Today we went to St. Mary’s rec center playground in San Francisco. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Its layout is a lot better in some ways than the wheelchair accessible playground at Yerba Buena.
There were 7 little towers with zig-zagging ramp walkways. The very gradual slope made it easy to get back up, and the towers made it interesting. Usually, I sit at the top of a ramped area and think “Do I really want to haul myself up that? Not worth going down.” Here, I could go up and down easily. The grade of the slope makes a huge difference to me!
At the bottom there is a nifty small hill (optional) to zoom down into the play area, but you can also go the more gradually sloping way on the paved path. The play area’s surface was rubber, so I went a little wild on the steep slope, which felt like a skate park. I raced little kids on their bikes. I got to hear the kids’ complicated game about being spies with walkie talkies.
It was nice not to be completely left out of the action. I don’t mind sitting on the sidelines and watching for a while, but it sucks to have to. You know when kids just take off and are somewhere else and it’s up a giant, grassy hill, and there’s like screaming or giant dogs or Martians landing? Dolores Park, I’m talking to you.
A fairly steep but not impossible paved path leads down to (I think) the urban farm. I would only go down it with someone to push me back up.
A very steep hill leads up to the St. Mary’s Gym/Rec Center, where the only bathrooms are. The totally not accessible bathrooms with hella narrow door just to get in, no rails, no wide stall.
There is only 1 disabled parking spot on the level area to park next to the playground. I guess only 1 of us at a time allowed in the park, LOL. So get ready to not be able to park — and to wet your pants. Otherwise, a fantastic accessible playground.
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