South Park, Public park in South of Market, San Francisco, US.

South Park is a green space in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood with a play area for children, walking paths, and open lawns. Its oval shape is framed by buildings that line the perimeter, creating an enclosed garden feel.

George Gordon assembled the South Park block in 1852, but the park itself was built in 1855 as the centre of an exclusive residential community. Modelled on a London square, it had 58 residences around a 550-foot oval, the city's first paved streets and sidewalks, and a windmill that pumped water for the houses. The city took over the park in 1897.

South Park Street and the oval it wraps take their name from this green, laid out in 1855. From the late 19th century the blocks around it held Japanese-owned hostels, hotels, baths and shops; the Madrid Hotel at 22 South Park occupies the former Eimoto Hotel. In the late 1990s dot-com start-ups filled the low-rent offices, and from 2006 Web companies returned.

The oval-shaped park sits between Second and Third Streets and has benches scattered throughout for sitting and resting. A renovation improved its drainage system, making it more comfortable during wet weather.

The continuous ring of buildings surrounding the lawn creates a tucked-away feel that sets it apart from typical open-air city parks. This enclosed layout makes it a hidden retreat in the middle of the busy neighborhood.