Balboa Park, San Francisco
{{short description|Public park in San Francisco, California}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Balboa Park
| image = Balboa Park Playground (4), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg
| image_caption = Balboa Park Playground entrance, Jan 2021
| type = Public park
| location = San Francisco, California
| coordinates = {{Coord|37|43|30|N|122|26|42|W|type:landmark_scale:5000_region:US}}
| established = {{Start date and age|1909}}
| operator = San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department
}}
Balboa Park is a public park in the Mission Terrace neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It was originally dedicated in 1909 when the park included the land now used by City College of San Francisco Ocean Campus west of I-280 Freeway.{{cite news |last=Kuchar |first=Sally |url= https://sf.curbed.com/maps/mapping-46-of-san-franciscos-best-public-parks-2 |title=Mapping 46 of San Francisco's Best Public Parks |work=Curbed |date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=August 5, 2020}}{{Cite news|date=12 Aug 1909|title=Landers Succeeds Col. Kirkpatrick|page=3|work=San Francisco Examiner}}{{Cite news|date=7 Aug 1909|title=To Extend Line in the Mission|page=10|work=San Francisco Chronicle}} The park is located in the Outer Mission neighborhood group,{{Cite web|title=San Francisco Neighborhood Groups Map|url=https://sfgov.org/sfplanningarchive/neighborhood-groups-map|website=City and County of San Francisco}} and is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Cayuga, Ingleside, Oceanview, and Sunnyside. The park covers about 25 acres and includes among its facilities: Balboa Park Swimming Pool, Balboa Park Playground, Matthew J. Boxer Stadium (soccer), Sweeney Field (baseball), Balboa Skate Park, an off-leash dog area, a picnic area, tennis courts, and a basketball court.
Balboa Park is bounded on the north by Havelock Street, on the east by San Jose Avenue, on the west side by the I-280 Freeway, and on the south by Ocean Avenue. Located at the center of the park on the west side is the Ingleside Police Station, built about the same time the park was dedicated.{{Cite news|date=24 Aug 1910|title=Clubs to Dedicate New Police Station|page=3|work=San Francisco Call}}
History
Balboa Park was originally dedicated in 1909 and named after the explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The City stated plans to develop the park to serve the residents of the Outer Mission district. At that time the dedicated park included the entire 100-acre House of Refuge lot, which included the current City College of San Francisco Ocean Campus, on the west side of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks (now I-280 Freeway).{{Cite news|date=12 Jun 1910|title=Improvements by Parks Commission|page=52|work=San Francisco Call}}
The presence of the Ingleside Jail complex on the original park land retarded development or improvement of Balboa Park from 1910 until the jail was removed in 1934.{{Cite news|date=12 Mar 1932|title=A New Jail Site|page=10|work=The Recorder (San Francisco CA)}} In 1936 the portion of the park on the west of the railroad tracks was given to City College, and the remaining portion, about 26 acres east of the freeway line, became Balboa Park as it is known today.{{Cite news|date=3 Jun 1936|title=Junior College Site|page=5|work=San Francisco Examiner}}{{Cite news|date=26 Apr 1937|title=Construction Begun at Junior College Site|page=5|work=San Francisco Examiner}}
Gallery
File:Off-leash dog area (1), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Off-leash dog area, January 2021
File:Boxer Stadium (2), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Boxer Stadium, January 2021
File:Balboa Park Playground (3), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Balboa Park Playground, January 2021
File:Sweeney Field, Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Sweeney Field, January 2021
File:Balboa Skate Park (1), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Balboa Skate Park, January 2021
File:Balboa Park (2), San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg|Tennis courts, January 2021
File:Balboa Park and station complex from Diamond Heights, March 2018.JPG|Balboa Park viewed from Diamond Heights, March 2018
File:Monterey Pine trees, Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg
File:Balboa Park Playground (2), Balboa Park, San Francisco CA, Jan 2021.jpg
See also
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101127021748/http://sfnpc.org/park-information/park-histories/balboa-park-and-playground-history/ Balboa Park History]