With winter break approaching, many parents, and their children, are looking for a spot to linger during the holiday season. Ongoing budget pressures are shrinking publicly available outdoor activities, and the Potrero Hill branch library is closed for renovation, forcing some residents to look for privately-sponsored play spaces to occupy their children’s time.
Venerable Jackson Park, at the corner of Arkansas and 17th streets, was created in 1855. In what was then called Potrero Nuevo, Jackson Square was “undeveloped and virtually ignored for more than 75 years,” according to San Francisco Parks and Playgrounds: 1839-1990. The park’s playground was built in the 20th century, and now features a fenced-in sand area and play structures suitable for the very young and the just young.
Earlier this year the number of after school, karate and other youth programs offered at the park was reduced due to budget cuts. Last month, the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) issued an abrupt notice that due to “a construction problem with Jackson Clubhouse that we would like to remediate right away” the facility was being closed, though the play grounds will remain open. “We have been working with structural engineers who have identified some repair work needed on the clubhouse,” Steven Cismowski, RPD neighborhood service area manager, said. “Part of that work will deal with hazardous materials. Until more assessments are made, we will not fully know the extent of the repairs needed. As a precaution, we have relocated interior programs to Potrero Hill Recreation Center.” According to RPD outreach, education, and customer service manager Lisa Seitz Gruwell, no time table has been set for the repairs.
Indiana Street resident Jackie Knutson is sad to see the programs go. “When I first had my baby we went park hopping a lot until we found Jackson Park,” she said. “It has such a community feel to it. My son loves it because there are always so many kids to play with. Director Mike Bross invited my son to come and join their baseball/soccer class on Saturday mornings. After that we were hooked and signed up for their playgroups and Friday afternoon sports class. Also we love the garden. Mike would take the kids back to the garden and let them water the plants. I now have a new baby and was hoping to be able to do a lot of the same programs with her.”
Eighteenth Street resident Renee Tan started Jackson Playground’s after school program when her oldest child began school in 2006. “It started as a two day a week program and has turned into a five day a week program, with a waiting list,” Tan said. “I think the Jackson Park programs are really important because they help foster community.”
For those with coins in their pockets, the neighborhood offers a few private play options while the branch library and Jackson Park clubhouse are closed. Pump It Up’s Inflatable Party Zone, on Mendell Street near City College of San Francisco’s Evans campus, has 15 foot tall inflatable slides that kids can’t resist, an inflatable climbing wall, and a mini-obstacle course. Just a couple blocks off Third Street, owners Shahab Layeghico and Fay Toolami invite children of all ages to bounce their way to ecstasy. According to Assistant Manager Sophie Formosa, Pump It Up is often compared to Chuck E. Cheeses, but it offers more privacy and no arcade. “There are two large arenas and each one has a different variety of huge inflatables with slides,” Formosa said. Birthday parties are common, but kids age two to 10 can drop by Monday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., for $10 Pop-In Playtime.
Donte Brown visits Pump It Up almost weekly because his two sons, Nate, seven, and Owen, two, love the big slides. “The play helps with hand eye coordination and teaches them to play nice,” Brown said. “It’s good to be at a place where everyone has a common interest.”
“We’ve had 15-year-old parties, 25-year-old, 40-yr-old, some business parties,” Formosa said. “There are no age or height or weight limits on the inflatables. We guarantee that kids will be ready for nap time after a party here.” Pump It Up opened in January, and is part of a franchise that’s individually owned and operated. “We’re doing well for our first six months, though summer had slowed down” Formosa said.
MyGym and recess urban recreation offer more directed play opportunities. Both spaces have combined traditional gym elements with their own approach to play time. MyGym opened in 2005 in one of Esprit Corporation’s remodeled buildings on Minnesota Street. It’s owned and operated by Marci Briskin, a Richmond district resident and mother of two. “Business is good, but we have definitely been affected by the economy,” Briskin said. “I feel very fortunate because I think it could be a lot worse and it’s actually been pretty good, considering.”
“We do classes as well as birthday parties,” Briskin said. “Our mission is we do non-competitive gymnastics classes mixed in with movement and dance. We do age appropriate classes where we break it down per age group. Once you come in and try a free class and you want to sign up it’s $78 per month. You come to a class once a week and you can also attend a free play once a week. Kids are introduced to gymnastics, then they get to accustom themselves to music and dance. It builds self-esteem and they try lots of new things. They work on coordination, agility, and they just have a good time. We are not about who does things first. It’s just working with the child and making them feel good about what they’re doing here and having fun.”
MyGym doesn’t have the large inflatables or a sand box, but it does have a ball pit, a zip line and a rock climbing wall. “At 22 months and up we introduce a new toy to them every week, which we give them to manipulate in different ways and refine gross motor skills,” Briskin said. “There’s a definite programming in our classes.” MyGym offers classes for kids aged from roughly three to 13-years-old.
For those searching for a less structured program for their children under seven-years-old, recess urban recreation is the place to go. Lisa Nowell and Kristen Jamieson launched the Carolina Street business last year. “Come play!” is their motto. “So many kids are over-scheduled and have class after class after class but don’t get the opportunity to just hang out,” Nowell said. “More and more research is coming out about the importance of play and how vital it is to kids’ development. So that’s something that we wanted to provide. It’s for developmental skills, social skills, learning turn taking and those sorts of things, body awareness. Learning things like object awareness, like this thing is lighter than this thing and just exploring their environment.”
“They learn so much and I think especially in San Francisco, schools are so competitive that it’s, ‘I want to get my kid into second language immediately’, and when they turn two they need to be on a list for preschool and all those things,” Nowell said. “To let them just play can be a little daunting for kids. So to have a place where people can just come and hang out is, both for the parents and the kids, really important.”
Recess urban recreation has the added advantage of being a block and a half away from Jackson Park. “A lot of people like to mix it up a little bit,” Nowell said. “Come on inside! When you have to go to the bathroom, you want to have lunch inside, you’d be able to clean the kids’ hands and all that.”
Not as brightly colored as MyGym or Pump It Up, recess urban reflects the open space and clean lines of many urban homes. Kids can tumble and run in the 3,200 square-foot play area, but can also attend classes, like messy art and fun with food. There’s story time, play groups and a safe place for infants. Fees are membership based, like MyGym, but the hours are broader. Jamieson has a physical therapy background, and offers massage on site as an accessory. “You can feel totally good that your kid is having a great time and you can also have a massage or take a pilates class,” Jamieson said.
Visit www.pumpitupparty.com, www.recessurbanrecreation.com, www.my-gym.com or www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_index.asp for more details.
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