Pantoja Park

Downtown San Diego has quite a few parks which is one of the reasons I chose to move to the area. I have a dog and he loves running around and rolling in the grass. Most of downtown is concrete so I like that I have options to choose from. I lived down the street from Pantoja Park for a year so we would come here at least 3 – 4 times a week.
The park is located in a quiet park of downtown (Seaport Village area) right off of G street and not too far from the Midway museum. It usually isn’t too busy. I don’t think I have ever seen more than 15 – 20 people here. There are some benches if you want to sit and soak up the sun or you can bring a blanket and take in the fresh ocean (bay) air. It is technically not a dog park but I will often see people with their pups and they do have signs posted that all pets must be leashed.
This park isn’t a must do if you are visiting San Diego but I highly suggest at least walking by and taking a picture of the gorgeous San Diego skyline if you are in the area.

It’s a very quiet nice end of town, I think quaint best describes it. It’s friendly and safe, lots of dogs running around, also lots of homeless people setting up shop. It is a breath of fresh air though, a great place for a jog, take the kids, or walk the dog!

Would Give a 5 star review, but unfortunately a leash law is not in forced and a beautiful park slowly becomes overtaken by dog’s owners who let their dogs destroy it. Very sad :(

I’m glad that we have kept some green area around downtown, I wish there was more.
There is tons of dogs here, I love it. Perfect for a picnic, walking your dog, a good afternoon read, a real breath of fresh air. There is many benches around it, and a whole rack of those rentable bikes.
Unfortunately, there is many homeless… other than that its a beautiful park with gnarly trees!

You can’t go wrong with bringing your dog here! Most of the dogs and dog owners are extremely friendly. It’s a place for regulars as you will always see the same people and dogs. It’s a great place to let your dog off the leash to run free! It’s well kept and nice just to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather! If you live in the Marina District this place is a must to have your dogs enjoy their free time!

Best place to get away from the bustling city and come in on a quiet place to eat lunch!

I love this little quaint park, tucked away in downtown San Diego. I always saw it referenced on maps of the area, but never really thought much about where it was located, or what it even looked like.
We’ve taken to coming here at least once a week, with the mongrels in tow, to hang out on a bench, under one of the huge trees, while soaking up the heat and people watching (typically with a light breakfast and a latte from Elixir in hand).
The park itself is clean, with a lot of green space that dogs love, and some impressive trees that drop… things…on the ground. There have been many a discussion as to they types of trees in the area, but neither of us know much about trees (it’s not a palm, it’s not a jacaranda, it’s not a pine…)
The nice thing about this little park is that it’s close to the trolley and a few different cafes, shops and just a short walk from Seaport Village. Plus, there’s a lot of street parking all around the place, so if you have to drive, you have a good chance of finding a parking space.
All in all, not a bad place to while away a beautiful, sunny morning.

What a breath of fresh air, in a concrete jungle. :)
If you have a dog, and live downtown — which seems to be a very popular combination — then you will become very familiar with this park. This is also why everyone needs to wear shoes and watch where they walk in the grass; there are bags for the dog poop posted around, and most pet owners are responsible. Make sure to keep your dog on-​leash here, because cops will ticket. I think a neighbor of mine got one to the tune of $ 200 or so.
There is a beautiful tree in the middle of this park, fenced off for protection. This also prevents the park from having a large, flat grassy area for games. People still try to play narrow games of mini-​soccer, and have small yoga or boot camp classes, but if you were try throwing a frisbee around, for example, you would likely run into a tree with your head turned.
There are some homeless people around the park from time to time, but they don’t sleep there overnight — they’re typically just napping in the afternoon sun, like everyone else.
Doug K.‘s review is spot-​on, this is a park that should be enjoyed and protected. Let’s celebrate the green spaces in our community!

Driving through downtown and stumbled across this cute little park in the middle of the city! Great for dogs, picnics, and for naps :)
This park is quite, perfect for relaxing! You would have never thought you’re in the middle of the city!

A perfect lil oasis in the middle of the city. The grass is super healthy and green and the groundskeepers keep everything in tip top shape. There are doggie bags stationed in 3 spots and a few benches to chill and watch the soccer players. Or frisbee players. Or peeps playing w their kids… very nice atmosphere to take your doggie for a quick loop.

