Joe Dimaggio Playground

The legend…
Joe really did learn to play ball here.
The neighborhood…
Many old schoolers refuse to stop calling it north beach playground. Whether it’s due to force of habit, or sentimentality, they’re pretty stubborn about it. I say Joe deserves the nod.
The remodel…
Thank goodness, because it was looking rather raggedy there for a long time. The playground is now downright inviting. You can now happily bring your tots here; whereas before there was always some trepidation involved.
They finally finished the pool. It’s pretty nice.
Tennis & basketball go strong here.
The bocce ball courts…
This is where I learned to play bocce ball.
And, for story time, the NB library is right next door.
Apparently, there’s an issue w keeping the restrooms clean. This is common w public spaces, I know. But w all the little ones around, it really needs to be taken care of.
4 stars.

Best playground in the city so far. They just keep getting better and better. This is the latest remodel of a city playground and there are a couple of new structures that I havent seen at any other one before. Instead of the rubber flooring at other playgrounds, this one has artificial grass. I am not sure what is better yet. I’ve been hearing bad things about both, that they are made out of recycled tires, which can be toxic to kids. Don’t quote me on this. The library is conveniently located next door and there is a also an indoor swimming pool which I havent checked out. Kids had a blast here.

Feeling the need to play baseball, tennis or basketball on your own or with companion? This facility is the spot for this! If you or someone have kids with you, they enjoy spending time doing other recreational activities then there is a clubhouse, swimming pool and a playground available.
When you’re in the North Beach/​Telegraph Hill area looking for an outdoor recreation facility, then Joe DiMaggio Playground is the place you are looking for. If you pass by looking for a place to study, then there is a library adjacent to the recreational facility. Overall, good spot for a recreational facility!

This location is really convenient for me, and they’re open, with lights, till 10 p.m.
Cons? Slippery court in the back and only three courts available. If you’re driving, you might find parking, but if you give up, try Alice Marble or Marina courts.

I live near here and Iove this recreation center.

Visiting SF with the family have a two year old saw this little park while exploring the streets decided to try it out. My little one had a blast its nicely fenced in so don’t have to worry about little kids running into traffic. Only a couple of blocks from the Hotel we were staying at.

This review is for the tennis facilities only.
I recently decided to start playing again and I’ve been visiting a bunch of tennis courts to try them out. I’ve been to this one thrice to play. They have 3 hard surface courts and a large separate hard surface area with a wall to act as the tennis wall.
The wall has a line painted across which I assume is to indicate the height of the net, but I’m not too sure its the right height. The wall has big craters in it and so does the floor. There is a giant trash dumpster against the edge of the wall and the basketball courts share the same general play area. So thats not really the greatest wall in history, but its alright to hit against for fun.
The actual tennis courts have nice defined lines that are not fading which is nice. The nets are in good condition and are not saggy. The surface does have a lot of cracks in it but not to the point where playing a game is impossible.
The area is very windy at times which makes it hard to gauge where the ball is going to land both for hitting and anticipating. But that seems to be a small problem with a lot of outdoor SF tennis courts. There is a wall that some people play against even inside the tennis area which isnt all that high or smooth. It does not have a net line, and to be honest I doubt this wall was for playing against anyway. Its not possible for someone to use the courts and you to play on the wall in the same area at the same time since its much too close. The wall there is also shared by the actual playground and its a little scary playing on that wall because if you hit a crazy shot by accident and it flies over the wall, it could land on a kids head and that can’t be too good I presume.
As for landing up there and finding a game, its been fairly easy for me. There always seems to be someone or the other there to play. Takes a while, but people turn up. The courts don’t seem to be overly busy either.
All in all a decent place to check out to play some tennis.

Had my 1^st kiss at this park in 1990. had my first dunk on the hoop court. had my 1^st winning fight at the swimming pool, had my 1^st free lunch the summor of 88 in the rec center. had my 1^st losing fight otsd the library. Had my 1^st child bust her lip on the slide (approx. 20years prior where i busted my lip for the 1^st time) on that same slide. Im sorry i cant agree with the redesigning of the playground. Kids need to know what a real playground with sand swings and metal is all about. Not these punk ass fiberglass and particle-​board, imma gonna get either shocked or burnt on a hot day parks. This is a mans park where they have sand, swings slides, monkeybars and an enclosed lil park for the toddlers. I know they;re gonna upgraded this park soon with the reconstruction of the library and all but they can never take away ya boys memories. PS when you guys remodel the basketball hoops I have 2 suggestions
1. no double rim. I hate tearing my fingers up on these double rims
2. Make more than 1 court tis time

