Stafford Park

Great park for kids but the people get a little seedy later in the day.

Smallish park in nice residential area. When it’s hot though, it’s a little sniffling… Structure gets too hot and there’s no real shade on the play structures… Nice that the tods area is gated off.

It’s a cute park. The kids always like this park over the others in the area. The music in the park happens every Wednesday evening. They have a special play area for little kids and a lots of play structures for the older kids.
However, because of the way the whole thing is designed it is not possible to keep an eye on the kids unless you keep moving around with them. It doesn’t feel safe to just sit on the benches under the lovely wisteria and let the kids play without being able to see them.
They are have a section for water play.

The park its self is very cute and fun for my little ones but the people there are what landed this park poor reviews in my book. There was a very rude and mentally ill homeless lady who yelled and cursed at my friend who was just getting herself and her two year old out of her car. Then there was the couple in their late 30’s who were having sex on one of the picnic tables! I called the police and it took them over 15 minutes to get there, by that time the couple were done and the officer had no evidence. he walked up to them and had already walked away 30 seconds later. Really? thanks officer… could have at least asked them to leave!

Love coming here. There’s always place to lay down and to hang out. Throughout the summer. Every other Wednesday is a different type of genre with a live band. People bring there own lawn chairs or blankets and food and maybe drinks. Also dancing if you’re not shy.

Fun in the summer for music in the park. Small but a great friendly atmosphere!

My daughter LOVES this park. We’ve been four times in one week and ever time there are nice parents, nice kids, and a beautiful and well-​maintained park. Separate area for smaller children, clean-​enough restroom, and ample seating along a shaded walkway right in front of the play area. This is our new favorite spot, I’m looking forward to bringing my new baby here as well since there are so many nice shaded areas to sit!

Difficult park to manage two little ones since the tot lot gates are always open, and there are three gates to worry about. I think Stafford Park planners would do well to have a look at Burton Park in San Carlos to see how they’ve enclosed the tot lot there.
It’s also very sunny and hot; not much shade during most of the day.
Consider adding:
— self closing gates
— top latches
— clear signage that the tot lot is for small kids
— shade

Came to this park to meet my friend and her kids half way to have a play/​movie date day. This park is snuggled in a nice, quiet residential area. The park is not too big and not too small. There is a nice jungle gym for bigger kids and a swing set also. There is even a separated, gated area for toddlers that has a jungle gym area, tables to sit and eat at, a see-​saw and swings. I like how they have a «hallway» of benches underneath some shade near the play area so that you can be near your kids when they are playing. There is also plenty of grass for your kids to play other things and run around. Very clean and well kept park!

Very spacious, clean, fun safe park. Has seperate play area for toddlers (fenced in) and youth area. Great summer fun with their water feature. And live bands called «music in the park» every Wednesday in the summer

Fabulous, safe, open, beautiful park. The groundsman Louis is excellent and helps care for this neighborhood treasure. New fenced area for the tiny kids makes it feel safer and love the big snail sculpture. Bathrooms are a plus. We chose to invest in this park with a memorial redwood tree for my mother and the staff keeps it healthy and the neighbors bring it love.

This is a great park, especially for toddlers! The toddler part of the park is fully gated, so you can let your little one roam without worrying he/​she will wander out of the area. Plus, there is a large play structure adjacent to the toddler one if you have older kids also. The toddler area has a snail that lets out water when the weather is warm and the kids will literally play there for hours while us parents talk. There are restrooms, picnic tables and a large grassy area for picnicking on the grass. This is one of our favorite parks to go to!

Wonderful park! Big open space with lots of grass and play structures to chose from! A blocked off toddler section and water features. What a special treat this park is during the summers. Live music and family gatherings… I can’t hardly wait for June time to get her. :)

Stafford Park is a good spot for picnics and families with older kids who can take advantage of the big play structure and water feature. The summer concerts are a lot of fun — crowded, but for a good reason!
I’m ranking two stars because if you have toddlers, this isn’t a good park for you.
The tot lot looks great at first, but there are three gates that are NOT self-​closing, and they are always open. They recently added another gate near the baby water feature, but it’s also left open, providing close and easy access to the road. It seems our toddlers are attracted to that street! And toddlers invariably escape to the big kid structure with the high drop offs, so you’ll be kept on your toes the entire time, dragging your kicking your screaming toddler (s) away from the gates.
Summer is particularly brutal in the tot lot area. The baby swings get direct sunlight and the trees around the perimeter keep the wind down, so you feel like you’re baking in an oven. Just what a hormonal mom needs! More heat!
The ground cover is a combo of rubber and bark, which your crawler or toddler will want to sample. (I’m not sure if the city is still testing the soil and ground covering for e. coli since the outbreak a few years ago???)
Sooo.not great for toddlers, but for bigger kids and adults who want to relax on a beautiful sprawling green lawn with lovely redwood trees, this is a nice park and an asset to the city. I loved it before my littles started to walk, and will return again once they’re big enough.

