As a lifelong fan of hip-hop (I used to steal my older sisters NWA & 2 Live Crew tapes overnight as a child), this place is similar to walking into a church. All aspects of hip-hop culture are addressed in this store. DJ, MC's, Graffiti and B-Boys. The shirts have some of the most obscure references on them, but if you're a true hip-hop head (and not one that thinks simply owning a Hiero T-shirt is "keeping it real") you will appreciate the nods and references to the culture. Take some $$ when you visit as I guaranty more than a few articles of clothing will catch your eye. read more

I love this kind of urban/hip-hop/graffiti/art stuff and no one does it better than Upper Playground and Fifty24SF gallery. A great place to buy gifts for your friends. Plus, they have actual salespeople who are friendly and treat you like a customer - as opposed to being to cool for school and ignoring you like many stores of this kind. Update: I just got back from Tokyo, which is supposed to be The Center of the Known Universe for this gear, and Upper Playground is better than any store in Harajuku. Props. read more

The stuff here is fresh to death. Always clean and clever and one of a kind. There's plenty of other reviews that will tell you in depth about how dope this place is. But I'll leave you with this. read more

Upper Playground is a brand that is universal to the progressive artist and to the folks who appreciate style+art+fashion.. They've invested a lot of energy and resources to promote artists, and that's what I love about the brand.. You can feel the energy and the sincerity of any/all of their products.. read more

I've been shopping here since it opened and every time I come back it's sprouted a new room/store/concept like some giant morphing Amoeba. Their clothes are damn cool and I just got my new favorite hoodie here...it's one that when people look close enough at it they see lesbians and nipples. read more

i really love these guys. i brought my peeps from Chi-Town to check it out while we grabbed brunch at Kate's... Their t-shirt selection is a bit overwhelming. When you think you reached the girls' section... u're lookin' at more designs that run in both sexes. neat-o. truth is though... i was lookin' forward to finding their hi-tops in stock at the store. but they were nowhere to be found. Boo-hoo-hoo! and what's up with the inconsistent opening hours? Shoppin' here sometimes feels like playin' russian roulette with the fifty24sf crew schedules. read more

This place is a cultural icon of San Francisco, it should be recognized as a place of historical importance! I'm serious! They've been in the Lower Haight since 1999, that's over 15 years! The shop has the coolest hoodies, hats and gear you've ever seen not to mention a ton of great art prints and original art. Plus they have an awesome gallery next door called FIFTY24SF that shows some of the greatest artists of our generation including guys like David Choe, Sam Flores and Jeremy FIsh. read more

This is where I get my show stopper clothes. I like how they make guys clothes in a girl's fit. They get bonus points for finally opening up a store next door for women. I'm a tomboy at heart and urban clothes for guys is usually way cooler than the stuff designed for girls. I have Fifty24SF slip-ons from here that I absolutely adore. They're designed by Denis Kennedy. One shoe has a girl, the other shoe has some graffiti. Got it a couple years ago, it's getting worn out. I want an exact replacement, but sadly most of their shoe designs only last a season. Don't forget about the gallery. It's always a nice treat before or after hitting up the store. I've been obsessed with David Choe for awhile and went here during his exhibit. Incredible. They also show local artists, so go out and support the locals. read more

Upper Playground is a Lower Haight fixture; in many ways - some of them literal - they define the neighborhood's aesthetic; for example, the neighborhood street signs/flags (the vertical ones that hang from some lamp posts) were all conceptualized and designed (and donated) by Upper Playground. I fucking appreciate that kind of integration. UP has a massive selection of sweet t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and various other randoms. Cool shop, cool people, and damned cool designs. If you're into this style of street art, do yourself a favor and get over to UP to see what you've been missing. read more

Fab urban street art on the walls. Great T-shirts. Couldn't resist a couple of sweat bands for my bro's bday. Drop an F-Bomb load of money every time I come here. Gotta give 'em 5 duckets for being the shiznit. read more

I really, really like this place. The staff is friendly and they have a wide selection. A true SF gem. I love the locality of the art. As a native San Franciscan a T-shirt the OG SF icons is much needed as I venture to the suburban outskirts of the Bay for work. They have a great selection of authentic urban art whether as fine art or a graphic printed on t-shirts and sweatshirts. I'm all for supporting local artists, but I do have to say that $28 for a T-shirt and $90 for a sweatshirt is a bit steep. read more

