Gellert Park

This is an old memory of the park. I just remember throwing down on the tennis courts and waiting for the next challengers to appear.

Review for playground only:
If you’re looking for a way to help your little ones grow up super fast, this may be it. Rest easy, moms and dads, here’s where your toddlers can learn all about smoking, drinking, littering and shoving their way through crowds.
From the looks of the surroundings, people use the sandbox as an ashtray, the rest of the playground as a garbage dump, and drink alcohol in front of the public restrooms (my 14 month old was caught making a bee-​line for an empty wine bottle sitting in front of the bathroom). The structures are old and wooden (my babe was happily able to gnaw paint right off), it’s super crowded and a bit rough too. The two creaky bucket swings are the only nod to the toddler set in terms of safety and lack of obvious down-​right nastiness — a perfect spot from which to swing and survey the surrounding horror.

Great local park that is well kept. Tennis courts are always crowded so it’s hard to get a spot. My favorite part is that the library is right next door. Plenty of free parking and everyone is nice and welcoming here!

I only give 2 stars because of free parking, a playground for the kids, and a basketball court.
Downside: it’s always CROWDED. Always. Don’t people work anymore?! Lol. Even in the early mornings, the tennis court is packed with senior citizens, playground is full, what I’m most bothered about is jogging in peace! The soccer players accidentally hit me one time which startled me and scared the daylights outta me, but luckily they apologized. Everything just seems overly crowded. I prefer a more peaceful setting as well when I’m exercising but it’s hard to focus with so many people in the way. Pavement isn’t smooth either. You’ll pass by the bleachers with a crowd– if there’s a baseball game which can be almost disturbing to a workout. In general this isn’t the place to workout. Save your time & gas. Go to lake Merced if you have too but don’t come here. There’s too many DISTRACTIONS at this park.

The playground is big and fenced off. Two bucket swings, four big kid swings, two large play structures (one plastic, one wood), and some seesaw/​ride structures. The playground isn’t new but it’s nice enough, if you ignore the tagging everywhere. I’m not a fan of the wood chip landscaping. My kid had fun here though, and it’s bigger than other parks in the area. There’s a ramada, tennis courts, fields, and what looks like a clubhouse. I like that it’s by the library– we made an afternoon of our visit.

3 stars for the simple fact that its .10 miles away from me. Other than that it’s an average park to go to that’s right next to the library. There’s a track circling around the grassy field. It’s a great place for doing some leg work with the stairs that they have there as well.
Including in the park to the SOUTH end of it is a playground for kids, some rooftop covered benches to have a little birthday party and about 4 basketball courts along with 4 tennis courts.

Hehe one of the parks that I go to to walk my doggie!
It’s convenient since it’s in my area. Its also next to the Serramonte library so if you’re in the mood to read a good book (or sleep lol) you can go here hehe. There’s also bathrooms and fountains here to replenish your health bar (haha!)
There’s several tennis courts, basketball courts, a small jungle gym for kid, a small jogging track around a field for soccer, and a diamond mound for baseball. The courts are always available for use, but sometimes they will notify you with a note if the courts need to be occupied. Which is okay, since there’s a huge wall where you can play solo tennis or practice basketball dribbles and passes. The jungle gym isn’t the best, meaning, its small and rather old, but the ground is filled with small wood chips instead of straight blacktop so chances are, kids who fall won’t get hurt too badly.
The track here is simple, there are some bleachers there for anyone to sit at, and there is a small field of grass for kids to play soccer or any field sport. There is a small baseball diamond for kids to play baseball.
The area can also be rented for parties. You just have to notify those in charge ahead of time. There is a hall that can be used for indoor parties, and they have grills and picnic tables that you can also use to your liking for outdoor get-​togethers.
There is a parking lot here, but street parking around here is also available. Luckily for me, all I have to do is walk a few blocks and I’m here hehe.
True that there are kids smoking and drinking and whathaveyou, but as long as you keep your kids and your distance from them, I’m pretty sure they won’t mean any harm.

