Tucked inside the Balboa Heights neighborhood is their shining jewel — the local Balboa Heights Park. Just a few streets down from the park is Derek Dooley’s business. He and his family have owned businesses in the area since the 1960s, so Balboa Heights evokes the feeling of nostalgia.
“For me, it’s because I grew up in this area,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who have lived in this neighborhood for a long time so there’s a community here.”
Now, he’s the president of the neighborhood association, which was revitalized about three years ago.
“To just focus on the neighborhood and have the city to pay attention to some of the things in the neighborhood,” he said.
For the neighbors, the park is a great place to grow community and it’s even complete with a splash pad. But Dooley said the park is actually empty most of the time.
“It’s hard to keep the park open because of people doing drugs in the area,” he said. “Castro Street is a magnet for homelessness. There’s a lot of people that sleep and congregate on the street.”