Great view of Castro Beach and downtown
Dolores Park is my favorite park in San Francisco. It’s not a particularly big park—it’s about two square blocks—but what it lacks in size it makes up for in sexy potential, no matter where you place yourself on the Kinsey scale.
Because it is located in the Mission—between 18th and 20th Streets, and Dolores and Church Streets—the dreaded summer fog usually bypasses Dolores Park and allows opportunity for picnicking, sunbathing, dog frolicking, exercising, and people watching.
On any given day people can be found noshing at the park. There are several local eateries with good portable food within blocks of the park. Bi-Rite Market, on 18th Street between Dolores and Guerrero, is a high-end grocery with a selection of prepared foods that are great picnic fare. Picnics are fun and romantic, especially when a little social lubricant is added.
While not officially condoned, drinking in the park is not persecuted. A lot of people drink alcohol at Dolores Park. A great way to start a conversation with that cool group of hotties on the next picnic blanket? “Forget” a means to open your beverage and ask to borrow a bottle opener or a corkscrew.
Sunny days at Dolores Park mean “Castro Beach” is awash with sunbathing bodies in various states of undress. Most of the flesh is the male variety, but there are plenty of scantily-clad ladies when the weather is warm enough. When the temperature reaches the 80s there is no place in the park where the beauty of humanity isn’t on display. Perhaps someone will ask you to apply sunscreen to her back. I would not suggest asking to apply sunscreen to someone else’s back because that rarely comes across as anything but creepy.
Dolores Park is very dog-friendly. In practice (if not in law) it is an off-leash park. Dogs, and their people, are well-behaved for the most part. Even with picnicking the canines seem to refrain from true naughtiness. Dogs are great ice-breakers so long as you don’t have to apologize profusely for Fido eating someone’s lunch, or fighting with Fifi. Maybe your pooch can wander over to someone you’ve been eyeing so you are “forced” to go get your naughty little scamp, and start up a conversation.
Along with tossing Frisbees and balls for their pets, people engage in all sorts of individual and group exercise at the park. There is always at least one soccer game in play, and from what I can tell, more players are welcome. There are basketball courts and tennis courts that can be utilized on activity-oriented dates.
I’ve witnessed a couple doing yoga together at Dolores Park. I’ve also seen groups hula hooping, and swinging what can only be described as testicular implements. (I have no clue what these are, but they look neat in action.) All of these things provide a stunning visual treat. Go ahead and watch—he wouldn’t be doing it out in the open if he didn’t want you to see the beauty that is a finely-tuned body doing what it does well.
Even if you're shy about blatantly staring at people, you don't have to worry about gawking at the gorgeous view of downtown San Francisco. From the south side of the park the view of the city is stupefyingly beautiful. More than once I've glanced up at the skyline only to be frozen in my tracks in wonder. The view from Dolores Park makes me realize how much I love living in San Francisco. Sharing that view with a paramour is romantic to the extreme.
Finally, because there is so much to do and see at Dolores Park, it is an excellent place for first-time face-to-face meetings with someone you’ve previously “met” Online.
For picnic areas and other information on Vallejo read articles by the Vallejo Community Examiner, Patricia Kutza.
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