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San Francisco

I hadn't been to San Francisco in years, but enjoyed visiting in the past. After spending time there recently, I didn't get a feel for the city like I had before.

Homeless people face down in the crosswalk, zombie crackheads, unjustifiable cost of living, and an overall sense that every follicle of oxygen is flecked with the feces of several thousand humans, living and non-living.

It is not a walkable city like New York, and does not offer the same return, yet charges the same prices.

What do you think about San Francisco?

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by Anonymousreply 268September 19, 2019 1:18 AM

San Francisco has a lot of homeless people and is absurdly expensive?

I've never heard this, let's discuss this novel topic!

by Anonymousreply 1July 30, 2019 10:54 PM

The close proximity of the houses is claustrophobic.

by Anonymousreply 2July 30, 2019 11:04 PM

It's not suburbia r2. The whole point of cities is the close proximity, urban density.

by Anonymousreply 3July 30, 2019 11:14 PM

It was great fun in 1978.

by Anonymousreply 4July 30, 2019 11:23 PM

[quote] It was great fun in 1978.

Before the dark times. Before the empire.

by Anonymousreply 5July 30, 2019 11:25 PM

It's fine as a tourist destination. I love the Castro still. But I wonder what is like to live there now. I loved it in the 80s and early 90s.

by Anonymousreply 6July 30, 2019 11:28 PM

I have mixed feelings. Because there is still great beauty here and I find this city very walkable yet....I own a condo downtown. I’m giving myself a few more years here at the most. It’s nice owning property but it’s too much bullshit on the streets. . All the scum and the crime they bring and the city is allowing it. Or else the non-profits would be out of business. Hundreds of millions of dollars a year spent on the issue and homeless is up 30% since 2017.

by Anonymousreply 7July 30, 2019 11:31 PM

What are the pros of living there?

by Anonymousreply 8July 30, 2019 11:33 PM

It is walkable.

by Anonymousreply 9July 30, 2019 11:33 PM

SF is the second most walkable city in America. OP is upset at the hills.

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by Anonymousreply 10July 30, 2019 11:34 PM

NYC is on its way to being just like San Fran. You all keep sitting comfy until even you wannabe NYers can’t afford it any longer.

by Anonymousreply 11July 30, 2019 11:34 PM

I know people that walk everywhere there.

OP is just lazy or making shit up.

by Anonymousreply 12July 30, 2019 11:34 PM

OP is the San Francisco shit troll.

FF

by Anonymousreply 13July 30, 2019 11:35 PM

What are the pros of living here? Depends on your job and your income. Broke asses don’t do well here cheap living was over in 2000. Cost of living is expensive food is pricey there’s no such thing as a five dollar meal unless it’s fast food or maybe a Vietnamese sandwich even burritos are expensive. I have empathy for people who are just hanging on but most of them get a clue and move out of San Francisco. It makes no sense for poor people to move here.

by Anonymousreply 14July 30, 2019 11:40 PM

What kind of city pushes everyone out that doesn’t make at least $300k a year? There are people making $150k that still struggle there.

by Anonymousreply 15July 30, 2019 11:42 PM

[quote]What are the pros of living there?

Beautiful city, gorgeous outdoors near the city, arguably the best food scene in America and of course if you work in tech it is the capital of the industry which has brought a lot of the people there (much to the long-timers chagrin)

by Anonymousreply 16July 30, 2019 11:44 PM

A shithole. Literally.

by Anonymousreply 17July 30, 2019 11:46 PM

The company I work for are moving one of their divisions from the SF bay area to the Midwest due to the high cost of living. The entire area is out of bounds in costs.

by Anonymousreply 18July 30, 2019 11:46 PM

[quote]What kind of city pushes everyone out that doesn’t make at least $300k a year?

Housing shortage. San Francisco is a small place with a limited housing supply, even has height restrictions. When all the tech people move in, the housing demand outstrips the supply and housing costs go through the roof.

The basics of supply and demand.

by Anonymousreply 19July 30, 2019 11:50 PM

I'll never go back! It was impossible to sit in a sidewalk cafe without being harassed by zombies. They are EVERYWHERE! I was used to NYC homeless back in the day, but the ones in SF took aggressive panhandling to a whole other level. My last trip to the West Coast was LA which was infinitely better. IF you stay in the right areas, you don't have to deal with their homeless zombies, unlike SF where they're in every nook and cranny.

by Anonymousreply 20July 31, 2019 3:34 AM

I used to love The Nook and Cranny back in 1998.

by Anonymousreply 21July 31, 2019 3:40 AM

R18, is your company The North Face?

by Anonymousreply 22July 31, 2019 3:57 AM

Complete and utter shithole. You can find much better scenery elsewhere., and Chicago has the best food hands down.

by Anonymousreply 23July 31, 2019 4:42 AM

Sorry to say my last visit a few years ago was likely my last visit, period.

I used to love San Francisco and have probably visited a couple of dozen times, at least. And I grew used to the yuppies and the homeless to some extent.

But when I was there last time the charm was gone entirely. Tech bros everywhere, downtown a case of the truly desperate living among those who have way too much, and no genuine soul or quirkiness or artsy feel anywhere that I could find.

Friends who lived on Church near Market were being passively forced out by their landlord (they said their small one-bedroom, which was rent controlled, could go on the market for $4000 a month and the landlord would have his pick of tenants).

There was one last gay dive bar in the Tenderloin, which used to have eight or nine of them, and it was being forced out a couple of months after I left. I asked the bartender and some of the patrons where they were going to go after that, and they just didn't know, because there were no places like it in the city any more.

San Francisco just was no fun any longer, and that was even sadder having visited there so many times when it was offbeat and beautiful and funky, and you could have a blast on a low budget or by shooting the works.

by Anonymousreply 24July 31, 2019 4:44 AM

What was the most annoying to me was the way the city has allowed the homeless to take over BART. All the stations have junkies shooting up in plain sight (I can only assume that installing blue lights is insufficiently woke), and instances of trains getting delayed because of junkies/crazies on the tracks have increased 50 percent just in the past few years. I didn't see it when I was last there, but I've also heard the trains are effectively mobile homeless shelters at this point. Meanwhile, citizens need to be able to get to their destinations. Ugh.

Where SF goes, all other large cities are sure to follow.

by Anonymousreply 25July 31, 2019 5:05 AM

How I cope with San Francisco: 1. Have a partner. 2. Earn a modest salary which, together with his, enables us to afford a decent 1BR with a nice view and parking for our motorcycles. 3. Ride a motorcycle so I don’t have to take Muni or BART.

Normal people can live normal lives here. And we don’t have to pay for AC or heat (much). And it’s beautiful.

by Anonymousreply 26July 31, 2019 5:29 AM

Walkability has more to do with whether a city is hilly. You've got to be in decent physical condition to walk an incline/decline constantly. A lot of disabled people and senior animals have difficulty navigating San Francisco.

by Anonymousreply 27July 31, 2019 5:33 AM

R26 A fellow "normal" person here, living in SF. I don't have a partner, but my landlord is a mensch. I'm holding on to my golden handcuff (affordable, rent controlled apartment) till the bitter end.

by Anonymousreply 28July 31, 2019 5:47 AM

R20 That’s one of my major complaints and zombie is the right word I see indescribable things daily the corruption of the nonprofit sector’s homeless industrial complex is sickening. Hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain.

R24 you’re referring to the Gangway Larkin at Geary That was a heavy blow like a library closing. Now there’s a yuppie ‘kung fu laundromat bar’ I stopped in and got served a short pour of cheap wine in one of those short thick bar glasses. First and last time I’ll be visiting. Aunt Charlie’s is still alive and well but it’s too dangerous on Turk street for me. I’ve stop arguing with people who try to tell me Turk isn’t dangerous it sure is.

R26 or inherit money/property.

by Anonymousreply 29July 31, 2019 5:59 AM

R25, we had a similar problem in Houston. Kush addiction is rampant in the street population (and that's street people as opposed to generally homeless people). If you went to a Metro train station, you could see guys lighting up, other people passed out on the sidewalk, and usually vomit on the platform. After dozens of kush smokers were hospitalized and it made the news, public will seemed to motivate Metro to do something about the problem. Now Metro police run people off the platforms if they can't show they've paid. The no smoking policy is enforced. (The no smoking policy in the city parks is also enforced by the regular police). I can take the train without sidestepping passed-out zombies and vomit. Metro sends people onto the trains to check for paid fares, and they ticket people for not paying. Public transportation is much more pleasant.

Houston is not as liberal as San Francisco, but it's still blue territory. San Francisco can change this if public sentiment forces it.

by Anonymousreply 30July 31, 2019 6:38 AM

What is "kush," R30?

by Anonymousreply 31July 31, 2019 7:04 AM

I was just in San Francisco last weekend, during the Dore Alley Festival. It truly is a sex pig city thy weekend. My friend that I stayed with was unexpectedly sick on Saturday, so I all day Saturday hooking up down in SOMA. This guy that I had been taking to on Scruff recommended that I check out the Friendly Fire Party. It was a fisiting party. The most decadent and shocking sex party that I had ever been to. Several hundred guys, all ages, all types, quite a few attractive ones, and some stunning ones, were wrecking and fisting their sloppy holes. It was a revelation. On Sunday, went to the Dore Alley Festival. Eh. I’m over any gay situation that does not involve fucking. I picked this guy, and we spent the night in his hotel room, fucking. He was a cutie. I flew home yesterday, and I am so tired now. I left my ♥️ in San Francisco.

by Anonymousreply 32July 31, 2019 7:09 AM

R31 Kush is weed. "California Kush". It's constantly mentioned in rap music.

by Anonymousreply 33July 31, 2019 7:19 AM

Makes NY seem cheap.

by Anonymousreply 34July 31, 2019 7:47 AM

Vast areas of SF (the Mission, SOMA, the Sunset) are flat, or nearly so. People who so choose can organize their lives so they never have to climb hills at all.

by Anonymousreply 35July 31, 2019 3:33 PM

Is that Houston queen seriously complaining about people smoking weed like it is the same as heroin addicts?

