Sunfish Park is my favorite neighborhood park. It’s 2.41 acres of really well manicured enjoyment. It’s got a basketball court, kids play area and a vast open green space. It’s accessible from Seahorse Court, Sunfish, Mullet and Halibut streets. Here’s a map link:

SunfishMap

Edgewater Park is another of the big, sprawling spaces that seems to have almost everything in it. 9.55 acres of Tennis courts, baseball diamond, basketball court, picnic area, kids play structure and tons of green grass to romp on. Pretty convenient location too between Edgewater Blvd, Polaris, Regulus and Foster City School. You can’t miss it. Here’s a map link:

EdgewaterParkMap

Shad Park is another of those slightly hidden little gems in the middle of a neighborhood. It’s bounded by Bluefish, Shad, Tarpon and Marlin and features 2.1 acres of space that includes a basketball court, kids play structure and a picnic area. I really think parks like these are a great idea and they really are few and far between on the Peninsula. The neighborhood known as “The Lanes” in San Mateo has essentially the same motif, but Foster City has more of them. Here’s a map link:

ShadParkMap

Marlin Park is the twin sister of Gull Park and has that nice beach/waterfront aspect. It’s nicely located between Pompano and Swordfish on Marlin and has 3.1 acre of space. Nice big lawn area and kids play equipment too. Here’s a link to the map:

MarlinParkMap

Throughout Neighborhoods 1 and 2 there are little 1.5 acre parks located behind the cul-de-sacs that exist there. Turnstone Park is one of those. These are great little expanses that function almost like semi private back yard extensions for the homes that surround them. It’s niched in the middle of Loon, Turnstone, Avocet and Gull Streets. Turnstone Park has swings and kids play equipment plus a full size basketball court. Heres a look at a map version:

TurnstoneParkMap

Boothbay Park is one of Foster City’s biggest, with 11.21 acres of just about everything. A ballfield, tennis courts, great kids play area, basketball court, volleyball court, a covered picnic area and lots of large open green space. It’s located at Edgewater and Boothbay. It’s a real popular place on the weekend! Here’s a map link:

BoothBayParkMap

I have to admit that when I first looked for some info on the Bay Trail I was surprised to learn how very extensive it is and how much of San Francisco Bay is covered by this trail. (Almost all of it!). Check out this map… BayTrailMap  Certainly, the Bay Trail is an integral part of Foster City life and it’s used frequently by residents and non residents alike. It’s a fascinating place with several micro climate like personalities, from Werder Pier to Oracle…it’s simply an amazing place. If you’re unfamiliar with FC and want to know how to get there, just drive east on Hillsdale until it becomes Beach Park and you’ve found it. It may be the most popular place in Foster City.

Gull Park is a 3.14 acre area located between Swan & Killdeer Ct on Gull Ave. I know because my Aunt’s house is located on the immediate south end of the park, that a ton of kids and their families use this beach almost every weekend. It’s very similar to Erckenbrack Park except that it faces west. The picnic tables here can be reserved for large groups and there’s lots of kid friendly play equipment. Here’s a map:

GullParkMap

Ketch Park…kind of a funny name. I always thought it sounded more like a command than a park name, but what do I know? Ketch Park has 1.6 acres and is located at the end of Topsail and behind Ketch Ct. Like all of these Foster City parks it’s really well cared for and clean. The gazebo has a little table in it with a built in chessboard. Kind of cool! Here’s a map to it’s location:

KetchYahooMap