Seward Mini Park

Seward Mini Park is a cool lttle green space in a spot that would typically be a stairway in San Francisco. Instead, it offers a beautiful chill spot with lush gardens and a peaceful atmosphere. The large concrete slides are a unique feature, providing a fun experience for kids. Don't forget the cardboard! The well-maintained plants and gardens add to the parksncharm, and there are multiple comfortable benches to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Super cool slide and community garden. It's closed on Mondays though. They put gates up so you can't use the slides.

A small community garden tended by people who live in the hood. Many plants are labeled and there are a few benches to sit and admire views of the city. The slides are made of concrete and can be exhilarating and perhaps even scary. The slides are closed at night to prevent drunk adults waking neighbors as they go screaming down them into the early morning.

Fun Place. Be sure to bring cardboard. Sprinkle sand at the top for extra speed. I've got scars from this place but I wear them with honor. Use the equipment as intended and you will be ok.

The concrete slides were crazy fun. The park itself is quite scenic and the walk on our way there was even more so. We found plenty of cardboard to use while we were there. A word of caution: we witnessed an irate homeowner verbally scold a nice lady in front of her children for a bad parking job. Maybe park a few blocks away and just walk.

We visited this park a few years back. The kids had an absolute blast. Until one broke her leg. Dad was taking littlest down on his lap and middle decided she wanted to ride that way too. Nearly all the way down her foot fell off his lap and got caught between the slide wall and dad’s leg. Twisted and snapped her bone. Luckily there’s a children’s hospital close by. Still a positive memory overall for them. They loved how there was a pile of cardboard for use and the slides have drops so it was very exciting. Once you get going you’re on the ride til the end. And the neighborhood and park itself is really adorable. A true gem.

A really neat small secret spot that you HAVE to visit if you have time in SF. A quick and fun concrete slide that is deceptively steeper than it looks. Be ready to PARALLEL PARK to find a place to safely put your car. BRING: cardboard or a old blanket or something you’re okay scuffing to prevent damage to your clothes as it’s semi-rough. Have fun, be safe!

Clean park but make sure you visit on any day except Monday... It's closed that day and they lock the slides so you can't go down. Will visit again Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am - 4 pm.

A great little park to burn some energy at! It's tucked into a compact space between buildings; make sure you check the hours, the park is closed on Mondays. Bring a piece of cardboard for the cement slide. It's doable without, just a bit harder on the clothes (as if the little need another excuse to ruin their clothes).

This park is a hidden gem in the community. The slide has two steep lanes, and it's not as scary as it looks. There's usually paper board left in the park, and you can also just wear a pair of pants not afraid of getting dirty. I liked this secret garden in the neighborhood. Be cautious and happy fun!

Not a business. Not quite a park. Super cute built-in mini slides in a neighborhood way up on the hills. People often leave cardboard behind for you to use, but just in case bring your own. You don't need it, but there is always a chance that you could lift your pants lol. It's open 10 to 5 closed on Mondays. Be kind and courteous because it is in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Even though he drew the ire of Republicans for his role in the Iran-Contra affair, former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger was previously the lawyer who defended the local residents who fought for the open space which is now home to these steep concrete slides. How's that for city trivia? Anyway, I only came upon them when I was looking for Kite Hill Park (review: https://bit.ly/3J65K8I). After I found it, I noticed a very steep path, Acme Alley. I didn't want to scale it with my treadless hiking shoes. Instead, I made my way down the adjoining community-run garden. There were benches where I could take in the view at particular elevations. Once I made it to the top of the slides, I had a "Sophie's Choice" moment and decided in the moment to slide my aged derrière over the concrete insulated somewhat by a worn piece of cardboard. It wasn't quite the rush I was hoping for, but then again, a young mom was staring at me like I was a pedophile. Could I please have a menopausal moment on my own? RELATED - Exploring the Castro? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2HrpFPC

Such a cute and fun little hidden gem tucked away in the middle of a neighborhood in SF. My friends and I had just grabbed some food in the Castro district and noticed that this place was nearby. After about a 15 minute walk up the hill we found this mini park with 2 slides that overlook the city. The pics online showed some people using cardboard to go down the slides, but there wasn't any when we got there which was fine. Fortunately there wasn't a line so we got to go up and down quite a few times. I would recommend either bringing your own cardboard box or just where clothes that you do not mind getting dirty or damaged since the slide might scuff up your pants. Overall, a fun quick destination if you happen to be nearby.

