obviously, it's super clean, even after the first weekend of kids playing on the water slide (yes! water slide!) We'll see in a few months. My office swimming pool reopens in 7 months, so I'll be here until then. Oh, and the lifeguard this morning was super cute. Morning swim: $5.00. Macchiato at Cafe Murano afterwards: free (Thanks, George!). Finally having a convenient, currently clean place to swim again: priceless. read more

I have to give this place some love. The pool is large, spacious, and never crowded, unlike a few of the other public pools in San Francisco. I'd suggest to go online to find out the open swim schedule http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_page.asp?id=1867 Make certain to get there early. They open up the doors right on the dot, but you have to either redeem your scrip ticket or bring cash. Bring the following: Your own lock Flip flops Shower amenities Extra dry clothes Hair blowdryer Towel Honestly, these pools could be better, but for a quick $4 swim in the City? It is worth it. It is certainly better than trotting down to the Fillmore Club One and spending $20. read more

I went by here this morning as a volunteer for a fund-raising event so I used the opportunity to inspect this newly renovated pool. I was very impressed. The water was warm and not highly chlorinated. The locker room and showers were neat and clean. I definitely want to return and try the pool for myself. read more

Basketball courts are nice but it's pretty windy around here. No water fountains outdoors here at the courts, field or playground so bring a bottle. read more

I can only provide my opinion on the aquatic facilities. Staff - very friendly, especially early in the morning. Pool - water was the perfect temperature for laps, not too crowded, clean and only $5. Change Rooms - have to be buzzed in (which made me feel safe), clean but the swimsuit spinner was out of order (not the end of the world). All in all great place to swim. And, if you are a kid there are 2 really cool looking water slides. read more

Without a doubt, one of the nicest indoor pools I've ever used. It's clean, the changing rooms are nice, and the a.m. lap swim isn't too busy. For $5, I can swim laps until the day is done with a 50% chance that I'll have to share the lane with someone else. At the end of my session, the lifeguard came up to me and let me know that they do fitness instruction sessions for the mere price of admission. In other words, a $5 opportunity to improve my technique. Sweet. read more

Being the first place I've played tennis so far in San Francisco, I'm pretty impressed. The ONLY thing I have to ding them for is the lack of outdoor water fountains...what gives? There's a pretty big rec area (playground, tennis courts, basketball court, green area) and no where to rehydrate! Regardless, the tennis courts are in pretty good shape, albeit a bit scuffed up but I'm no pro to complain. The area is well-lit for nighttime playing and it's not at an altitude so there's no wind factor here (for the most part). read more

Pros: 2 fun adults welcome water slides! Affordable day at the pool. Cons: Locker room puddle, doesn't drain. Breeding ground for athletes foot! Must be fixed! No privacy! No seating. Cold air coming from ceiling. read more

Finding a bathroom in the city is always a challenge. I had faith this place would come through and they did. Parking was easy, bathroom was clean. While I was there I checked out the playgroung also. Really cool place. Going to come back with my kids. read more

We have been playing our kickball games here every Thursday for the past few months. I think the field is in a bad spot so it is always VERY windy and cold here. By the time we play the library is closed which means there are no bathrooms, which means it makes our drinking habits very hard to continue. I mean trying to kick a big red ball with a full bladder is quite difficult. Other than that, the field works. It's big enough to have two kickball games going at once... but really it's just grass and a wire fence around... and well, the grass is hardly grass...nothing spectacular. Kickball playoffs today. GO KICKBALL IN A DOWN ECONOMY!!!!!!! read more

my favorite pool in sf. huge pool (4ft-10ft) , clean water/deck and locker rooms, nice lifeguards, and WATERSLIDES. yes. the main huge pool has a waterslide that drops you off about 7 feet above the water at a fast speed! it's pretty intense and ridiculous even though it doesn't really look like it. then there is also a swirly waterslide that throws you into the kiddie pool. i thought it was going to be slow and boring, but you actually swirl around fast and it i actually like it better than the one that shoots into the adult pool because i'm not left with an achy body the next day. i've included photos! i've only been there during a recreation swim time (during this time i practiced swimming laps AND floated/played pool basketball, went down the waterslides) so I can't say much about the lap swimming. i'm a beginner lap swimmer and i actually prefer to swim in non-lap swimming hours so i don't feel pressured or crowded during my swims. their locker rooms are clean and they have nice personal showers, a swimsuit extractor, and they have a bunch of other stuff there like basketball courts, etc. i've been back 3x in the past 3 weeks! read more