Oh my MARY!

by Anonymousreply 36July 31, 2019 3:37 PM

What kind of weed causes people to vomit and pass out all over the place, and how did it hospitalize dozens?

by Anonymousreply 37July 31, 2019 3:37 PM

It doesn't r37.

by Anonymousreply 38July 31, 2019 3:39 PM

Left in 1996. Enjoyed my salad days there, being wild and carefree. Still visit quite often, but that city is long gone, as many upthread have noted. As the Houston writer noted, perhaps enough will tire of this new, unlivable SF, and demand change. That would be nice to see before I croak! Lol

by Anonymousreply 39July 31, 2019 3:55 PM

It’s still a beautiful city - if more expensive. The homeless thing is way overplayed. There has ALWAYS been drug addicted homeless downtown and the Haight. It’s what I remember from my first visits in the 80s/90s. Just learned to avoid downtown (never stay in the hotel zone near Union Square). A long weekend in the Castro is one of the best gay vacations in the world. Top notch food, tons of gay bars, pot stores, perfect weather (especially for a NYer in the summer), fabulous architecture - and som of he most spectacular scenery in the world within 30 minutes.

Like NY - and every other thriving global city, it’s gotten crazy expensive. But it still is incredibly unique and wonderful - even after 35 years of visiting, it’s my favorite city in the world.

by Anonymousreply 40July 31, 2019 4:14 PM

I watch movies from the 1970-80s about SF and NYC and they both looked so wild, fun and sexy. Today they just look expensive, gentrified and boring.

A young gay guy today could not move to either city because it would be too expensive.

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by Anonymousreply 41July 31, 2019 4:23 PM

R40, I’ve lived in or near the Castro for 10 years, and am baffled at its continuing popularity among tourists - especially European ones, for some reason. Maybe I’m just jaded, but it doesn’t seem all that special to me. About 1/5 of the storefronts are empty because of greedy landlords, and there are passed-out junkies in most of them.

It used to be a nice area for an aimless stroll, but not so much anymore. Noe Valley is so much more pleasant now.

by Anonymousreply 42July 31, 2019 4:25 PM

Some of the guys in r41’s photo - if they’re still alive - are undoubtedly multimillionaire property owners who are enthusiastically participating in making SF unaffordable to newcomers who aren’t rich.

by Anonymousreply 43July 31, 2019 4:27 PM

It's like the Tales From The City reboot. The magic is gone.

by Anonymousreply 44July 31, 2019 4:33 PM

I thought kush was K2, aka, the synthetic weed. It's way worse than pot.

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by Anonymousreply 45July 31, 2019 4:54 PM

[quote] never stay in the hotel zone near Union Square

It's been a long time since I've walked around Union Square, but is this really true?

by Anonymousreply 46July 31, 2019 5:41 PM

The Castro Nudists are old and ugly. Wouldn't mind if they were young and cute. But no . . .

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by Anonymousreply 47July 31, 2019 5:51 PM

The Castro nudists are also str8 and come from outside the neighborhood.

Re: Union Square, beggars flock there because they know that tourists are soft touches. Locals generally know better. These days there are Roma women who beg on SF sidewalks while holding drooling infants; after a hard day’s work they get into their cars and drive home to Fremont. It’s quite a lucrative racket apparently.

by Anonymousreply 48July 31, 2019 6:14 PM

I was there this month and the homeless thing is not overplayed. They are everywhere at all times of the day.

by Anonymousreply 49July 31, 2019 7:25 PM

Everything changes . . . I miss my little place up on Taylor, the Cathedral, Buzzby's, the Haight where I fell in love with Gerard, all the clubs where we danced the night away . . . so distressed about what has happened to my little ole hometown; recently we sailed in aboard Ruby Princess® & delighted in the Bay Bridge's lightshow from our balcony, had a wonderful lunch with my sister and her husband, and then sailed away at midnight; gliding under the Golden Gate imparted another kind of magic . . . the City will never be what she was, but nothing stays the same. Just happy to have been there in a truly magical time!

by Anonymousreply 50July 31, 2019 9:42 PM

I lived there from 2005-2015. I miss it so much. I made a pretty penny on my loft I owned near the ballpark and moved to LA to be with my boyfriend who later became my husband I hate it here. The homeless problem in SF ain't got nuthin' on DTLA. LA is too big and full of shitty empty strip malls and fast food joints. There are some decent pockets in LA but you have to drive in endless traffic to get there. I made a huge mistake and wish I'd never left San Francisco. I was there last March and I'd move back in a minute if I could afford to. Even with all its changes, it still charms and is a lovely little city.

by Anonymousreply 51July 31, 2019 10:09 PM

The transition from a walkable city like SF to a car focused city like LA was tough for you r51?

But OP said SF wasn't walkable, why it's just the same as LA right!

by Anonymousreply 52July 31, 2019 10:15 PM

R51 LA is a far cry from the 7X7 of SF, eh? Yeah, too much sprawl in SoCal.

by Anonymousreply 53July 31, 2019 10:25 PM

San Francisco is a physically beautiful (green, hilly) and charming (buildings, liberal culture) city. Comparisons to L.A., apples and oranges. SF (depending on your neighborhood) can be a walking city (no shit). There really aren't that many cities where you can walk, from your apartment, to a good restaurant, a bar, good stores, etc., like you can in SF. No matter what has happened to SF (people being priced out), it still has its beauty and charm. I don't know what it will be like 10 to 20 years from now, though.

by Anonymousreply 54July 31, 2019 10:42 PM

I’ve been in SF for 10 years, and it’s still largely recognizable. I wouldn’t expect it to be terribly different in 10 or 20 years from now.

by Anonymousreply 55July 31, 2019 11:00 PM

[quote]you’re referring to the Gangway Larkin at Geary That was a heavy blow like a library closing. Now there’s a yuppie ‘kung fu laundromat bar’ I stopped in and got served a short pour of cheap wine in one of those short thick bar glasses. First and last time I’ll be visiting. Aunt Charlie’s is still alive and well but it’s too dangerous on Turk street for me. I’ve stop arguing with people who try to tell me Turk isn’t dangerous it sure is.

Yes. And the Gangway was a lovely, low-key place with a very mixed crowd of regulars — black, white, Hispanic, young, old. One of my favorite places to stop in San Francisco. Luis and (was it Mike?) behind the bar had been there forever. And if you went out in the little entryway to hang out with the smokers, all of the Tenderloin would pass by.

I did stop at Aunt Charlie's. I'm glad it's still there but, yes, Turk Street is really rough.

And I say that as someone who used to go to the Peter Pan down the street, which felt like a bar in a John Waters prison movie and actually had a security guard not standing at the door, but making endless circles around the interior to make sure no one got mugged on the INSIDE of the bar.

by Anonymousreply 56July 31, 2019 11:03 PM

R51 What you describe is exactly why I haven’t sold my condominium yet. But I’m seriously burned out and travel a bit to escape the nonsense.

R40 You sound like the fake woke homeless industrial complex they always under play that issue. You’ve been only visiting the city I’ve lived here since the mid-80s. One of my pet peeve’s is people being dismissive towards San Francisco’s vast and abhorrent street druggie problem. There’s a big difference between visiting a city and living in it day to day.

The street druggies decimate neighborhoods they are now on Nob Hill they fucked up Castro businesses of course Civic Center where the two playgrounds for children have to have 24 hour guards otherwise they take over that. The Mission....Valencia Street is their playground. They are on upper Van Ness and Nob Hill, saw one on California near Trader Joe’s with a shopping cart full of filth.

R56 Louis is the Gangway bartender you were referring to they were all good especially Andy do you member him the plump blonde southern guy?

R54 Those bits of optimism and beauty and yes it’s a walkable city keeps me here but my patience is thin. My compassion is gone I side eye all beggars ignore all sob stories.

by Anonymousreply 57July 31, 2019 11:24 PM

Turk Street - you always had to be on your toes there. It was always like that, IMO. Don't know why someone would want to say it's an easy walk.

by Anonymousreply 58July 31, 2019 11:44 PM

It is and always will be The Alabaster City. It’s beautiful and it always will be you dumb ass OP.

by Anonymousreply 59July 31, 2019 11:49 PM

Has anyone been to Anchor on Castro? I miss that restaurant.

by Anonymousreply 60July 31, 2019 11:54 PM

R59 coming at you from 1968

by Anonymousreply 61July 31, 2019 11:57 PM

Yes R60. Been going to the Anchor for as long as I’ve lived here they remain consistent.

R58 I find there is a high level of denial about San Francisco’s issues. It’s usually from tourists or newcomers. I consider those people idiotic who downplay crime.

by Anonymousreply 62August 1, 2019 12:00 AM

[quote]Louis is the Gangway bartender you were referring to they were all good especially Andy do you member him the plump blonde southern guy?

Yes, Andy (I mistakenly said MIke). Nice guys who always remembered my name and my drink even though I was just a tourist.

by Anonymousreply 63August 1, 2019 12:03 AM

Just a shell of what it once was. My cousins still visit the city each year but they have their favorite place to stay and eat at restaurants that haven't been discovered by the tourists. I stopped visiting there years ago and doubt if I'll ever return.

by Anonymousreply 64August 1, 2019 12:03 AM

Andy is a doll. Some of the old Gangway bartenders migrated to Diva’s the transsexual bar but that also went out of business.

by Anonymousreply 65August 1, 2019 12:05 AM

There is still plenty of fun to be had at bars in the Castro (Midnight Sun, 440, The Mix, Badlands) and great Mexican and Chinese and Vietnamese food. I lived there for a year in 2012 and didn't own a car. I lived in Chinatown and worked in West Portal. I took the MUNI and walked, and made it work for the year. Uber was just getting going then; I think if I had stuck it out I would have just taken a ride-share as needed.

by Anonymousreply 66August 1, 2019 12:11 AM

Wow you lived in San Francisco for a whole year seven years ago let’s give you a metal.

by Anonymousreply 67August 1, 2019 12:14 AM

R60 - if you mean Anchor Oyster Bar, then yes. Definitely the best restaurant in the Castro and one of the best seafood places in the whole city.

by Anonymousreply 68August 1, 2019 12:15 AM

[Quote] let’s give you a metal.

Oh, DEAR!

by Anonymousreply 69August 1, 2019 12:19 AM

R67, the metal I'd like most is platinum but I will settle for gold or silver. Thanks for your kind offer!

by Anonymousreply 70August 1, 2019 12:25 AM

San Francisco, as far as schools, has: USF (Jesuit university), SFSU (almost not even geographically within SF), Hastings law school, UCSF Medical, City College of SF. Not really any vibrant, political undergraduate university. (No offense meant, I did not graduate from any prestigious schools.) Maybe Berkeley and Stanford are close enough.

