East Hillsdale Park reopened on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, after more than a year behind construction fencing. The playground is the part that will show up in neighbors' photos. It's also the part that was settled first. Residents picked the design in a single gathering in January 2022. When the City explained why construction would take a full year, it didn't mention the playground. It named the work under the grass and along the path: a storm drain system, new pathway lighting, and protection for the roots of the park's heritage trees.
That list goes a long way toward explaining the wait. It also explains why the park is better suited to the next few months than it was before the rebuild.
Nearly five years, one design vote
The San Mateo Record's reopening report traces the project back further than most neighbors probably remember. The 2.1-acre park at 123 31st Avenue was getting its first playground upgrade in 20 years. The planning started well before the fences went up.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 2022 | More than 60 residents met at the park and voted on three playground designs |
| March 2022 | The Park and Recreation Commission approved the Miracle Play Group design |
| June 2, 2025 | City Council awarded the construction contract to Suarez & Munoz Construction, Inc. |
| About two weeks later | Council awarded construction management to 4LEAF, Inc. |
| September 2, 2025 | The whole park closed for construction |
| April 2026 | Paths were 80% complete; supply-chain delays had held up play equipment and light poles |
| October 7, 2026 | Reopening ceremony at 1 p.m. |
Callander Associates Landscape Architecture handled design and construction management services. The playground design neighbors chose in 2022 is the one that went in. Between that vote and the first shovel came more than three years of contracts, scheduling and funding.
What the City said would take the time
The construction contract approved on June 2, 2025, gave the contractor 365 days from the start of work. The park reopened about a month after that window would have closed. The City's project FAQ had already named the reasons the schedule was long before anything was delayed:
- Heritage tree and root protection, under a tree protection plan the City requires
- Installing a storm drain system and a new, upgraded pathway lighting system
- Possible weather delays
None of these is play equipment. Protecting tree roots usually means digging slowly around them. A storm drain means trenching across the park. New light poles mean running new electrical lines. Then the April 2026 update added supply-chain delays on the play equipment and light poles themselves, which pushed the visible pieces to the end of the job.
The same update shows why the slower work was worth it. According to the San Mateo Record, the new drainage system had already performed as designed during storms, before the playground was even finished.
What's actually waiting on 31st Avenue
The City lists the finished work as new play equipment, a repaved perimeter pathway, upgraded lighting and a new storm drainage system. The playground and the area around it were fully renovated under the Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Plan. The photo the City shared with the reopening shows a spiral slide, a climbing structure and artificial turf.
Here's how that work shows up on a visit this time of year. Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November, so the afternoon walk after school or work will soon end in the dark. Upgraded lighting along a newly repaved loop changes what that walk is like. After a rain, a drainage system that has already been tested in storms affects how soon the turf and paths are usable again.
The money came from two sources, according to the City: the Park and Recreation Revenue Fund and the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018, better known as Proposition 68. The City says the project stayed within budget but hasn't published a dollar figure. As for the old play structure, the City said it was working with an organization that may be able to reuse the equipment somewhere else.
One thing hasn't changed. The park has no parking lot. The City's reopening notice calls it a small park "tucked within a residential neighborhood." Street parking is the only option, and the City asks visitors not to block driveways or double-park.
The parks that filled in for a year
During the closure, the City pointed neighbors to the closest alternatives. For anyone who spent the past 13 months driving or walking farther for a playground, here are the distances the City gave from East Hillsdale Park:
- West Hillsdale Park, 345 31st Ave, 0.3 miles
- Indian Springs, 313 W 39th Ave, 0.7 miles
- Beresford Park, 2720 Alameda de las Pulgas, 0.7 miles
- Paddock Park, 2900 Baze Rd., 0.7 miles
- Bay Meadows, 301 E 28th Ave., 0.8 miles
The City also named Beresford Park as the nearest public tennis courts while construction was underway.
East Hillsdale is now the closest option again for the blocks around 31st Avenue. West Hillsdale is still only a few minutes' walk up the same street, so the two parks work as a pair again.
The rest of the season around the park
The reopening lands at a turning point for the neighborhood's outdoor calendar. The 25th Avenue farmers' market runs Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. through October 20, so it has two Tuesdays left this season: October 13 and October 20. After that, the closest year-round markets listed in Bay Meadows' October roundup are the College of San Mateo Farmers' Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard, and the downtown market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 222 East 4th Avenue.
Here's what's on within a short walk or drive of 31st Avenue between now and the holidays:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays 6 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. | Bay Meadows Run Club with Basecamp San Mateo, free, 2- to 6-mile loops | Meets at 3050 S. Delaware |
| Wednesday, Oct 14 | Pizza Making Class, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Pinstripes at Hillsdale Shopping Center |
| Friday, Oct 23 | Halloween First Taste, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Pinstripes at Hillsdale |
| Saturday, Oct 24 | Boos and Brews on B Street, 3 to 5 p.m. | B Street Pedestrian Mall, downtown |
| Saturday, Oct 31 | Doggoween, a costume contest for dogs | Fieldwork Brewing San Mateo beer garden, Bay Meadows |
| Saturday, Oct 31 | Halloween Kids Party, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Pinstripes at Hillsdale |
| Sunday, Nov 8 | Brunch & Burn, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Pinstripes at Hillsdale |
| Saturday, Nov 14 | Kid's Club, 10 a.m. to noon | Pinstripes at Hillsdale |
| Dec 3 to 6 and Dec 10 to 13 | Holiday community performances, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Hillsdale Shopping Center |
The Pinstripes dates come from Hillsdale's events page. The December performance schedule depends on availability and first-come applications, so check the final lineup before you go. Bay Meadows says the run club meets rain or shine, and that members often head to Blue Bottle in Town Square or the Fieldwork Brewing beer garden afterward.
Hillsdale Shopping Center at 60 31st Ave has also added two stores in 2026. POP MART held its grand opening on March 14 on the lower level near Shoe Palace and Starbucks. Flip Flop Shops opened near Macy's and Gap, with a grand opening planned for April 3.
East Hillsdale Park is at the center of all of this. Its paths are newly lit and its drains have already been tested in storms, which matters for a park reopening as the days get shorter.
If you live near 31st Avenue and you're weighing whether neighborhood upgrades like this one belong in your plans for selling, or for buying nearby, Debbie Elowson knows the Hillsdale and Bay Meadows blocks well and is happy to talk them through with you. Work with Debbie.