Hamilton Recreation Center - the smaller red waterslide shoots you out super fast, about 7 feet above the water (10' deep!). lines long only on opening day. - Recreation Centers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'd have to say that this is my second favorite pool in San Francisco. My first is North Beach pool. Before this pool was renovated, I used to dread coming here not only because of the bad lighting and tiles falling off of the wall, but because there was a quite nasty lifeguard who worked there and he'd make strange, inappropriate comments, as if he had some condition related to Tourette's syndrome. But luckily, he was canned! So now I come and am greeted by the lovely lifeguard Chuck, who teaches very fun water aerobics. He plays great music and loves to compare water moves to superheroes (you have to just attend to see what I'm talking about). I only join the senior water aerobics because I can keep up (though I'm far from being a senior!) I swim my half mile twice a week and gaze longingly at the water slides, telling myself that someday I'll get up the nerve to come during rec swim to try them out. The only thing I don't like about the pool is that I freeze my little butt off in the clean spacious locker room with large organized lockers because there's no heat there. But then the water in the private showers is so nice and hot! You have to learn how to position your body over the sensor to keep it on, though. It isn't easy if you're skinny. Takes a little getting used to. Oh and they recently lowered the chlorine content to have it be a mixture of salt, uv filtering and chlorine. The water actually tastes nice and I don't still smell like chlorine after my shower. read more

This review is for the pool. My 8m old is taking "Level A" swim classes. Signed up online, only 10 spots for the noon swim slot. I was nervous I wouldn't get a spot but no issues signing up - $58, 10 weeks, 1/2 hr class. I was surprised at how clean the pool, restrooms, women's change room and showers were. Swim class starts on time, (I get there early for extra time in the water). The pool temp isn't always warm but thankfully not unbearably cold. Lots of lockers - bring your own lock. There's a swimsuit wring machine. Shower water always hot. Lifeguards always on post and very attentive. The class - Always two instructors in the water with us. We sing songs during each new activity. The entire class is centered around getting infants/toddlers comfortable being in this new environment. There's no pressure for your kid to become an Olympic swimmer at 8m old. My biggest complaints - they need baby changing tables (at least 5 along the walls in change rooms). I can't change my kid on the floor when it's soaking wet. There are only two benches deep enough for "safe" infant changing. When class is over, there's a long wait to use the two benches. Specifically because the seniors need to sit while changing their clothes. So in-between them and a couple infants/toddlers, it takes about half an hr to get out the change room. Further, when classes are in session, I wish they would keep the door that leads to the playground shut. The draft that comes in makes the pool area really cold. If you're not in a rush to head home, the playground is safe, modern and very clean. My girl loves to hang around after class to swing and play. read more

It's been almost twenty years since I've been to a public pool, and when I did it was only for the playtime. Now, I want to go for fitness. I never did lap swimming so I didn't know what to expect. And for my first time back, I can say that I will be back again. This pool, yes, is a bit run down. You can see the interior falling apart, and the pool has some rust around it. The water is warm and clean. The people that come here are a mix of seniors and fit people. And like everyone says, the staff there is really nice. I am going to check out their exercise classes and maybe their adult swim lessons. I want to rediscover diving again, and lose five pounds. read more

This review is for the Basketball gym. It's nice to have open gyms in the city, but compared to many others this is average. There is one full court or two smaller courts to run on. The only thing if you run the short way, is that one of the hoops is bent. It could get crowded at times, so just shooting around might not be an option. If I'm in the area, I will play here, but there are nicer gyms in the city as well. read more

Caveat Emptor: This review is not for the pool part of the facility. I've asked the mods or admins or whoever to change the business name since the Hamilton Rec Center also has indoor volleyball and basketball. The tennis courts outdoors as well as the fields outdoors regularly have people playing soccer, kickball (with a keg), softball and frisbee. So I can't comment on the swimming pool, but I've played basketball a number of times, as my roommates and I regularly jumped in to pick up games. The weekend pick up soccer was also great. I think this Rec Center is one of SF's hidden gems, but apparently, I should avoid the swimming pool. read more

My water aerobics teacher is great! He plays salsa music (with a little Prince thrown in for good measure) and is good at keeping everyone on the same page while telling us how to step it up or slow it down depending on our athletic range. I can't speak for the rest of the pool activities or the Rec Center's other activities & grounds, but the water aerobics class is fun. Who knew you could sweat in the water!? read more