Modeled after a square in London, South Park was constructed in 1855 as an exclusive residential community comprising of seventeen mansions plus townhouses that surrounded an oval shaped grass area. The community featured the first paved sidewalks and streets in the city, and originally had a windmill in the middle of the park to pump the water to the residences. After the 1906 earthquake demolished most of the Rincon Hill neighborhood, warehouses, nightclubs, and industrial buildings replaced the mansions of this once tony neighborhood. Over the years, dot com companies, restaurants, retail, and upscale lofts and condos have moved in to bring the splendor back to this charming little district within a district. While much has changed in the neighborhood, I love this part of the city for its tree-lined streets, a park with a playground and grass area, beautiful architecture, great restaurants to grab a bite and some unique shops worth exploring.

Close to the boutiques and restaurants that dot along Hayes Street, this small park in Hayes Valley is the perfect place to take a breather from a long afternoon of shopping. The park is named after Patricia Walkup, a community activist who helped bring about the demolition of the double decker freeway that divided this neighborhood. Amenities at the park include a grass area that’s perfect for a picnic, a playground for children, park benches and tables.

With views of the City Hall dome seen in the distance, the park also currently features a massive six ton, 30 foot salvaged steel sculpture named “Ecstasy”. Created by artists |Dan Das Mann| and |Karen Cusolito|, the sculpture was first displayed at the Burning Man Festival in 2008, and was one of eight pieces from their work Crude Awakening. The sculpture will be on display until the end of December 2010, more information on this work and their other projects can be found at |Black Rock Arts|.

Named after the |Spanish Mission| down the street, Dolores Park is one of the city’s best places to relax in the sun and take in the beautiful views of downtown. Nestled between the Mission and Castro districts, the park always attracts a very diverse mix of people. Public facilities include tennis courts, a basketball court, two soccer fields, and a playground. Unfortunately, the park will be closing some time in the Summer of 2010 to undergo a $3.5 million re-development of the playground and surrounding landscaping.  The work is not scheduled to be completed until 2011, renderings look more like a theme park than the charming neighborhood park of today. More information on the project can be found here: |Friends of Dolores Park.org|