The Tenderloin has the highest concentration of children in the city. It’s also just really densely populated, in general.
“ Here in the Tenderloin, everything is crowded, crunched together. Most of them are very low income, so they have to take what they get, and they don't have a yard, they don’t have space inside to even create a garden," says Patrice Clark, a Site Supervisor at the GLIDE Family, Youth and Childcare Center, right down the block.
" I think it's a big, big enrichment for families that get to come to the park on a weekend and just watch their kids play."
The renovation was spearheaded by SF Recreation and Parks, and funded by many different community partners and a bond voted on back in 2020.
Because there aren't that many parks in the Tenderloin, the temporary closure meant kids had to trek further to play.
But today, there’s brand new play structures, freshly planted trees, a nature area, and new turf on the soccer field. In a neighborhood lacking green space, it’s a welcome change.
I dodge a few balls and crouch down into the sea of running kids. From their level, the excitement is real and simple.
