24th Street Mini Park

5.0 star rating
12 reviews Rating Details

Category: Parks  [Edit]

24th St & York St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
Good for Kids:
Yes
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12 reviews in English

  • Review from Don T.

    • 12 friends
    • 72 reviews

    Seattle, WA

    5.0 star rating
    2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Showed up to the park a little too early with my daughter and started wondering why there weren't any children in this park.  But after awhile, other kids showed up, this place came alive, and it was an awesome place to spend the morning.

    Of course, you got to love the giant mosaic snake curling around a water fountain.  Get yur Quetzalcoatl on, fools!  Only in the Mission.  Honestly, this is one of the coolest parks of all time.  With the snake and mural, it is just perfect.

    And it doesn't hurt that Dynamo Donuts is right down the road.  Donuts, coffee, your family, and an awesome park, does it get better than this?

  • Review from Jo H.

    • 2 friends
    • 12 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    7/12/2011

    Nobody mentioned the cool water feature - My 11 month old was splashing about in her bathing suit at 5pm the other night - loving the last slice of sun the park gets.
    The only problem is not many people know the nack of operating the jets of water that squirt up from a few holes in the ground - It's tricky - but give it ago - press the green button on the post near the bushes and you'll have a ball - the kids will love it too!

  • Review from Donna H.

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    9/7/2008 1 photo

    Back in the day, kids were tougher.. We had tanbark! None of that wussy new rubber crap! We came home with splinters up the ying yang and blistered palms...

    Holy crap, is that a giant snake.. *screams like a little girl* - http://static.px.yelp....

    There's a swinging disk, a mosaic glass tiled snake "Quetzolcoatl", a cup, and a teeter totter. In the back of the park are picnic tables. Clean.. awesome..

    and I do like the rubber floors.. so bouncy and soft to walk on! :D -- not too great to touch when it's a super hot day.. ouch! *screams like a little girl* again....

  • Review from Sarah H.

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews

    Mountain View, CA

    5.0 star rating
    2/13/2012

    Just a quick FYI about this park. I went to find and photograph the Quetzalcoatl mosaic yesterday, and after grabbing a few shots was informed by a park patron that this park is ONLY for parents with children. It's a gorgeous piece of art, though, so worth wrassling up some kids to bring along if you don't have your own.

  • Review from A P.

    • 474 friends
    • 377 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    8/17/2006 3 photos 1 Check-in Here

    The City's Mission District will received an early Christmas present when Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the Lower 24th Street Neighborhood Association and the Neighborhood Parks Council celebrated the grand reopening of 24th and York Mini Park on Sunday, November 19, 2006.

    The event marked the completion of a $1,050,000 renovation project at the .12-acre park that transformed the once-dilapidated site into an urban park oasis for children.  The Mission District is a densely populated neighborhood with limited open space, making the reopening of the park a significant milestone for the community and those who helped usher the project through.

    To describe the mini park as colorful would be an understatement. The park's new design features play off the site's existing colorful murals by transforming painted images into a kaleidoscope of hues and three-dimensional forms. Gradations of blue paving bands draw visitors into the park. Situated to the left, abstract plant forms are designed to be interactive light elements.  Further into the park, a large mosaic serpent interrupts the pathway, while the entrance into a play area appears to the right. The play area contains conventional play equipment, including a teeter-totter and swing. A curving seat wall separates the play area from the sidewalk. The colorful pathway continues to a sculptural, mosaic snake that weaves in and out of the ground plane with children's slides at its head. The tail of the snake wraps around a playful water-spray feature.

    The mosaic snake sculpture, entitled "Quetzalcoatl," by local artists Mark Roller, Colette Crutcher and Aileen Barr, was created under the auspices of Susan Cervantes, founder of Precita Eyes Muralists. The serpent represents Quetzalcoatl, the Mesoamerican feathered serpent god, who is both life-giver and culture hero, bestowing various gifts on humankind such as agriculture, writing and architecture. These gifts are represented by five cast concrete medallions along the snake's body. The body and head of the snake are formed out of concrete and covered with mosaic consisting of broken commercial tiles and several hundred handmade tiles, representing Quetzalcoatl's feathers.