Great park. Clean, spacious, and pretty. Lots of fun play equipment for the kids. There’s tables to eat, bathrooms, and plenty of places to find shade. Parks have so much fun stuff now compared to when my kid was young. I’ll definitely return.

I love this park!!!
Just moved to RWC a few months back and now my baby is finally able to get on swings and was looking at Unilocal for some around my house, came across Stafford park and I love this cute little park
The park has good enough parking in the street, never had a problem finding parking here.
They have a water park and baby swings, great area for birthday parties and bathrooms really close.
love sundays here its busy but never too crowded.

What can I say? This is my favorite local park! Toddler area, big-​kid area, fountain-​water-​play-​area, Wednesday evening free concerts in the summertime, and you can reserve picnic areas for birthday parties and BBQs. If you’re in the area with kids, you have to check it out. What other reviewers have said about «not enough shade in the play areas» is right on, so plan ahead for that. Otherwise, enjoy!

Pros
–gated area for toddlers
–water play feature for toddlers
–huge big structure for older kids
–big water geysers for the big kids
–bathrooms, fairly clean for a public park
–big lawn with lots of shade around the edges
Cons
–not nearly enough shade in the playground area. The slides are burning hot in both playgrounds. The toddler area has a few areas of shade… but they really need to install a few more shades over the play structures. My little 19month old was screaming several times because the slides or other climbing areas were too hot. Same thing in the big playground. I had jeans on and when I went down the slide, my butt was scorching hot.
Overall, I really like this park… but I prefer going on a cloudy or partly-​cloudy day when the playground isn’t going to be so hot.

Wow… Just moved to the neigborhood and quickly found out that EVERY Weds, during the summer, they have a live concert here. Really enjoyed tonight’s. It is every Wednesday from 6−8PM, just bring a lawn chair, a blanket (it gets cool at night), and something to snack on /​drink (FYI, no booze in the park). Lots of people dancing like no one is watching, and kids busting out some new dance moves in front of the stage with their Ma. Great family event, or by yourself (good people watching). Up coming schedule posted below:
July 20 * Blues
BlueState
Bluestate is definitely a band on the way up in the highly talented Northern California Blues scene gathering recognition and a loyal following throughout the region. They are known for their «make no apologies», non-​traditional approach to the blues. It blends elements of jazz, funk and soul into an eclectic contemporary gumbo that stills pays homage to their blues roots.
July 27 * Zydeco
Zydeco Flames
The Zydeco Flames have gained a reputation as the West Coast’s première Zydeco band. The Flames consistently pack the house in venues ranging from contemporary clubs to major festivals and traditional dancehalls. Their sizzling roots rhythms are timeless and the execution of them relentless, with a stunningly powerful groove. The Flames’ sixth CD release «Fire It Up», featuring Andre Thierry and Billy Wilson on accordion, provides fans with hot Zydeco in the tradition of masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida.
August 3 * Polka/​Oompah
The Internationals
The Internationals play a variety of music genres and styles. They play all the European dance favorites — polkas, waltzes, schottiches, etc. — and also mix in traditional favorites from a variety of European countries. In addition, they play a smattering of American classics from a wide variety of genres. It isn’t uncommon to hear a polka followed by a country western classic!
August 10 * 70s/​Pop
Groove Doctors
The GROOVE Doctors will fill your perscription for a fun, memorable and enjoyable time. Their diverse song list and high-​energy presentation gets people of all ages and musical tastes up off their seats and onto the dance floor — or grass in our case! They have fun when they play, and it shows! With the GROOVE Doctors you’ll hear Hit Songs covering the last 50 years of music.

Stafford Park is by far our favorite park in Redwood City, though not the closest. It has a nice, multilevel climbing structure for kids, a swingset, and a mixed-​use open field area for kicking (or throwing) around a ball (or just running!). The park is not very large, but is beautiful, featuring three enormous valley oak trees, two at the very center of the park. Also, it is ringed on the south and western sides by mature Redwoods (including sequoias). As mentioned in other reviews, the park also has a water feature, which is basically a set of water spouts that shoot about 25 feet in the air. In the summer this area is usually filled with screaming, running kids from ages 1 – 15.
Unfortunately in the last several years the park has become a little too crowded and popular on summer weekends. Consequently, the bathroom area can get pretty nasty, and by August the grass can get torn up and trampled. As for picnicking, it got so bad that people actually used to camp out or come at 6:00 am to grab a picnic spot, but the city finally incorporated a reservation system a few years ago. On Wednesday evenings in the summer the park hosts outdoor concerts from local bands, covering a large range of styles. Though this event can get absolutely packed, we are still regulars.
Another nice feature of Stafford is its fenced-​off area for toddlers. It includes sand pits, a smaller play structure, toddler swings, teeter-​totter, mini play houses, and some smaller water features, including a stream that toddlers can turn on with a big button. The sand is very coarse, which means it doesn’t get EVERYWHERE like beach sand does, making clean up easy (but it makes terrible sand castles). I lost count of how many weekend afternoons my kids spent here as toddlers, making a mess, getting soaked, and having a great time.