A precious gem of a park tucked into a hill between homes that includes two slides. Of course we had to try the slides- our ages of 68 doesn't stop us from having fun! We noticed the sign stating adults must be accompanied by children- oops! Although I can't wait to bring the grandkids here. The park is well kept up and in a lovely neighborhood.

A hidden gem that is in a residential area. People are pretty respectful of their cardboard boxes by taking them back once they are done. Initially it was hard to get going down the slide & I had to move myself down the slide with my feet so fortunately this slide is long enough so that I could actually experience the speed & catch a momentum. I liked that it wasn't too crowded & the neighbors really take care of their homes & gardens. Would visit this place again in a heartbeat.

There's not a lot to say about this place. It's a long, high, twisty slide. I was actually quite impressed when I saw it - the slide was much larger than I pictured it in my head prior to coming here today. Not sure how much of a touristy spot one would call this considering how completely out of the way this is from where I personally would go if I were a basic visiting tourist myself. It's a fun place to come and get some adrenaline pumping. The slide down was more fun than I expected and walking back up the steep hill enough times got my heart pumping enough that I would consider it a workout - however, I'm also fat so take that with a grain of salt unlike me who likes lots of salt and that's why I'm fat. Anyway, Seward Street Slides is a fun place to spend a few minutes at and potentially take the kids to but only if they're not screaming in bloodcurdling terror at the top of the slide like the ones I saw today. Or maybe that makes it more fun for you. Just make sure you're wearing comfortable clothes and take advantage of the cardboard boxes lying around the area and use them as a "platform" to sit on before you go sliding down. You may also want to bring your own spare cardboard boxes as a precaution in case there aren't any already here when you arrive. Otherwise, feel free to slide down without any to protect your butt at your own risk. Be aware that this is a residential area so be mindful of folks living here and keep the peace by not being obnoxiously loud. And finally, this little park is closed on Mondays and closes at the relatively early time of 5pm the rest of the week.

This is like a little hidden gem in SF. It's a very small park in the middle of a neighborhood with very tight streets and limited parking. There are two cement slides, a slight sandbox, if you can call it that, and a few benches. If you have a vehicle and it fits into your schedule/vicinity, then it is a nice place to stop, but I would not recommend going out of the way, just to check it out. If you are on a trip and you need a break, but still need to keep the kids entertained, this IS the spot! BUT, I do not recommend large groups, because it is in a residential area and it is expected that you keep the noise level to a minimal. Looking for a nice place to read; they have a Little Free Library onsite. For those that do not know what that is, here's the link for more info: https://littlefreelibrary.org/. And, don't forget the cardboard box; you could but I would not recommend you going down the slide without one. An old towel may actually work better.

*Closed Monday's! Open Tuesday- Sunday 10 am- 5 pm Who created this and how do I thank them? Such an incredible gem in the middle of a gorgeous neighborhood. We parked at Kite Hill open space and walked over. Make sure you check out the views at the park before you grab your cardboard and head down the slide. The slide is extremely steep but so much fun. Enjoy the thrill of being a kid again.

Woot woot! Is it free? Yes! Is it fast? Yes! Is it scary? Yes - just go and don't think about it! Is it fun? Yes! This was my first visit here! I read the review written by our Yelp CEO, Jeremy! Jeremy even got ROTD (Review of the Day) for the Seward Street Slides! Cool, huh? My friend had some cardboard at her house, so we brought it along with us. The slides seemed to be made from a smoothed concrete, so even a beach towel should be able to get you down the slide without fraying your pants. It's quite steep, so hang on! (My friend was afraid she was going to fly out and crack her head on the cement!) The landing is long enough so that you won't fall off the end. Just walk up the side street to the left of the slides and you'll find the entrance at the top. PARKING: the street was on the narrow side and we were lucky to find a space. You won't be there long enough to get towed... unless you continuously ride all day... haha! Be careful and have fun!

Fun little stop if you're in the Castro. The locals keep some fresh cut cardboard boxes in the park so don't sweat it if you forget to bring your own. The slide is surprisingly steep. Don't wear anything you wouldn't want scratched or torn up a bit. Overall, a fun stop to kill 10 minutes or so.

