Urban Hiker SF

When I refer to San Francisco as a playground for adults, I mean it in the most innocent of ways. While standard playgrounds are designed strictly with children in mind, scattered throughout the city are the unofficial playgrounds of slides and swings where kids of all ages can relive their childhoods. Here's how to find them: Slides 1) According to the SF City Guides , The Seward Street slides were born in 1973 when then 14-year-old Kim Clark won a contest to design the lower part of the Seward Mini Park. The slides are centrally located , and you can walk to them easily from the Mission or Castro. I've loved these slides in the past, but have been slightly turned off of late by a grumpy neighbor who occasionally threatens to call the police on visitors. You can read the Yelp reviews for more information on that situation. 2) I recently learned about the Bernal Heights Mini Park slides through one of my urban hikers (thanks Anita!). On Yelp, the first picture alone ...

I don't think I could love Bernal Hill more than I already do. Maybe it's the houses cozily nestled into the hillside, maybe it's the contrast of the light-colored land with the dark trees up top, or maybe it's the fact that it's close to my home . W hatever it is, the hill always draws me in.   Photo courtesy of: http://aios-staging.agentimage.com/tmontgomery_pending.com/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bernal-1.jpg And I'm not the only fan of the hill. Bernal has a great vantage point over the city, so it's a popular neighborhood spot to bring your dog for a walk, to have a picnic, or to read a book. For runners, the hill has yet another layer of appeal. The roughly circular path around the base of the hill is exactly one mile long, so you can measure your runs in loops around the park. The microwave tower at the top of the hill is affectionately nicknamed " Sutrito Tower " after its larger to the northwest. The tower even h...