I don't have a plot of community land in this serene oasis, but I do think this community garden is…read morea picturesque escape from city life. There are no locked gates - making for an ideal quiet moonlit walk or sunny day excursion. From lavender, to sage, to lettuce, and everything in between - you can marvel at it all, and if you put your name down on the plot waiting list - you may even be able to help cultivate the magic yourself. Trust.

Tucked away in back of a vacant lot in the Inner Sunset is one of the most beautiful community…read moregardens in San Francisco. White Crane Springs is a great place for a stroll or a picnic and unlike many community gardens, it is open to the public (i.e., no locked gates). Enter the garden via the end of Locksley Street (aka 6th Avenue) or the vacant lot (home to a pumpkin patch and Xmas tree lot) at 7th Ave and Lawton. There's always something interesting growing in members' garden plots plus a small redwood grove, picnic table and native plants area. The garden has a community work day at the beginning of every month, perfect for learning about what to grow or how to compost. Check the calendar on the bulletin board for exact times and dates. A bulletin board at the front gate has information on garden work days (open to everyone), garden membership and neighborhood events. If you're into eco-friendly buildings, check out the garden's Cob Tool Shed. White Crane Springs is a short walk from the Garden for the Environment at 7th Avenue and Lawton or the new hiking paths on Mt. Sutro. Hey, it's a free activity!

This is one of the reasons I love SF I've lived here 20 years and just discovered this place. It's…read morehuge! And SF park and recs hosting a camp for my daughter is how I discovered this hidden gem You are allowed to pick a small amount of items .. we picked fresh squash blossoms which we had for dinner. Plums and apples... tomatillos... herbs... peppers... wow!!!!

I volunteered for the first time on a Saturday and all the coordinators were extremely helpful,…read morekind, and informative. I learned a lot about planting and gardening, and even though it was definitely tiring work, it was so worth. At the end, you get to take home some delicious, organic produce!

I wish I had the time to get to know the JCCC more when we came here last weekend for Cherry…read moreBlossom Festival. It was super crowded so we could not really be able to get to look around much. But from what I could see this place was somewhere that attracted a lot of people with food and cultural displays. I will learn more about this place so I can participate in future events because it looks quite interesting!

These are MY peeps we're talkin' 'bout here. Don't you be talkin' no smack 'round here 'bout my…read morepeeps. It was actually Jamie W. who got me to come here for their Community Kitchen event. Several of us (and not all Japanese-Americans) came, and we were organized into teams to make delish country-style Japanese dishes. I was on the Fruit Sando team, and people were impressed with my whipped cream whisking capabilities. I didn't watch the Food Network for years for nothing. But the center is more than just food. It aims to preserve and promote all aspects of Japanese/Japanese-American cultural heritage, and their calendar of events reflects their charter. At a time when a tragedy like the Monterey Park shootings can occur without provocation, it's more important than ever to have a community-based non-profit organization like this in Japantown. RELATED - Exploring Japantown? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2C8Z4mZ

Quite a hidden little community garden, pretty lovely blooms, especially lovely on a sunny day, the…read morecolors of the florals really stand out. A small secret garden feel, I remember reading that book "the secret garden" in my youth Happy there are three wooden picnic tables at the top of the hill! Love that you get an awesome view of the city skyline from these tables. 2-3 benches scattered if you would like a seat. The waitlist to get a plot is very long. Years long

This is an amazing spot on Twin Peaks at the upper end of Noi Valley. There are picnic benches for…read morepublic use and a beautiful view of the city.

My garden here is the current love of my life. It's what keeps me going in the city…read more sweet peas, kale, strawberries, leeks, oh my!

With around 40 plots and some of the neighborhood's characters tending, I couldn't ask for a better…read morespot to attempt growing some peas, lettuce, and basil. While I did find one gardener walking his cat on a leash through the tiny greenhouse onsite, everyone's been full of humor and kindness. The garden's open for anyone to go visit and the plots are only $35 for a the whole year. And unlike a bunch of other community gardens that I looked into, I was able to get a space immediatley. An added bonus is it's a quick walk from Sloat garden store on Clement.

Our 6 year old daughter just completed a 2 week summer camp with Tree Frog Treks at the Christopher…read morePlayground location, and we were very impressed with the entire experience! The camp counselors - Najia, David, and Zita - were awesome. The kids were outdoors and active all day, learning about nature and the environment. Our daughter really enjoyed the field trips to Ocean Beach and Marin. As a 2 working parent family, we also appreciated the 9-5pm full day coverage (the only thing better would be an 8:30am start)! I'd highly recommend this summer camp, and look forward to returning next year.