Seward Street Slides are two super steep concrete slides located in Seward Mini Park (built in 1973) and they were designed by a 14-year-old girl Kim Clark who won the design competition put on by sculptor Ruth Asawa. They are hidden in a residential area and not a place you can easily get to using BART (you also need to take city buses + additional 10 ~ 15 minutes walk), so our group just used a ridesharing app to get here. There was a sign that clearly stated "no adults unless accompanied by a child", honestly there was no one here to enforce the rule. These slides are open from 10 AM to 5 PM and they do have locks on them. When our group got here, we noticed leftover cardboard boxes on the bottom of the slides. I highly recommend to utilize these cardboard boxes because (1) your clothes (e.g. jacket and jeans) get dirty if you don't use them and (2) cardboard boxes make the ride even faster. The ride itself wasn't exactly a smooth slide (in fact I got stuck on that one sharp turn several times), but it was one of the more exhilarating slide experience given the right speed and momentum. In a perfect run, you can attain pretty insane speed and sometimes I wonder whether the park staff should put a speed limit sign on these slides! You don't need to stay here for too long (about 10~15 minutes) to fully experience these super fun slides and they will make you feel like a kid again!

So random to find these slides right in the middle of a residential area But this spot was so great! Such a cool idea Didn't spend too much time here, but it was worth a visit Make sure to grab some cardboard to sit on so you don't destroy your pants Watch your hands too, to avoid any cuts/bruises

This place is kind of bizarre. It's a pair of random and interesting cement slides where you can have a ton of fun but you have to stay super quiet even during the day because it's situated between people's houses. If you can then bring some long pieces of cardboard with you. We didn't have any, but luckily some other people left some ragged pieces of cardboard behind. You can tell that the slides were not designed buy an engineer. Be prepared for some scraped and bloody knuckles. There weren't any parking spaces available nearby. We just lyfted to the slides. It's a place where you can spend anywhere from 10 to about 45 minutes.

[Out-of-Towner Review] The BEST free fun in SF! I hate coming to the City to eat and then drive 1.5 hours home. I always try to add a little something into the mix while we are here. Unfortunately, our bellies can only handle so much food, ice cream, and coffee. This time around we visited the Seward Street Slides. Thanks to all the homies that leave the extra Amazon cardboard boxes for all us Rookies to use. It makes the park look like a hot mess, but they are truly useful. The walk up is crazy steep and sweat-inducing, BUT it is so worth it. Next time I will go better prepared, no dress or flip-flops! Whoever built these slides into the concrete is my hero! They are super fun and don't cost anyone a dime. I love the signage that accompanies the slides, #2 is my favorite! Parking is residential, so try not to be a jerk when you park. Resident or tourist, these are fun no matter where you reside!

Brought the kids here because of the stone slide. it's rare to find a place like this in the city but glad we came. The parking is tough because its in a residential area and the park is squeezed into the neighborhood. Nonetheless its a nice spot with a great view of the city. The kids had a good time going down the slide, although it is quite steep so you might have to ride a couple times down with them. Oh and a tip, you should wear jeans lest there be no cardboard and your pants decide to wear out on you... hahaha

It's public and free and what a neighborhood! There is parking on the street. Be sure to throw sand onto the slide or the cardboard won't slide as well. Also, if you are considering going down this in a wedding dress or tux, don't. There is a cloud of dust at the end that will make you dusty for the ceremony.

Really cool part of SF history to enjoy while you're in the city. Bring kids! They'll love it.

As a quick, "Hey let's slide down those slides." Two quick slides and everyone has their inner kid fix for the week.

Secret little slides in a community garden, so much fun!! And free!! Make sure you get a good piece of cardboard though, makes you go faster! And make sure you go during the open hours or they close it up. If you want good photos, morning is probably better.

Sigh, this was closed... in the middle of the day. Also, the sign says "No adults unless accompanied by a child". Parking is a bit tough. Watch the street signs though, I think street cleaning is between 12-2 on Wed on one side and Fri on the other side. Probably won't return because I'm not allowed to play on the slides :(

The gates were closed :( The day we were here, the gates were up so you could not make the whole run. Boo Out of nowhere, on a residential street, there's a little park in the trees. Before you can even see it, the sound of children laughing and screaming can be heard bouncing off the houses. Though the sign warns this is a park for kids and you should not enter without one, I did not have one with me and renting one seemed like a bad idea. Offering a parent cash for their kid might work as their leaving Wal-Mart but now in the quiet little hoods of San Francisco. Breaking the law, I entered. What fun! The kids were having a blast on this so, not safe, concrete, winding slide. Sadly, the snake like side has gates built in, preventing riders to easily enter, embark, make a run and disembark. That did not stop the half dozen kids whose parent lifted them over the side. Good job bucking authority. I wanted my turn but the kids were having such a great time, I did not want to take that away from them. I'm sure this is a 5 star adventure for it's thrill seeking nature, hidden gem and that it's free. But on my sad and kid free day (no, not free kids), it was closed. And for that, I give you a 3. I'll be back to play again. Anyone have a kid they want to rent so I don't get in trouble?

