Pacific Beach Recreation Center

A small and decent rec center in the neighborhood. I babysit my neighbor’s 1 year old, and I take her there to play on the swings and the little animal springy rides next to the indoor courts. I love how the playground has a couple of gates that you can close so that little ones do not run off to the streets or into the basketball courts unsupervised.
A couple months ago, I went into the rec center office to inquire about the gym membership because I just need basic weights for training (no need for cardio because I do that at the beach and in the ocean). Didn’t get a pleasant experience with the gentleman that was at the front desk. He gave me a brochure. I asked him if I can take a look at the gym. He took me to the gym, which was pretty small, and told me it can get busy if there is 5 people working out at the same time. He suggested that the gym on Santa Clara (Mission Beach) was more spacious. Not good impression of the gym at all. Perhaps he was doing me a favor, so I ended up signing up at another local gym.

What’s great about this is the fact that it’s an indoor court that if free! The problem is that there is no AC and only one indoor court. The outdoor courts aren’t too bad and the competition here is pretty good and you will get a good workout. In terms of hours, it closes way too early on Saturdays (the website says 2 pm but they kick everyone out at 1:45 pm).

The tennis courts are never crowded and well maintained. The basketball courts are great as well. The softball field is okay, but the best in PB.

I like to play basketball on the outdoor courts here. The paved surface is nice, the backboards are clear, there’s a fountain for when you get thirsty, lights come on at dusk, there are benches while you’re waiting for next, and, most importantly, there’s a good chance of finding a game most evenings and weekends. Kind of a San Diego’s miniature version of the Venice Beach courts (except not actually on the beach).
The competition is what I’d call intermediate. At other courts, I can usually jam with a reverse windmill even when I’m tired, but not here. If I don’t take it to the hole for real, then any kind of weak-​sauce is getting tossed.
Games can get a bit dramatic too. Some of the fellas have a real strong sense of justice, to put it mildly. You’ll find some egos out there and a lot of pride, especially if people are waiting for next. That’s better than the alternative, which would be a game where nobody cares and everybody’s horsing around.
So just try to be respectful. For instance, say I just posterized some 6’7″ former D1 player with one of my ferocious Blake-​Griffin-​esque jams. I know his self-esteem’s been wounded, and he’s liable to act out, so I’ll usually neutralize the situation by giving the guy a warm smile, and saying something encouraging, like, «Better luck next time, old sport!» Maybe pat him on the butt before I run back to play defense.
Long story short, as far as I know this is the most reliable spot in San Diego to find outdoor pickup basketball.

I usually come here to hit a few balls @ the tennis courts. I’ve been here a few times and it never seems busy. Nobody to play with? No worries, there is a backboard you can hit with.
Oh, another plus for me is the free recycling bins they have. It pretty much takes all basic recyclables (paper, bottles, aluminum, cans) that you can throw into one big bin rather than separating each individual item.

This place is a great resource for the PB comunity. We were looking for a place for our nojn-​profit to hold our weekly flow jam and found this place. They gave us a great price and the room is clean and bathrooms well kept.

I’m a kickball enthusiast and this is the place where all the action happens in San Diego. I am in the Vavi League. Very social. It’s all about the fun of the game. The park is conveniently located within walking distance of the bars. So after a heated game, teams usually walk over to the bars to cool down and have few drinks. Overall, I like the park. However, I have yet to use any other facilities. I will probably write more on this later as I discover more about this place.

I play on a team on the baseball fields through a company called VAVI. Although, I don’t play baseball. We play the very aggressive and competitive sport of… kickball. Haha ok, now that that’s over with.
There are 2 diamonds on this field. The main one has two dugouts, bleachers for your fans to cheer you on, and a level ground to play on. The other field… well doesn’t have any of what I just mentioned. There is only 1 single bench that is removable, so basically, whatever’s team gets there first, chooses the bench side or moves it to the side they prefer. The other team either stands or sits on the ground. There is no dirt ground for the infield. The entire diamond is grass. And lastly, it is not even. Ther are holes and divits that effect the pitchers roll to the kicker. obviously the main field is the best field to play on. But, we play kickball on Sunday funday, so we’re not too serious about it as other teams might be.
Overall a great field when you have the main diamond, which most other people who come he to play any sport has. If you happen to play on the field #2, just expect some things to not go your way.

This place is in need of an upgrade but their Basketball league for the kids is excellent. For $ 50 you get 10 weeks of practive twice a week, 6 games on Saturdays, 1 playoff and 1 championship game.
Coach Craig and Rich are amazing!
So if you want to keep your kids active, it is definitely the pace to be!

After eating 45 wings for a charity event I was in dire need of exercise to burn off some of the million calories I had consumed, so I popped in for some round-​ball here. It’s not a bad place to play some pick-​up hoops and work up a sweat .
The competition is usually pretty good, but be prepared to wait cuz the games move as slow as molasses due to the rims being so tight. Even Lebron would throw up enough bricks to build a small house on these courts. Just be prepared cuz it may be awhile till you got next.
They also have rules that are also kinda whack here… regulars score everything as 1point even if it’s behind the 3pt line. Not sure if this is the So Cal style or what, but where I’m from behind that arch is extra points yo. Ah well… I guess court rules rule.
Besides ballin, they have tennis facilities, a weight room, softball diamonds, and a children’s playground all of which to my knowledge are free. It’s tough to hate on complimentary exercise, so even though I went about 0 for the century shooting I gotta give this rec center at least a 4 for helping me rid the chicken fat.

This is a review of the tennis facilities here.
I enjoy taking tennis lesson from Coach Joe. Not only is he an expert who has been teaching tennis for far more years than I’ve been alive, he’s a hoot to learn from and comes at a great price.
The courts are fine for my needs and one is reserved for group lessons so no problem finding space. Usually 2 – 6 show up and we play games circulating the courts. We have no problem playing with the locals either as most are always friendly and happy to accommodate.
The staff always turns on the lights before dusk and the courts stay open until 9pm so you can always stay late and practice if you like. The location is great too as you can walk down to Ichiban or World of Curry for a bite after a couple games.
Overall, I go out of my way to play here and it’s because of Joe. Do
look him up if you’re interested in picking up tennis — he teaches young and old and always makes sure each lesson is memorable and fun.

Other than being a little bit outdated, this is a great place to come for tennis, outdoor basketball as well as indoor basketball, baseball and there is an adjacent field which is generally used for youth soccer practices. There is also a small playground for children.
We used to walk down here all the time to play tennis which is pretty cool but the courts often get backlogged. Most times of the day you can come to the outdoor courts and join in a pickup basketball game. They often get pretty heated and players take the games pretty seriously.
If you live in PB and enjoy staying active, this is a great place to come!