Patches Make the Messenger.
Secret Gardens and Green Spaces Hidden Around S. F. All. One. Map.
- Rob and Kricket's Tater Patch, Rolla: See 125 unbiased reviews of Rob and Kricket's Tater Patch, rated 4 of 5 on TripAdvisor and ranked #6 of 85.
- Still in the “Tenderloin National Forest”. The Alley is so narrow that getting the larger murals is pretty difficult, so I apologize for the quality of many of.
Here now, a map of San Francisco's best secret gardens. On the map you'll find historic gardens being preserved on Alcatraz Island, a forest in the Tenderloin, a mini park rich with flowering foliage on an otherwise nondescript Sunnyside residential street, plus more. Oh, and a slew of privately owned public open spaces (POPOS) in the Fi. Di and So. Ma districts. We didn't include private gardens for obvious reasons and community gardens didn't make the cut because we found that the majority are often locked.
Below, our favorite secret gardens in San Francisco. Bummed your favorite secret garden didn't make the list? Drop us a line or let us know in the comments. Historic Gardens of Alcatraz. The mission of the Gardens of Alcatraz Project is to preserve and maintain the gardens created by those who lived on the island during its military and prison eras. Photo via Elizabeth Byers. Pier 4. 1San Francisco, CA 9.
Tenderloin National Forest. Since 1. 98. 9, artists Daryyl Smith and Laurie Lazer of the Luggage Store have been transforming an alley in the Tenderloin into a garden where local community members gather for all sorts of events, including performance art and group gardening projects. Lazer and Smith have organized murals to be painted on all sides of the alley. Other highlights are a small . Photo via Sally Kuchar. Cohen Place. San Francisco, CA 9.
Dogpatch- Miller Memorial Garden. Take the staircase at the corner of Brewster and Rutledge until you reach the community garden on the left. Swing a right and walk maybe ten feet (past the bulletin board) and bam, you've reached one of San Francisco's most magical and funky gardens. The 8,7. 50- square- foot spot is one of the 3. San Francisco Parks and Rec. However, it's run by a group of volunteers who meet regularly to maintain the 2. Photo via Sally Kuchar.
Brewster Street & Rutledge Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. The western edge of Golden Gate Park is known for quite a few attractions, but one of its best kept secrets is a tulip garden that's planted just below the Dutch Windmill. It features thousands of tulips interspersed with Icelandic poppies, which are in full boom in March and April.
Why's the garden named after a former queen of the Netherlands? Because she donated the Dutch Windmill to San Francisco in 1. Photo via Left Coast Cowboys. John F Kennedy Drive & 4. Avenue. San Francisco, CA 9.
Havens Street. This dead- end lane starts on the west side of Leavenworth, just north of the corner of Union and Leavenworth. Walk up a steep set of stairs to find this urban gem. The small lane is lined with homes that all cater to their own gardens. At the end of the lane (roughly half a block) there's a bench you can sit on and enjoy the surrounding environment. Photo via Sally Kuchar.
Leavenworth Street. San Francisco, CA6 The Westfield's Sky Terrace.
There's a terrace on the 9th floor of the Westfield Shopping Centre. It's very difficult to get to. To get to the terrace you need to enter 8. Market Street, right next door to the Westfield Centre's main entrance. Walk a bit and you'll come across a guard.
In May 2009 The Alley was reclaimed as “The Tenderloin National Forest.”. The Tenderloin Children’s Playground is situated directly across the street.
Explain that you're going up to see the terrace, they'll know the drill. The guard will escort you to the proper elevator.
Neighborhoods in San Francisco San Francisco. Forest Knolls is a neighborhood within the. 19 reviews of Tenderloin National Forest 'Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when.
You'll be asked to get out of the elevator on the 8th floor by a different guard, and then you have to take another elevator to get to the 9th floor which is where the Sky Terrace is located. If that sounds confusing just ask the guards for help. It's only opened during business hours. Photo via Yelp. 83. Market Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Empire Park. The park is tiny, and is mostly a courtyard with foliage surround its borders.
There's a delightful water feature that's the focal point of the courtyard. The entrance is draped in white wisteria. Other highlights are gigantic tree ferns planted throughout, and potato vines climbing up the surrounding buildings.
Photo via Yelp. Montgomery Street & Commercial Street. San Francisco, CA 9.
Fay Park and Garden. Fay Park is actually the backyard of the Fay- Berrigan house on Russian Hill.