Do you think lack of a vibrant, liberal undergraduate university in the actual city of SF has an effect on things?

by Anonymousreply 71August 1, 2019 12:28 AM

I’ve lived in SF since 1995. I’ve seen all the highs as lows and more than you can imagine. Husband and I own a house in the East Bay and I’ve kept my rent controlled studio apt. all these years in the Mission. Divide my time between both locations until I retire in 5 years. There’s no other place to live in this Trumpy country. If you like the Arts, excellent restaurants everywhere, freedom in thought and politics, geographic beauty and an amazing Mediterranean climate like no other in the US then you stay in SF. It’s that simple. Fuck the Tech Bros. And you learn to deal with the Homeless.

by Anonymousreply 72August 1, 2019 12:35 AM

Does San Francisco have a Mediterranean climate?

by Anonymousreply 73August 1, 2019 12:36 AM

I thought SF had microclimates, depending on where you were in the city? Hot and steamy in the Mission, cold and breezy in Outer Richmond?

by Anonymousreply 74August 1, 2019 12:38 AM

Kush is a synthetic cannabinoid or synthetic marijuana, depends on who you ask. It turns the users into idiots and zombies. Train stations and parks were full of street people begging for money to buy more or lying on the sidewalk passed out. The Houston train stations are much cleaned up, thanks to an almost constant Metro police presence. I don't know what the parks are like. But Houston has a problem in some areas with street people making life unpleasant for citizens.

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by Anonymousreply 75August 1, 2019 12:39 AM

No place in SF is “steamy” under normal circumstances. We do have microclimates - in summer it can be 55°F at the beach and 80° in the Mission at the same moment - but the warmer areas are also very dry. And it’s virtually *never* warm anywhere after dark.

by Anonymousreply 76August 1, 2019 12:59 AM

I always wanted to retire there before it's latest, catastrophic lifestyle issues. I wanted a 4 room apartment in one of those small modest art deco buildings, with my interior done up in gaytastic Bauhaus meets Chinoiserie lux.

by Anonymousreply 77August 1, 2019 1:03 AM

Exactly R72. Easy to criticize - but no one can suggest a place that has all SF has to offer. It’s always been an attractive city and likely always will be. That’s what makes it expensive. Even in the 80s people were complaining how expensive it was getting - before tech even got started.

by Anonymousreply 78August 1, 2019 1:26 AM

San Francisco was the first place that I was able to get professional help (sliding scale cost) for some mental health issues. It was a long time ago and I suddenly remembered that this was my starting point. I don't know if there is any other city that has those kinds of resources at sliding scale. There was no stigma that I felt, just help from caring people. SF has a place in my heart because of this.

by Anonymousreply 79August 1, 2019 4:53 AM

I live in the Bay Area but not SF. When I took my sister to the city, we made the mistake of taking BART (and going back to BART via Civic Center area at night and we saw several homeless people shoot up). Being from the Midwest, she said “I don’t think that was insulin....” I don’t blame the homeless people, I blame the ridiculous level of income inequality that just keeps getting worse. Research has shown that it’s cheaper to house homeless people than to let them suffer and then treat them in the ER for emergencies. It’s fiscally cheaper to do the charitable thing so why aren’t more cities heading in this direction?

The character of SF is changing and has been over the past 20-30 years. A lot of colorful and interesting people getting pushed out by landlords renting to techies. But SF still has charm and I will always love the art museums, architecture, and quirky neighborhoods.

And yes, BART is falling apart, has crime issues, electrical problems, smells like urine, and is always hot in the summer. Used to be nice in the 2000s, but now looks like NYC subway in the 70s because they won’t put money into upkeep or safety/security.

I still love the Bay Area, but the cost of my decent sized house in the burbs would only buy a tiny closet studio in the city. Not worth it to me; I can BART in whenever I want to immerse myself in SF culture.

And still waiting for that tech bubble to burst like they’ve predicted for decades.....

by Anonymousreply 80August 1, 2019 5:30 AM

It’s great if you have money and live in a nice neighborhood. But like all major cities there are too many people. It also attracts way too many vagrants. I have lived here for 35 years and the decline in the last 5 has been brutal. Public transport falling apart etc.

by Anonymousreply 81August 1, 2019 5:36 AM

[quote]Research has shown that it’s cheaper to house homeless people than to let them suffer and then treat them in the ER for emergencies. It’s fiscally cheaper to do the charitable thing so why aren’t more cities heading in this direction?

Nobody wants them housed in their neighborhood. And it's not all that practical to try to house them in SF anyway, with some of the highest housing costs in the country. Yet SF can hardly expect outlying towns to take on their burden. Plus a lot of homeless people don't want to be in the system, don't want to be subject to any sort of requirements or regulation.

by Anonymousreply 82August 1, 2019 6:24 AM

Housing homeless is also not a good investment if they won’t work and can’t pay bills.

by Anonymousreply 83August 1, 2019 3:08 PM

[quote]The company I work for are moving one of their divisions from the SF bay area to the Midwest due to the high cost of living. The entire area is out of bounds in costs.

This is not a new phenomenon. The insurance company that my father worked for (located in the Financial District) thought it was getting too expensive and moved the offices to Sacramento. In 1976.

by Anonymousreply 84August 1, 2019 3:42 PM

Yes, it's always been expensive in San Francisco. A lot of people ignored the problem when gentrification and raising rents affected the poor and working class in the city. Now it's almost impossible to be middle class, even upper middle class, and live here. This is why San Francisco seems unlivable to most "normal" people. It was never this bad for regular folks with regular jobs. Ok, you couldn't afford to live in the Marina or North Beach, but you could afford to live in the Outer Sunset or south city neighborhood. It used to be if you couldn't afford one neighborhood, you moved to another. Now you have to move out of the city, to neighborhoods farther and father away, because the entire Bay Area is getting too expensive. Even Oakland, which would have surprised me 10 - 15 years ago.

by Anonymousreply 85August 2, 2019 1:58 AM

How is the weather in Oakland? Also micro-climates? I lived on Van Ness and Lombard. Quite spotty weather daily.

by Anonymousreply 86August 2, 2019 2:07 AM

San Fransisky? So did you drove or did you flew?

by Anonymousreply 87August 2, 2019 2:09 AM

Homeless wander BART and Muni like zombies.

by Anonymousreply 88August 2, 2019 2:28 AM

Did SF Jacks ever restart up? Shame that folded ...

by Anonymousreply 89August 2, 2019 2:43 AM

How about the Church of the Glory Hole. It was the only way to have a legal sex club.

by Anonymousreply 90August 2, 2019 2:45 AM

R29 Marlena's (although not in the TL) was another San Francisco institution that was a must during my every visit. Marlena's was a mid-afternoon shopping break and Gangway was always a stop before a night out. I met some amazing characters at both over the years and heard some fantastic city history. I'm there 5-6 times a year and it saddens me to walk by either and see what they've now become.

by Anonymousreply 91August 2, 2019 2:50 AM

And Aunt Charlie's has never been the same since Vicki Marlane (R.I.P.) left us.

by Anonymousreply 92August 2, 2019 2:52 AM

There is an ugly uprising being planned like the movie Us. That is my fear for the shitty by the bay.

by Anonymousreply 93August 2, 2019 3:38 AM

I am from Southern California and I could not believe San Francisco would be cold in the summer. I was 21 and I brought summer clothes. I was freezing the entire time in SF. It was in the low 60s and foggy in August.

by Anonymousreply 94August 2, 2019 2:10 PM

But supported, managed housing can work wonders for a some homeless. It represents a solution to some extent and some is better than none. It's less of them roaming the street. I bet a number of them - a significant number - could be assisted into more conventional, stable living with the right approach (which is not just to build subsidized housing and leave them be.)

The VCP program is an example of what can be done. From their website: A specialized community of tiny homes combined with wrap-around, onsite services to get homeless Veterans off the street and transition them to permanent housing. Built by Veterans for Veterans, VCP Village is specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of Veterans while recreating the stable support network last offered to them before they left the service.

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by Anonymousreply 95August 2, 2019 2:29 PM

I actually like the new San Francisco. There is an energy and drive that is present now. To live well here, one must be competitive and accomplished.

Before it was just a bunch of weirdos patting each other on the backs about how weird they were. Gays included.

The homeless problem was created by the weirdos, and not techies. Weirdos wanted everyone else to have a space to be weird and are the only people still advocating for the homeless because everyone else is working at Google or Apple or Salesforce.

It's nice having young good-looking successful people around.

by Anonymousreply 96August 3, 2019 12:51 AM

R96, you sound very “let them eat cake,” darling.

I visit SF frequently and have since well before the current homogeneous, tasteless, artless, colorless personality of the city. Activists treated the homeless as people who were (and still are) having their human rights violated.

Now, no one could have predicted just how bad things would get. But what we see now in SF is partially a symptom of society’s lack of motivation to help and address mental illness, post-active duty war veterans, drug addiction, and so forth. I was just there for an extended visit, and after reading more horror stories here, I was pleasantly surprised. In previous visits, I had many more negative experiences with the homeless than this visit, it may have just been lucky timing, who knows?

I would like to see SF and *all* major cities do more for the homeless, but cities can only do so much. The states and the fed are who can make a bigger dent. Regardless, SF is still hands down the greatest city in America, in every category. SF (I speak in broad terms) is a template for all city governments to look toward. More than anything, I love how much it has tried to honor historical preservation, beauty and aesthetics, creating wonderful public spaces, and of course, the FOOD.

by Anonymousreply 97August 3, 2019 1:31 AM

You say San Francisco is the greatest city in America? In every category?

The most important part of what you wrote is you “visit frequently” 😑People who write what you did never live here for decades it’s typically visitors tourist or someone who has a part-time home here not someone living day to day.

San Francisco is a piss pot.

by Anonymousreply 98August 3, 2019 1:36 AM

The homeless problem (which really is about substance abuse/ mental illness) is getting worse here in SF. I've lived here since 2002 and also I'm a BA native, so I'm going by experience going back longer than that as well. The are that I live in, the Sunset/ Parkside, isn't the coolest neighborhood but it' regarded as one of the safest in the city. However in the past 2 years I'd witnessed more homeless, druggie presence in the neighborhood. We now have our own "regular" homeless folks on the sidewalks now, and I mean sidewalks lining residential homes not storefronts. About 3 weeks ago I was walking to my car and a paranoid schizophrenic homeless guy was walking towards me, he was agitated and in the throes of having a conversation with an imaginary person, obvious auditory hallucinations so I deliberately avoided him by crossing the street. I work in mental health so I'm cognizant of what's going on and how to defuse situations involving people experiencing psychosis.