Great clothing store. Mostly constists of hoodies and T-shirts with amazing designs, ranging from artist renderings to pop culture icons. Unlike many other "artist designed clothing" the products are actually well made. I have a number of articles of clothing from here and they have all stood the test of time. Pricing can be a little high, with hoodies ranging from $40-$60 and T's from $20, but they won't fall apart. The staff is friendly and helpful and the art on the wall is great. Now that they have opened up a girls only store next door there is more selection for everybody. Although less hotties wandering about...hmm, should that drop them a star? And the bags you get your purchases in are nice enough to be re-usable. Sturdy enough for a trip to Trader Joes or the beach... read more

This ain't your daddy's hip-hop/graffiti clothing store. ....wait, that makes no sense. either way, great clothes, great designers..... read more

My favorite clothing store by far, the service and quality has always been top notch at both locations however I recently experienced the best customer service I've ever had, especially in a retail environment! Manager Jena went above and beyond for me and I couldn't have been more thankful. I left with 7 shirts, and 3 sweaters . I wanted to buy more just to show my appreciation. My wardrobe is consumed by upper playground attire and I would encourage you to do the same. The quality, graphics, materials are all top notch. And it is a San Francisco brand, how could you go wrong? Aside from clothes the art they have is awesome, local artists keep the place fresh, new, and inspired read more

WHOOOOO Upper Playground! Now for starters, I dont know what people have to complain about this place. I have so many tees from here that have never failed me. I've some for almost 3 years now and they dont shrink. So to that lady who said that their shirts shrunk in the wash,, nice try. Lay off them cookies at night. Oh and btw, Im Filipino. :) I love their original designs. 12grain rocks! So far, the staff here have all been cool. I havent had any problems with them. Parking here sucks tho! You usually cant find parking so you have to keep driving around in circles for a space to open up. This place is WAAAAYY better than the on they just opened on telegraph. Their store is bigger and they have more selection. But i do have to take off a star because so many people are starting to wear their items. No more original shirts that you see once in a while. Damn you trends! read more

Unfortunately as much as I want to support local businesses, the pictures online of the products are not the best representation of the products in person. While they use "eco friendly ink" it looks completely faded, rushed and the ink itself spreads. I wish I had known that this eco friendly ink would look like this prior to purchasing rather than relying on a photoshopped image online. Tried reaching to customer service multiple times to no avail. Might have to resort to my credit card company to refund this item. Buyers beware! read more

I've always love the artful designs of upper playground clothing. So I kind of know that their clothing would be a bit top notch even though I didn't see it in person. I know they have an actual store here in San Francisco, but decided to order online from their website because I'm lazy like that. Delivery was fast and I'm satisfied, in general, with what I bought. I had to take one star off since they sent me a hoodie and the end of the strings were frayed. I expect better quality with the money I'm paying, but it's ok because the rest of the hoodie was nice. I'll just use something homemade to fix that problem. read more

This store sells awesome shirts by local artists. Stop on by if you're in the Lower Haight. While you're in there, grab a shirt and represent the Sucka Free City. There's plenty of designs to choose from, which is just as well; there's something about wearing a shirt that says 'Upper Playground' written across my chest that makes me a lil uneasy. Don't be shy: Say 'hi' if you catch me rockin' my 'Fillmore' hoodie around town! read more

Unfortunately, this company has decided to close for the duration of the COVID pandemic but did not close their online store. I ordered items over a month ago and have not received my items. No one is available on the phone, emails are not being returned and package tracking is of course not available. My guess is they decided to stop all services but they continue to accept payment and keep payments while this shut down goes on. It's a foul business practice, fraud in fact. I'm reporting to the BBB and to the CIty of SF. read more

This store is awesome. I think the hours listed might be off, it's 1115am and it's still not open. Was hoping to get a last round of tees before moving out of SF :/ read more