North Beach Playgound… please get the name right. Yes, I know that Joe and his brothers used to play here. Yes, I know that he is a local hero and celebrity. But, for me, this place will always be North Beach Playground and «Al’s Place», not to be mistaken with Big Al’s on Broadway. Al was the park director for many years until he retired in the 1990’s (think Robert Loggia, Tom Hanks’ boss in the movie «Big»). With two tennis courts (
), the asphalt basketball court (
), and a recreation room (kid’s chill spot and table tennis table) (
), many local children found this their refuge from both school and home, probably one reason that these now-​grown ups have social skills.
For me, the main attraction was the expansive asphalt court, which, on cold, foggy weeknights, became home for softball games and leagues. As a child, it was the merchants’ league with teams named Scott’s (as in Scott’s Seafood), Gino and Carlo, and BBB (Beach Blanket Babylon) that drew my friends and I to watch the intense yet fun competition. As we grew to our teenage and early adult life, we became the players instead of the audience. It was also home to the annual softball game between the Washington Square Bar and Grill (Ed Moose, Herb Caen, etc. vs. national media types that included Tom Brokaw).
During my late high school years, a group of friends and I organized a neighborhood co-​ed church league. For the next ten years, summer weeknights or weekend afternoons were filled with teenagers and young adults moving their bodies and meeting new friends, many who I still see today. In an age where kids are less physically active and finding refuge online or playing video games, today’s children could really use these types of activities. On a recent weekday morning, I witnessed tennis lessons being given at the courts, a few children playing in the playground area, and four or five people practicing either ballroom dancing or tai chi on the main court. The bocce ball courts (
) were sadly empty, void of the senior Italian men who used to smoke cigars and reminisce about the good old days. Five star for the memories of this playground, but minus one star for removing the softball fields.

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 22 of my 26 years on this planet, and I think some of these criticisms are unfair. Sure, the majority of the playing fields at this place are torn to hell, but this facility has two very worthwhile components: the tennis courts, and the swimming pool.
I’m a big tennis player, so these courts will suffice for a match or rally play. The only court that is a bit off is the far court by the library which slopes a bit. There is also one huge divot on court one (the first one as you enter, on the pool side) which can kick up a serve or shot like crazy, but these courts are decent. Note: they are as good as Golden Gate Park or Dolores Park… but they do have lights!
The pool is also a draw, with its sauna and showers, but it’s been «under repair» for what seems like forever. When I came home from Hawaii in October ’08, I wanted to replicate my time in the water with a weekly swim. It is not April ’09 and nothing has changed there. Über sigh. When it is open, half the pool is reserved for laps and the other half is warmed and good for light swims and aquarobics. I tend to stay on the lap side as that’s how you stay in shape… the warm side also feels like you’re swimming in… well. Never mind.
And yes Joe D. did play here many years ago. So if that’s a draw, good for you. Oh the swings and playground are hella old so watch for rust or splinters. Ouch.

Agree with Jen L — this playground is way out-​of-​date and needs some serious refurbishing. Now, with the pool closed until further notice, I’m not sure what the draw is: the playground entrance is enough to keep me away, with a sternly-​worded warning that the play equipment contains arsenic !!! Er, ok, I guess it may not be toxic enough to kill my kid; otherwise I assume it’d be closed down altogether, but still…
There are no toys like at Helen Wills Park, hardly any non-​sandy play areas, and too many kids per square foot — that is, not enough room to roam. Thanks, I’ll stick to my local playground, and as for the pool, well, I guess we’ll keep practicing in the bathtub.

I love all parks in the city unless they are dangerous and kids can’t run around and have fun in them. Thankfully Joe Dimaggio playground is not one of them. North Beach is known to have better weather than some of the other parts of the city. There were plenty of kids playing all sort of activities, the pool and ping pong inside, basketball, catch football and tennis outside. I myself was there to play tennis, we were able to get one of the three courts which was the only one available. The courts are not in the best shape, yet I have played on much worse, the other thing is they do not have lights on the court which is a key for people who like to play after work. I only wish there were more places like this playground for not only the kids but for myself as well.

Some North Beach old schoolers still call it North Beach Playground, but yes, this is where Joe learned how to play baseball.
The park is old-​fashioned with asphalt courts & a tiny playground of sand, monkey bars, swings and dilapidated & badly painted wood play structure. It needs some serious new love, people, and in the form of funds & newer & safe things for kids to play in and around.
Time to bring some life to the rest of the park (and the adjoining library) to mirror the revamped pool house and bocce courts!

Playground, Basketball Courts, Swimming Pool, Tennis Courts and Library… what more can you ask for? I live a block away and I’ve gone a couple of times in the past to play tennis and basketball (HORSE/​Around the World) with the roomie — I should take advantage of going here more often…
…Now that I have someone to play with, I think I will play tennis here on a daily basis. Ian and I have gone twice on a Monday night (around 6p), the courts are usually full, but the wait isn’t that bad — we waited 20 minutes last night. If anything, we can always play against the wall — lots of wall space available. There are three decent courts, but no lights at night.
Great location, perfect for «nearby residents [who] live in small apartments with no yards» (
).

