Park(ing) Day Enthusiasm Curbed by Heat

Park(ing) Day: an annual event where artists, activists, and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. Originated in San Francisco by art and design collective Rebar, Park(ing) Day grew to a national -- nae, global -- event in a surprisingly short time.  The event was begun in 2005, and the PARKcycle, a man-powered park vehicle, debuted in 2007.

Now you'd THINK that if you wake up on Park(ing) Day in the city where it originated you'd see creative spots for miles.  Not so.  In fact, I had to work rather hard to find relatively few examples of observance. Could it be that I was looking in the wrong places?  Quite possibly.  But I had taken the precaution of checking the website for likely makeshift parks, so you can't say I didn't try.  Could it be that it was darned near 80 degrees in the shade in The City today and nobody wanted to set up on asphalt?  Also quite possible.

After waiting out the midday sun, I began my search at 3rd and Mission, roughly attempting to mirror the route the PARKcycle would have taken earlier in the day while visiting installations.  From Mission, I trekked over to Market Street (on which I didn't see a single park!), and eventually hopped the F-Line streetcar to Valencia, which had been touted as a likely hub for the event.  Walking several blocks from Valencia's origination at Market Street down to 25th, I passed only a handful of parks, most of them uninspired. Nothing like the rather creative pictures I'd seen from previous years.  Ah well.  Nonetheless, I took a few shots.

Though I would have preferred to have seen this thing on the move, I was at least lucky enough to spot the Rebar PARKcycle visiting the Bicycle Coalition area.

This folding chair park at Valencia & 20th lacked a certain panache, but did benefit from a row of trees.

This mini-park at Valencia &19th gets a few points for the wood pillar and its park ranger.

But this one at Ritual Roasters, Valencia & 21st was by far the most successful park I witnessed, for sheer participation.  Par(k)-tay!

P.S.  SFist has a better photo gallery of, well, pretty much these same parks.  There's one though that was obviously already gone by the time I walked past.  Free Design Clinic, Valencia and 20th -- where'd ya go?