The Berrigan family commissioned landscape architect Thomas Church to design a garden for the house in 1. In 1. 99. 8, the city of San Francisco accepted Mary Far Berrigan's bequest to turn the backyard into a public park. The garden was renovated in 2. Photo via Sally Kuchar. Leavenworth Street.
San Francisco, CA 9. Baden and Joost Street Mini Park.
This park is between two residential properties on a street lined with houses. The park is managed by the SF Rec and Park department and is kept quite clean. At the opening of the park there's a bench to enjoy the surrounding view, but the real fun is in the actual garden. If you go deep enough into the park (it stretches to the back of the lot) you'll come to a landing where a small tile project is installed on the stairwell. Photo via SF Rec and Park.
Joost Avenue & Congo Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Street Sun Terrace. Squashed between 1. Street and its parking garage is a 4- flight staircase leading to a terrace that's on the roof of the garage.
Miss grass because you spend all your time South of Market or Downtown? Then this terrace is for you. In addition to some impressive water features (including a water garden) this terrace has plenty of sculptured grass areas for you to enjoy during your lunch break. Although it's a POPUS, the terrace is open 2. There's aluminum tables and chairs sprinkled throughout the entire space. It's mostly empty on weekends. Photo via Sally Kuchar.
Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Filbert Steps and Grace Marchant Gardens. Rumor has it, Grace Marchant moved onto the corner of Napier Lane and Filbert Street in 1.
At the time, the Filbert Steps was a staircase through a slope that was used as an informal garbage dump. Marchant spent the majority of her life cleaning up the slope (at one point commissioning the city to burn the debris so she could start anew- which it did), and was very casual about property lines. Highlights: You will most likely encounter a flock or two of wild parrots. Photo via Alexandra Jones. Filbert Street. San Francisco, CA1. Beale Street Plaza.
The Beale Street Plaza is a large and open space surrounded by towering buildings. It's loaded with beautiful foliage, and we'll get to that. In the 1. 92. 0s, the railroad car Waa.
Tee. Kaa was home to Steve and Laura Bechtel and their family at remote construction sites in the West. The vintage railroad car that's in the plaza today has been restored to replicate the original Waa. Tee. Kaa. You can tour it Monday through Friday from 1. AM to 2. PM. The gardens are dotted with a rich mix of annuals. The plaza has comfortable benches backed by large planters filled with everything from flowering plants to ferns. Photo via Sally Kuchar.
Beale Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Michelangelo Park. This magical wonderland on Russian Hill was a result of community fundraising and advocacy. In the center is a large grassy area surrounded with large flowering foliage. It also has a children's playground, basketball hoops, handmade pathways, and benches. There's also a community garden but we won't get into how long the wait list is. Another highlight is a corner area with benches that's usually shaded.
Perfect for taking in the surrounding beauty and enjoying a good book (that you're reading on your i. Pad). Photo via Sally Kuchar. Greenwich Street. San Francisco, CA1. Transamerica Redwood Park. This park was built in 1.
To make sure all feel welcome, the park's entrance has a sign that reads . The park's open during business hours and closed on weekends. Photo via Sally Kuchar. Montgomery Street. San Francisco, CA 9.
The 1. 6th Avenue Tiled Steps Project. While most folks are in awe of the awesomeness of the 1. Avenue Tiled Steps Project, there are equally as awesome native plant gardens that line each side. Mostly succulents are found. Photo via Google Street View. Avenue. San Francisco, CA 9. Sansome Rooftop Deck.
It's also been called the Fi. Di's best outdoor lunch spot - if you know about it. There's tables, benches with cushions, a nice view of the surrounding area and even a portion of the Bay. Foliage wise there are planters filled with seasonal flowers (including beautiful tulips in the early Spring months). A quick search of its Yelp reviews reveal that more than half of the reviews bring up being hesitate to write about this Fi. Di gem because it's never crowded and they want to keep it a secret.
The space is open from 1. Monday through Friday.
Photo via Yelp. 34. Sansome Street. San Francisco, CA 9. Crocker Galleria Roof Terrace.
The Crocker Galleria Roof Terrace has it all: shrubbery, flowering plants in larger planters, a great view, plenty of seating, and a fountain. It overlooks Market Street and the surrounding skyscrapers.
Photo via Yelp. 50 Post Street. San Francisco, CA 9.