Once upon a time a cool boy came into my life and introduced me to Upper Playground. It was at this store that I fell in love with him and the walrus. We became an Upper Playground couple, slappin' stickers around town, sportin' them on my ride, lookin' fly wearing the shirts and hoodies on the weekly and spending hours in the store checking out all the threads, prints, books, hats and extras. I'll never forget our Upper Playground dates and even though our love didn't outlive Upper Playground, were still good friends that randomly call each other up and say "It's an Upper Playground kinda day, let's roll." It's a retail playground, drippin' seductively with art and culture. A visit to the store on Fillmore is like no other shopping experience. You'll wonder where time went after hours in this store, yet walk out feeling juiced. Besides the awesome designs, the quality is superb. The shirts and hoodies are staples in my closet and even after several washes and reckless adventures, the color hasn't faded nor the material shrank, destructed, distorted or de-threaded. Check out my pics for my latest snazzy shirt. Plus, if it no longer works for you or is no longer wearable, shoot, frame the sucker! It's art! When the folks in my life start looking shabby I insist on a visit to Upper Playground to upgrade their style and swagger. When your wardrobe needs some pizazz or you just need a comfy hoodie for the winter, head here. You can shock your co-workers on casual Friday and impress the fish in the sea. I love how the store supports artists, particularly local artists and promotes urban, contemporary art. p.s You can score some of these cool cat's art on your iphone by downloading the GelaSkins app. When you see the walrus, holla! read more

It's cold, it's foggy, my allergies make me look like a red-eyed, sniffly albino rabbit, but I don't care. I'm wearing my Upper Playground wrap hoodie and I feel sassy, artsy and uber-hip. Great clothing, great support of local artists and most importantly thanks to them for everything they've done for the neighborhood and community of the Lower Haight over the years. A word of warning to all the blue-light-special shoppers: yes it's expensive. Their stuff is mostly handmade by local artists and not by little children somewhere in SE Asia. read more

I've been a huge fan of UP since 2002. I never got around to buying any of they're stuff. I finally got a chance to visit this place. It is soo awesome. It's cool how they have this little section just for Sam Flores. If your interested in buying UP stuff, it would be best to buy it at the actual store instead of online, cause the actual store sells it for cheap, while all these other websites sell it for $20-40 more. read more

I love Upper Playground. I have not been able to tell anybody, but I have owned a couple shirts. It's hipster for more skater-ish and sporty. I like all their funny designs. It's unique but fits into its niche. It's not that expensive and you can find their stuff at Urban Outfitters' sale racks! I have been to this boutique and won't forget. They give out free stickers! read more

Definitely overpriced but simply has some designs you just can't get anywhere else kudos to whoever is their buyer... upper playground is the only place i can find Estevan Oriol print tshirts read more

I have to give it to Upper Playground. The quirky and witty art and illustration, obviously, are the driving force behind what makes this place an SF hot spot for those looking into purchasing some wearable graphic/illustrative work by some well known artists/illustrators (some featured in Juxtapoz magazine). Although pricey, the staff is, actually, nice. I was extremely surprised by how welcoming the employees were and once you're done looking at the apparel, you can visit the Fifty24SF Gallery. The two places compliment each other very well and it's worth a visit. Why 4 out 5 stars? If you regret not making a purchase and visit their website, you will have to know which artist you are looking for. Lastly, some of the contact information is not current. read more

Hot T-Shirts for Hip-Hop or Indie-Rock Kids: Number one place to by T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats in the city. Ridiculously cool urban t-shirts, many of which have SF oriented designs. The half of my t-shirt collection that didn't come from either an 826 store or a live concert came from here. read more

Freaking awesome! I used to live on Haight Fillmore above Mad Dog in the Fog and this little boutique has grown so much since then! It has always been a great place to shop for urban streetwear and art. Sam Flores' mural on the building is totally inviting and the peeps inside are helpful. They host crowded art shows/openings and feature some truly talented artists. Now that they've opened a store for the ladies, I've noticed the amount I take-home of paycheck has gotten smaller. And they not only sell clothes. One can buy books, pillows, prints, original artwork, shoes... the list goes on. read more

FAVE. FAVE. FAVE. THEIR SHIT IS TO DIE FOR. excuse the language. My friend and I went during the summer, just started to yelp sorry to say! We walked around and around and around for hours, looking for the art gallery but then I walked into upper playground to look for a new shirt and jacket I was amazed throught about my little cousin and was liek NAH, can't get her this it's to pretty for her(she's only a few months old then&I didn't want vomit and everything on it). So i got it for myself. HAHA. And i got her one, for when she grows older. but she aint gonna be older for a while and plus she lives in LA. So theres the problem for her there. But love the art gala when its open. Love it, just LOVES IN THE HOUSE. Clothing PERFECTION I PUT THAT ON MOMMAS! & my friend has a weed jacket from there and everyones always commenting it. :] read more

