"I Descended The Hidden Staircase Into The Enchanted Garden."

Welcome to Cayuga Park. It's secreted down a narrow staircase between two houses on Alemany near Naglee. It's 3-acres of magic, thanks to Demie Braceros, the gardener here for almost a quarter century. When Demie was first assigned to this park, it was a secluded and dangerous place, in the shadow of an elevated BART rail, and with a sandbox littered with hypodermic needles. Families did not come here. A day at a time, Demie, with the support of Rec & Park, turned this into a magical place. Today it features a community center, basketball and tennis courts, and a lush garden. But what makes it special are the dozens of wooden figures that Demie carved and painted over the years. Nature. Mythology. Religion. Sports. History... It's a whimsical treasure chest of images, and a hidden delight. Well worth the trouble of discovering this oasis.

That's Demie Braceros on the left: The gardener responsible for all this magic. And a Giants fan, of course.