A Tale of Two Dog Parks

Daisy and I decided to try out a new dog park today, McKinley Square in the Potrero Hill neighborhood (find it at 20th Street at Vermont). This is a small park, less than an acre, with just the hillside located on the west slope of the park okayed for off-leash play. However, the view is spectacular (like most dog parks in the Bay Area), and there's a nice, wood-chip-surfaced trail connecting the dog park area to the kids' playground and street parking at the top of the hill. When we went, at 11 a.m. on a weekday, we were all alone except for the fog and a woman with an elderly Rottie.

Daisy says: 2 paws up.

After lunch, we stopped by our old stomping ground at Alamo Square Park. We love this place for more reasons than we can count: the dogs and people are chill (it tends to be owners with one or two dogs, unlike many dog parks frequented by group dog-walkers, where the ratio can commonly reach 7-10 dogs per 1 human); there's a lot of space and paths to explore, with both shade and sun in abundance; and there's a drinking fountain we both can reach. Street parking can be tricky, but keep driving around the park and you're bound to find a spot within a couple rounds. Afterward, hit up the Corner Store (Scott Street at Hayes) for a cup of their Alamo Square blend and the best deli sandwich around, manned by a couple of film students and a die-hard Red Sox fan. They'll take care of you.

Daisy says: 4 paws up.