Kids playing outside in Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland: home, neighborhoods, school)

[mr_california]

Anybody know any parts of the bay area where kids still play outside? My wife and I are looking for an area to move to for our 3 school age kids. I grew up here and back in the 1980's there were lots of kids playing outside, but now I don't see much.

[steve_holt]

I'm curious - do kids play outside where you're coming from? Wondering whether this is a geographic thing or just a change in the times?

I also grew up in the 80s and in my neighborhood, all the kids lived at the park, biked up and down streets, and went home when the street lights turned on. I think that type of environment is just a thing of the past.

However, in Fremont every single park is overrun with kids playing every weekend, so this does happen. I think the frequency is lower due to the need for parental supervision and busy-ness during the week.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by steve_holt

I'm curious - do kids play outside where you're coming from? Wondering whether this is a geographic thing or just a change in the times?

I also grew up in the 80s and in my neighborhood, all the kids lived at the park, biked up and down streets, and went home when the street lights turned on. I think that type of environment is just a thing of the past.

However, in Fremont every single park is overrun with kids playing every weekend, so this does happen. I think the frequency is lower due to the need for parental supervision and busy-ness during the week.

I agree with this. It's just a change of times. I grew up in Berkeley. Was a kid in the 70's and a pre teen and teenager in the 80's and outside is where I was.

[gizmo980]

When I lived in Sunnyvale, I'd often see kids out playing (at the park or around their complexes) when the weather allowed. San Francisco is different because it's more urban, but in most of our suburbs I think you can still find that.

[usamathman]

Mission Bay. They have a kids park with tons of little kids playing. Lots of nanies as well.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mi...4d-122.3925957

[Ruth4Truth]

There are many parts of Berkeley and Oakland were kids play outside. Both cities have skate parks for older kids, who are into that. Kids all over Marin County play outside, too. The question is, can you afford these places? There are towns in Marin, that have beautiful redwood forest-parks, right in town. They're usually full of kids. Take a look at Mill Valley and Larkspur. Also at the Montclair neighborhood in the Oakland hills has a great playground for small kids, and there are other beautiful parks nearby, for older kids to bike to.

[clongirl]

Kids play outside in most suburbs or neighborhoods that are not full of traffic or other dangers. In addition, much of this dynamic happens when the kids living nearby are all similar in age.

My kids used to play outside when they were friends with the neighborhood kids---now not at all after the usual disagreements, fights and hard feelings that afflict most children at any given time.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by mr_california

Anybody know any parts of the bay area where kids still play outside? My wife and I are looking for an area to move to for our 3 school age kids. I grew up here and back in the 1980's there were lots of kids playing outside, but now I don't see much.

They're all inside sitting behind a screen getting fat and lazy.

[mr_california]

Originally Posted by steve_holt

I'm curious - do kids play outside where you're coming from? Wondering whether this is a geographic thing or just a change in the times?

I also grew up in the 80s and in my neighborhood, all the kids lived at the park, biked up and down streets, and went home when the street lights turned on. I think that type of environment is just a thing of the past.

However, in Fremont every single park is overrun with kids playing every weekend, so this does happen. I think the frequency is lower due to the need for parental supervision and busy-ness during the week.

I currently live in Oakland hills, there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood, but nobody is outside, ever. The only time we ever see the other kids is when their parents car pulls into the garage and they get out before the car closes. And all of the parents have friends already from before they moved into the neighborhood and don't seem interested in making friends with any of the people who live near them.

[mr_california]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

When I lived in Sunnyvale, I'd often see kids out playing (at the park or around their complexes) when the weather allowed. San Francisco is different because it's more urban, but in most of our suburbs I think you can still find that.

When I grew up in San Francisco in the 1980's there were kids all over in the street every day. Not anymore, but I would like to find an area like that somewhere.