Highlights, News & Announcements |
|
|
2025 Rec & Park Community Report Highlights Standout Year |
As we begin the new year, we’re pleased to share highlights from 2025 in our annual community report. It was a standout year for San Francisco’s parks, marked by the opening of Sunset Dunes at the former Great Highway; the completion of major renovations at Stern Grove Playground and Esprit Park; and breaking ground at Buchanan Street Mall and Tenderloin Recreation Center. Across our programs, we awarded 2,190 recreation scholarships totaling $1.8 million; served 3,271 seniors through nearly 4,900 hours of specialized programming; hosted 12,475 volunteers in our parks; and provided nearly 50,000 hours of community gardening programming. Read the full report at the link below.
|
|
|
State-of-the-Art Herz Rec Center Opens with Community Celebration |
The new Herz Recreation Center is officially open, marking San Francisco’s first ground-up recreation center in more than 25 years. The 11,500-square-foot facility features a full-size basketball court with seating for 200, a multipurpose room for classes and community use, a kitchen, and welcoming public spaces.
Located within Herz Playground in John McLaren Park, the project also includes new and improved pathways connecting Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale, plus new amenities like an outdoor fitness terrace, picnic and nature areas, and upgraded landscaping. Visitors are greeted by Reflection and Projection, a large-scale interactive artwork by Sanjay Vora created in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Rec and Park planned the playground renovation and the new recreation center in close coordination with the nearby Sunnydale Community Hub, which opened in fall 2024 and offers programming for residents of all ages, an early learning center, and a children’s clubhouse.
Special thanks to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Daniel Lurie, Supervisor Shamann Walton, Mercy Housing, Related California, Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Wu Yee Children's Services, HOPE SF, and many more for making this project possible. For more information, click the link below.
|
|
|
Super Duper Burgers Poised to Take Over Union Square Café |
Last week, Rec and Park announced that Super Duper Burgers, a beloved San Francisco-born restaurant, has been selected to operate the café on the east side of Union Square, bringing fresh, approachable food and new vitality to one of the City’s most celebrated public spaces.
The Recreation and Park Commission is expected on Thursday to authorize a five-year lease, with two five-year extension options. The café is anticipated to open in early fall 2026, following City-led renovations.
Union Square’s public plaza includes two restaurant spaces. Super Duper will join b. Patisserie, the award-winning San Francisco bakery that opened a kiosk on the west side of the square in March 2025. Together, the two eateries add to a growing mix of food, events, and attractions aimed at bringing more more people back to downtown San Francisco.
Born and bred in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood with the ethos of fast food burgers with slow food values, Super Duper is renowned as the pioneer of the better burger category with organic, non-GMO ingredients. Super Duper will serve its burgers, fries, salads, shakes and organic soft serve in its classic fast-casual, retro-inspired digs at its newest location.
The café is located along Stockton Street and includes outdoor seating areas and below-ground food storage facilities. The City recently secured State of California Business and Economic Development grant funding to upgrade the café, adding on-site cooking capabilities and modernizing the space to support expanded food service.
As part of its lease, Super Duper will coordinate closely with Rec and Park, the Union Square Alliance, and Plaza programming partners to ensure café operations complement the wide range of events, performances, festivals, and seasonal attractions that take place in Union Square throughout the year. For more information, click the link below.
|
|
|
BORP Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Crowns a Champion |
Last weekend, Rec and Park co-hosted a wheelchair basketball tournament with BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation at Glen Park Recreation Center. The BORP Meteorites, BORP All-Stars, San Francisco Rolling Fog and South Bay Sonics competed at this historic facility, with the BORP All-Stars clinching the championship after a nail-biting final match decided by one point. Thank you to BORP, partners, volunteers and athletes for making this possible! Learn more about BORP programming at the link below.
|
|
|
NPR: Exercise is as Effective as Medication in Treating Depression |
A recent NPR piece highlights new research showing that regular exercise can be as effective as medication or therapy in reducing symptoms of depression. The findings underscore the role public parks play in supporting mental health by providing free, accessible spaces for walking, recreation and active movement. Learn more about exercise options in our parks, from Sunset Dunes to UN Plaza, at sfrecpark.org, and read the full report at the link below.
|
|
|
Additional Highlights, News & Announcements |
|
|
Ikebana International Demonstration in Golden Gate Park on January 16 |
Join Ikebana International’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter for its new year demonstration, featuring teacher advisors who are the most senior members of each Bay Area school. The event will also celebrate Teacher Advisor Fujimoto’s 100th birthday. It takes place at the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park.on Friday, January 16 beginning at noon.
Ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement, is an ancient Asian art vibrantly practiced in contemporary interpretations by this organization's members. For more information, click the link below.
|
|
|
Harvey Milk Photo Center: "A Measure of Uncertainty" Opening on January 17 |
Explore "A Measure of Uncertainty," a fine art photography exhibition presented by the Bay Area Photographers Collective (BAPC) at the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) from January 17 through February 21. Curated by Heather Snider, the show brings together work by 22 artists examining how imagination, technology, and photography intersect with instability in the natural world and contemporary life. An opening reception will be held Saturday, January 17 from 2 to 5 p.m., with meet-the-artist events on Saturdays, January 24 and February 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, click the link below.
|
|
|
Claude Forever: A Celebration of Life in Golden Gate Park on January 18 |
The California Academy of Sciences is hosting a celebration of life for Claude, San Francisco’s beloved albino alligator who passed away last month, at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) on Sunday, January 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free community event will feature stories, speeches, performances, and family-friendly activities celebrating Claude’s impact across generations.
Following the outdoor program, the California Academy of Sciences (55 Music Concourse Drive) will host special indoor programming from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., including craft activities and an artisan marketplace with commemorative Claude souvenirs available for purchase from local vendors. Museum admission is required. For more information, click the link below.
|
|
|
Rec & Park General Manager Survey & Community Meeting February 9 |
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission wants to hear from you as it begins its search for the next general manager. Share the qualities, experience, and leadership skills you believe are needed to guide the Recreation and Park Department forward through this survey or at the third and final community meeting taking place virtually on Monday, February 9 from 6 to 7 p.m. See the meeting details below:
Link to Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 894 5847 2471
Passcode: 165703
Your voice matters—help the City of San Francisco build on its tradition of recreation and parks excellence.
|
|
|
Additional Upcoming Events |
|
|
Regular Programming & Series |
|
|
Youth Employment Program Recruiting for 2026 |
Rec and Park is recruiting teens for its Youth Employment Program (Y.E.P.), a paid opportunity for San Francisco youth ages 14–17 to gain hands-on job experience and build professional skills. Participants support programs such as after-school activities, summer camps, gardening, and aquatics, while also taking part in workshops focused on resume building, interview preparation, and career readiness. Interested teens must live in or attend school in San Francisco and be able to commit to all required shifts and workshops. If interested, fill out the recruitment form at the link below.
Questions? Email yuri....@sfgov.org.
|
|
|
Additional Programming & Series |
|
|
Prefabricated Restroom Dropped into Precita Park, Opening in Early 2026 |
Sit down for this one…we’re relieved to share that a new prefabricated restroom dropped into Precita Park last week. Our Video of the Week depicts the drop. The contractor will now connect utilities to the structure, with the aim of opening for business in early 2026. The project uses the department’s Cooperative Purchasing Agreement, reducing costs and enabling a faster, more efficient delivery of improvements while supporting the local economy by hiring a local business enterprise contractor. For more information about the project, click the link below.
|
|
|
|
