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This message has been edited. Last edited by: synthplayer,

I’ve been going to San Francisco for decades, occasionally. This is for work reasons, not vacation. This has been in the heart of the city, Union Square, Market St, etc..

There used to be a lot of tourists, many international, the last few years, very few.

When I am there, recently as 6 weeks ago, I never patronize a restaurant. Any food I need I get at a grocery store after a walk. Years ago I’d go out to eat. No need for high priced drinks either.

They would rather cater to the homeless, so be it.

San Francisco Nutella!

At the 10 minute mark in the first video, I used to work in that Safeway.

As far as the Lucky Penny at about 12 minutes in the fourth video, that restaurant closed back in 2015. That was my favorite place to stop on late nights during graveyard shifts working at Muni.

I worked in San Francisco in the early 80’s…stayed at a B&B - The Inn on Castro Street, for one week a month.

When I was there, it was a thriving, totally enjoyable city - great restaurants, theatre, musical venues in the nightclubs - truly nothing bad to say about the City.

Now, I don’t think could be paid enough to live or work there, it is such a shithole (literally).

What has become of a beautiful, vibrant city is a modern tragedy!! So sad…

I grew up in San Francisco. That was pretty depressing. I went there for three days last month just to spend time with relatives. Didn't bother to go anywhere but their homes. I prearranged to park on their driveway instead of parking elsewhere and risk getting my car windows broken.

Alioto's being closed certainly is a death knell.

Alioto's was one of my favorite restaurants there , the other being Scomas

Unfortunately what happened/happening in SF is sad but the voters are really to blame and what's even more tragic is the same voters keep voting for the same politicians who are responsible for the decline of SF and other major democratic run cities.

quote:

democratic run cities.

There's nothing "democratic" about the way Democrats run cities.

You MAGA types are insane. That right there is a Utopia.

I watched those metal Leo vids on SF the other day. I worked downtown everyday for 15 years have been back once for 3 days since covid. Those 3 days were sad. The financial district is decimated.
I’m really shocked about pier 39 and Aliotto’s etc.

There’s a few other more real estate centric YouTube guys doing analysis of the commercial real estate and office vacancies and the consensus is it’s going to get worse before it gets worse.

Sad, I lived in Foster City in the late 80's, spent a lot of time in the city (SF).

Met my wife there, her brother had a business on Post between Grant and Sutter for many years before he passed, he'd be upset with seeing SF as it is now.

We spent almost every weekend in the city, Aliottos, Scomas, the Pier, Ghiradelli, riding the cable cars down to The Buena Vista to get Irish Coffee on cool days.

After we left flew back many times, stayed in a small boutique hotel The Cartwright which is right down by Union Sq.

Outside of the political and as a result the social issues in SF, it was always a great city to visit and stay.

Really a shame.

I've been avoiding the City like the plague for years now. Haven't been in at least 5 years.

When I was younger, I enjoyed the nightlife in SOMA (anybody remember City Nights? And that club off Townsend (can't remember the name)?). How about the restaurant Embarko? Etrusca? Union Square was also a mixed bag for me, being so close to the Tenderloin. Used to go to the 24 Hour in Northpoint.

I wonder how Japan Town is doing. How about Pacific Heights, Fillmore, Marina? (north) Sunset district? Even back then, I didn't frequent Castro, Mission, south Sunset / Daly City, or anything south of SOMA.

SF to me was always a little off but had some nice aspects. Now, wouldn't touch it w/ a ten foot pole.

My family has deep history in San Francisco, I'm 4th gen now living in Napa/Solano County-area and I go into the city about once a month. Most of what that guy shows in the video are the 'tourist' areas- Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Union Square, parts of downtown...all of those locations look like shit today. Most of the business still open either have sweetheart leases or, they also own the building. Lots of storefronts closed, stores that remain open all have security guards , much of the merch is behind lock n'key or, they're just not carrying much. Bbig-box retailers have half their merch secured, department stores have gone the way of the dinosaurs, Union Square used to be the epicenter of West Coast shopping, you experienced 5th Avenue or, the Miracle Mile with a wide range of luxury boutiques and department stores...no longer; iconic Macy's will be closing at the end of the year.