Slides are long, slick, and prime for poking fun via sexual innuendos, but I think I'll skip that intro and head straight to the part about how an excursion here is an adventure in the truest sense of the word. The Uber turns onto one residential street, and then right onto another, landing us smack dab in the middle of some beautiful homes in the Castro. Exiting the car, we can't help but notice the Seward Street Slides, sitting tall upon a hill, and staring down ominously upon us. You can imagine how these slides were in their heyday, shiny, slick, and super fast, attracting neighborhood kids in droves, who played until the sun set or mom called them home. Now, more than 40 years later, they're a big more weathered, showing a few cracks, and dare I say, taking on a personality all their own. The slides are really tall, and I think I would've been a bit nervous to go the entire distance. They start at the top of a hill an descend with some twists and big hump in the middle which almost separates two sections. It really resembles a rollercoaster track, and I can easily imagine catching some air on that hump if you weren't careful. Overall though, I don't think they're dangerous, but they are surprisingly fast, with or without a piece of cardboard beneath you, and a helluva good time. There's no sign posted to say adults can't slide, so come here ready to unleash your inner child. Just make sure and do that before 5PM, because they close, or rather they close off the slides in sections so you can't ride the whole thing! That's what happened to us, but we managed to have a good time anyway on the lower section. A short walk from here and you're in the business district of the Castro, with lots of colorful characters and businesses to entertain you. Starting your visit to this neighborhood here will have you in a great mood for the rest of the day, so make it a point to visit!

This is awesome!!!! My cousin brought us here to try out so we took public transportation and carried around cardboard as we did to come here. It's kind of hard to spot. None of us has ever been here so we were really relying on GPS and Google Maps. It's hidden between houses and trees and isn't as big as I thought it was going to be but where else is there a concrete slide and an awesome dip like in the middle here! We had the whole slide to ourselves since noone else was around. I was recommend bringing cardboard but if you're lucky there is already some lying around. After a few slides, you don't really need them though. And leggings will already make you go pretty fast!

If I were to create a. Plan for the perfect San Francisco date, it would include these slides. It was so much fun! Not just for our son, but mom and dad too!

After driving through the neighborhood a few times and driving right passed it...we finally were able to encounter the secret cement slides!! I didn't have the ideal attire to be sliding down a cement slide, but i went anyway. There is 2 NARROW cement slides right next to each other...i recommend sliding down with cardboard or wax paper (which was what was recommended to us from the couple that rode before us). Great for a quick adrenaline rush...you gotta be careful as the last dip is a major one, and if you don't watch your landing you can fall flat on your face in the mud! I would definitely come back here. Some advice: make sure you wear clothing that you don't care to mess up =) The only con was that piles of garbage (aka old cardboard/pizza boxes, wax paper) that was left trashed all over the park.

Have some cardboard sheets? Grab some and get ready to unleash and attend the inner child release party.... Coolest thing ever...fun slide whose physics of the design allow for maximum velocity after the little twist on the way down. Great for the glutes is the hike back up the hill to start anew and "WEEEEEE!!!" your way to uninhibited glee.

Um! How Fun is this!!!! Giant concrete slides that you fly down on pieces of cardboard which local kids are more than happy to share just to see an adult go down with them! During our mini vacay to San Francisco, I googled, "Hidden gems of San Francisco" among some pretty neat things, this stood out as something fun my fiancé and I could do together! As soon as his eye's laid upon these giant slides, my big kid of a fiancé ran full speed up the hill to be the first one down! We had a ton of fun playing here for a little while, and cannot wait to bring our three year old on a trip to San Francisco too, to see all the sights, including this one!

