Potrero Hill Recreation Center

I really like taking my kids to this playground. Its located conveniently close to home. It features a baseball field, indoor basketball court, a great park for children under 5 and a dog park. It boasts beautiful views of the city. There also is an additional park below for older kids with a tennis court and outdoor basketball court. There is a community garden next door. The only down side is there is a walking path that many owners leave dog droppings. Pick up after your dogs people! Other than that the play area is always clean and well maintained.

perfect pick-​up basketball.
the indoor court is beautiful, grand, wood gym with great hardwood and nets. friendly people and good games.
and it’s free.
the outdoor court is less populated but has an outrageous view of the city and bay. and nets.

I play tennis here every few Sundays with a friend and I like to call it the Tennis Courts in the Sky. Gorgeous area to play tennis! You can see the SF skyline as well as overlook the Bay. There’s nothing like practicing your serves while observing a ferry furthering itself into the Bay by going under the Bay Bridge. The only unfortunate part is there there are only two courts. Some days you might have to wait.

My team has used the baseball field for batting practice over the years and it’s a pretty big piece of grass which is good. However I only would go here during the day.

This is my new spot for hoopin’ now since that Palega Recreation Center’s indoor gym has been under construction for quite some time now (almost 2 years?). It’s not crowded as Palega’s gym, there’s barely anyone here around 1pm — 4pm on the weekdays. There are definitely a lot of dogs and children playing though.
First of all, I gotta point out the arc of the ceiling, love it. It feels very roomy and air is fresh. There is also a great view outside but I haven’t had the time to actually get a good glimpse, but if you come here definitely check it out. It’s very clean here. The floors are not slippery like they’re supposed to be. The pictures on that walls are quite interesting too. When you’re taking a breather you can just walk around and check them out.
When Palega finishes construction, I might just miss this place :)

Best park ever! Clean, great views, and sunny!

The best playground for toddlers enclosed with no sand! Closest playground that is clean within Soma

Of all the Playgrounds in SF this one has the best weather /​view. Directly behind the Potrero Hill Recreation Center you will find a hidden gem of a playground. Firetruck. Yup they have a play structure in the shape of a firetruck. My kids will sit in the drivers seat of this thing and take turns or fight for the opportunity to pretend link they are shifting. With two steering wheels you would think they could share but then again they are kids. There is a large spinning rope tower, swings for infants and larger kids, grass and views of the bay bridge and the Dogpatch. Oh and I almost forgot the entire playground is fenced in and brand spanking new.
Plus there’s street parking. Dig it!

We love the newly-​redone playground. Excellent design for kid and dog-​owners alike – the kids have one contained area and the dogs have another adjacent to it (versus McKinley where the dogs run free and the kids are fenced in). It’s sunny/​warm on the hill, safe, has clean bathrooms in the rec center, and has pink and blue sky views of the Bay. It’s also a small playground and doesn’t have a sand area, but I’m happy not to have to dump our shoes out after every park we go to. Apparently our 2-​year old also feels on top of the world there – he has been fixated by The Jungle Book lately and recently pointed down to the buildings on the Bay below and said, «Oh look, Momma, it’s the man village!» Friends have tried and liked the tot classess they offer in the rec center – a nice local option for rainy days.
On the way out we always watch the big, tough guys play basketball inside for a while. So far they haven’t been too offended by my son yelling, «Almost! Good try!» when they miss.

Free basketball at lunch on Tuesdays!!! How could you not love this place. I’ve been missing my full court indooors since I quit bakar, and this place fits the bill. Freindly people and nice competition. Thanks

It was a joy to play tennis at the park. Well, except for the fact that the goddamn breezy conditions kept blowing the crappy shots that my opponent was hitting back inbounds but that’s neither here nor there. The courts are well-​kept and the park itself has a beautiful view of the city and part of the coast. It gets the right amount of sun and has plenty of trees for nice shady areas.
The play areas are very child friendly and I saw a lot of kids running around the playground. It also has a nice path to walk dogs.
The only thing that keeps me from rating this five stars is that the basketball courts aren’t really anything the write home about. In fact, the backboards are pretty crappy. However, I still loved the environment of the park and I will definitely try to play there again.

2 well kept tennis courts and 1 basketball court. often a little too windy for tennis, but great views of the city.