The park is 0.2 miles away from where I live so that’s where you’ll get the 3 stars from me. It’s a nice park that, unfortunately, not many people take a chance on and visit this park. I love that it’s feet away from the library. Nothing out of the ordinary just a 3 star park.

This park is out in the open. Make sure our little ones and yourself put on sunblock before you come. Bring water too.

I have been coming to this park for over 17 years now. I find that your opinion of it will of course vary depending on what facilities you use.
As a teenager I used to come here with my friends because it had the only basketball courts we knew of that were lit at night. As a dad, I would hesitate to allow my kids to do the same. I wouldn’t think it was safe. But it is pretty nice that the option to play ball past daylight is available. I think the lights stop working at midnight though.
Later in my life we came here to use the little playground (before the remodel about 10 years ago). It wasn’t the best playground around. Pretty small, but what was great about it was that there were always families around. Sometimes this would be a comforting thing, other times frustrating depending on our interaction with whoever was around. Some things to look out for in this scenario: during baseball season lots of families are present and sometimes children are relatively unattended at the playground while their older siblings are playing. There are people who come to the park to walk their dogs, not all are considerate dog owners cognizant of how their dogs will interact with small children.
Still some time later we would come to use the library. It’s small, but the children’s section is not bad. They set up a nice area where you can come and read with the little ones. Like most libraries it looks like it could use some more funding, but the staff is nice, and the facility is relatively well maintained.
Nowadays my visits to this park are related to little league games/​practices, birthday party invitations, or using the track for a jog.
There is a nice trail that circles the large field at this park, a sign near the playground says the track is about a half mile per lap. During busy times joggers have to contend with possible flying soccer balls, running through makeshift dugouts, and the sweet smoky smell of tender meat cooking on an open flame.
Three baseball diamonds are popular thanks to usage by the Daly City little league and Junior Giants as well as Softball leagues. The grass field is relatively well maintained (coming from someone who grew up in SF where such facilities are a rarity). Games are played on Saturdays from about 9 am ’till about 4:30 pm, and some weeknights from 5pm to about 7:30 pm April-​June.
Also popular are the two huge pits nested between the basketball courts and one of the baseball diamonds. These pits are popular with birthday parties often featuring a jumphouse, and the enticing aroma of meat being cooked on weekends.
Regardless of where you are coming from and what the weather is like there, bear in mind this park is situated in a unique corner of the universe that has it’s own weather. Layers are recommended.

Good for a short run around the perimeter of it on the sidewalks or within the park on the dirt path. Looks like a fun place to get a group of friends together for a game of softball and/​or BBQ. I usually head to Lake Merced for my runs but Gellert Park works for my tempo run days and when I feel like doing some stair climbing.

I’ve been going to this park since I was a little girl and I’m almost 24! My dad used to take me to this place after he got off work and no matter how tired he was, he still had energy to push me on the swings! There’s so much memories here! They used to also have an area where u can climb up n throw sand in a tube but they took it out ;(

I only come here to play tennis. Sometimes when I come here, there’s a note in front of the tennis court doors saying we can’t play at a certain time because of the kid’s practice. Like really? At least don’t hog the entire courts so other people can play. Other than that, I love coming here cause the only workout I get is from playing tennis unless walking around the mall counts lol

This park needs a serious makeover! It’s looked the same for soo many years! The last thing that’s been remodeled here is the field. Looks a lot healthier. They need to do something about the track around the field though — it can get pretty muddy.
I grew up with this park so I can’t hate on it too much. It’s a pretty convenient park — there’s a hall and a huge outdoor picnic area to throw parties; a library that’s walking distance; baseball and soccer field; and the basketball and tennis courts are popular here.
I still love coming here. I just wish it could be more updated!

Damn you park. You dislocated my friend’s wrist and now he has 10 screws and plates. You made the kids at the tennis courts look at my friend’s wrist in disgust. You made Mattelin’s brother crouch down and weep for the rest of the game…
But you’re still a great place to play baseball!

