Christopher Playground

We love Christopher Playground. It has play structures for little ones (though not fenced in) and BIG KIDS! There aren’t many parks in SF where 10+ year olds can still enjoy the play structure, but the structure at Christopher is huge and challenging, and there are big swings with long chains. LOVE! Also there’s a large grassy field, trees for the kids to climb and explore, great parking, an open bathroom, stores nearby, and… THE CANYON! Yes, there’s an amazing natural wonder to hike in and explore. Must be seen to be believed! It’s an underused park. No need to rent anything for b-​day parties, just show up – plenty of room for all.

This, just like many other small parks in The City has a real neighborhood feel. Mostly locals who live within a half a mile radius. Since this park is kinda hard to find, you won’t find visitors from out of area.
On the weekends, they do have small parties for the co-​op residents. There is also a firehouse literally right next to the park. Everytime I come here, I usually go to the Safeway right off the Diamond Heights Boulevard and get something to eat in the park. It is a few minutes walk from the park.
Billy Goat Hill Park has a bit better view and it isn’t that windy out there. Some might want to check that park out as well if you’re in the area.
The City of San Francisco is superb for walking. Each time I walk the streets of the city I love, my mind travels back in time and at the same time, it gets happy looking forward to the bright future. Stop and smell the flowers; they say. I always do.

Older, sandy playground — which I like. I am so sick and tired of SF Park and Rec taking out all the sand and and making every single playground look the same. Blech! These old, wooden play structures, including an old school balance beam, really aren’t bad for 4 or 5 years and up, but not safe for little ones. A large, grassy baseball field nearby was being used by happy Little Leaguers. And there’s easy parking near the shopping center, which is convenient. It always seems to be breezy and cold over at this playground, so wear your layers.

Not bad, not bad.
If I lived in the neighborhood– and it has a dense population with all the condos across the street and lots single family homes– I’d be at this playground frequently.
It has older play structures but they’re serviceable and boasts a huge field for baseball games and lots of runaround area for children to play tag or fly a kite.
The restrooms and fountains are gnarly & seriously need updating. It’s also not wholly fenced in but distinct play areas make it easier to track your little ones.
The playground is also behind the parking lot of Safeway so you might be able to combo a play date with a shopping run (though that Safeway’s the pits).

This is a great place to bring your kid to blow off some steam.
Here are the key features
1. Parking: It’s a breeze as there’s a lot for the Diamond Heights Shopping Center at the entrance to the park.
2. Safeway: Ok, not a fan of Safeway overall, but any grocery store next to a park is a huge plus
3. Play structures: There are a couple of play structures for kids of various ages
4. Field: There’s a huge grass area so they can RUN and exhaust themselves, which will buy you some sanity.
5. Dim Sum: (All Season) Bring the training chopsticks… Feed them after play and they will crash in the car on the way home.
6. Safe: There’s a police academy there (well at least there used to be, hopefully still there) so all these exuberant 20 something future cops run the perimeter of the park… Yes, that’s a huge safety plus. There’s nothing shady happening in this park.

Big playground and has parking in the mall area.
this park has been taken care of for years. better than other parks.
the have little league baseballl but only for the little kids… not the 11 and 12 year olds who can hit it far… this is for t-​ball teams.
i hate to share this but they have a nice but small spaced but normal sized tennis court. it has lights so you can play here at night and have enough light to hit the ball when its dark.
for some of you who aren’t good tennis players… the fence surrounding it and the plants around that… don’t really go searching for your ball. if you can’t see it right away. its probably stuck where you can’t reach it or see it.
the park itself is clean and dogs are supposed to be on a leash. I don’t see too many people walking on the field to walk right through the middle… for some reason i find that nice. they all stick to the walkway.
the playground is sweeped and cleaned also. there are signs that state, you may not hang around here when kids are playing and you do no have a kid of your own. so loiterers watch out… there are police around here to kick you out.

Every so often, I manage a One Brick volunteering event that involves gardening. If you don’t have a garden like me, willingly choosing to spend time in the dirt can be really appealing. I’m always amazed at how into digging, weeding, seeding, etc. that I can get. Christopher Playground is just one such spot that we’ve had a number of gardening events at. It’s a cute little park in the Diamond Heights area not far from me, but one I never would’ve known existed had I not done this event. Even at an early hour, saw many folks there with their dogs. Big park and field (and a hill that needs lots of de-​clovering). If you live in the neighborhood, you should check it out. Even if you don’t live in the neighborhood, you might want to check it out, if nothing else for the novelty that is ample parking spots around it.

Good kids park and field. Very windy though.

On-​leash dog park, kid playground, big hang out cement space, public b.r.s, baseball diamond and huge field, and a public tennis court that’s a bit of a secret and in pretty good shape.
Right next to the Diamond Heights Safeway and Walgreens and the post office, so you can get lots of things accomplished all in one go.
There’s boatloads of parking in the neighborhood and the parking lot or the 52 also goes right there.

i discovered christopher playground getting lost to a birthday party at douglass playground. i thought i was in the right spot for 2 reasons,
the party was centered around kite making and kite flying – the playground was very toddler friendly and very kid centered – there was an art activity room, a lots of unusual, wooden and organic looking scupltures and climbing opportunities and best of all, over 12 swings, no more fighting over who gets to be in the swing. across from the playground was a baseball diamond, which was nestled in a valley of the surrounding hills a perfect airy space for kite flying. i never made it to douglass park, however sophie and i did discover a fun, earth and kid friendly oasis. corner of diamond heights blvd, right behind the safeway shopping plaza, which makes it great for parking and combining a few errands with fun

In a major metropolitan city (I believe SF fits this), it’s not easy to find places or parks to take our little friends… doggies, that is. I normally take them around the neighborhood, but how many bushes, previously peed upon walls or curbs are there. Besides, with the notorious drivers who speed around our neighborhood, there’s no way they can walk off leash. With plenty of street parking as well as the adjoining Safeway/​Walgreens parking lot, this is our best option in giving our kids their freedom (off leash). Though there are clearly marked signs to instruct pet owners to keep them on leash, most dogs are friendly and off leash; the owners are the ones who should use their better judgment/​common sense whether to use their leashes. I think of the pathway as a doggie track with the paved road surrounding the softball diamond/​grass field. Actually, it serves as a running track weekday mornings for the adjoining police academy students in training. As we saunter through a few laps around the park, we can take in the cool brisk winds or sometimes watch the fog roll into the city and get a little exercise ourselves. The kids get to sniff other dogs, the cool grass, the bushes, the park benches, and play fetch… the best part is that they can go where they like. There are also marked coyote watch signs, so pet owners beware. The city built a doggie park nearby, but it looks like a pen (as in jail) for doggies with only dirt and metal fences. I would give more stars, but minus half for the inconsiderate doggie parents who don’t pick up poop and minus half for the locked restrooms on weekends.

Something about Christopher Playground just gives it an innocent, small-​town feel that makes it like a true oasis amidst the bustle of the city. It’s that ideal type of place where the neighborhood folks can take their kids, their dogs, or their lattes and enjoy a quiet or playful moment.
Its location behind a Safeway may seem tacky on paper, but in practice it actually reinforces the whole mixed-​use feel and makes it seem like the Diamond Heights village green. The main features are the playground itself and a baseball diamond, plus it has excellent views of Glen Canyon Park, and trails descending into it as well.