More and more frequently at night, I'm hearing disturbances caused by homeless people who are intoxicated, and a few times I had to peak through my windows before going outside because I didn't want to get caught up in whatever was going on. Things are getting worse.

by Anonymousreply 99August 3, 2019 1:44 AM

R97 You can only do so much for the homeless population. A large segment of that population is made up of the criminally-inclined, those with severe mental illness, and substance abusers, sometimes a combination of all of those factors. The problem with housing the homeless is that many of them break the rules that govern group homes, such as abstaining from alcohol, drugs, and committing crimes. It's why many of the patients that I used to see in the prison system never seem to be able to stay out of trouble. They get housing then kicked out of housing then back on the streets then back to jail. It becomes a cycle until they do something bad enough to get them locked up in jail or mental hospitals. Not all of the homeless are like that but a substantial number of them are, and I really don't know if there's a one-size-fits-all solution. The homeless deserve our compassion particularly those who became homeless due to bad decisions in life or just bad luck. I'd put more money on rehabilitating that segment of the homeless population first, and I believe we need to reform mental health system/ laws to make it easier to force the severely ill homeless to be institutionalized until symptoms are stable.

by Anonymousreply 100August 3, 2019 1:53 AM

AlmondMilk, I *knew* you would say that, and it’s completely fair. No harm, no foul. Of course, being a visitor in no way compares to being a resident. And yes, it is also a pisspot right now. My BFF has however lived there for 20 years, loves that city like a favorite lover, and that has shaped my view of the city in addition to my actual countless experiences there. In spite of all its current problems, in my opinion it is still the greatest US city. Out of curiosity, which cities do you believe rank above SF?

by Anonymousreply 101August 3, 2019 2:01 AM

R99 that’s helpful. Like R101 I’ve felt it’s always been an issue and don’t notice a significant change on my regular visits. More opinions of long time residents appreciated. But as a 30 year visitor from NYC, it’s still my favorite city/area in the US.

by Anonymousreply 102August 3, 2019 3:33 AM

R101 don’t mind me I admit I’m burnt out New York City is better than for the fact that based on their population their homeless situation doesn’t come near ours. I was in NYC this spring for some weeks walked around and saw for myself.

I can afford the prices I can tolerate the tech bros. It’s the street druggies trolling as homeless & the pandering coddling and enabling they get. They are human vermin and they attract more vermin, drug zombies the protected class. It’s the homeless industrial complex covering their asses if the nonprofits solve the issues they’d be out of a job.

by Anonymousreply 103August 3, 2019 5:08 AM

You make highly legit points. Let’s face it, it’s a system that isn’t working. I do think though that it’s finally reaching a tipping point. SF has been getting so much bad press that the city will be forced to handle this situation in a different way.

I adore NYC by the way, even though it’s just a shell of its former glory. Your city completely trumps NYC, and I love that place too. You have the weather, the hills, the views, the architecture, I could go on and on.

by Anonymousreply 104August 3, 2019 5:28 AM

I'm sure many San Franciscans secretly wish the homeless, druggies, public shitters and other assorted crazies would just be rounded up and dropped on an island somewhere, but they're too polite to say it.

by Anonymousreply 105August 3, 2019 5:55 AM

Vicki Marlane documentary

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by Anonymousreply 106August 3, 2019 6:08 AM

Alcatraz would make an ideal homeless shelter.

by Anonymousreply 107August 3, 2019 6:21 AM

My mum was born in San Francisco, I was born in San Francisco. I remember the City as being magical, exciting, infinitely fascinating, and most of all, beautiful. Until all you ship-ins shit all over it and destroyed it.

Last time I saw my hometown was three years ago. I stood on the corner of Powell and Market, saw the decay, the human garbage and flotsam everywhere. It reminded me of Mumbai and Calcutta. I wept for my childhood memories that were long gone.

You can go home again. But it will break your heart.

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by Anonymousreply 108August 3, 2019 6:22 AM

Yes, it's really bad R108. But if you grew up in SF, you must remember that there were always a ton of homeless people downtown. Put the rose colored glasses of nostalgia down for a minute.

by Anonymousreply 109August 3, 2019 6:25 AM

R108 You and your Mum did your fair share of shitting all over it, let's be honest.

by Anonymousreply 110August 3, 2019 6:27 AM

R96 I really just read what you wrote what a crock of nonsense. Looking young people🥴👹? Tech bros and tech chicks have no fashion sense no looks, an indoor pallor and are skinny fat. They don’t get much exercise order in and smoke pot around the clock The homeless problem was created by SF employees who live in Marin County & East Bay, bureaucrats who happily zip over bridges at the end of the day. Also also it’s the newbie tech children who are advocating for the zombies they think they’re harmless pets they buy them tents FFS! People like me the long time citizens are sick of the shit.

by Anonymousreply 111August 3, 2019 6:55 AM

^^good looking young people

by Anonymousreply 112August 3, 2019 6:56 AM

[quote]But if you grew up in SF, you must remember that there were always a ton of homeless people downtown.

R109 A ton? Uh, no there were most certainly NOT! A few bums sleeping on the benches in Union Square, who were rousted by the cops to move on. A few winos south of Market and in the Tenderloin. NOTHING like the street after street of homeless I saw from Mission all the way down to Townsend. The complete decay, the wretchedness, the hopelessness; those did not exist in the San Francisco of my youth.

People had far more dignity and self-respect in the San Francisco I grew up in. They cared about themselves, and their City. That is no longer the case.

by Anonymousreply 113August 3, 2019 7:08 AM

It was Reagan who shuttered mental health hospitals. They could be replaced in abandoned malls or grocery stores. People with mental health disorders can get care, support and medication where they can live a dignified life. It’s disgusting the way homeless mentally ill are treated in the USA. We treat stray animals better than our fellow humans who are suffering, but I still love our pets. VOTE FOR CHANE 2020

by Anonymousreply 114August 3, 2019 7:24 AM

CHANGE 2020

by Anonymousreply 115August 3, 2019 7:25 AM

R114

Deinstitutionalization started under Kennedy and is supported by civil libertarians. It's nearly impossible to forcibly commit someone, and, while limited resources is part of it, it's not even close to the main culprit. California, with its high taxes and more generous welfare state, could fund its own mental health institutions, but everyone in charge knows they'll never be able to get the hopeless and/or violent mentally ill into those institutions, not without an enormous fight against the ACLU.

by Anonymousreply 116August 3, 2019 8:34 AM

Yes, it started before Reagan.

by Anonymousreply 117August 3, 2019 3:47 PM

SF was not always expensive. In 1972 my husband and I were 21 and moved from MPLS. to SF. Our first apartment was $160 per month. Even adjusted for inflation it was a third of today's prices. Today that apartment would run 3500 per month. There were apartments for rent everywhere. We ate on a shoestring. But, we ate well. Reagan hadn't emptied the mental institution onto the street. I don't remember any homeless issues then. We lived on Nob Hill and it was glorious.

by Anonymousreply 118August 3, 2019 4:05 PM

Haight in the 70s was filled with the same people - but they were just called “hippies”. And the rent was cheap enough - and there were tons of “communal” living setups - they could find a place to crash. Yes, there are more and they are more visible, but the roots of this were in place as a result of the Summer of Love marketing that encouraged drug addicted drop outs to move to SF. That has now come to clash with skyrocketing real estate prices and extreme concentration of wealth beyond imagining 50 years ago.

by Anonymousreply 119August 3, 2019 4:16 PM

Most of the hippies I knew back then ended up getting regular jobs eventually. Many were very talented artists who earned selling art to tourists etc. Hippies weren't the problem. Things started to go south when the assassinations occurred. Big business and money took over when Dianne became mayor. Then Reagan, then AIDS.

by Anonymousreply 120August 3, 2019 4:24 PM

Not a Republican here, but I wouldn't blame mentally-ill people being let out on the streets as solely Reagan's fault. It was the result of several factors, a major one being individual rights. Specifically this resulted in the pendulum swinging to the other extreme where severely, mentally-ill people cannot be locked up AND even if they're locked up they cannot be forced to undergo treatment. At the jail psych unit where I worked a couple of years ago, that was the situation. We'd get these obviously mentally-ill inmates who get prescribed antipsychotic meds while in jail but they could always refuse to take them.

At inpatient psych facilities, you can get admitted involuntarily on a 5150 hold. You can then be prescribed treatment but you also have the right to refuse treatment. The only time that you can have treatment forced upon you is during an emergency situation where you're deemed to be an imminent danger to others or yourself. After that single administration of meds (usually injection but not always), the treatment usually ceases because the patient again refuses. The staff would then have to get a court order to make the psychotic patient take the prescribed meds. But these patients are usually let out before that ever takes place again, for multiple reasons.