This is a great little park. I take my dogs here and play tennis here (2 courts). You got nice views of the SF skyline and across the bay while you’re playing as well. They also have a newly renovated, rubber cushioned park for the shorties and it always seems to be in good use. There is one BBQ grill which I see used every now and then.
There is a sketchy factor sometimes because the park itself is in a good neighborhood but the projects are just down the hill. Never had problems but you see some weird folks walking around.

What Rucker Park is for New York City’s basketball scene, Potrero Hill Rec Center is for San Francisco’s. This gym has seen some of the best talent to ever step on the hardwood. The run at PH Rec Center is legendary. Jon Greenberg has been the director there for like 45 years and is one of the most respected guys you’ll find in the Bay ARea basketball scene. If you’re ever in there, walk around the gym and check out the photos on the wall of all the leagues and players who’ve taken part in playing there the past 40 years. Pretty cool stuff

I’m only reviewing this for the south /​south-​east views from the baseball field. There is a gate on the south fence, and if you go out it and follow the trail to the left you’re treated with a spectacular view of the city and the bay!

I used to come here as a kid to play baseball with my family. We’d just walk right up the hill on the weekend, throw the ball around, you know… good «american» fun.
And then I got a little older, and would hang out here with friends down in the lower park, brown paper bags in hand, just shooting the shit.
And then I would come here while I was house sitting down the street, and just read in the sun while letting the dog run free.
It’s a pretty diverse park as in what it offers, they have a great basketball gym that I used to play indoor soccer in, and (hopefully it’s still there) a great little playground behind the gym that has a dome like structure you can climb on and some other unique playground things. And then the giant baseball field were dogs normally run free (although I guess it’s not technically allowed). And then the lower playground, which has just been redone is quite nice and child friendly.

I absolutely adore this place! Growing up, this place was my second home. Now that I am older and I live quite a ways from the rec center, I am still somehow drawn to this place. The basketball gym is always kept in pristine condition and since the city has redone the lower playground, I bring my daughter there ALL OF THE TIME!
For those who have missed the OJ mural… it is actually painted onto the front recreation center. Apparently he grew up on Potrero Hill and frequented the rec center as a kid. I guess even acquitted double-​murderers need a place to call home. If you can get over the creepiness of the mural, this place is an absolute gift :)

I brought my doggie here for 2 years whilst living on Potrero Hill and apparently I missed the OJ mural?!? Where the h*ll is that?
The rec center has a couple of levels with tennis and outdoor basket courts down the hill a bit with a brand new kids playground and picnic area (really well done, I have to say). The upper level has the rec center building with a nice indoor court and a sports field with 2 (OK only 1 really is usable) baseball/​softball fields.
The «dog park» here is technically the strip of grass on the opposite side of the rec center from the ball fields, but when there’s no game on expect a bunch of off-​leash frolicking on the «No dogs allowed» field. Shhh. .. don’t tell anyone!!!
The regulars are friendly, as long as your dog is (though sometimes they ignore their own dog’s less than welcoming behaviors). A drinking fountain with a couple of owner supplied dog bowls is the extent of amenities. .. unless you count the Friday Dog Owner Happy Hours that have been mentioned.
I know there were some meetings/​plans for a revamp/​expansion of the «dog park» area. Since I’ve moved earlier this year, I haven’t kept up with what is happening. I hope it makes it an even nicer place for all the Hill doggies.

Not a bad place to play tennis, but there are a ton of leaves and twigs on the ground. Aside from that the courts are in okay shape, the lights don’t work (and have not for over 2 years), and there are some sketchy characters walking around.
Why 4 stars Ryan? There is always an available court, its very family friendly till around 5:00pm, and the occasional druggie that wanders past usually stops and applauds the game.
What can I say… I have druggie fans.

Top of a hill is usually not an ideal place for tennis court, but the trees around the two courts blocked some of the wind. I loved these scenic courts. There is a basketball court, which also has a concrete wall for loner tennis. I thought twice about reviewing this place, because I want it to stay vacant when I want to play.
One day, I looked everywhere to find a switch to tennis court lights, but no success. Drug dealers EEEhhhh, guys roaming around the dark, told me that lights do not work and has not worked for a couple years. I trusted that their information was accurate. 5 Stars if lights worked.