South Beach Harbor Pier 40A & Java House
38 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, Map it here
415-495-4911
www.southbeachharbor.com
Neighborhood: South Beach
Cost: Playground is FREE and some cheap eats nearby.
Parking: Metered street parking or don’t park- take muni as it stops in front as one reader reminded us!
Mom Maria and Baby Julia party at the Harbor
The time has come to share with you our best kept secret and one of San Francisco’s little local treasures – South Beach Harbor Park and Marina. When your side of the city (North, West and South) is consumed in fog and that Eastern sun drenched sliver is looking pretty, here is a fantastic alternative to visiting the Ferry Building . . . again.
This local getaway is an area to come to and stay and play for the day. You might begin by brunching at the Java House, where the local owner, Philip Papadopoulos, loves kids so much he will come out of the wordworks if he spots yours to tell you how “lucky you are to have such a treasure”- and so true it is! Many of the Java House’s dishes are inexpensive and kid consumable, such as pancakes, eggs and sandwiches. Sit outside on the patio furniture and enjoy your food as your child contently (hopefully!) stares at the sailboats berthed in the Marina.
Then mosey or trike down the Marina promenade to the wonderful toddler park for some climbing and exploring on its small climbing net and its sandbox anchored boat structure. The circular park welcomes you with sand, soft, multi-colored artificial turf, spiral concrete structures and a small merry-go-round.
You can also wander into the Harbor Services building, a beautiful modern, glass paneled structure that was completed in 2006 by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency – South Beach Harbor is a full service marina, with boat slips with concrete docks. Kid Friendly loves it for its clean restrooms upstairs which any visitor can use, multitude of picnic tables and its community room.
And get this! – you can rent their bay-windowed community room, which opens right up onto the toddler park and a beautiful grassy area, for a children’s birthday party for around $135 (clean up and liquor license is additional). Where else can that price be had for a bang up birthday party in The City?!?! (This price does not include set up, clean up or the permission to bring liquor, but you can pay more to get more.) Contact Benjamin Ibarra for information on the community room rental: Benjamin.Ibarra@sfgov.org.
South Beach Harbor Pier 40A is located right where King Street turns into the Embarcadero, between 2nd and Townsend. There you will find a waterfront grass park used by dogs and their owners and a playground next to the big red anchor statue and the Java House, right behind the left field bleachers of AT&T Park. Parking is available on the street next to housing or on the Embarcadero, but beware, they still enforce meters on Sundays in some parts of the Embarcadero – Read parking restriction signs carefully. And if possible, have someone drop you off with the kids if you are visiting with two adults. Also, it can get crowded on Giants game days.
Thank you to our reader that reminded us try public transportation to this location! The SFMTA website gives these directions: “The Muni Metro T line (or specially marked Metro trains on game days) directly to the AT&T ballpark—the Second and King Muni Metro station is right next to the Harbor. Muni buses 15, 30, and 45 also stop within one block of the Harbor.”
South Beach Harbor is one of Kid Friendly SF’s favorite getaway destinations.
