Sad to see this nice little skate park closed... where can the folks skate in a safe area off the…read morestreets now? I use to stop and park here after getting something from In & out then just chill and watch the skaters do their thang..

It's now an empty lot with two bent rails. Not sure if the city did it because of covid or it's…read morejust abandoned by them. Don't waste your time.

This place should be the skatepark that all skateparks compare themselves too when they are in the…read moredesign phase! I love how tucked away it is in the middle of the City. I love that they allowed for artists to come and adorn the walls and overpass posts with color, culture and names of visitors past. There were a wide range of ages skating, biking, watching. Parents sat with their chairs outside of the complex looking on. There was even a gentleman whom sat by the entrance whom had set up a table and was streaming music. Everyone was very aware of their surroundings and there seemed to be this unspoken understanding of skatepark etiquette everyone was abiding by. It was a mixture of skateboarders and BMX enthusiasts. My 14 year old son has gotten really into skateboarding. It's what he got into during quarantine and this whole Covid thing. It was a way for him to incorporate some physical activity and something to concentrate on and hone in his skills with. I can tell he feels good and feels like he's in shape. He is mindful of what he eats on a daily and ensures he is drinking plenty of water. Not bad for a 14 year old huh? I think what has become a true passion has also helped him in the area of time management. Since he homeschooled for the 18 months or whatever it was he knew he has a set time frame to get school and school work done so that he could get his time in daily to skateboard and then still get online and play a few rounds on his gaming console. I really like how he evens out his time and prioritizes the way he does. I know some adults that cant get a hold of their time and here is this 14 year old in the middle of a pandemic crushing it. He continues to amaze me that one. Anyway, this skatepark. Since my son is passionate about skateboarding I've told him we should make an effort to seek out new parks for him. I sit and read or scroll through my phone and he does what he does and admires other people and their talents. It allows for him to see what he needs to work on and what he wants to accomplish. Every City needs these. They need a place for kids and adults to be able to do something positive and do what they love. There was no charge for this place. Parking is a little daunting as it IS SF but when you are in a City like SF you are aware of the "walking culture"..lol! We parked a couple blocks away. Place is clean and I assume since it is fenced in there is a closing time and someone comes and locks it so the park doesn't become a homeless encampment. It's a great place to visit if you need a place to let off steam, live and let go of all your cares getting some cardio in!

Nice people, fun place to skate and hangout. As a woman it is a relief to find a safe place to…read moreskate with my friends. Lots of restaurants and other things to do in the area.

This park has potential, but the failed upkeep of the park makes the transitions slightly sketchy…read more However, the sketchiness plays a role in SF's skate scene. 3/10 the bowl looked nothing like the photos

Saturday was the grand opening celebration for this new skatepark, on the south corner of Balboa…read morePark, and facing the northern side of Balboa BART station. It's been open to the public for awhile. http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/75pWL8uvmpC827yM7T7cqg/l.jpg The entire renovation of Balboa Park is really beautiful. Some people have the misconception that skate board parks attract the wrong type of crowd. Skate boarders are not biker gangs, just regular kids. Also, it's safer to have an enclosed space for kids to practice new skating skills, instead of them grinding the sidewalks and damaging handrails on public streets. I hope that vandals don't start tagging this park the way they did Potrero del Sol Skatepark. That other place is all made of concrete, so the graffiti can be painted over or sandblasted. This new skatepark's bowl and ramps are made of wood, so any graffiti would ruin it, and be more costly to fix (replace). http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/yy-ehCvytzySVFlK1tJV5A/l.jpg But I also wonder how long the wood surfaces will last after a few rainy seasons. Here's a cool video of people skating on opening day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLOboz1jHa8 Similar future city projects in progress: - Duboce Street Skatepark (aka. Central Freeway skatepark) - Waller Street Skatepark (in the Haight Ashbury district)