Foodie partner in crime Farah S. and I have been waiting to do this for over a year and finally we got to try it out. It met all expectations. There's nothing better to do on a sunny day then check this out and let go of all inhibitions! Awesome slides with just enough of a steep grade to get momentum going. Perfect with the right traction-less cardboard. Great workout running up the steps to the top and flying down to the bottom. Adorable looking neighborhood but make sure you don't make too much noise and it helps to bring a kid along to look legit.

Fun, Fast, Dangerous. Especially with wax paper underneath the cardboard. Bring your kids, bring your wife, and bring your husbands too! Good times indeed.

I found it! When I first read about it online, since it was listed as a "hidden gem"I thought it would be difficult to find. However, the slides are part of "Seward mini park" which was listed clearly on all GPS devices I used. The nice part is that it was on my way to Twin Peaks, so it was not a wasted trip at all! The slides were shorter than I thought, but very well constructed. They must be well-used because there was no build up of debris on them. I didn't have any cardboard with me (and ummm didn't have any kids with me either!) but I made sure to wear pants on this day. I love that there were two slides. I was alone and so I couldn't race anyone but I'm sure that must be a fun feature! I did remember someone said they "weren't for the faint of heart" so I wasn't expecting a kiddy experience, but I also wasn't expecting such a steep and fast descent! It probably only took about 10 seconds to go down them, but soooooo fun! I took a video while descending it and I know that I squealed as I went down because you almost feel like you're going to fly right off of it, you go so fast! However, they made the slide very safe (high sides) and so there really is no way you can fall out or off! My only mistake was that I kept my elbows too low on one of my trips and I got concrete burn on them! Hold your arms high! And yes, I did go down more than once! On my last trip down, I was caught by a couple coming into the park and I laughed at myself because they saw me giggling hysterically as I finished the ride. They looked at me a little funny and I was hoping they weren't going to bag me for not having a child with me. It turned out that they were visiting from North Caroline and had read about the slides as well. They said they had seen me walking up (and I mean UP... those hills are steep in San Francisco!) to the park ahead of them. I told them how much fun it was and said how I was traveling solo and was taking photos of me with everyone I was meeting. They were a friendly couple and we took a selfie! As I was about 100 yards away on my way to Twin Peaks I heard screams of joy and I'm sure it was the wife as she slid down the slide!

Do not be scared to revisit the child in you, because trust me when I tell you that you'll thank yourself for it later! Seward Slides is such a simple joy. You grab some cardboard, you walk up the hill, sit on the cardboard, & race your friend or any little human down the concrete slide! You probably have a better chance of beating your friend.. So I'd say leave the little humans to their own races and you to your races. Good city favorite that can have you pass off as a local. Hurry along, yelpheads.

I went here with my friend during my birthday just to check out and unfortunately, the slides were closed... Even though I didn't get the full experience, it was interesting seeing this park in the middle of this neighborhood. The houses were beautiful. The place was quiet. I'd love to come back here again!

So fun! Manned with some cardboard the hubs and I were ready to slide!! Unfortunately, for some reason the slides were closed. However, the hubby and I rode the half that was open and that was fun! I can't imagine how much more fun it would be with the whole slide open. I googled and googled hoping to give a good tip to yelpers about how to find out the current status of the slides to no avail. The only way to find out would to call someone nearby to check for you which of course is nearly impossible. Warning: watch your footstep- My hubby stepped on poop while we were there. Seriously, pick up your doggies poop please???!!

Another quaint and hidden find in the city! This place is fun for both children and adults with a sign even saying adults must be accompanied by children. :) Usually never crowded, the attraction of this mini park lies in the fast and steep cement slides which people come to ride by bringing scrap cardboard to sit on. After you walk up the side steps to get to the top, be ready for an exhilirating thrill going down this, because you slide FAST. Race a friend, bring your kids, and have a blast! Just be courteous to the residents living around this tucked away gem. :)

Whodathunkit?! Two concrete slides tucked away in a rather random place in SF, but I loved it. Went here with my wife and two kids and we ALL had a ton of fun. We stayed for about an hour or so and hung out with the other families that were there. Everybody was nice and everybody took their turn. I'd plan for an hour if you have any young kids. BRING A CARDBOARD BOX FOR YOUR SLED. Also, no bathrooms on site. Pro Tip: Put wax paper on the bottom if you are fancy. We were there and a kid had done this and his slide was significantly faster than everybody else's cardboard sleds. Also worth noting that you should be good to the neighbors, as these slides are in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Price: FREE Hours: 6am to 10pm Address: 30 Seward St San Francisco, CA 94114 Accessibility: Limited Wheelchair Access Parking: No Restrooms: No From the website: Two long, steep concrete slides are the main attraction at this hidden gem. They're not for tiny tots, nor for the faint of heart! If you decide to slide, please remember that the park closes at sunset and adults must be accompanied by children. Bring a piece of cardboard and wear sturdy pants! Built in 1973 on a plot slated for development, the mini-park also has a community garden and a nice collection of native plants. The slide was designed by 14-year-old Kim Clark, who won a competition put on by sculptor Ruth Asawa.

