Tompkins Stairs Community Group

The Tompkins Avenue stairway runs along a block of open land that is approximately 60 feet wide by 140 feet long. The property is vacant city-owned land (an “unclaimed street”), running from Nevada Street down to Putnam Street on the southeastern side of Bernal Heights, just above the Alemany Farmer’s Market. The stairs are an important gateway connecting Bernal Heights and other San Francisco res

idents with the crown jewel of our neighborhood: the Alemany Farmer’s Market. For the residents who live on the side streets along Cortland Avenue, the stairs are the way for them to get to and from the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, and the Flea Market on Sundays. In the fall of 2007, a group of neighbors came together to work on reclaiming and cleaning up the Tompkins Avenue stairs. None of us had ever been part of a neighborhood organization before either. But we worked together and successfully applied for a Community Challenge Grant through the City of San Francisco, and with our fiscal sponsor San Francisco Parks Trust have transformed the stairway and hillside into a beautiful urban park. We invite you to join us in continuing this tradition of community involvement and participation in San Francisco. We conduct a workday the first Saturday morning of each month starting at 10:00 AM to help maintain our beautiful park, including weeding, sweeping, watering and socializing. It's a great way to meet some great people, and we look forward to meeting you too!