City government completely mismanaged both the pandemic and the blowback of the crime wave from Proposition-47; the Chamber of Commerce has zero influence, attention or, position within the mayor's office or, any of the supervisors thus the concerns of merchants aren't heard or, minimized. The SFPD like most LE agencies have been demonized and castigated by elected officials resulting in staffing shortages, and the District Attorney before he got ousted by a re-call did tremendous damage clashing with LEO's and abusing his prosecutorial discretion by waving or, minimizing charges of repeat offenders. The city charges property owners for not cleaning up graffiti on their property, even if it's a weekly issue. I believe a vacancy tax continues to get floated about the Board of Supervisors for unoccupied store-front...its dumb measures like this that continue to drive people away.

Neighborhoods like Pacific Heights/Filmore, Laurel Village, Marina, North Beach, Hayes Valley, Japantown, Noe Valley, Cole Valley, West Portal, Excelsior, Mission, Sunset and Richmond are doing fine, they don't look like the downtown and the tourist areas. Each neighborhood lost a number of retailers during the pandemic however, crime has increased across the board in all neighborhoods. All the BS that happened in Bayview/HP and Potrero, it spilled-out as the thugs realized that zero-prosecution meant they could prey on the further-out areas of the city where brazen law-breaking wasn't as pronounced previously. The pandemic also allowed all manor of idiotic measures and activities to occur, from mismanaging parklets for restaurants, 'traffic-calming''neighborhood traffic only' street obstructions, closing of a number of thoroughfares to vehicular traffic, to a new concept bike land down Valencia St.

IN short, some areas of SF look like a movie or, fiction novel, other parts of the city are surviving despite gov mismanagement and the over-indexing of special interest group projects. All my friends who live there, do all their shopping outside of the city. My family that remains are elderly, they don't get out too far but, that doesn't get my blood pressure up when I hear they took the bus somewhere.

I used to enjoy the food scene. Little places like South Park Cafe. Fringale. Delancy Street. Embarko. Etrusca. Boulevard. Harry Denton. Max's, One Market, House of Prime Rib. Oh, and Beard Papa. There were about 30-40 places I'd visit over the course of a year (can't even remember their names now) for very good mid/upper tier dining. I spent way too much money in my youth on fine dining. Drinks at Nob Hill, Top of the Mark, BoA Bldg (50th floor?).

No idea what's still around anymore.

Good times....

Its the same thing in Seattle...

Many yars ago I used to go to San Fran for meetings that lasted 5-6 days. I loved this city and so looked forward to getting back there. Well, that was then, and this is now......what a shame.

I have a friend who lives in Bernal Heights. He says despite all the problems, his neighbors believe the Democrat lie hook, line, and sinker. They are like sheep, think Trump is the devil, etc. I often wonder how stupid can they be, the evidence is so overwhelming.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
My family has deep history in San Francisco, I'm 4th gen now living in Napa/Solano County-area and I go into the city about once a month. Most of what that guy shows in the video are the 'tourist' areas- Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Union Square, parts of downtown...all of those locations look like shit today.

Neighborhoods like Pacific Heights/Filmore, Laurel Village, Marina, North Beach, Hayes Valley, Japantown, Noe Valley, Cole Valley, West Portal, Excelsior, Mission, Sunset and Richmond are doing fine, they don't look like the downtown and the tourist areas.

I lived in the City from 1966 to 1976...secondary school into college and the above is very accurate from what I hear from folks still living there. Many have moved further into the South Bay but still visit regularly.

While I used to love wandering around downtown, I just stay out in the Avenues nowadays when I go. It is convenient that New Chinatown became a thing...not a Chinese centric as the San Gabriel Valley, but still pretty nice

The problem is California in general:

quote:

California Target could be charged for reporting theft to police, reports say

https://komonews.com/news/nati...o-the-sacramento-bee