This place can be hard to find since its in the middle of a residential area. We came around 5:10pm on a Saturday and they were already closed!! Someone puts gates up at the top, middle and bottom of the slide so you really can't ride it all the way. We still climbed in and rode it from the middle to the bottom, but I'm sure it's not as fun as riding it from the top. Will come again next time I'm in SF!

I've been wanting to come here for so long and I finally made it! The mini park (if you can call it a park haha it only had the slides and nothing else really, just a nice little garden) was very peaceful and there were only three other people when my boyfriend and I got there. It's smack in the middle of a residential area, which was quite odd but that adds to these slides being so unique. It's made of cement and has two slides side by side, so my boyfriend and I grabbed some cardboard laying around and slide-raced down to the bottom! There was plenty of cardboard pieces lying around, so thanks to those who came before us and left them here. Make sure to use these so your pants don't get damaged. We stopped sliding around 5pm since that's when the slides are supposed to close according to the park rules. We hung around and rested on the bench at the bottom of the slides and sure enough, someone came by around 5:25pm to lock the slides (there were metal stoppers placed on the middle of the slides so you'll be stopped when you try to slide down). Fun little spot and I'll be back here if I'm around again!

Glad I stopped by this place. Quick 2 slides and I was done. I'm embarrassed to say I kind of got injured (a piece of skin came off) since I was holding onto the cardboard going down.

WTF, fun slides in the middle of nowhere? Which supervisor authorized this pork barrel spending? They should have built the slides in Union Square where we can all enjoy them daily during our lunch breaks. It's heart breaking how isolated these concrete chutes are. But alas I found them, hell yeah I did. And I even had a whole beer in me when I did. Oh plus, it was 1am. Hell yes. So yeah they are scarier than they look. I thought my pants were going to rip off if I fell off my little cardboard box. But I didn't fall off the box, so I'm really not sure if there is serious nudity risk. I'll give it a nudity probability rating of 10% Anyways if you haven't already, freaking go find this place, it's crazy. Kinda like the twilight zone, or the nexus of the universe, or something. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll run up the hill and go again. Tomorrow I'm going to find a contractor to build me a slide in the Yelp office, or maybe a fireman's poll. We need more schoolyard modes of transport in our daily lives.

This is the most fun i ever had with my clothes on. Also there is a sign explicitly stating no adults unless accompanied by children. Enjoy at your own risk.

I was so exslided to find the Seward Street Slides that I saved it for my 300th review! Coming here totally made my day and started an epic chain of events that contributed to a really good day. After drinking cup after cup of sauce from Boss of the Sauce, I convinced my friends to sit on the steps of a nearby church while I swore profusely and thought of things to do. I remembered that these little concrete slides existed and went on a quest to search for them. Unfortunately, after texting some of my friends who live in the city, I was told that they had been torn down for about 2 years. Harrumph. Dejected, I walked towards my car, ready to drown my sorrows with the help of some retail therapy and my flavor of the month, Visa. Fortunately, on the way to the car, we ran into the wonderful Connie and Jessica, who were walking out from the Boss of the Sauce, and they informed us that the Seward Slides were still around. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get to them. Fortunately, we had Michael L. to help me navigate to this place. Fortunately, we found it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, there were pieces of cardboard left around for us to use. Fortunately, everyone else was chicken shit, and I went first and it was a blast! Unfortunately, I look like I'm taking a dump while I go down the slides, as evidenced here: http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/azOOSWRLi3qWu-meVkzqMw/l Fortunately, it was really fun and it convinced everyone else to go down, and we all took several turns and raced each other! Yay! I cackled hysterically all the way down, and part of the way up. Watch out...that climb back up is steep! Hold onto the chain if you're gross motor challenged like me. The park has some specific rules. They close at sunset, and no adults may be present without being accompanied by a child. Thank goodness we had baby Ruth to legitimize our group. Hehe. Honestly though, I can see why SF natives would tell visitors that this place is torn down, and why they want these slides torn down. They are way too fun! They are also located so close to the houses nearby that you can see into people's rooms and kitchens. It must get really old to deal with drunk people who stop by at night and scream their heads off on the way down, as fun as it may be the first few times you visit. So if you decide to go. Please be respectful to the neighborhood. Also, don't wear pants or shoes that you really value. This place is really fun! Let's remember to be polite to others and help keep a random relic of SF in tact for a while longer :)

