Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park

Stay away from the dead grass fields on the west side of the park (along Van Nuys Blvd), my poor little puppy got all these mini spikey seed balls stuck in all his paws and leg fur. I noticed when he started to lift his paw as if he got hurt and would not walk anymore. I had to take out one by one and even cut my thumb up a bit, I feel horrible that my pup was in pain over a simple «walk in the park». We went to the other side & seemed as if everyone was on the east side (along Hazeltine and around the recreation office/​room) where the grass is definitely greener, no pun intended. Overall this park is pretty dirty which is sad since its in a nice neighborhood, but the community it attracts brings it down. If you must visit, stay on the dirt walkways!!!

I go to here like two times in a week in the morning or in Saturday with my two dogs it’s very nice place for a walk

Great Park for everything and every Sunday they have volleyball team that you can just come and play. As well as tennis and much more
Very convenient with plenty of parking around the park

I love playing tennis here every other day. The courts are usually full so I like to come around 8 and play until 10 or 11pm. I don’t like how most people use the courts as a soccer ground but it’s quite amusing because they go all out in creating an actual setting for a soccer match. Haha! Overall, the courts are in pretty good condition and in a safe vicinity.

This park is amazing! It is so well organized and the staff is awesome! This is my first season here for my children and they love it, the atmosphere and the new friends they are making. I will continue to come here, as well as my kids.

Cool place. I came here with my friend for a friendly soccer game, the field is in a good condition, it is quiet and clean. Come here guys and play some soccer ! Recommend this field !!!

Nice park, big with several parking lots. The park has soccer fields, a full fledged baseball facility with batting cages, baseball diamonds, shaded picnic tables and a lot of open space in general. The turf soccer fields are fantastic. I’m holding back one star because 1) The natural grass soccer fields (in a separate area from the turf fields) have NO grass. It’s just dirt. So when the kids play on it there’s a dust storm and all players and parents are covered in dirt by the end of a game. 2) The turf fields don’t have lights so AYSO soccer practices have to happen early in the day after the Fall time change, which is impossible for parents who actually have a job (who can leave work at 3pm so their kid can go to an earlier soccer practice? #RichPeopleSchedules)

The park itself is great. Very well maintained and has great lighting. Little did I know that a PUBLIC park by Los Angeles County would cost $ 8.00 per hour to play tennis. Aren’t public parks paid for through tax dollars? Why is it necessary to charge an additional fee? Their rationale is that the tennis courts are free before 4 PM and they begin charging after 4 PM. Great, so they charge people after they get off work and want to blow off some steam. What makes me angry about this is that this is public, free to the community, but apparently not.

Awesome, vast, clean — good equipment and well-​kempt. Kudos to the city. c gets very crowded in the summer, but great play area.

I come here to play Tennis! Only Weekend!
During the week good luck finding a court before 12pm.
Old folks keep the courts All Day it’s Ridiculous!
They come like 8am.
Summer it’s even worse they are at the courts 6am !
They’re so cheap they don’t want to pay $ 5/​hr but they keep the courts all morning ugh!
It’s just Fair if they charge these morning hours like they do at Balboa Tennis Park.
I go to Balboa Park during the week to avoid this hustle anyway.

I have had my 6 and 9 year old participate in their youth Football, Baseball and Basketball programs. I am especially impressed with their Flag Football. The whole program is run by Cullan Haywood, who is approachable and has a «no nonsense» style to running things. If you are thinking about your kid getting involved, you’ve found the right place.

One word.
THIS PARK HAS A CALISTHENICS GYM, TWO ACTUALLY!
if youre trying to get your bar starzzzes on you know where to come. HERE. watch some motivational clips if you need but GO GET your swol on like that one guy from Rambo 2, i think his name was RAMBOWWWWW!

It’s a park… and it’s great! Everything works and is clean.
The swings/​children area is fairly new and is kept in good shape.
I got here to jog at night and it’s great. 1 loop around the baseball field is half a mile… the big loop (around the whole park) is about 1.3 miles.
Lots of people jogging with their dogs, but I’ve never seen them leave anything behind. Great place to come work out, play basketball, swim, or just relax.

Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE — 2014: ³⁸⁄₃₆₅
This place is the safe haven for kids…
I know I can count on coming here any day of the week to not only work out like doing muscle ups, race around the track, or shoot a hoop, etc…
I can bring my adorable nephew to this park and easily meet up with our family friend with their kids and just have a ball…
The kids love, love, love the sand…
They love the swings older and younger all alike…
They love the slides…
They love the interaction with the other families and their kids…
It is a priceless moment to spend here on any day…

Of the four parks in the area with workout equipment, this one has the nicest setup. The machines are spread out a bit with a meandering walkway and some newly planted trees. The other parks just picked a tiny 30ft x 30ft section and plunked all the stuff down together with no though at all to esthetics, shade, or doing any sprinkler modifications. The new trees will eventually provide some shade — in 10 years — probably once the equipment has all rusted out and been forgotten about.
Other than that, this park is super-​huge and offers lots of amenities: baseball fields, soccer fields, pools, playgrounds, etc. Unfortunately, to make room for these, all forms of nature/​beauty have been eliminated. There are very few mature trees, no gardens, no fountains, and no public art. Nobody else seems to mind though. The park is really busy on weekdays and packed on the weekends when thousands and thousands of kids show up for their soccer games. Good luck finding a parking spot.

