Potrero del Sol/La Raza Skatepark

It’s shit, don’t go here. You’ll probably get stabbed and raped.

I was walking by this skate park the other day while visiting my nephew when some rambunctious scamp told me to «F*** off, old lady!» I immediately covered my nephew’s ears and left that area as fast as I could. How rude! They should have some policemen patrolling that area, as it also seemed to be filled with delinquents who might cause trouble! The only good thing is the area seemed to be very green and nice. I wouldn’t bring my kids here if I were you!

Attended the 4^th annual phono del sol music festival and the weather couldn’t be more prefect, just hanging out on the grass and listening to different local bands from 12:30pm to 6:30pm. Good selection of food trucks including organic ice cream which was little too sweet for me, car photo booth and very clean potties that smelled nice. Beer garden as well that felt lille like cased animal trap but if you avoid it or just drink enjoy not to think about it, it is all good. $ 25 entrance.

It’s a cool skatepark. I didn’t feel completely safe though.

the first time that i tried to session this park, it totally kicked my @$$. i hadn’t been skateboarding very long at that point, and i just quickly swung by while my wife figured out something else to do that day because we originally drove up from the south bay to sf just for the grand opening of the california academy of sciences museum but couldn’t get in because it was too crowded. anyway, skating this park takes full commitment. you really can’t half.@$$ it out here. the downhill drop to the main plaza area as well as the pool coping and vert of the bowl are easily testament to that fact.
the crowd is rough; you might find a friendly person here or there if you’re lucky; but don’t expect a whole lot of chit. chat, bring a skate buddy. mind your own business but watch out for others. both the bowl and the main plaza area have multiple entries, so show respect and keep it safe. soccer moms, this ain’t the place to drop off a minivan full of kids before taking off to the spa. honestly, even though i’m a dad myself, playing babysitter at a skate park for other people’s kids is never my favourite thing. if you’re bringing your kids to skate at any park, you ought to stick around to watch them or, better yet, skate _​with_​them! full. on suburbanites might get freaked out by all the bums and drug dealers that hang out in the park. they don’t come into the skate area much but just stay out on the grass.
this may not be the best park to «start off» at or to «get back into skateboarding» at. if you’re just starting or restarting out, try somewhere a little more mellow like san josé’s lake cunningham regional skate park or the sunnyvale skate park. better yet, consider taking a lesson over at ohana board shop in san josé. they have their own mini. ramp halfpipe to skate inside their shop. lock up your car and keep your valuables out of sight.
as i said earlier, the first time i tried to skate this park, it kind of kicked my @$$. however, when i returned years later with a friend while doing a bay area skate park tour, man. i had a blast!

Good for kids: No
Fun if you bring your deck, some herb and a 40. Not so fun with a stroller ‘n dog. Some days i can do the former, some the latter. Either way, get some hand sanitizer.

love this place!
one of the best skate parks in the bay area!
great transtions and pool coping is usually up to par with that salba sauce! you can often find the likes of T-​mo or Tony Trujillo killing it.
the vibe at the park is awesome and its a real park for real skateboarders. there is also some good hole in the wall spots to eat and a nice bar down the street to chill after the sessions. plus lights till 9pm!
if you have not been here yet you’re missing out

You know, this is a great place and people can be pretty unfair targetting it because it happens to be a place that isn’t an ultra rich suburb. I have to downgrade the review because like another place, there are a few people who really do kill the vibe in a way that’s pathetic in its attempts to appear macho.
Also, suburban readers of Unilocal should not automatically think someone is criminal if they are a young black man – my worst incidents have been in the Peninsula and from rich kid white skaters in shops.
On the other hand, the people that maintain the place are pretty cool. The negative experiences I’ve had here would make this a one star place anywhere else, but then I’ve also met so many positive, rad people.
This was also the only place I’ve met a cool skater girl who is there to skate. It’s cool to see cool women there, especially if they’re not pet rocks of a guy skate crew and just out there by themselves. yeah! women have a total right to be walking down the streets of San francisco alone, even if it does makes people want to make you get arrested for not appearing «normal.»
There are also cool skate dads and little kids. I don’t know, even some of the young guys trying to be pro are cool, but if you’re just trying to be pro and not building your character, you are going to end up spray painting graffiti that’s really too homeoerotic to be read out loud in good company. you’ll also become a person who one day gives up skateboarding, because it will be built up on a house of cards.
Mornings are better for girls and generally all the cool guys who are into skateboarding for the love of it. Nights are all about the crazy skateboarding girlfriend and skaters who want to make everyone hate skateboarding.

I’ve only been here once, but just the fact that there’s a Skatepark in the Mission makes me smile. The only bad thing I’ve heard about this place is that the bathrooms could be cleaner. Meh. It’s a park, whaddya want. I will be back here, for sure.

Whenever Im in The City I have to stop by for a few turns, the bowl is usually empty or with just a few killing it. Always rad to see random pros destroying the place.

Amazing skatepark! and very nice public park too, fairly clean (other than the graffiti), it has well kept green areas to stroll around. I came here for the Sinigang SF cart’s debut.
Sometimes you’ll find dog owners playing in the open areas. It opened in 2008. The place is an urban oasis, surrounded by the busy 101 freeway on one side, and cars buzzing on Potrero Ave. on the other side. But it’s pretty peaceful at night.
This skatepark is just a year old. Best place in the bay area to watch skateboarders do their thing. At the moment, everyone is respectful, and gets along well. It’s also a convenient location when you get hungry, because of the many great places to eat nearby on 24^th.
The directions to get here are simple: from the 24^th & Mission BART station, go down 24^th street towards Potrero Ave., carefully cross Potrero (watch out for speeding cars) then turn right on Utah (at Jack’s Club), one block to the park entrance. If you’re driving, there are many free parking spots at the entrance.
Hours: daily until 9pm.