Address substance abuse, mental illness among the homeless population if you really want to tackle the problem at its core.

by Anonymousreply 121August 3, 2019 4:29 PM

In 1980 I landed in San Francisco and stayed at the YMCA for $35 a week. I got a job in a honey factory (not a whorehouse,but actual honey from Canada!) and within a few weeks I was able to save up enough for a 1 bedroom apartment at $145 a month INCLUDING electricity . It was an amazing time to be there,and there was dick to be had 24-7 . I remember a 2nd floor walk up Chinese restaurant where you'd get a HUGE container of wonderful food for $3.The very first gay parade Id ever seen was there.200,000 screaming queens ,it was surreal to a boy coming from a shitty backwards southern city. Im sad for the young people nowadays who dont have the ability to enjoy cities like San Francisco , New Orleans ,Denver,etc without a pocket full of cash. I saw them all on a shoestring but have amazing memories.

by Anonymousreply 122August 3, 2019 4:32 PM

Did any of you live in SF during the Zodiac killer years? What was that like? I would have been terrified.

by Anonymousreply 123August 3, 2019 4:36 PM

Agree R122. The reality is poor kids don’t have the mobility we had even 30 years ago. Not sure what they do, I guess the internet and wider acceptance of gayness helps. But the freedom and adventure are gone.

by Anonymousreply 124August 3, 2019 4:37 PM

I moved to San Francisco in 1978 without funds, education are job skills. I rented an apartment for 150 bucks and my salary from my temp jobs covered the rent. I was poor but able to do it. The same kid would never be able to do this now. That apartment is probably 2,000 dollars a month and temp job salaries haven't risen much. I lived in a great time.

by Anonymousreply 125August 3, 2019 4:44 PM

R123...Yes and the Zebra killer as well. Plus the whole Patti Hearst drama and the SLA. It was around that time we decided to move to the country.

by Anonymousreply 126August 3, 2019 4:48 PM

R126, I’m not that same poster. Do you mind sharing where in the country (without ruining a lovely secret haha)? I’m asking because I am obsessed with Mariposa. If you can’t divulge I understand.

by Anonymousreply 127August 3, 2019 5:16 PM

There are exceptions but the homeless don’t want to be in homes. They want to do drugs and never have to show ID.

by Anonymousreply 128August 3, 2019 5:26 PM

R128, that’s true of many, but not all, so stop with your hatred. Should we take them out behind the shed? Have them take a stay at the lovely hotel at the bottom of the river?

by Anonymousreply 129August 3, 2019 5:29 PM

I don’t hate them but I don’t support wasting public funds. Most are drug addicts that won’t get help.

by Anonymousreply 130August 3, 2019 5:33 PM

Varying reports exist on the percentage of homeless individuals with a substance abuse problem. Some studies estimate that about 40 percent of the population is dependent on drugs or alcohol. Others say the figure is more than 50 percent. Several accounts even suggest drug use is twice as common among the homeless, per capita, than among the general population.

by Anonymousreply 131August 3, 2019 5:40 PM

R130 but the truth is that many people go through a cycle of dozens of relapses before it sticks. So what may look like “waste” to you could in fact be the time it works for an addict. I’m not saying though that I don’t see your point, I do. But we need to restate our definition of what “success” will look like in treating this population. Some money will be used on people who will die, that’s the cost of doing business.

by Anonymousreply 132August 3, 2019 5:44 PM

R127...Sonoma County

by Anonymousreply 133August 3, 2019 6:34 PM

Ahhhhh, thank you. You are fortunate, you live in a beautiful place.

by Anonymousreply 134August 3, 2019 6:37 PM

R82 you have a good point, but there are powerful cultural and economic issues behind the lack of housing for the homeless. It has to do with the way housing is created and obtained. It has to do with our personal beliefs about what constitutes a community. And it has to do with the circumstances of the homeless.

The biggest problem at present is if any particular city in the US decides to start giving away housing, there's going to be a stampede. There will be very difficult arguments about who deserves housing, what kind of housing they deserve, etc.

A big part of the reason housing is so expensive is because builders always make sure in most cases to build just enough, and never enough of the less expensive stuff. I've long thought that the government should sponsor the building of enough affordable housing in order to keep builders/developers in check.

Many of the current homeless cannot function in an independent living situation. If they are placed in a traditional home, they will destroy it or burn it down or create mayhem for their neighbors or all of the above. Many homeless need other services beyond a home. In such circumstances, NIMBY is to be expected, and might be appropriate.

by Anonymousreply 135August 3, 2019 8:49 PM

Every time I read about San Francisco here on DL people say it's full of homeless people who shit on the streets. Is this true?

by Anonymousreply 136August 3, 2019 9:35 PM

No, Rose, it’s a vast right wing conspiracy. ^

by Anonymousreply 137August 3, 2019 9:55 PM

R113 I came to San Francisco in the mid 80s there were always some street people but absolutely nothing at the level we are experiencing now. It’s true the Upper Haight always had street hippies Civic Center had thugs and Union Square had a few bums. San Francisco in 2019 is an embarrassment and a health hazard.

R128 You’re exactly correct because the majority of the people that are on the streets in San Francisco are druggies! They get high around the clock. This summer season is staggeringly disgusting. Parts of downtown San Francisco looks like a war zone. I do a walking tour with all of my out-of-town visitors. We go from the beauty to the filth. Everyone can’t believe what they’re seeing.

Everybody knows to walk in the street or the curb you do not share of the sidewalks with the lunatic druggie zombies and their pit bulls tents and filth.

Naturally I take them to all the areas of beauty typical tourist traps. The Castro Lombard Street Pier 39 Golden Gate Bridge Chrissy Field Golden Gate Park across the bridge to Muir Woods, of course Napa but I make sure they see the nasty center of San Francisco. None of them are interested in returning soon.

R136. Yes

by Anonymousreply 138August 3, 2019 10:11 PM

I learned from this photo that there is some method behind this: after shitting their pants during an OD situation, some addicts remove their trousers just before passing out to keep from ruining what may be their only pair of pants.

#TheMoreYouKnow

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by Anonymousreply 139August 3, 2019 10:16 PM

Another example, less gross.

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by Anonymousreply 140August 3, 2019 10:25 PM

I didn’t need to see that r139.

by Anonymousreply 141August 3, 2019 10:27 PM

That's really disgusting and sad, R139 , but it does explain the presence of human fecal matter on the sidewalks.

by Anonymousreply 142August 3, 2019 10:29 PM

R139 Those two photos are examples of what’s on the street of San Francisco 24 hours. Regardless of what the occasional tourists newbies and those who are seriously in denial about the problem say. When people live on the streets they do everything on the streets. That is the reality of SF today.

I thought those photos were from this website they stopped updating four years ago yet it’s as current as ever.

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by Anonymousreply 143August 3, 2019 10:31 PM

R122 R125 is the story of many great cities - SF, NYC, Amsterdam, London, PARIS X3!!!, Barcelona,Tel Aviv, etc.

Back in the day, if you worked, you could survive and live great experiences in wonderful cities.

by Anonymousreply 144August 3, 2019 10:32 PM

As at least one person noted, half-way sane areas are getting fewer and smaller... and I'm not someone who likes pristine suburbia. For more than 30 years I've gone at least once in a while, about 20 times/year for some stretches. The Tenderloin's always been at least a bit sketchy, but it was all within a relatively small area. Of course the rent is vicious... as people pay more, get less. With regard to the vaunted restaurant scene, I went to more than a few places that had considerable popular and critical acclaim, found that too many did not offer good value, served food that was nothing special, served me something that was supposed to be hot and it was barely warm, packed a silly number of tables into a tiny place.

by Anonymousreply 145August 3, 2019 10:48 PM

Yes. Unfortunately, the homeless defecate on escalators (causing more waste of money to fix), shit on the sidewalk and leave their needles around where dogs or children could eat them. The city is way too lenient and it’s out of control. Talking about housing ignores the lack of public safety around this immediate problem.

by Anonymousreply 146August 4, 2019 2:05 AM

Sounds like you need a Mayor, DA, and population willing to bend on human rights. Social Services can't fix this. People who shoot up and shit in public need to be prosecuted and sent to mental health facilities until they can show they can live in civil society. Or they can go live in isolated camps - provide them basic shelter and food. Detention camp. They don't belong in populated areas. Certainly not in a rich country. It would be one thing if they were building shanty towns and trying to get by, looking after each other, and bumming for for some cash. This is not the situation.

by Anonymousreply 147August 4, 2019 2:11 AM

I used to jog around the polo fields in GG Park, but a couple of recent incidents there scared me enough to stop doing that. I was jogging at early morning and this homeless guy jumped out of the bush and tried to rush me. Then another time about mid-morning, another homeless guy literally dropped his pants and took a dump in the middle of the tracks, he did it so quickly and matter of fact way that all of us who witnessed it were in shock.

by Anonymousreply 148August 4, 2019 6:04 PM

San Francisco is over. The only way I’d live there now is if I won the powerball. If you’re not wealthy there’s no reason to live there.

by Anonymousreply 149August 4, 2019 6:13 PM

San Franshitsco

by Anonymousreply 150August 4, 2019 6:16 PM

I swear there's going to be some horrible epidemic in San Francisco with all the human shit everywhere. That used to happen all the time back in the old-timey days. Cholera outbreaks and such.

by Anonymousreply 151August 4, 2019 6:26 PM

R151 - I would relish that!! ❤️ kill em all

by Anonymousreply 152August 4, 2019 6:30 PM

When I lived in New York, I thought that a good job/life in San Francisco would be ideal.

After living in California for years, I would take a decent job and place to live in New York over San Francisco in a second.

by Anonymousreply 153August 4, 2019 7:38 PM

I walked by Mission High today and homeless were camped on the public property. This makes me Angry - Angry - that this is ho hum. Why is it tolerated? They leave a mess and then kids go in the next day.

by Anonymousreply 154August 4, 2019 10:21 PM

Ditto R153. Always wanted to live in SF rather than NYC. Now I’m very happy to visit every year - and I still love it - but have no desire to live there full time. Wears thin after a while. But it is beautiful.

by Anonymousreply 155August 5, 2019 4:39 PM

I was getting off the freeway in Santa Monica and there was a guy SHITTING on the shoulder of the off ramp.

by Anonymousreply 156August 6, 2019 1:30 AM

R139

It doesn't just happen when they OD. When heroin addicts detox, they have an uncontrollable urge to shit.

by Anonymousreply 157August 6, 2019 3:52 AM

Yes, withdrawal cause uncontrollable shits, and lots of it.

by Anonymousreply 158August 6, 2019 4:36 AM

The shit just rolls out they can’t help shitting themselves. It is a side effect of withdrawal.

by Anonymousreply 159August 6, 2019 12:18 PM

Lived in San Francisco for 10 years and now live in DTLA- It's like the TL on acid. So gross here and so many homeless. I've never seen anything like 6th street in DTLA heading from the historic core to the 60 or 5th street going the other way. It's what I imagine Calcutta to look like. It's heartbreaking and disgusting. I was just in San Francisco in May and it's bad in parts but NOTHING like LA. I was in Los Feliz yesterday and there are tent cities there. Angelina Jolie lives there for fuck's sake! Maybe she could adopt some of them.

by Anonymousreply 160August 6, 2019 6:55 PM

Exactly R160. The DTLA homeless scene is beyond third world. At least they have wooden or metal shacks or some kind of shelter. There are blocks of LA with some of the most desperate scenes I’ve witnessed in the world. Shocking.