Its 1997, a cold and foggy morning, before the whole threat of global warming ruined our foggy mornings and turned it to bright days, you decide to run. upon running up the steps you are greeted with several high school kids smoking joints at the top of the steps, you turn and proceed with the jogging trail.
You pass by the empty playground, the smell of tanbark hits you like freshly steamed rice with the side of spam, and you push on. The whooping sound of a tennis or racket ball soon gets louder and louder as you pass by several old ladies looking like Kim Jong ill with fanny packs and visors.
Those were the days… wait a minute, its still the same.
Its as if Gellert Park has a time distortion field, keeping the bit of time to sink its teeth into it. Yay to things remaining the same.

So whenever we had any family/​church events Gellert was typically the best place to go. Huge grills, lots of seating, basketball courts, fenced park for the lil monsters, and a softball/​baseball field. SAMOANS and their volleyball though. I used to get yelled at by the parents cu they’d make me and my cousins draw the lines and run rope to outline the court, but it was never perfect.
«SAMOAN»
(English)
Uncle #1
«Leai! Alu lesi tu. I a umi lesi pito! Fai faalelei lou mata!»
(No! Go to the oher side. That side i longer! Fix your eyes!“
Aunty #2
«Toso. Toso mai! Aua sona toso! To’atiti *&^%$#@! oe, e?»
(Pull. Pull it! Don’t pull it so much! I’m about to *&^%$#@! you, hear me?)
Uncle #34
«Tuai kaia le tagata fai laiga. Ia grooked le laiga lei, oso vale lesi mea o.sole.»
(You’re the best Nephew EVER!).oops! I Mean:
(Whoever did these lines suck [another 4 letter S– word actually]. This line is crooked, that line is jumping wayyy over there.mann.)
Yup…good times. good times.
4 for the park, but 2 overall b/​c the memories that come with it. HAHAH.

#1. It so fucking foggy in Daly City, you can’t see the fucking bright tennis ball coming towards you.
#2. «hey» «hey» «hey»
I am not a horse! Try playing a nice game of tennis while those fools playing basketball near the right tennis court distract you and your girlfriends.
#3. Crazy old men sit at the benches and seriously play tennis from sunrise to sunset. It’s almost impossible to get a tennis court without waiting for atleast 20 minutes.
+3 only for two reasons. My forehand is a tad rusty since I haven’t really played after high school. The high school students smoking weed & side-​kicking near the courts are always so kind to grab the ball and throw it back to me and my friends. Also, there’s the infamous ice cream truck that’s parked outside the playground. It’s like the one and only ice cream truck that exists in Daly City. I love me my Teenage Mutant Ninja popsicles with the red gum-​ball eyes.

5 freaking stars because it’s my neighborhood park!
I know people are bothered because of kids smoking pot near the courts but I’m not. Just as long as they don’t bother us, it’s all good.
Anyway, I love how this park is close to the library so you can use their bathroom or drink from the water fountain after a good game of basketball or tennis. I also love how they have a «wall» for the ones who are waiting for a tennis court to be vacated. I also like how they have a place where you can have your parties outdoors AND indoors; you just gotta let them know ahead of time. It also has a playground for kids (and adults alike lol) and the ice cream man always stops by sometime in the afternoon! Wheeee! I feel like a kid again whenever I get ice cream while in the swings! hahaha

This park was a huge disappointment. Consider this review a warning to moms and dads of little ones. Honestly, don’t waste your time on this park.
To say that Gellert Park is busy is almost an understatement; after 5:30 pm it was more crowded than earlier. The parking lot was full.
Call me a snob, but soccer players smoking cigarettes and marijuana next to the playground are not exactly a redeeming feature of this park. The playground for little ones is awful. The equipment is sadly outdated and worn down; there is graffiti all over the kids’ boat; the bucket swings creak like they haven’t been oiled in years; the sand is filthy and littered; and there was some guy letting his pit bull run freely on the field. Not to mention the wooden equipment on the playground looked like it has been eaten by termites.
My son wanted to leave after twenty minutes.
It’s true: the ice cream van pulls up, and this really, really elderly Chinese couple pass out ice cream ($ 1.25-$ 1.50). The ice cream sundae I got was so-​so, and it looked really old. I mean, from the ‘70s.
The playground at Gellert Park is just depressing and sad. I cannot recommend it to anyone!