Palega is our default place to play in San Francisco. It's not the closest playground to our house but it's far superior to the closer option and a great play space in its own right!
MAMA'S RATING
Palega encompasses a full rec center, baseball and soccer fields, and tennis and basketball courts. It covers a whole block and attracts the whole neighborhood. Mias been coming here since she was just over a year old, and I've really loved watching her grow in skill and confidence on the toys. You'll notice the pictures in this post are from a bunch of different days, because we've been coming here for over a year.
The playground has three zones with plenty of open area in between for kids to run back and forth. It also caters to a wide age range so the "baby" toys are separated by enough space to keep the older kids from running over the younger ones.
Name: Palega Recreation Center
Neighborhood: Portola
Address: Hamilton between Felton and Stillman
Parking: Street
Surface: Rubber
Sand? No
Bathrooms: Yes
Public Transit: MUNI 44-O'Shaughnessy/9-San Bruno/8-Bayshore
There are after school and summer programs at the rec. center, and neighboring schools come here in groups as well, so there can sometimes be a lot of kids on the playground at once and it can feel a bit crowded, but that's one the things I like most about Palega. We've made lots of friends in the neighborhood here and on most visits we run into someone we know because it's a meeting place for everyone in the entire area. To me its the embodiment of what a community playground should be!
These ratings are totally subjective and based on our experience on one or more visits. They are based on playability, location, accessibility, cleanliness, facilities, mood of a two-year-old, and the number of snacks in my purse. Please use your best judgement when visiting these playspaces and share your experiences with us!
Rating Scale
Four Stars: Worth a trip across town
Three Stars: Nearby? Check it out
Two Stars: Use In Case of Playtime Emergency
One Star: Don't Do It
No Stars: No. Nope. Never.