St. Marcus Commemorative Park

Simon and I were driving around the other afternoon (you know the one… when it was so beautiful that the city gave an ordinance you could ditch school and work to go out and play?) Well, we stumbled upon this mellow stretch of green we’d never visited before.
St. Marcus Commemorative Park is located in the back of a stretch of south city neighborhoods, and not easily found. Upon arriving, you’ll notice the gentle slope of rolling hills and place markings of scattered grave stones. Yes, this park used to be a cemetery.
But before you get freaked out and ask me why I was walking around a cemetery with my dogs, I’ll tell you this.
It’s not really a cemetery anymore–
They converted into a park in 1977. What really stands out are the grave stones, though. Each one is really far away from the others, and they’re all huge; like, monument size. If you walk up, you can read the history of the person. Most all are German immigrants from the 1800’s. You look around at the rows of 1950’s ranch homes which line the streets surrounding the park, and realize that St. Marcus Commemorative Park vastly pre-​dates any of the neighborhoods there. Very fascinating stuff– kinda like a step back in time.
Along with the history, the park itself is really pretty. The sloping hills and knotty old trees made me feel like I was back in San Francisco. It’s not one of those overly groomed parks– it feels more like a wild space tucked into a very urban area. A great place for dogs (ahem… we let ours off leash) to play freely unobstructed by annoying police officers.