This park was nothing but a dream for YEARS. San Francisco was once the mecca for STREET skateboarding, however recently all of our spots have been taken away from us (any real skater will no what I am talking about) Once this park finally was finished I was excited out of my mind, finally a skate park in San Francisco, but I was disappointed to find this park provided nothing for street skaters, this park was suppose to have obstacles for street skaters and people that like ramps alike. Not to mention most of the people here are little kids who obviously don’t live here. Making it more of there park than ours. With this park people may think it will stop people from skating on the street because apparently we have someplace to go now but that wont happen because skateboarding is a universal sport you can take your board anywhere and this park doesn’t provide everything say 3 up 3 down, the Island, the New Spot, and the once loved world wide Pier 7 have.
Don’t get me wrong if ramps were my style for skating this park should be pretty good, but most skaters especially in San Francisco need ledges, manual pads, stairs but this park doesn’t provide any of that.
The rest of the park seems very beautiful, new grass, a playground for kids. I give the city a virtual high five for that.
and just a tip because of a review I saw this type of skating is more dangerous than on the street because of the ramps you’ll be going faster and off the ground more along with others around you going faster, rather than on the street.

Awesome skatepark! I live walking distance and there are always crowds of skateboarders and spectators there. These are truly skilled and fearless dudes out there. Just what the area needed. Safer than these off-​street loading ramps, sidewalks, etc. Easy to get to. I think it’s the best skatepark in NorCal. And in the perfect area — the sunny Mission/​Potrero/​Bernal location.
You guys should get into the classic Roller Derby (San Francisco Bay Bombers). Just Unilocal search either one. Bring your X-​skills to the banked track for co-​ed/​dudes & girls team versus team competition. Involves your kinda skills, strategy for scoring points, an arena-​type facility crowd at Kezar (Stanyan nr Haight); and some good old bumpin’, brawlin’ n’ bruisin’!! That’s Roller Derby! Show off ur skater skills, if ya really have any at all!
‘Nuff said…

So things have cooled off, and Im happy for that. Have gotten to skate this park several times, and enjoy some of the actually good boarders. There are lots of creative lines to learn here.

this is probably where I will get impregnated someday. thank you boys
cons:too close to peehomeless central

finally a skate park in san francisco! it’s about time! and it’s lit at night! and it’s on my street!
i have a few minor complaints:
1. it should be lit later. i’d say til midnight would be sufficient. or at least 11. even 10. but 9? even berkeley stays lit til 930. (but i shouldnt complain. at least it has lights!)
2. i wish there was some sort of mini ramp
other than that i am very happy with the park. at first i thought the set up was kind of weird, but now i like it. it’s challenging, creative and different than any other park i’ve been to. there’s a good vibe, whether your skating the street course, the bowls or sitting on the hill with your homies. there’s even a cool little spot of flatground to the side of the park when you dont feel like getting all up in the mix. plus its in the mission so you are conveniently located near delicious burritos and other treats. mission skateshop is also right there on 24^th for your convenience.
for a perfect day i would recommend getting up early, heading to the park with a cup of coffee (i get it at atlas on 20^th) for a morning warm up. (warning: sometimes there are a bunch of little kids there in the morning but other days there is next to no one!) then brunch at st. francis on 24^th. everything there is delicious. go skate a bunch of spots in the city, then return to the park at night for the last 2 hours before lights go out. finish it off with a chocolate malt at st. francis or go across the street to pops for a drink (i recommend a lemon drop, they are so delicious) watch a skate video and listen to some wu tang jams on the juke box.

Occasionally I head to San Bruno for work and always take the wrong highway to get home so end up driving by the skatepark in progress hoping it will be open. Two days ago it was, so I decided to drop in, always having my skateboard and shoe sin the back of the car just in case.
The sign read something like: «Thank you Gavin Newsom for building us a skatepark…» It should have read: «Thank you Gavin Newsom for building a skatepark only accessible to those of us who drive and to those emo f#c!s and trashy punks in the deep Mission…»
What about those preppy college kids like myself who rode their old school remakes with Abec 11’s to class everyday in college, partook in the late night bombing of hills after a few too many sodas, was at Wednesday night keg skate sessions at friends ramps, and now wear our Rugby shirts and Nantucket Reds while dodging cars on our way to work in the Financial District? Don’t we spend more on our local economy than some trashy low life sitting on the top of the horseshoe at the bottom of the park when I am trying to backside grind and not understanding why I am asking them to politely move?
Despite this skatepark reminding me of a prison yard with barbwire and locks, as does every park in California, it is one small step for San Franciscans. The bowl was great fun and probably the best part of the park. It was a little confusing to understand what they were trying to do with the other section. I had an inability to find a flow but this may be due to the fact that there were 500 people in it.
Overall a sick park!

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that SF approved the plans to build the best skatepark in the whole city!
Not only is this skatepark built in one of SF’s best neighborhoods, close to plenty of taquerias, bars, shopping and one of SF’s best skateshops… Mission Skateboards.
Even if you don’t skateboard, go and grab a burrito, a tall can from the corner store and post up on the hill.
Then take in some of the best skating SF has to offer!

Built by world famous Dreamland Skateparks this park is an asset to the SF skate scene. Opened June 28^th, 2008. This is advanced terrain, without supervision or rules. SF General Hospital is nearby! Go there and GET YOUR GRIND ON!