    The event on Sunday included a ceremonial ribbon cutting and appearances by civic and community leaders.  Food and refreshments were provided by local business: Tio Chilo's, Roosevelt Tamale Parlor, Punjab's, Casa Sanchez, L's Caffe, and El Metate. Family activities and entertainment followed, such as the Sf Mounted Police, The Talking Police Car and kids playing tin the new water feature.

    Twenty-fourth and York Mini Park is located on 24th Street and York and is accessible by MUNI via the 27 Bryant and 48 Quintara lines.

  • Review from Misha V.

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    3/22/2009 3 photos

    Hidden Gem!

    This park is totally...WOW! The impressive murals, large mosaic snake, and ample seating areas make this "mini-park" so special, and such a standout amongst the restaurants, produce stores, and beauty salons on 24th street.

    Probably more suitable for adults vs. the kiddoes.

  • Review from Jonas T.

    • 530 friends
    • 984 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    2/23/2009

    I would come back here just for the the swing. It's the only swing that I can probably fall asleep on.

    JONASAPPROVED!

  • Review from Ivan L.

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    7/5/2011 7 photos 1 Check-in Here

    This park is amazing!  It has the funnest playground equipment: a spin till you puke seat, a giant flying saucer swing, a mosaic anaconda for climbing, and several more!  The highlight is definitely the water feature which shoots enough to cool you off and get you soaked on a hot day.

  • Review from Joshua K.

    • 251 friends
    • 189 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    9/1/2010 2 photos 1 Check-in Here

    The planners of this area are smart.  They are detail oriented.  They were delicate enough to call this a "mini-park", knowing they needn't match up to the other giant ones in the city.  They took a spot of land, stayed true to the indigenous art styles of the 'hood to create a colorful surrounding, used unique play structures, and made great use of minimal space.  Sometimes less is all one needs.  Its good to teach the kids that!  

    This was a good find for us, as we had just finished an early Sunday brkfst across the street.  Now what to do?  Nothing is open in Mission this early besides bars, brkfst spots, and coffee shops.  El Bingo!  The kids (my 3 and their twin cousins = 5 loud people for the neighbors at 9am... you're welcome) immediately ran in, screaming and climbing on everything.  So much stimulation, and nothing was flashing or making noise!  That is why we go to playgrounds-- the kids don't always need to use battery operated or electric things to enjoy their time.  
        Next time we are in this part of Mission D, we are going to bring our baseball bats and gloves just like the other Dad that showed up with his two kids and decided to play, right in the middle of everyone else.  Watch out for that ball!  Watch out for the kid running full speed toward you, cuz he's only looking up at the ball that he lost in the sun!  Ooops!  My fault my baby ran into your nuts, guy.  I guess you should go find an open field to play team sports in, this is just a "Mini-Park", just as the sign on the front door has clearly stated.  I had fun.

    Note:  If the gate is closed to the park, just open it like you would a normal house door.  It won't look like a park from across the street if the gate is closed.  Don't be afraid.  Be curious.  Give in to your curiousness and open the latch.  Then, have so much fun you'll be whistling dixie all morning long!

  • Review from joe H.

    • 6 friends
    • 23 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Not a bad little urban park for little tikes. People there seemed cool and there was some kind of mural tour.

  • Review from Aimee G.

    • 74 friends
    • 84 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    6/18/2008 4 photos

    This aptly named "mini" park on 24th Street won a 'Beautification Award' in 2007, and it deserves it. Its former incarnation was run down and attracted anyone and everyone but kids coming to play there. Now it's always filled with kids, families and neighborhood residents who come to admire the murals and vibrant atmosphere. The Quetzalcoatl sculpture fountain is extra great - its plumes of water rise up only when someone presses the buttons - thus conserving water and encouraging interaction with the design elements of the park. I like to stop here with whatever 24th Street cheap eats attracted my eye that day, and I always enjoy my picnic.

  • Review from Steve G.

    • 0 friends
    • 18 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    9/3/2009

    This little park is awesome.  It's nice to go get a coffee, maybe some donuts and let the munchkin run around like the little spaz he is.  Plus hey, art.

    Also, this place has the lowest density of creepy single dudes just hanging out of any park in the Mission.

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