Curious why you chose DTLA? Especially with the expanse of Metro now you could live away from it but still commute in and out of DTLA easily.

by Anonymousreply 161August 6, 2019 8:02 PM

It is absolutely unbelievable, the homeless in SF and LA.

by Anonymousreply 162August 6, 2019 8:35 PM

R160 here, my now husband lived there and when I'd visit it seemed to have potential. It most certainly does not. Kinda trapped financially here for a few.

by Anonymousreply 163August 6, 2019 9:28 PM

Once I was walking in GG Park and a man stopped his car, got out screaming, and started chasing me. I ran into the museum and got a security guard to help me call the police. I will never forget that mans face—he looked completely psychotic. It was terrifying and it took the glow off the city for me.

by Anonymousreply 164August 6, 2019 9:36 PM

R160 Skid Row in LA is a fraction of the Night of the Living Dead zombies of San Francisco.

by Anonymousreply 165August 7, 2019 12:00 AM

No R165 - LA is worse, much worse. People like R165 just show how overhyped the homeless issue is in SF. Or maybe how prissy and sheltered they are. LAs skid row is much worse. But people in LA are aware of the extremes. In SF they seem to feel they should be isolated in their little bubble of tech billionaires. God forbid reality intrude on the fantasy.

by Anonymousreply 166August 7, 2019 12:23 AM

R165 No...no it's not. Not even close. There are approximately 60,000 homeless in Los Angeles and 7000 are congregated into the very small area of Skid Row. San Francisco's homeless number approximately 7000 and they are spread across the city. That's 49 square miles in SF vs .4 square miles in Los Angeles's Skid Row. I've lived in both cities and visit SF often-I've never seen anything like Skid Row. Mayor Garcetti needs to be impeached, tarred, and then feathered.

by Anonymousreply 167August 7, 2019 12:25 AM

R167 here...." recalled" not impeached. That word just rolls off the tongue so easily nowadays.

by Anonymousreply 168August 7, 2019 12:40 AM

With more than five million people in LA County compared to the 900,000 on a good day in San Francisco, homeless make up a percentage of the population in SF.

Unless they are indoors, no one goes through a day in San Francisco without seeing homeless people. Not the same in LA.

by Anonymousreply 169August 7, 2019 1:31 AM

Having recently experienced the hell of West Hastings in Vancouver, I'm not sure which approach is better.

On the one hand, containing the most hopeless homeless in one area mostly protects the rest of the city, especially residential neighborhoods, and allows the rest of the city to function reasonably well. On the other hand, concentrating them in one area leads to first world Calcutta which is embarrassing and terrifying and completely destroys the one part of town where the homeless are quarantined.

And I guess another horrifying thing about this issue is that everyone seems to have given up on actually solving the problem. Managing the problem and/or containing it are apparently the only options right now.

by Anonymousreply 170August 7, 2019 1:42 AM

SF native, LA transplant from 1994 - 2008, back in SF since then.

SF's issues are far worse than LA. Skid Row in DTLA is No Man's Land. No reason to ever be there.

SF's homelessness is not contained and widespread.

In LA, people are comfortable telling homeless to fuck off and the homeless do.

In SF, the homeless are crazy and will attack you. Not to mention some self-righteous Progressive will probably Homeless Shame you.

In LA, the cops may just respond to an issue with homelessness. In SF, good luck getting the police to do anything.

In LA, people do try to acknowledge that homelessness does interfere with quality of life.

In SF, people accept the homeless as a fact of life.

by Anonymousreply 171August 7, 2019 3:07 AM

Been living in SF in 2003, if it weren't for the fantastic weather, food culture, highly educated population, money/ economy, and proximity to outdoor activities of all kinds, people wouldn't put up the with level of civic dysfunction here. SF is banking on people continuing to put up with shit, literally, because of the things that Bay Area has to offer. It hasn't hit a boiling point yet because you still can't talk about the homeless problem here without being accused of being a Republican.

by Anonymousreply 172August 7, 2019 3:17 AM

I do think SF will reach a tipping point soon but I agree that overall apathy is a major problem. That plus the “civil rights of homeless” is unfortunately part of the PC culture of SF City Hall. They need to take real action not just accommodate it.

by Anonymousreply 173August 7, 2019 3:22 AM

r169 There are more than TEN million people in LA County.

by Anonymousreply 174August 7, 2019 3:29 AM

This article is about an area less than a mile from my house (in suburban LA County.) The homeless situation is really out of control everywhere, and there seems to be little that we can do about it.

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by Anonymousreply 175August 7, 2019 3:32 AM

Yes there are more people in LA county than in 41 states, it's pretty crazy.

by Anonymousreply 176August 7, 2019 3:32 AM

Are people waiting for a plague or a series of murders? The trajectory is not good. I am sure it’s bad in LA but SF doesn’t have a lot of space for so many homeless.

by Anonymousreply 177August 7, 2019 3:42 AM

The homeless population in SF is fairly concentrated too. Most of them are in the Tenderloin, SOMA, Mission, Castro, and Upper Haight. Geographically, that’s only about 1/3 of the city. There damn sure aren’t any sidewalk campers in Sea Cliff or St. John’s Wood.

by Anonymousreply 178August 7, 2019 4:43 AM

[quote]St. John’s Wood.

That's a suburb of London. You mean St. Francis Wood.

by Anonymousreply 179August 7, 2019 4:45 AM

The homeless are now in the safe residential areas like Sunset and Parkside, it's a change from just 3 years ago. It's gotten worse so don't sugarcoat it. I've been in the same neighborhood since 2003.

by Anonymousreply 180August 7, 2019 4:50 AM

Oops. Of course that’s what I meant.

by Anonymousreply 181August 7, 2019 4:54 AM

I see 5 or 6 homeless everyday walking to work.

by Anonymousreply 182August 7, 2019 5:29 AM

R171 I live and own a business in DTLA so I rarely leave the area. Lived in San Francisco from 2005-2015. DTLA's homeless is not just in Skid Row it's all over the downtown area. The cops don't do shit here, no one is doing anything to help these people, and the violence is out of control. A friend was having coffee directly in front of my apartment building in broad daylight when a crazy hit him in the face with a 2 x 4 with nails in it splitting his nose and lip(and because this is DL I'll mention he is a hot straight Serbian dude with an adorable basset hound). As far as no one going to skid row well, it's creeping into the historic core and beyond with new laws passed allowing the tent cities all the way up to Main Street, so it is absolutely not contained. We can disagree here but I assure you as a person living here and who frequents San Francisco, SF ain't got nothin' on the homeless in DTLA. DTLA is the Thriller video come to life. Again, SF is 49 square miles, Skid Row is .4 and has the same amount of homeless. I live in the Historic Core and work in the Fashion District and pass a minimum of 20 people asleep on the sidewalk during my three block walk. At one point in my walk, I pass some new apartments that rent up to $10,000/month and have human shit in front of them on the daily. I can't wait to escape LA.

by Anonymousreply 183August 7, 2019 6:18 PM

[R183] A Handsome Serbian with a Basset Hound got hit in the face?! How is his face? How is the dog? I hope the guy who hit him went to jail. It’s getting to the point that you have a choice between living in the dystopian hell of urban America or the dystopian hell of Trumptardia.

by Anonymousreply 184August 7, 2019 6:37 PM

Wait - LA passed a law allowing tent camps?

by Anonymousreply 185August 7, 2019 8:16 PM

A well-placed garrote and a firm hand can solve even the toughest problems. Just a thought.

by Anonymousreply 186August 7, 2019 8:57 PM

R183 sounds to me like you in live in Skid Row. Should have done some research on the area. You basically moved to the Tenderloin. There are areas of DTLA closer to Staples that would have been better.

Sure all of SF is not at Tenderloin-levels, but you've got to be really bitter about buying into Skid Row to even think LA's homelessness is worse than SF's. Get out to West Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Malibu more.

by Anonymousreply 187August 7, 2019 9:38 PM

LA is worse. But like everything in LA vs SF, different density. Like Beverly Hills, West Hollywood vs. St Francis Wood, Sea Cliff, Pacific Heights.

by Anonymousreply 188August 7, 2019 9:51 PM

I don't doubt that poster is 100% correct that DTLA is worse than San Francisco.

by Anonymousreply 189August 7, 2019 9:54 PM

Whenever I enter one escalator on Civic Center, I can tell it’s going to collapse. It’s been fixed maybe 12 times in one year. I think people will recognize it when they see the cracks.

What is LA’s plan beyond one year?

by Anonymousreply 190August 8, 2019 3:32 AM

I’d be so depressed if I lived in DTLA. I only stay in West Hollywood and Malibu when I visit LA county, but the Internet pics are just dreadful. I would be scared to put gas in my car or grocery shop in DTLA!!

by Anonymousreply 191August 8, 2019 8:16 PM

I never understood why DTLA is hot and people are willing to pay serious money to live there. It’s a slum.

by Anonymousreply 192August 8, 2019 9:37 PM

Because it was the new thing and people in LA eat up whatever's sold to them as "happening"

It also came up when hipsters were making every inner city decaying new again.

by Anonymousreply 193August 8, 2019 10:44 PM

It's pretty easy to understand. People like urban environments people like walkable neighborhoods.

DTLA is a way to get that in LA, a city that isn't really classically urban. If you are coming from NY/Chicago/Boston/SF etc then DTLA is going to look pretty appealing if you are used to that type of urban lifestyle.

by Anonymousreply 194August 9, 2019 12:02 AM

Seems relevant

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by Anonymousreply 195August 18, 2019 1:36 AM

[quote] What do you think about San Francisco?

We think their utter disregard of hygiene is disgusting.

by Anonymousreply 196August 18, 2019 2:57 AM

I think LA will eventually have a major revolution and turn into the next Detroit. People will flee in droves as the homeless overtake the cities resources. Crime will rise and they will have their own homeless militia. At least I’ll finally be able to afford housing!

by Anonymousreply 197August 18, 2019 5:17 PM

I saw this thread a few weeks before a long awaited trip to SF. It really depressed me and I started dreading the trip and wishing I could cancel. I live in NYC (Brooklyn) but have been visiting since the 90s. I’ve been wanting to leave New York and settle out west. My company has an office in SF so it’s definitely possible. I had begun to give up the idea based on what I heard. However, after speaking with some colleagues who made the move I decided to see for myself.

Anyway I got back last week and I’m happy to report that I had a great time, still love the city and will be using the next year or so to do more research on a possible move.