Not a bad park, but it’s completely surrounded by streets, which can take away from the nice nature part, and make you feel like you’re encased in cement. In regards to nature, there isn’t many interesting trees, or flowers. In fact most recently, one of the trees snapped in half and was taken away. A lot of the grass is patchy too.
There are a lot of areas activities though: Swimming, Volleyball, Baseball, Basketball, and Football. There is a nice playground if you have kids too.
Plenty of parking on the street, or the small parking lots of the west, south, and east sides of the park.
The bathrooms or terrible though. They always smell, have strange liquids on the floor, and there is only 1 stall with a door. I guess they take your privacy in the doorless stalls, to protect you. Sounds like the NSA to me.
Ingress players! There at least 7 portals here.

Size = 3 Stars
Variety = 2 Stars
Parking = –½ Star
Safety = –1 Star
Cleanliness = –½ Star
Size:
This park is HUGE! It takes up so much space with all of the activities that they have for the public… which leads me to variety.
Variety (please note that some of the following activities cost $$):
Basketball courts (indoor and outdoor), a community center with many activities for people young and older, a public swimming pool with a high-​dive, baseball/​softball fields, benches/​tables, nice play structures for children, okay play structures for tots, and even grassy hills to roll down.
Parking:
It really depends on the day. The lot is relatively small considering the size of the park. They do have more than one lot, but all of the lots are small. Some lots are closer to the baseball field, some are closer to the play structures, bathrooms and community center. Sometimes when there are birthday parties, the lots can be completely packed. Then you have to find a spot in the residential area adjacent to the park.
Safety:
I have nothing against homeless people. I understand that they are in a bad place in their lives and deserve to be treated with the dignity and respect that all people should be treated with. However, I do have hesitations about allowing my children to play in parks where homeless people and vagrants wander and sleep. There are legitimate safety concerns. Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park does have a handful of vagrants/​homeless people. I have seen very little police presence at the park. Also, today (1÷11÷14), I found a green container with «medical» marijuana in it ON THE PLAY STRUCTURE as I was playing with one of my children!
Cleanliness:
The bathrooms are stinky and gross. That, along with finding narcotics on the play structure makes me think that it would be nicer if someone were cleaning up the place a little more often.

Bathrooms need a little maintenance
But great sized gym with basketball courts.
Beautiful play area for the younger kids
Cheap ice cream trucks with tasty treats typically parked in front.
Cheap snacks during recreational basketball games equipped with a popcorn machine.
Overall cool place for families to come out during the weekend to play and hang out!

Great place to run, walk your dog, play basketball, soccer, baseball, hang & lounge with family and friends, have a birthday party, dog training, workout — you name it — this is a perfect spot for all to enjoy.
I personally love coming here after work to do a couple laps around the park with my dog. Since daylight savings time just kicked it — this place is pretty busy after 6:00PM with families and sport afficionados!
A large wrap around the park is appox. 1.3 miles — perfect for a stroll of if you’re trying to keep track of your distance. They have basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, and mini workout areas. Also, you are able to park on Hazeltine or there is a mini parking lot. I love this place and am so happy it’s walking distance from my apartment. Definitely check this place out for all your outdoor activity needs!
My only complaint is there are clear signs that say dogs need to be on a leash. Now, I’m sure your dog is trained an all — however you can never be too sure, it is an animal. I for one thing ALWAYS keep my dog on a leash and hate when these annoying barking little dogs run up to my dog (who is medium size) and the owners could care less — I have a beyond friendly dog but some don’t. Please keep your dog on a leash, keep them close, please pick up their poop and be aware of your surroundings to keep them safe… YOU are responsible for their well being. Thanks!

Times have changed drastically since we were kids. We played with Lite-​Brite and Teddy Ruxspin while children today dwindle time away with an iPad. We used pay-​phones to call our parents to pick us up when we «went out». Kids today? They have cell phones at an age when they can’t even memorize their own phone number. We played in a dirt field, with one swing set, and called it a park. Children now-​a-​days play have «Parks» with a capital P! Why did I create a proper noun there? Well, because parks today are not how we remember them. These are entertainment centers!
Let’s consider the Van Nuys– Sherman Oaks Park. Not only is it massive in its actual square footage measurements (in terms of a neighborhood park); but its offerings are also quite extensive. Featuring baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a volleyball court, olympic-​sized pool with high and low diving boards, 2 playgrounds (one for toddlers and one for older children), gymnastic-​style equipment, biking/​jogging path, and a Rec center for camping/​activity classes; the Van Nuys-​Sherman Oaks Park is more of a compound than a park which will satisfy both children and adults.
Now, I don’t have any children of my own but the two playgrounds seem to bring smiles to the faces of the little dirt-​smudged kiddos. The toddler playground is protected by an enclosure, is low to the ground, and procures softer materials to prevent bumps and bruises. The «big-​kid» playground is well-​entwined with swings, slides, creative monkey bars, etc which brings hours of fun. The extra detail which stands out in comparison to other playgrounds? This one has a synthetic material beneath your feet which feels like a trampoline with its bouncey-​response technology. Even if you aren’t a child, it is fun to walk across it. Gone are the days of our youth when you merely had dirt, sand, or mulch to fall on!
Although the courts are open to the public, some need reservations or a paid fee. The baseball fields are used by local little league teams and therefore require a permit. Special permission isn’t required for use of the tennis fields (per se) but it does requite a cash-​only $ 8/​hr fee. The pool is also for those taking swim classes or with special permits/​events; but once you see how large and professional it is, you will want to inquire about this.
Need to catch your breath? The Van Nuy-​Sherman Oaks Park has several picnic tables, large-​leafy trees, and grassy knolls to rest your body after your strenuous activities. Is your tummy growling? Well, luckily for you, the park allows small grills to cook up those hot dogs or hamburgers.
Times may have changed and children today may be spoiled; but at least at the Van Nuy-​Sherman Oaks park, even us adults can partake in the fun. Move over kiddos!