I enrolled two kids (ages 8 and 11) in the Sk8gym summer camp program the week of July 20th. The…read moreteenage instructors were great with the kids, but the camp leadership and overall management tone made for a negative experience. Throughout the week, both of the kids reported a that instructor/owner was frequently shouting and harshly reprimanding young campers and the teenage instructors. During the final session, when the 11-year-old specifically asked the instructor/owner for guidance on how to ollie, instead of receiving coaching, he was told he could never learn the trick because of how he pushed on the skateboard. This left him in tears. Mind this is a camp to teach kids how to skate - of course they are not experts. When I contacted management directly to raise concerns about how the situation was handled, they refused to offer any accountability and instead placed the blame back on the child. While the staff on the ground are doing their best, I cannot recommend this camp due to management's unsupportive and harsh approach. Learning to skateboard should be a fun and welcoming atmosphere. This was not that.

The SK8 GYM owners(?) were quite helpful while I was thinking about taking a lesson. But once I…read morepaid and couldn't go, they all but refused to give me a refund. (Without going into detail, the reason was their fault, not mine.) As other reviews suggested, the owners delayed responding, blamed me, threatened me with a fee for the refund.... By the way, there's no way to contact an actual human being in "real time" -- no phone, no chat, just an email. The instructor who gave the lesson was good, very encouraging and clearly a great instructor. If I could rate the instructor alone, I would give a 5-star review. However, the overall experience really soured me to going back... ever. I'll go to the Church of 8 Wheels from here forward.

My experience here was awful. My girlfriends have also had terrible experiences. We've stopped…read moreskating here altogether because every single one of us has been harassed and had our personal space violated by some of the older men who skate here regularly and act inappropriately.

Best when you roll in with your friends…read more I have a strong love/hate relationship with this rink for many reasons (in the short 5 months I've started roller skating). I'll start with the negative; With any public place, you really have to watch out for yourself and your safety. I've gotten physically shoved by one of the older white men who felt like he owned the rink. There are times where you have sketchy people who don't skate and are eying your valuables or may be harassing people. There are some older folks you may need to watch out for, as they are extremely territorial and not friendly to beginners and new skaters. I will say that it is only a tiny percentage of the folks that skate here. On the positive side; It's generally pretty welcoming. If someone is working on something cool that you're interested in and you ask, some people are pretty cool with showing you the ropes and love working on it with you! I've made so many good friends just showing up and working on my own moves and people chatting me up. In general, you just gotta show up and assess the vibe, as it really changes depending on who's skating there. Generally I'd advise going on: Tuesdays and Fridays anytime from 4pm - 10pm (solid group of skaters who watch out for each other and bring lights and music when it gets dark) Saturdays and Sundays anytime from 12pm - 6pm (A lot busier and crowded. Your experience may vary depending on who you know and feel comfortable skating with on the weekend). I typically always go with friends for safety.

Basic skate park is what it is. It can be found on the east side of Golden Gate Park. Waller Skate…read morePark has a few features including ramps and things. Convenient to get to from the street in front. The park is a safe place to practice a few moves. A few good things about it. It's in an okay location. This is close to the old Kezar Stadium. Difficulty is moderate. Even though it looks simple, it's kind of hard at least for beginners it seems. A lot of crap to jump over seems to be the main message. The park seems to be safe for the area even with all the crazy people jumping off something. Good place to get exercise. It's a fast way here from the busses in front. These go past the park's main entrance to the north of this.

Hundreds of skateboarders use this park, and I'm sure the neighbors are grateful they have a…read morededicated space to tear up the concrete. This isn't one of those fancy places with large ramps & empty swimming pool sized bowls, all covered in graffiti. Waller Skate Park is not intimidating, a great place for beginners to relatively safely improve their skills. I think they could use some more ramps. Opened October, 2022, thanks to the 2012 Park Fund, DLX, Friends of Waller Street, & SF Skate Association. I was there for the Zion Rick Gains memorial. He was a 19 year old devoted skater who, in 2022, was senselessly shot in the face, survived, lost his eyesight, yet continued to skate. Zion passed away in his sleep June 2023.