18 Acres of Parks (and a million ways to enjoy them)

If you love life out and about — and really, who doesn’t? — grab your shades, tie your laces and hightail it up, down and all around Bay Meadows. Here, you can celebrate the great outdoors any way you want. With our 18 acres of parks and green space (not to mention miles of biking trails) you’ll find plenty of ways to connect and reenergize. Plant roots along with a bounty heirloom veggies in our community garden. Chase dreams and soccer balls on sprawling fields. Get acquainted with playgrounds, bocce ball courts, hoops, iconic public art and, of course, the neighbors — all just a short stroll away.

From big open spaces to jewel box hideaways, each Bay Meadows park and landscaped nook is sustainably designed and, we’re delighted to report, neighborhood-loved. Just ask Matt, a longtime resident, “All the public parks provide a fantastic opportunity for folks to be active and healthy in a place that has so many things going for it. It’s one of the resources that allows you to take advantage of our location and we definitely like to do that!”

Let’s explore some community favorites:

Paddock Park
The 1.5-acre Paddock Park is made for family fun and shenanigans. Safely enclosed and packed with all sorts of kid-friendly attractions —climbing structure and sand and water areas surrounded by picnic tables and lawn — it’s also the go-to spot for family gatherings.

Persimmon Park
Persimmon Park community garden grows beautiful friendships along with knockout edibles. Divided into outdoor rooms, it’s a one-stop shop for creating your own farm-to-table adventure. Here, you can grow your harvest in well-nourished planter boxes, toss your bounty on the grill and serve the feast to family and friends on the communal table.

Landing Green Park
Our most formal and contemplative space, Landing Green Park is a three-block long stretch of elegant pathways, discrete alcoves, lush ornamental plantings and dramatic experiential sculptures. Here you can settle in for some me time on park benches or us time around the arbor-topped bocce court.

Bay Meadows Park
So much rambling space. So many ways to enjoy it. Bay Meadows Park has everything you need for fun in the sun, including play fields, picnic spots, even a duck-filled pond. Perfect for running with your pup or flying a kite.

Art All Around
Art shines throughout Bay Meadows. The centerpiece of Town Square is a bold, playful and interactive sculpture — “Mirror Labyrinth NY – for California” — by celebrated Danish artist Jeppe Heina. The large-scale steel and aluminum reflective labyrinth is a big hit in person and, not surprisingly, selfies. Landing Green Park is graced by a striking metal sculpture, “San Mateo Bridge,” by internationally acclaimed sculptor and San Mateo native Chuck Ginnever. A delightful tree-like sculptures by Bay Area artist and arborist Evan Shively welcome visitors to Persimmon Park, providing a climbing structure for kids and a reminder of our region’s natural resources.

Top to bottom, Bay Meadows is perfect for life in motion. “I take my daily run through the Bay Meadows Park and Paddock Park,” says Brennan. “My husband and I look forward to raising kids in this neighborhood because it is safe, clean, and full of parks and outdoor spaces.”

Jeppe Hein’s Mirror Labyrinth image by @alexaspace

Photo by Jan Lundberg (www.AListPhotos.com)