Admittedly, I didn’t go anywhere near Union Square, the Tenderloin or other downtown areas so I mainly avoided the rampant homeless issue. I stayed at a lovely boutique hotel in Pacific Heights and was able to walk or Uber to all my favorite areas (Marina, Sea Cliff, Presidio). I did see homeless people but it was about the same level at NYC. I do not see any drug use or erratic behavior but, again, I avoided the areas where that is prevalent

I met up with a former colleague who moved from New Jersey to Mill Valley, I got to drive around the area and really loved it. I also met up with another former colleague who lives in Alameda (he was previously in Noe Valley). I know visiting is not the same as living here, I got good advice from my friends and coworkers so I have a realistic idea of the situation. I'm still looking forward to relocating BUT I would not live in SF. I want to be close but I’m not interested in urban living at this stage of my life.

by Anonymousreply 198August 26, 2019 3:20 PM

Exactly R198 - the drama queens here whining about how horrible it is are tired. SF is still a beautiful, wonderful place. I would love to live in Mill Valley though - or most of Marin. Maybe it’s not what it was - but it’s still one of the most beautiful, unique cities in the US as well as the most welcoming to gay men. Expensive - but there is a reason for that.

by Anonymousreply 199August 26, 2019 7:45 PM

Well you were right about everyone bitching about an amazing world-class city. Very petty behavior. Simply stated, SF is not for the lower or middle class any longer. I stay at the Fairmont to get away from the common trash. It’s expensive but worth it. I also love the fact I don’t have to encounter many children when visiting. It may not have the “magic” it possessed in the 80s and 90s, but it’s still worth a visit for the architecture alone. And there’s nothing like hiking through the Muir Woods to get you back to nature.

by Anonymousreply 200August 26, 2019 7:56 PM

Agree - just avoid Union Square and most of downtown. Great food, great gay bars, and some of the most beautiful ocean and nature vistas just over the Golden Gate Bridge. Idyllic. But you have to have money.

by Anonymousreply 201August 26, 2019 8:05 PM

[quote] every follicle of oxygen

Molecule?

by Anonymousreply 202August 26, 2019 8:12 PM

I also like that I feel at home in the gay bars there. I’m 49 and going out in Weho or San Diego is a little daunting. But in SF I can “let it all hang out,” and still get laid on occasion. Much more laid back vibe, and a little rough around the edges is just fine with me.

by Anonymousreply 203August 26, 2019 8:32 PM

I also like that it’s an older scene. I’m 50 and don’t feel out of place. In fact, I feel like most guys are middle aged. Had some great conversations at bars with guys around my age. It was nice to share a history of coming out in the 80s, AIDS, skyrocketing real estate and gay progress. I will always love SF. I’ll never be able to live there - but a week or two every summer is an ideal vacation. The perfect combination of a great city and stunning nature. And it’s cool in the summer which is nice.

by Anonymousreply 204August 26, 2019 8:46 PM

[quote] I stay at the Fairmont to get away from the common trash.

DLCAS again

I have stayed at the Fairmont many times. The lobby and public areas are notable, but the rooms are nothing special and there are many many conventions and conventioneers and I did not notice a significant uptick in the types of guests who stayed there over other SF hotels. Your usual array of business travelers from the US and Asia and some retirees from the Midwest. Though I guess perhaps the type of retirees who wear golf shirts and not tank tops.

Much prefer either the Ritz or the St. Regis, which are far less convention-y, but are still mainly the same mix of retirees and business travelers.

Perhaps that is what R200 meant.

by Anonymousreply 205August 26, 2019 8:46 PM

I agree with r204. It’s nice to live in a place where gay men over 50 aren’t always treated as social pariahs.

by Anonymousreply 206August 28, 2019 3:09 AM

I would be curious to know what's happened to tourism in San Francisco in the late 30 years. I can hardly imagine wanting to go back there now. It sounds like visiting Calcutta.

by Anonymousreply 207August 28, 2019 3:14 AM

[quote] I stay at the Fairmont to get away from the common trash. It’s expensive but worth it.

Mary!

by Anonymousreply 208August 28, 2019 3:15 AM

It’s the “San Francisco Feces on the Street” Troll.

Hi San Francisco Feces on the Street Troll! Wuddup? See any feces on the streets of San Francisco lately?

by Anonymousreply 209August 28, 2019 3:24 AM

I love Hunters Point. It's a must see part of the city.

by Anonymousreply 210August 28, 2019 3:33 AM

I go to the San Francisco streets to see the feces in the crowd.

by Anonymousreply 211August 28, 2019 3:37 AM

With the president we have, I see a purge night coming just like in that movie.

by Anonymousreply 212August 28, 2019 3:49 AM

[quote]It’s nice to live in a place where gay men over 50 aren’t always treated as social pariahs.

One thing I liked about the now-closed Gangway bar was the mix of ages.

by Anonymousreply 213August 28, 2019 4:00 AM

I love that San Francisco is less ageist than SoCal and other cities. Nobody gives a damn what you do here. Nobody is going to judge you for being 50+ at a club, party, concert, whatever.

by Anonymousreply 214August 28, 2019 4:16 AM

Totally agree R214. Yet also not a gay retirement community like Wilton Manors. If you live there, you’re lucky.

by Anonymousreply 215August 28, 2019 4:26 AM

r214 that is nice. It's the complete opposite of NYC.

by Anonymousreply 216August 28, 2019 4:27 AM

I think there are places in NYC - but they are the exception. Happy Hours anyway. But also a LOT of NYC guys seem to have moved to FL - Tampa area and Ft Lauderdale.

by Anonymousreply 217August 28, 2019 4:30 AM

And if someone does judge you, they ain't from San Francisco.

by Anonymousreply 218August 28, 2019 4:31 AM

[quote] I love that San Francisco is less ageist than SoCal and other cities. Nobody gives a damn what you do here.

Well, that's basically becaue if you can afford to live there you;re automatically wealthy.

by Anonymousreply 219August 28, 2019 4:34 AM

I moved to San Francisco in 1995, and I'm ready to leave ,and have been ready to leave for a few years now. Everything said about San Francisco on this thread is true, and I live in the Tenderloin, so I see it, daily. I know that as human beings we're supposed to have compassion and empathy, but this city tests you on a daily basis. On the upside, I was able to complete a university degree and pay off all my debt. I do not regret moving to San Francisco at all, but my heart is broken and I'm not sure where to move to

by Anonymousreply 220August 28, 2019 5:07 AM

I am so curious to see if it will ever in my lifetime be an affordable city again and if non-wealthy people will ever be afford again to get housing there.

Neoliberalism just destroyed the world I knew growing up.

by Anonymousreply 221August 28, 2019 5:15 AM

I think it’s unconstrained capitalism. There were safety nets and they were taken away - first by Republicans then by neoliberal Democrats. Income redistribution / equality would address a lot of the issues.

by Anonymousreply 222August 28, 2019 5:25 AM

[quote]It doesn't just happen when they OD. When heroin addicts detox, they have an uncontrollable urge to shit.

R157 Finally, an explanation that makes sense. Thank you.

by Anonymousreply 223August 28, 2019 12:16 PM

Could the homeless people all band together and organize a litter patrol?

by Anonymousreply 224August 28, 2019 2:41 PM

Just watched “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” Great film about what’s happening there and other cities. A very heartfelt personal story as well.

by Anonymousreply 225August 28, 2019 2:58 PM

That's a good documentary r225. It really shows the effects of unrestrained capitalism on the city.

by Anonymousreply 226August 28, 2019 3:01 PM

Please - you whining little bitches complaining how horrible it is in SF. Philly has the biggest drug center on the East Coast and you don’t hear us complaining about how horrible it is to have to see drug addicts on the street ruining our perfect little bubble of privileged existence.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 227August 28, 2019 4:01 PM

Well, you kind of expect Philadelphia to be a dystopian hellhole. Same with a city like Baltimore. SF is a lot different.

by Anonymousreply 228August 28, 2019 4:23 PM

The weather and progressive way of thinking and governing can be a blessing and a curse.

Had a decades long love affair with SF and now live north of there in Sonoma and enjoy visitation rights. IMO it is still one of the best cities in the world for natural beauty, water and hills and interesting people, as well as vistors from all over the globe. So many creatives and regular working people have had to move on to make way for the tech bros which is sad indeed. And the tech bros seem to move into former1500 per mo apartments that have been lightly renovated and now go for 4000 and stay only a few years anyway before decamping to Austin or Portland or Seattle. And they don't contribute much other than expensive toast and high rents in their wake.

I think we all miss how things were in our youth and part of that is growing older, but the SF situation is beyond that. I feel bad for not-rich people trying to move there today.

by Anonymousreply 229August 28, 2019 4:48 PM

I recall coming out of a concert at the Warfield Theater in the early 90s and a group of thugs chased the crowd with baseball bats. Was terrifying.

by Anonymousreply 230August 28, 2019 6:12 PM

You need a shit-ton of $$$ to live comfortably in San Francisco or New York in this day and age. If you don't have the money, you shouldn't bother because there is nothing worse than living in one of those cities and not really being able to afford it, but at the same time being surrounded by people who CAN afford it and don't have a care in the world. It is soul-crushing.

by Anonymousreply 231August 28, 2019 7:27 PM

[quote]I go to the San Francisco streets to see the feces in the crowd.

We had FECES then!

by Anonymousreply 232August 28, 2019 7:41 PM

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 233August 28, 2019 7:46 PM

[quote] Please - you whining little bitches complaining how horrible it is in SF. Philly has the biggest drug center on the East Coast and you don’t hear us complaining about how horrible it is to have to see drug addicts on the street ruining our perfect little bubble of privileged existence.

But are there feces on the streets of Philly?

There are feces on the streets of San Francisco!

Fences everywhere, plies of feces in parks, human shit in front of $10,000/month apartments, addict shifting on ramps, taking a dump in the middle of the tracks in GG park, people literally putting up with shit! Outbreaks are coming, cholera!

And DTLA is just as bad!

It’s all SHIT!

It’s feces!

by Anonymousreply 234August 28, 2019 7:49 PM

Shittiest shithole of hole.

by Anonymousreply 235August 28, 2019 7:52 PM

We're going to have an old-timey plague like yellow fever or diptheria if this keeps up.

by Anonymousreply 236August 28, 2019 8:01 PM

The Last Black Man in San Francisco is one of the best movies I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s stunningly beautiful to watch and will also break your heart.

by Anonymousreply 237August 28, 2019 9:09 PM

R236 - is LOVE a plague to take out all of SF population. That’s the best idea I’ve heard all year. It really is at the end.....just wipe and reload. It’s a beautiful piece of land that has turned into a trash heap.

by Anonymousreply 238August 28, 2019 9:11 PM

It’s doomed.

