Precita Park

Length of Precita Park from the east.

San Francisco's Precita Park is small but has a considerable amount to offer the relaxed date-goer.

Precita Park is located in Bernal Heights between Alabama and Folsom Streets, and Precita Avenue and Bessie Street. It is shadowed by its big sister up the hill, Bernal Heights Park, but still gets plenty of sunshine. Precita Park is a natural resting point if you’re making your way up the hill to Bernal Heights Park.

The east side of the park is a fenced-in children’s play area with jungle-gym equipment. Surrounding the fence are various types of plants and informational placards that identify the plants as well as butterflies and other insects that coexist with the plants.

The remainder of the park is basically a long, narrow grassy area bordered by trees. The length makes it an excellent park for throwing balls and Frisbees, to either people or dogs. Precita Park is not an official off-leash park, but most dogs at the park are allowed to run loose. The dogs that run loose tend to be relatively well-behaved for the most part.

Though the grass is blessed with sun on most days, the grass and underlying ground are almost always at least damp. Picnicking with a waterproof blanket is a good solution. There are a few benches and even some tables, but the latter are almost always occupied by people who appear to be park residents.

Precita Park is rarely crowded, even on the sunniest days, and for the most part the congestion that can plague Dolores Park can be avoided. However, on weekends there are sometimes drum circles and birthday parties complete with bounce houses, both of which cause a degree of noise pollution. On those days, the length of the park can work in favor of those who want some quiet.

Wildlife can sometimes be spotted in Precita Park as well. Hawks do not appear to fear the dogs in the park, and those with small dogs would be advised to be vigilant, though I have only seen pigeons fall prey to the park's hawks.

Precita Park is a nice little park that makes a lovely destination of, or stop on, a date.