Fun things come free...Best cement sliding, here! BYOC-Bring your own cardboard, BYOT-Bring your own tray, get some sand underneath you seat n go!! :p Down the street sits Bi-rite a unique & delicious creamery, a sweet ending after time spent at SSS.

How to Feel Young For 10 Minutes: 1) Go to Seward and Douglass. 2) Read the sign that says, "No adults unless accompanied by children." 3) Get in touch with your inner child right quick. 4) Grab a cardboard box from the pile. 5) Run up the stairs. 6) Be glad that your behind is not too wide for the narrow slide. (YET.) 7) S-w-o-o-s-h down the slide! 8) REPEAT.

Fun Fun Fun Fun FUN!!!! I age-regressed a good decade on my first trip down, and another decade when my brother (an engineer, go figure) figured out how to go REALLY fast. As in, catch air on your way down and go shooting off the bottom into the sand. The Super Secret Speed Trick: pour a couple handfuls of sand on the slide at the top, THEN put your cardboard down and take off. WheeeeeOOOOO you'll be screaming in no time! (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jsZQijuwRzy1oJN0jTmqaw?select=Ur1zs9JAuf8ci_Rx6PBS-A) The downside to this is that your shrieks of pure, unadulterated delight and hysterical laughter will bring out the Witches of Seward Street. There are 2 of them, and they will lean from their always-open windows and/or come outside and yell at you for expressing your joy so un-silently. They would prefer for you to express your gravity-fueled enthusiasm via golf claps and maybe some heavy breathing. Their arguments are not sound, and they do not care that they chose to live next to a landmark public slide. They will not acknowledge their decision to keep their windows open, and they find it irrelevant that it's the middle of the day and the park is open for business. Here is a verbatim conversation: W of SS: "Would you go into a hospital and scream like that?" My husband: (confused) "Um...this is a playground." W of SS: (full of righteous indignation) "You asshole!" Needless to say, I highly recommend coming to this park and shrieking delightedly to your heart's content.

Have those things been waxed or oiled down yet? I've been waiting patiently to go back there with my crazy carpet! MUAHAHAHA............!! (Ladies, don't try the slides if you're wearing a skirt. You're welcome.)

A word to the wise Don't wear khakis while going down the slide a day after a rain storm http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jsZQijuwRzy1oJN0jTmqaw?select=ZdHpwuhuuaGMjYUJIGQy6Q If you can locate these slides you're sure to have a blast.

Once again, San Francisco shows what an awesome place it is, and how there are untold surprises lurking all over to be found. A few months after I moved here, I heard the rumors... There's a giant slide hidden around The City. Giant Slide, ya say? Huh? Sounds cool. I stumbled upon the slides over on the West-side of Bernal Heights. Ehh... Nothing special. So, I thought I solved the mystery, and I moved on. Now, I probably could have Googled "Giant Slide in SF". I didn't. So it wasn't until I saw a Yelper check-in that I realized I still hadn't found these guys. I had to go see these ASAP. Now, if you didn't know where these slides are located, I doubt that you'd find it. They are tucked way up on the top of the hill on Douglass Street looking over Eureka Valley. It was a good thing I had Yelp with me, because I could have walked right by. As a thirty-something guy, I really shouldn't be afraid to go on a slide. Let's just say that when you sit at the top, they're a little daunting. This is no joke. And, from what I gather, if you are light and get a good amount of speed going, you can get some serious air on the mid-section. You do want to sit on cardboard, which was plentiful on the day I went. If you soup it up and use glossy cardboard, and then lay down a little sand, you can really get going. I wouldn't recommend wearing your nicest clothes since the slide is a bit dirty. The ride is fun. It seemed like the rides really varied from person to person - and again, the smaller/lighter, the faster the speed. Hours are limited, and they put up gates when the slides aren't open. I wouldn't mess around with trying to go down with the gates in place.