Everyone there is doomed.

There’s going to be plague and typhoid fever and cholera and dysentery. All the libs will die. They’ll die of feces because they’re liberal hippie pinkos. A new era will dawn when libertarian conservatives will build a new city and shoot homeless people on sight, like the zombies they are. Only instead of eating brains, these zombies make feces everywhere. The new city of San Francisco will not allow dirty homeless poor people to 💩 in public spaces.

by Anonymousreply 239August 28, 2019 9:24 PM

All great civilizations fall. I’m lucky that I experienced SF in the early 90s when it was still thriving. Now it’s got a bad vibe, nasty people, and horrible politics.

by Anonymousreply 240August 28, 2019 9:31 PM

Neither Baltimore or Philadelphia have shit in the streets. They’re both too cold in the winter for a large homeless population. Sometimes you’ll see a syringe or a condom on the street, but that’s everywhere.

by Anonymousreply 241August 28, 2019 9:52 PM

SF has perfect weather for bums.

by Anonymousreply 242August 28, 2019 9:54 PM

I've heard it described as a breeding ground for technopagans, given the intersection between techies & hippies & disenfranchised/fringe gays.

by Anonymousreply 243August 28, 2019 10:07 PM

R243, you just described the Burning Man crowd - in the current absence of which SF is measurably improved.

by Anonymousreply 244August 29, 2019 12:04 AM

Yes - Philly had a hepatitis outbreak from addicts shitting in the street. But again - we aren’t whining and wailing - it’s not the end of the world like people make it in SF. It’s life - there’s a lot of misery. We are lucky not to be one of those people stuck in that cycle of drug addiction, mental illness or poverty. There but for the Grace of God. Sympathy - but know it’s not an easy solution and “just go away” is not the answer.

by Anonymousreply 245August 29, 2019 4:42 AM

In fact, “just go away” is an integral part of San Francisco’s homeless service system. During their intake interviews, clients are asked whether there’s anyone who can take them in. If they say yes, they get a free Greyhound ticket there.

About half of the people who seek City assistance end up getting a ride out of town.

by Anonymousreply 246August 29, 2019 4:53 AM

they probably just cash the tickets and buy more meth, needles provided free by the health department.

by Anonymousreply 247August 29, 2019 4:58 AM

SF is a pretty amazing place to live. I can light a joint up on the street while I walk to the gym after work. The weather is amazing and yes, there are homeless and their shit is in the streets, but there is also a connectivity that is hard to find elsewhere. You can live whatever type of life you want without judgement and the cops are cool. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. There are not many places in the US where you can have that feeling. Certainly not the midwest or south. I'm from LA and there are way less restrictions here in SF. There is really no better state than CA, especially if you are a gay man.

by Anonymousreply 248August 29, 2019 5:53 AM

[quote] there are way less restrictions here in SF.

I think we have already established that

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by Anonymousreply 249August 29, 2019 6:05 AM

[quote] In fact, “just go away” is an integral part of San Francisco’s homeless service system. During their intake interviews, clients are asked whether there’s anyone who can take them in. If they say yes, they get a free Greyhound ticket there. About half of the people who seek City assistance end up getting a ride out of town.

I've lived in places with high costs of living, lots of transplants, and reasonable weather. I do wonder whether transplants who quickly become homeless researched the costs of living before moving. It does make sense to help someone return home to a place where the cost of living is more reasonable and where they have friends and family who can help them get back on their feet.

by Anonymousreply 250August 29, 2019 7:44 AM

Good points R248. VIP - the cops are cool. Living in the police state of NYC it is shocking to see cops behave as if they are employees of the people rather than the enforcers/dictators of the city. Every interaction with a cop I’ve had in NYC - even as a victim of a crime - I’ve been treated like I’m the criminal and they are doing me a favor by wasting their precious time on me. In fact, I’ve been treated like I’m lying or creating problems for them when I got robbed. In SF, I was treated kindly and with humanity - it was shocking. That alone makes me love SF. Maybe it means the homeless get treated kindly too, but I think that’s a great thing in the age of police as enforcers for the 1%.

by Anonymousreply 251August 29, 2019 3:37 PM

DC has had 2 very high profile murders by mentally ill homeless in the past year, and and another by a mentally ill man on a subway car heading to the National Mall on the afternoon of the 4th of July a few years ago. DC has cold winters but huge numbers of mentally ill homeless - along with that comes staggering numbers of overdoses, often synthetic drugs.

There were problems with the old mental institutions but making it almost impossible for the mentally ill to be treated against their will, even if they have family and friends who try to get them help, is a big driver of all of this. There is the Homeless, Inc. crowd pushing the rights of people to take over public spaces, but that ignores health and safety risks to the public as well as the vulnerable homeless.

The city is paying a premium to move unscreened residents from a closed, notorious shelter into apartments in some of the nicest areas of town, with no services. One woman who has been written about in the WP, who was severely mentally ill, was put in a studio apartment where she passed the time screaming at herself and others, before she disappeared in late July. HOW is that any more humane than giving people treatment in a safe environment? DC has rent control, but any apartment rented to someone with a voucher is taken out of those restrictions permanently. That incentive, along with the premium payments is a boon to landlords, esp those who want to clear buildings for condo conversions.

I really do see the right and left coming together on this issue, one driven by greed and dodging the expense and social good of humanely commiting people, and the other getting millions in govt grants defending the RIGHTS of people to squat on public space, shit, behave in anti-social ways and OD, either on your sidewalk or in your apartment lobby in a building Truman lived in after leaving the White House. Dystopian times...

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by Anonymousreply 252August 31, 2019 5:13 PM

Typical R32, the Prep-obsessed psycho, can only comment about the sex in San Francisco. He drags his sex-obsessed bony ass to Dore orgy weekend, brags about his scuzzy sex life, then slithers back to Podunk, the trail of Santorum fecal juice, piss and jizz left on every Greyhound bus seat after he departs.

by Anonymousreply 253September 5, 2019 7:11 PM

Too many stop signs.

by Anonymousreply 254September 11, 2019 7:30 PM

With the San Francisco petrie dish of filth and diseases; How the Zombie Apocalypse begins

[quote] San Francisco man may close store after being bitten by homeless person twice in 4 months

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by Anonymousreply 255September 11, 2019 7:52 PM

I agree with r254.

by Anonymousreply 256September 11, 2019 9:50 PM

Was out for a walk yesterday in the Castro and there were three 3 guys smoking meth right there on 18th Street. 3pm. Halfway between Dolores Park and the Castro. Tons of people out as we are having our indian summer here and it was 90 degrees on Friday.

This was not a rare sighting. You see what you want to see.

by Anonymousreply 257September 15, 2019 10:04 PM

It's actually mostly lesbians that littering and doing other shot to mess up the city.

by Anonymousreply 258September 15, 2019 10:13 PM

R256 Pedestrians hate stopping to look up from their phones in the City too. I love the City's new campaign to raise awareness about pedestrian safety:

"A 30 year old died at this intersection on July 19th"

"A 92 year old died at this intersection on August 1"

And so on and so forth.

The level of entitlement in SF is ridiculous these days. I have no qualms anymore about cutting anyone off or flipping them off here.

by Anonymousreply 259September 15, 2019 11:23 PM

"The level of entitlement in SF is ridiculous these days. I have no qualms anymore about cutting anyone off or flipping them off here."

Pot, meet kettle.

by Anonymousreply 260September 16, 2019 5:02 AM

I now live an hour+ away now and went in over the weekend for the baths and a CBD oil massage at the Kabuki. Met friends for a pricey dinner in Hayes Valley and then a show at the gorgeous SF Jazz Center. Spent the night at friend's apartment. Zero homeless encountered. Zero Millennial bullshit. Zero driving/parking problems. Many beautiful and interesting people walking the streets.

by Anonymousreply 261September 17, 2019 2:04 AM

I grew up in Alamo, it’s a small town in the East Bay. I remember going to San Francisco as a kid and it didn’t gross me out, it was a special treat - noisy and bold and breathtakingly beautiful. We would shop at the Emporium and the windows at Christmas had animated people and pets in charming holiday scenes. When we went to pick up a car my parents bought on Van Ness, the dealer brought it down in a freight elevator because even when the grand old showroom was made , land was pricey. I was too young to drive but I remember looking at the city from the Bay Bridge and the contours of the hills were visible. The neighborhoods were so very defined, North Beach a riot of neon.

We had friends who weren’t wealthy and lived there in beautiful old homes. Young people could move there and live with normal jobs.

When I finally moved in 1999 I had worked in the city for 8 years. I think it was the tail end of the golden age of the city. Even then, the last few years I saw the creeping sameness, the arrival of smug people and a bit of a chill. It was still the loveliest city in the U.S.

When I look back I get a very real sadness because I suppose it’s all gone now. I have a handful of memories but, goddammit I’m sorry the magic fled.

by Anonymousreply 262September 17, 2019 3:35 AM

Sounds like a lovely San Francisco outing, r261, but did you happen to look down & see all the shattered car window glass in the streets near the Kabuki? Did you ask your Hayes Valley friends how many times their cars have been broken into? The Civic Center, two blocks from SF Jazz, is an open cesspit of drug dealing and shooting up. Good thing you didn’t park over there.

by Anonymousreply 263September 18, 2019 9:37 PM

Agreed, R263. San Francisco is car break-in central. You have to be aware of where you park and not leave anything in plain view. I had multiple smashed windows in the 30+ years I lived there. Skipped the joys of Civic Center this past visit.

by Anonymousreply 264September 18, 2019 9:49 PM

The Civic Center, two blocks from SF Jazz. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

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by Anonymousreply 265September 18, 2019 9:50 PM

Any intelligent person can agree SF is now a cesspool and will only get worse. I’m just happy I got to spend summers there in the 90s when it still had some intrigue. I’ll always have the memories. My last visit last year confirmed that I have no desire to ever enter those city limits again. I will continue to enjoy Napa, Sonoma, and the Russian River.

by Anonymousreply 266September 19, 2019 12:25 AM

Who makes the bums in Chinatown shit by walking in view?

Who?

WHO?

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by Anonymousreply 267September 19, 2019 12:35 AM

Oy - the drama queens here. No it’s not what it was. Yes it’s still one of the best and most beautiful cities in the world and one of the most gay friendly cities the world has ever known, if I had the money, I would live there in a second, But that’s the problem - the cost.

by Anonymousreply 268September 19, 2019 1:18 AM
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