Esmeralda Slide Park

Esmeralda Slide Park began as a grassroots neighborhood project in the late nineteen seventies, born from the determination of local residents who wanted a playful alternative to the steep hillside stairs. When the park officially opened in nineteen seventy-nine, the ribbon-cutting ceremony featured a competitive race down the twin forty-foot metal chutes between then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein and a local district supervisor. The park has remained a community-managed space ever since, surviving several periods of decay through the dedicated efforts of volunteers who have repaired retaining walls, planted drought-tolerant gardens, and organized crowdfunding campaigns for local art installations.