 | San Francisco SF Views Reviews | Tips 11 - 20 of 50 |  |
 | |  |  | SF Views: Sunbathing on Dolores Beach | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
Dolores Park, which is bounded by 18th Street on the north, 20th Street to the south, Dolores Street to the east and Church Street to the west, just uphill from Mission Dolores, is a favorite summer sunbathing spot with a great view of the San Francisco skyline. From the flat tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, and dog run areas on the north end of the park, just across the street from architecturally distinctive Mission High School, the park's large open grass area sweeps uphill nearly two blocks to a shelf of sorts known to locals as Dolores "Beach". It's a great place to sunbath on a warm summer day within the city. Near to the Golden Fire Hydrant, within the historic pre-1906 earthquake Liberty Hill District the park had a sleezy reputation until recent gentrification of the area. The park hosts live music on summer days, particularly on Cinco de Mayo. About halfway up the hill on the Church street side, near the pedestrian bridge over the MUNI rail tracks, there is a fine larger-than-life-size bronze statue of Mexican patriot Hidalgo. To get there from the Civic Center, take the MUNI J Line. Leave a Comment
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| | | | SF Views: Pacific Heights: Lafayette Dog Park | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Along the ridgeline of the Pacific Heights Neighborhood are two neighborhood parks, Lafayette and Alta Plaza, both of which are popular places for residents to walk their dogs and for homeless to sleep. Lafayette Park is at a peak, with a view over the Marina District and San Francisco Bay. Having pets is more popular in the Pacific Heights neighborhood than is having children; as a result, the grassy hill areas of the park are scattered with dog ***. Although owners are legally required to pick up after their pets, dogs are also often off-leash, and when I last visited a friendly boxer jumped on me, soiling my pants with mud from recent rains. Unfortunately, despite being located within perhaps the wealthiest neighborhood in the city, concrete steps, the children's play equipment, and the two tennis courts are poorly maintained. Apparently, residents are concerned about this dire situation and have been efforts to improve the landscaping, particularly at some entrances (see link below). For example, there is a small bronze plaque memorial dedicated to novelist, biographer, and historian, Gertrude Franklin Atherton around which petunias and other flowers have been planted. Gertrude Atherton was married into the wealthy Atherton family and played a part in making haunted the mansion at Octavia and California, location for another worthy story for local history buffs. In any case, in addition to the views, Lafayette Park is also a good starting point for a walking tour of the large and historic mansions of the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Samuel Holloday is another infamous character who supposedly was a squatter who had once built a mansion on the park's hilltop (see podcast link below). Leave a Comment Website: http://www.sfnpc.org/successlafayettepark Other Contact: http://www.sparkletack.com/2007/
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on October 30, 2007
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