My 6 yo daughter attended Tree Frog Treks at the McClaren Park location for two weeks this summer…read moreand absolutely loved it! She specifically asked to go to a camp where she could look at bugs, climb trees, and collect leaves all day long-- TFT delivered and then some! My daughter came home every day with a huge smile on her face, messy hair, dirty clothes, and lots of new facts about bugs and animals. It is exactly what you picture when you think of summer camp. The camp is well-organized. Good communication before and during camp sessions. The counselors are incredibly nice and you can tell that they love their jobs. I would happily re-enroll her at TFT next summer. Note: my daughter is fairly independent and responsible for her age. She enjoys imaginative play, makes friends easily, and speaks up when she needs help. Kids who need structure or hand-holding may not do as well in this camp.

Family neighborhood, lots of tidy single family homes and narrow streets where neighbors wave you…read morethrough as you thread, carefully, between parked cars and opposing traffic. The main thoroughfares, San Jose and Alemany Avenues, are populated with a decent library, many good Salvadoran, sushi, Chinese and family businesses. This is a working neighborhood where people get things done. It's a modest neighborhood, seems quiet here on the southeastern quarter of the city, snugged up to Bernal Heights.

A colorful neighborhood in San Francisco. Known for street art and culturally diverse restaurants…read moreand bakeries. McLaren Park is also a highlight. Located roughly at the half way point between Daily City and downtown San Francisco - its probably not a bad place to live or visit. Tourists might find it hard to believe but downtown San Francisco is really not much to see besides tall buildings with not all that much character. Mostly office spaces and residential housing there is more recent - say the past five or ten years. The neighborhood is small - the boarders are Mission St and John McLaren park. Roughly ten by ten blocks and El Farolito is about in the middle on Mission. Come here for tacos or a Salvadorian bakery. If you prefer the more mainstream stuff you can give your money to Amazon and walk into a nearby Whole Foods. Balboa Park Bart stop is the closest but bus routes go to the city and that is also an option. Some might think of this as the 'outer limits' of San Francisco and I suppose in many ways it is. Most people from the city only recognize the seven by seven. No, no... I don't think this is the outer limits at all. If you consider the age of the neighborhood and how nobody wants to live downtown - it might just be the heart of the city.

About Kenny Alley Stairs: Kenny Alley is a public passage…read moreand stariway in the heart of Excelsior District's commercial corridor. In 2015 the friends of Kenny Alley organization was formed by neighbors who wished to see the space rehabilitated and beautified. The waterscape mural was designed by local artist and teacher Matt Christensen. The waterfall and Kenny Alley Gateway mosaics were designed by artist and teacher Kim Jensen and fabricated by students of City Arts and Tech high school and countless neighborhood volunteers. The project was made possible by Community Challenge Grant, SF Public Works, SF Parks Alliance, Excelsior Collaborative, Excelsior Action Group and the many individual donors, artists and volunteers. I happen to see this stairs/alleyway while we went to grab take out nearby, it was pretty nice to see this. I loved seeing the nice and blue decorations on the stairs. We walked up to see what is up there, took some photos, and went back down. Beware there was a person sleeping on the stairs and there was a mess/ lots of rubbish, empty alcohol bottles. Hate to see the mess in such a nice area where everyone put such in so much time & love in to this project. There are CD disc hanging, made place so shiny. Enjoyed looking at the garden & painting before at alley before going up to the stairs. Great, cool, and quick spot to check out, only if you're in the area or even to take a short cut to the neighborhood via the stairs.

What's the frequency, Kenny? Gee, I was beginning to think Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher had the…read morecorner on all the mosaic tile staircases in the city. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps are their handiwork and so are the nearby Hidden Garden Steps and the Lincoln Park Steps. However, it's Kim Jensen who was responsible for this semi-hidden passage between Mission and London Streets in the Excelsior. Completed in late 2016, the blue and reflective silver tiles covering the 47 steps are designed to replicate a waterfall. There are nature murals and rows of cacti on the surrounding fences to supplement the bucolic feeling the creators wanted to evoke. The one challenge is upkeep as a roaming homeless population appears to make themselves home on the available benches periodically. Art is where you find it, I guess. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37B1acE