Glen Park: A Guide to San Francisco Neighborhoods

San Francisco Neighborhoods

Glen Park is in south-central San Francisco and is slightly more isolated than its surrounding neighborhoods, like Bernal Heights and Noe Valley, due to its hilly residential streets and Glen Canyon Park. This area has long been a family-oriented with easy commuting access to downtown via BART or Muni and convenient freeway access.

We polled local moms to find out what makes this neighborhood a good fit for their families. Want to get the scoop directly from the experts? Join our Glen Park Neighborhood Group or reach out to a realtor at Neighborhoods.com.

Why Moms Love It 

This is a quiet, community-oriented neighborhood. The commercial area centered around Bosworth and Diamond Streets has most everything residents need for daily living, but it’s also convenient to drive out of the city to large chain stores or head downtown on BART.

Local Family Favorites 

Walter Haas Playground 

Find activities for the whole family at this newly renovated neighborhood park in Diamond Heights. Children of all ages will enjoy the dual-level playground, while your four-legged ‘kids’ can make new friends in the popular dog run. Shoot hoops on the basketball court or simply lounge on the lawn and take in wonderful views of the City.

Dorothy Erksine Park 

Savor the views as you wander this secluded hilltop Natural Area. The native grassland and scrub habitats are popular with dog-walkers and bird watchers.

 

Glen Park Playground and Recreation Center

The revamped park includes a new accessible playground with an embankment slide, a dome-shaped climbing structure, natural boulders and sandbox; an improved Elk Street entry and safe drop-off area; accessible pathways; more than 160 new native and Mediterranean trees; and inviting landscaping. The recently renovated rec center holds a popular summer camp, Silver Tree Summer Camp, and has a preschool on site.

Glen Canyon Park

Go past the recreation center, ball field, and tennis courts to discover the large urban canyon – 60 acres of wilderness, formerly referred to as the San Miguel Hills. An extensive network of hiking trails leads through a variety of habitats.

Christopher Playground

Walkers and joggers love this Diamond Heights open space, with trails that connect to nearby Glen Canyon. There’s a sand-floor playground, softball field, tennis and basketball courts. Rent the community clubhouse for your next private event.

On the northern border of Glen Park is the Upper Noe Rec Center, which has a fantastic playground, big grassy field, and an indoor space with tons of play cars and push toys that’s great for rainy days. There’s also a dog park. 
 

Little Artistas is art, crafts and language studio for kids offering fun art classes in English and Spanish, date nights, open studio and community eventsbirthday parties and other celebrations and classes at your child’s school. 

Adventures in Writing

Offering summer camps for elementary to middle school-aged children to tap into their creativity and imagination with reading and writing.

Childcare and Schools

Here’s the thing about childcare and schooling: Your personal situation will determine the right fit for you, and, while there are options in this neighborhood, your best bet is to check out Winnie.com for an interactive map and comprehensive list of daycares and preschools across the city.  

Likewise, for K-12 schools, we can’t tell you whether the schools here are “good” or not because a good school is based on so many other factors besides test scores. Check out our Tips for Moving to San Francisco with Kids for more help navigating childcare and schooling and a local mom’s take on raising a family in San Francisco.

Learn More 

To get an even better feel for what it’s like to live here, scan our list of 100+ kid-friendly restaurants in the city, find the nearest branch of the public library, and check out the area’s trick-or-treating hotspots.
 
Visit Neighborhoods.com for photos and more helpful details on Glen Park and nearby neighborhoods, including an up-to-date listing of properties for sale.
 

Neighborhoods.com is a full service brokerage and an easy to use online real estate resource that helps people find the perfect home as well as the ideal neighborhood. We believe that the neighborhood you live in is just as important as the home you live in. The people, places, schools and amenities that surround your home have an enormous impact on your quality of life. When you’re looking for a place to live, you aren’t just picking out a house. You are also deciding who your children will play with and who you might become friends with. So while many people search for their dream house, we believe you should look for your dream home. And your neighborhood is a huge part of that dream.

Check out the other areas featured in our San Francisco Neighborhood Guide for Families and learn more about our guide sponsor, Neighborhoods.com.