Upper Playground makes me love the Lower Haight. I love how they feature all sorts of different artists and "urban" designs. You won't find stuff like this anywhere else. The prices are higher than I'd like to spend on a tshirt, but after thinking about it, it's definitely worth it. I'd rather support a place like Upper Playground than some random faceless online entity. They seem to be taking over the block, slowly but surely. FIFTY24SF has their own store now right next to Upper Playground (which is actually currently accessible from inside Upper Playground). They also have the UP Ladies store on the other side of Upper Playground. Up the block they have the FIFTY24SF art studio and gallery, and it looks like they are currently building an Upper Playground studio and gallery. These guys are livin' large and are seriously moving up. Definitely check these guys out. read more

This place is my favorite for sure! Everything is art based and the designs are just simply awesome. Shirts and sweatshirts are definitely super comfortable. Also, if you are a tall and slim guy like me (6'4") you'll find these shirts fit you better than anything else. I'm in love with UP. read more

Awesome creative funny ass shirts! They dont have Medium sizes in the Sam Flores shirts usually. Great art stuff read more

I visit every other month to get a supply of super comfy, crazy, colorful tees and hoodies. I'm a sucker for Sam Flores designs. I agree with other reviewers, there are some items that you see that you "just have to have". I've gotten my friends from out of town to fall in love with this nook as well. Can't really find a reason not to love Upper Playground, their stuff makes for awesome one of a kind gifts. Next time, I'm moving on to the throw pillows! read more

Upper Playground's character catering to the graphic-T revolution hits my T-shirt spot. Not only do they carry an extensive, renewing line of clothing for men, but they allow me to support local business and style. The Sam Flores collection, the Morning Breath collection, and the Saber collection are the ones I like to sport. Not gay looking, edgy but not trying to hard. Heart it! Looking forward to the future lines! read more

This man shopping cave is off the heezy... I've read reviews about his place and had to check it out for myself. What a perfect place to have a shop, right in lower Haight, nearby Three Twins Ice cream... I'm a sucker for ice cream. Walked in and I heard the trumpets of heaven. Tons is gear and loads of shirts and art. Have tons of their Fifty24SF line that features different artists. What more could I ask for from this spot. I bought a shirt from them for $26. That's pretty damn good in comparison to a lot of places that sell Crooks, etc. read more

On my last trip to the bay, I stayed in Lower Haight. One day my bf, his friend and I ventured out and walked around the neighborhood and surprisingly came across Upper Playground. I am a fan of Upper Playground as I use to frequent it's Portland location when I used to live there. There's a variety of artists that work with them such as Usugrow, Alex Pardee, Jeremy Fish, etc and you can find many of their work sthere in forms of prints, shirts, books, etc. We went there twice during our stay and on one of our trips, Usugrow happened to be in the shop. My bf's brain was blown as Usugrow is one of his favorite artists. The staff at Upper Playround was nice and helpful. We ended up buying tons of gifts for others and for ourselves. If you're looking for something amazing and unique, you need to check out the store because you won't be disappointed. read more

I had been meaning to go here and or ordering stuff online...."life is so busy" until my lady told me that here sister wanted to go. My lady's sister was disappointed that they didn't have the inventory they said they were going to have as they traveled from Colorado to come to this store. On the other hand I knew what I wanted, I picked up my T-Shirts and Baseball Caps... as I proceeded to check out my lady's sister did pick up a couple coloring books for her kids. She told the guys in the front that she'll just order the items online. I was glad that they had XL's and XXL's for the big Homie thou... read more

Call this my "jumped the shark" review. I have been a loyal Upper Playground customer since 1999. I remember when they sold a few t-shirts in the corner and the rest of the store was full of old LP's. They've come a long way since then. I still love the art and their style, but points against for buying goods "made in china" and raising their prices 200%. The last sweatshirt I bought there cost twice as much as the first and its zipper broke a week later. Looks like I need a new urban art inspired t-shirt shop. read more

Jeremy Fish, Saber, Estivan Oriol, Sam Flores they got it. Forget searching everywhere for what you want that these people got. Drive over here and get it because they got what you need suckas. read more

Pretty much what other's have said is what I find true as well.. The clothes are unique, with bits of The Bay peppered in :-) There is usually quite a large variety to find something that suits you. The store staff is awesome. And the prices are def not bad! I have seen UP featured at lots of online stores as well as in NYC at certain boutiques. I could be wrong, but I MIGHT have seen UP at Nord's or some other big dept. store. Rest assured, Metro Park carries them as well!!! read more