Cute little park to hang out in! I’ve been here during lunch and it’s been great! No one bugged me or creeped me out. Just folks enjoying the grass, sunshine and the park. The way it should be really.
It’s near the Seaport Village trolley station. So it is a good option as a meet up spot that’s more pleasant than the trolley stop. It could use more trees, benches and interesting features but I like it!

Small, pretty park in the Marina District. Occasionally, I eat lunch here during lunch and there’s always an assortment of people working out, playing soccer (or a similar sport), walking their pet, or also hanging out on their lunch hour.
There’s a few benches but lot’s of grass, so a blanket is a good idea in case the benches are taken.

A small park in the Marina District that is dog… no, pet friendly! I’ve seen cats walking with leashes and a homeless man walking with his pigeons!!! I would give it a 5 star if it weren’t for the irresponsible dog owners that do not clean up after their dogs… bags are provided! So no excuses for not picking up the poop! There are signs saying dogs must always be leashed, but a number of people let their dogs run around and I’m fine with it as long as the dog is well behaved.
I always see many business people come to take a break here or even take their lunch to enjoy the nice day. If I worked close to the park, I would definitely take advantage of it for a nice, peaceful break.

This park seems to pop out of nowhere. There are a bunch of random trees (that sadly are no good for climbing) and people sleeping in the grass. There are also a ton of dogs, which is kind of cute.
I wouldn’t come out of my way to come here, but it was nice to stop by this little park for a little bit on a warm Friday afternoon.
Maybe if I had a dog and lived close I would come here more often.

Pantoja is a cool, decently sized square of greenery in the middle of the city. On any afternoon, you can find people doing yoga, step aerobics, dogs playing, people picnicking, or people napping. Sure there are some bums during the day, but I mean it’s downtown San Diego — where AREN’T there bums?! Luckily, at night, SDPD does a good job ensuring there is no sleeping in the park, and the Marina District is pretty devoid of transient living in general.
The park has a lot of mature trees and plenty of room for dogs to run around. It seems to become a defacto dog park during the evening hours, which is awesome for our dog. Most people seem to pick up after their pets as I’ve yet to step on a land mine.

This is a great little park in the heart of downtown San Diego. It has huge over grown trees that have been established for years. I enjoyed sitting here chatting with a friend a few days ago and looking at the surrounding city scape.
The place is pet friendly as long as you pick after, well you know, and there is plenty of room for tossing a Frisbee, football, or playing net volley ball. While I was there most people I saw ere walking their pet are sitting around having conversations.
Great little park amongst the hassle and bustle of the city.

Cool, small, dog park. I would say that the circumfrence is no bigger than a quarter mile in length. There are a few benches here and there. A statue and the rest is grass.
Smells like dog pooh though, and the homeless congregate here during the day. At night, it seems more quiet since there is no one here, as one of the rules for the park is no sleeping overnight. Other rules include no smoking, no alcohol, no glass containers, and dogs must be leashed and to clean up after your pet.
I like this park too because I can actually sober up and just hang out here for a bit. Since I usually park my car at the Navy base on PCH, this place is good spot to just chill for a bit after a night of debauchery and shenanigans. There is no closing time here, but you can’t sleep overnight. And it’s not scary at night, don’t worry, you’re good.
You may have seen this once or twice as you drove by but it’s a tiny park, so if you have the time, stop by here on G st. between Columbia and India, and take a 5 minute walk through the park. It’s cool.

Doggie poo situation has gotten better. Yay. Sans doggie poo — what a beautiful park. and soo many birds!

Pantoja Park is one of the few parks in downtown San Diego. As the building boom continues, that there is a park in downtown San Diego at all is exciting in and of itself. But this park is special.
Pantoja Park is the city’s oldest park. Created in 1850 and named after the Spanish explorer, Don Juan Pantoja y Arriaga, who first surveyed and charted San Diego Bay in 1782, it is a rare pocket of quiet greenery amid all the bustle of downtown redevelopment.
Then there is the statue in the park. Like much of San Diego it is not what is expected. Your first glance of San Diego decieves you; you have to take a closer look to figure out what’s really going on. The statue must be Don Juan Pantoja, right? No, the tall figure standing on the pedestal in the park is Benito Juarez, Mexico’s first president of native descent. The statue was given by the Mexican government to the city of San Diego in 1981 as a gesture of friendship.
We have to preserve what little green space we have in downtown. If ever enough people agree that Pantoja Park is nothing more than a rectangle of open space, Pantoja Park is dead, and another condo site is born.