San Francisco’s Top 10 : Parks and Gardens

Golden Gate Park

One
of the largest city parks in the US is also one of the most diverse,
and all of it brought forth from what was once scrub and dunes. The park
also features first-rate cultural attractions such as the de Young Museum.

Buena Vista Park

This
steep and densely wooded hill offers terrific panoramas from its Haight
Street location, as well as some fairly challenging trails for those
who like to hike and bike.

Fort Mason

The rolling lawn above Fort Mason Center,
known as the Great Meadow, is a relatively little-used park, but it’s
great for taking a siesta, tossing a frisbee, or just strolling through
to take in the spectacular views from the cliffs.

The Presidio

This
vast swathe of greenery has only recently entered the city’s repertoire
of parklands. It has the potential to be even more amazing than Golden
Gate Park, providing that the right decisions are made by the Presidio
Trust, whose job it is to make the new national park financially
self-sufficient by 2013. In 2005 filmmaker George Lucas created a $350
million headquarters here for his film production company Lucas Film and
up to 1,500 employees.

Alta Plaza

Pacific
Heights’s double block of verdant hill is a popular place to take the
sun when it ventures to break through the fog. Basketball and tennis
courts and a children’s playground are in the center, while to the south
there are terraced lawns, onto which some of Pacific Heights’ oldest
homes face.

Alamo Square

Postcard
central, thanks to its row of perfect Victorians backed by the
knock-out Downtown view. The park itself is a sloping patch of green,
while the surrounding streets are lined with so many grand old houses
that it has been declared a historic site. Two of them have been turned
into hotels, although the areas immediately outside the square are not
the most salubrious at night.

Embarcadero Park

The
last few years have witnessed a welcome transformation along the entire
stretch of the Embarcadero. The 1989 earthquake put an end to the idea
of running a freeway into the city center, so the old shipping piers are
now set off by new plantings and sidewalks and the area is being
promoted as a breezy park. In-line skaters and cyclists disport
themselves where once concrete embankments held sway .

Yerba Buena Gardens

A
small but very welcome patch of green in an otherwise paved-over area.
When the weather is fine, the lawn is populated by sunbathers, while
other parts of the gardens feature beautiful memorial fountains and
sculptures .

Lafayette Park

This
is another of Pacific Heights’s double-blocked hilltop gardens – a
leafy green haven of pine and eucalyptus. Steep stairways lead to the
summit, with its delightful views. The city did not manage to set aside
these oases without a fight. Squatters’ buildings occupied some of the
land in the center of this park until as late as 1936, when they were
finally pulled down, liberating the lush gardens for all to enjoy.

Walton Park

This
tiny park is a much needed break from concrete and asphalt for Downtown
workers, whom you will see picnicking here at weekday lunchtimes. The
park evokes a peaceful mountain meadow. A wonderful sculpture by Georgia
O’Keeffe adds contrast, while a central fountain sends droplets of
water falling across cement blocks below.