Map layers: “Parks, Greenways, & Bikeways”, “Recreational Facilities”
Jump links
#35 Lawn at Land’s End: Seal Green
#36 Post-industrial Promenade: Yelamu Yard (over current Caltrain Depot)
#37 Bridge-viewing Bliss: Midway Mall
#38 Recreational Riches: New rec facilities at Pier 30, Golden Gate Park, and Ocean Beach
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#35 Lawn at Land’s End: Seal Green
Hypothetical Seal Green (green polygon), Seal Rocks Esplanade (green strip), Beach Rec (blue strip), Ocean Beach Skyway (maroon line)
The area between Sutro Heights Park and Golden Gate Park—currently filled mostly by humdrum apartments, parking lots, and a Safeway—is among the city’s most underexploited assets. Uniquely in the city, this area (south of Anza Street and west of 47th Avenue) offers an amphitheater-like 180° slope overlooking the coast from various angles, surveying Seal Rocks, Ocean Beach, the windmills of Golden Gate Park, and the Pedro Point Headlands beyond. If converted to parkland, it could link Golden Gate Park and Lincoln Park in a continuous greenbelt via Sutro Heights Park and Land’s End. This site would also enjoy easy access from downtown via the hypothetical Ocean Beach Skyway.
The map highlights this area in green. I believe the city would gain most from converting it into a large, sloping lawn traversed by a bicycle/pedestrian path linking Sutro Heights Park with the Golden Gate Park entrance at 47th & Fulton. From this sloping, 34-acre oceanside green, visitors could enjoy picnicking, informal recreation, and artistic performances while overlooking woods, cliffs, sand, and sea.
To make fullest use of the site, the city could hold a philanthropic competition for the right to build a legacy museum/educational center on the area’s upper terrace, which enjoys an amazing view (more on that at Idea #22). In exchange for this privilege, the winning donor could be required to endow the museum and landscape the surrounding park, including plantings that enhance the natural environment and habitat diversity.
Clearing this area of its parking lots and 1.4 miles of streets would greatly increase its usable space. Though Balboa and Cabrillo Streets would end at 47th Avenue, vehicles could still reach the coast via either Fulton Street or Point Lobos Avenue.
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#36 Post-industrial Promenade: Yelamu Yard (over current Caltrain Depot)
Cover the 4th & King railyard with a grassy, elevated park, following the model of Chicago’s Millennium Park (built atop of the Illinois Central rail yards). Link with the elevated Central Bikeway.
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#37 Bridge-viewing Bliss: Midway Mall
(Part of “Stationary Attractions” layer)
Require the developer(s) of the three Treasure Island theme parks to develop the southwestern sides of Treasure and Yerba Buena Islands as a grand city park, turning most of the T.I. portion into a huge grassy slope that can be used flexibly for various purposes.
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#38 Recreational Riches: New rec facilities at Pier 30, Golden Gate Park, and Ocean Beach
The map proposes numerous new recreational facilities rooted in a single idea: drawing people to visit, move to, or remain in San Francisco with a rich variety of rec facilities in picturesque locations. The proposed facilities are located along the proposed Bay Bridge Skyway at Pier 30, and along the proposed Ocean Beach Skyway at Golden Gate Park and Seal Rocks.
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At the Pier 30 skyway stop: “Rincon Rec”
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“Rincon” seems suitable since Pier 30 borders Rincon Point, the rincón (“corner”) of the city’s Northeast and East shorelines. “Rec” follows the pattern of GGP’s “Little Rec” and “Big Rec”. Rincon Rec could consist of a giant lawn for informal recreation, plus a skatepark and courts for pickleball, basketball, etc. It would boost property valuations for the high-rise residential buildings in Rincon Hill and South Beach. Save the 3-4 acres closest to Embarcadero for parking.
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At the Boathouse skyway stop: “Long Rec”
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If the proposed Stow Lake Tunnel were dug, the surface portion of Highway 1 between Crossover and Park Presidio could be used, while the asphalt lasts, as courts for basketball, racquetball, pickleball, handball, and so forth (tennis courts are already available at Goldman). When the day comes that the pavement must be replaced, possibly just replace it with grass for a really long dog run.
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At the Stables skyway stop: Use the Polo Field for baseball (x2), soccer (x4), and cricket (x1)
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Baseball fields (relocated from Big Rec): The map proposes moving the Big Rec baseball fields to the west end of the Polo Field, where they could fit more compactly and not overlap each other (as they do at Big Rec). This move would also allow Big Rec to be used as giant open meadow for informal recreation. Detailed brainstorming notes regarding the baseball fields.
Cricket field: The east end of the Polo Field is large enough for a cricket ground, and is bordered on three sides by a sloping semicircle that would serve well as a grass grandstand. To protect people from fly balls, the city could raise the existing fence bordering the bicycle track, and add removable fencing on the infield side (which could be removed for polo play). The city could collect potentially convert this to a ticketed venue. The east end of Crissy Field offers an alternative site for a cricket ground.
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At the Esplanade skyway stop (see first image on page)
Beach Rec (light blue strip on map): Here, build a series of facilities for beach recreation: courts for beach volleyball, pickleball, and beach tennis; gymnastics apparatuses; exercise machines; horseshoe pits; a playground, etc. To accommodate a wide area on the southern end, move the east row of fire pits further south.
Seal Rocks Esplanade (green strip on map): Here, build a paved or wooden promenade. To preserve the view from the Beach Chalet restaurant, have no structures. At the wide northern end, incorporate a skate park, a roller skate dance plaza, and a weightlifting area. Add a necklace of lights.
Parking: Except for disabled persons’ parking, move all parking to a paid underground lot between 47th and 48th, leased by the city. That area is elevated enough for an underground lot to be safe from sea surge flooding. The beach parking spoils the view and is not secure.