The Outer Sunset of San Francisco has a hard time getting the love it deserves. Personally, I blame The New York Times (everything is there fault anyway, right?) although most people like to blame the fog.

Earlier in the week I gave a shout out to Hayes Valley Farm after they were recognized by Sunset Magazine as being one of the top ten urban parks. But the good news doesn’t stop there. San Francisco is so awesome that not one, but two spots in the city were named to their top 10 list.

The other top urban park is La Playa Park which is still under construction as I type.  Running from Judah to Kirkham streets between La Playa and Lower Great Highway streets, the park truly has been a neighborhood effort and collaboration. Take a look at their website, it has a great set of pictures, plans, and updated information about how the park is progressing.

And in case you thought parks were just for fun, the website lists some of the more serious reasons for turning this strip of land into a park:

• Create a recreation and gathering space, establishing ownership by the local residents, and increasing the sense of community
• Increase greenery with use of drought-tolerant and native plants
• Increase landscape permeability; reduce urban runoff in conjunction with the Plant Donʼt Pave Program
• Educate visitors on importance of native plants in the landscape to provide habitat for pollinators
• Increase awareness of local water quality issues and how our actions as city residents affect our local watershed and eventually the health of the ocean

Check it out next time you are in the area, and if you are looking for an outdoor project, consider volunteering some time and energy for a great (and helpful) cause.

And Sunset Magazine, thanks for recognizing two awesome spots in San Francisco.