I grew up here, I played here, and I enjoyed being here.
What more is there to say about this place? It’s a playground with a huge yard for baseball and softball. You got a semi decent basketball court and a new set of tennis courts… Well, repaved but still, who can complain compared to a few years back before they re did everything. I mean, it was nice of the planners to redo the park when they were tearing down the swimming pool. And the clubhouse, wow. Looks fantastic! The old one is like a water shed compared to this new modern clubhouse. Them young folk have it good now. Let’s just hope the place maintains this new coat of shine and last for as long as possible. And I hope Marlena stays there as long as she can because she is one of the best rec directors they have. It would be a shame to lose her after she’s been there for as long as I can remember.

This playground has great potential. A lot of real estate for a park in a densely populated neighborhood. See the note below about potential renovations!
Attention! All North Beach Parents and Residents: Please come to the first planning workshop for the new North Beach library, potential park improvements and the future use of the «Triangle» property across Mason Street from the library. It’s on Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the North Beach Clubhouse (661 Lombard Street).
I would like everyone to come armed with some important information that all concerned residents should know about as we enter into this important public discussion of the future of our neighborhood.
There has been discussion about closing the block of Mason Street between Lombard Street and the Triangle, thus joining the Triangle with the library/​playground property. What has not been communicated are some disturbing statistics that will affect all of us.
In December 2005, in response to the proposed closure of Mason Street, the Department of Parking & Traffic completed a traffic survey to determine the vehicle usage of Mason Street between Columbus and Lombard Streets. The results for this off-​season sampling showed that the total number of cars that passed through this vital portion of Mason Street ran between 5000 and 6000+ vehicles per day, which would amount to about 2.2 million vehicles per year.
Mason Street is the only unobstructed north-​to-​south two-​way street in all of North Beach and is well-​used by locals and tourists alike. Mason Street is the primary road connecting Fisherman’s Wharf with North Beach, Chinatown and Nob Hill. Closing this street would create a chain reaction that would force the majority of those 2.2 million diverted vehicles onto arterial residential streets with two preschools (Tel-​Hi Pre-​School and Tel-​Hi Co-​op Preschool on Chestnut St), a Senior Center (Tel-​Hi Senior Center on Lombard St), and two grammar schools (Francisco Middle School & Sts. Peter & Paul), as well as push traffic toward both the main entrance to Joe DiMaggio Playground & Pool and the playground adjacent to Washington Square.
Since this study was performed, North Beach Place has been built and is now fully occupied and Trader Joe’s has opened and is used by residents citywide. In addition, the study was performed in December, not during the busier summer months when tourist vehicles greatly increase this number.
It’s ironic that the closure of Mason Street would result in diverting traffic toward the very playground we’re trying to improve.
I fully support the renovation of the playground and the library. My daughter and I use the playground and library often. It also seems that the number of families in North Beach with young children has increased. In addition, more children seem to be staying in the neighborhood thanks to the improved educational opportunities at Yick Wo and Sherman elementary schools. So this effort is long overdue.
However, every morning when I cross Chestnut Street to take my daughter to Tel-​Hi Preschool, walk my dog, or ride my bike to work, I fear the negative impact of closing Mason Street. More than 2.2 million vehicles — including fast-​moving cabs and tour buses — will be heading my direction. I would rather use the crosswalk and safely cross Mason Street than risk the danger that would result from this closure.
Please take this information into consideration and join the community on the 30^th when we weigh in on the exciting prospect of improving educational and recreation resources!

I have never used the playground. And I probably won’t ever use the swimming pool. But the baseball diamond/​basketball court/​giant asphalt square is the perfect place to teach your puppy how to fetch, heel and any other activity that requires little distractions and a save and almost completely fenced-​in environment.
But beware. Dogs are not allowed off leash, so be careful. Just be smart about it and go when there’s practically no one there.
And keep them away from children. For your own dog’s safety.
Children can be unpredictable and cruel. Very dangerous.

Last night was a beautiful night. The type you don’t typically see in San Francisco, where the weather hits just right and you could be wearing shorts and a tank top or jeans and a sweater and feel comfortable either way.
I know people are going to go into shock over what I am about to say, but this is the sort of night that would be wasted on getting all boozed up. This is the perfect sort of evening for a leisurely walk, stimulating conversation and some old fashioned, wholesome fun.
So, imagine my disappointment when I found that they turned all of the swings in Washington Square Park into those annoying kiddie swings that just don’t work for adults. Imagine my glee when Christopher K googled parks on his handheld and we realized we were a mere two blocks away from this playground. Now, it was 10 at night so of course the park was going to be locked up and we would have to do some fence hopping if we wanted to do some swinging and sliding and climbing, but we were up for the challenge. Imagine our luck when, as we were scoping out the best way to get over the fence, we discovered that someone had failed to lock one of the gates.
I highly recommend tapping into your inner child, sober, from time to time and remembering the simple pleasures in life. I also recommend doing this with a great conversationalist because there is nothing like flying through the air with some good company at your side!