Father Alfred E. Boeddeker Park, at 246 Eddy St., is about an acre in the heart of the Tenderloin. SF Rec and Park calls it an inner-city sanctuary.

Who it's named for

Father Alfred Boeddeker was a Franciscan friar who served the Tenderloin for more than 40 years, according to Wikipedia. He founded the St. Anthony Dining Room to feed people in need. The park opened in 1985.

A turnaround

Wikipedia says the original park soon became a symbol of urban decay. It lacked safe play space, and drug sales grew there. A $9 million renovation reopened it in 2014. The Trust for Public Land, SF Rec and Park and WRNS Studio worked on the redesign, which won an American Institute of Architects San Francisco Honor Award. It's also certified by the Sustainable SITES Initiative. In 2016 a large mural, Everyone Deserves a Home, went up on the building above the park.

What's there

  • A basketball half-court, swings, a slide and play structures
  • Outdoor fitness equipment, a lawn and a walking path with ramps
  • A clubhouse with year-round activity programs, a community room and restrooms
  • A plaza with a historic clock and kiln and two sculptures: Anthony Smith's globe celebrating the area's diverse heritage and Bruce Hassan's bronze Ark, which represents the park as a safe haven for families

Rec and Park's page says more renovations are coming with a grant from the Trust for Public Land.