Is San Francisco still an attractive place to visit?

[coffeeandsleep]

I’ve heard from many people recently who have gone to SF (for business and personal) that they really hated it and would actively recommend others not to visit. Reasons include crime, a lot of homelessness and open drug use and a feeling of not being safe.

All people who have told me this live in London so should be used to City life but still had a bad experience.

Any thoughts or recent experiences to share?

My exH has been recently for work and said it's awful. I wish I'd visited 20+ years ago. He lives in London and has travelled a lot so is used to big cities but said the drug problem is very prevalent....and all the associated problems that go with drug addiction. Such a shame.

We went about 30 years and were glad we were only there a few days. Went to Alcatraz which was amazing, and then drove into the Wine growing region just to avoid being in the city! The city itself was awful. Young lads openly walking around with baseball bats and lump hammers. We even inadvertently drove through a shooting with police on one side of the road behind parked cars and a few "locals" on the other side of the road behind parked cars - we heard the bangs but thought it was a car back firing, until we saw all the people crouched down and police waving to us!

I visited last year OP and had the same concerns as you. I actually posted on here about it as I was really worried.

Anyway, I absolutely loved it and I would definitely go back.

Yes, there are terrible issues with homelessness and addiction- I ended up reading a whole book about it called San fransicko by Michael Shellenberger which was fascinating and upsetting. However, in spite of this, I still thought it was a great city.

You need to have your wits about you as you would in any big city. Avoid the tenderloin, market street, the civic centre area.

Fisherman's wharf, nob hill, north beach were fine. We loved wandering round fisherman's wharf, riding the cable cars, we did a bus tour and of course went to Alcatraz and ghiradellis.

I wouldn't go there on holiday. If I had to go for work, I'd stay maybe a day. But no way would I pay out of my own pocket to travel there. There are way nicer places in the USA that are way cheaper and have a better culture, history and atmosphere.

I don't think it ever was attractive. It has always been seedy but there are pockets of it that are OK.
One of the least attractive cities I can think of TBH.

Something else I read was an article by Nellie Bowles who is from SF.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/how-san-francisco-became-failed-city/661199/

It's an interesting account of what went went wrong but also a tribute to the beauty of the city.

It's still an amazing city. I was there last year, and 2 years prior to that (when it was just re-opening post Covid so everyone was still wearing masks outside, you had to show vaccine certificates in coffee shops etc). I love it! I've met some truly lovely people there and had some great experiences. Yes, there are some major issues with homelessness and seeing some of the empty shops around Union Square but I didn't feel any less safe than I do at home in London (Tower Hamlets).

I found the locals were very welcoming. They want your business! I normally avoid ultra-touristy areas but in SF I find it better to stay somewhere touristy away from the major 'problem' areas so last time I stayed in Fisherman's Wharf. Previously I stayed near Union Square but as a lone woman, that can feel a little sketchy late at night.

It's lost a lot of charm and character. I didnt enjoy it the last 2 times I went.

I didn’t really enjoy it either and we stayed right near Fisherman’s wharf - we also witnessed a smash and grab on a tourist minibus the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge …

I did notice the smell of cannabis was EVERYWHERE but since then I've noticed it in lots of other big cities, both here, in Europe and in the US and Canada

Went recently and like others, I found the tourist areas fine but a lot of the “normal” parts of the city just didn’t feel safe at all. Honestly, wouldn’t go back and wouldn’t recommend it.

We used to go often for the day many years ago (when we lived inland). We stayed a few days when we had visitors a couple of times and went for Christmas one year with the kids. It used to be great.
Last time I went was about 12 years ago and I could see it wasn't as nice as it used to be. If I went today I'd stay within a block of the ocean, Fishermans wharf etc. I wouldn't feel as safe as in the past when I used to just drive all over and stop with the kids, cut through China town or go to Ocean beach.
Too much crime and homeless. It's always had a bit of that going on, but it's much more now.

It’s not what it was.

The homelessness is appalling considering it’s one of the richest UK cities.

It’s got a couple of nice districts of course, but I’d see those as part of a N Cali holiday rather than major on it.

I first went in 2007 and loved it. Loads of artists and bands I loved at the time were from San Francisco and it felt like a very "current" city. Loads going on. Felt safe, even in the early hours.

I went again in 2016 and it had a completely different feel. I didn't t feel safe walking anywhere. Blocks and blocks of homeless ppl in drug induced states or mental health crisis, really desperate. No way would I take my kids to San Fran now, unless we literally went for a few hours in the middle of the day. Even then- I can't think of any areas where there weren't droves of people taking heavy drugs?! Literally happening everywhere I went.

I'm from UK, travelled loads since I was 19, lots of times by myself. Don't get easily scared (maybe naive or foolish!). San Francisco def one of the sketchiest places I've been.

I did a massive walk around SF back in 2008 and I loved it. Each neighbourhood feels different: cow hollows was the quintessential American yuppy area, amazing Victorian houses, haight ashbury was fascinating as is China town. I walked through some very dodgy areas though and American dodgy areas are something else. I found myself walking through the tenderloin and it was utterly horrific and probably much much worse now. It's a fascinating city. I lived it.

Thing is though I guess this comes down to personal gut feel and how much a lot of homelessness and an 'edgy' feel would spoil a holiday for you. I go to LA and Southern California every few years for work and always have a great time and just avoid areas that don't feel ok- ironically Hollywood boulevard is one of them but over in West Hollywood or Laurel canyon or Beverley hills or Santa Monica it felt fine, although you will get quite a few street people crossing the road with a trolley etc- same was true in Santa Barbara. Lots of people hate it I know- but I hated Dubai and lots love it. SF has similar issues - attractive city but with an edgy feel - I actually thought it felt more threatening in bigger areas than LA- in LA it kind of felt very specific to certain bits. I think it's probably because SF is more walkable around.

I used to LOVE San Francisco, but I haven't been there for 15 years, and from all I hear it has massive problems now. A real shame.

We went in 2019 and found it much much less sketchy feeling than when we last went 20 plus years ago. The area round union square and down to to market street felt fine - unlike last time when market street just felt unsafe.
But I think alot of things deteriorated in the pandemic and shops and things have closed in that area as the office workers haven't returned as previously.
I'd go as its a fascinating city - but stick to the tourist areas - my favourite new place I found was the farmers/food market in the Ferry building vand then walking up round the Embarcadero to Pier 39 area.

I went in 94 and loved it but went in 2013 and it had definitely deteriorated.
I don't sleep well and if I wake up really early on holiday I usually get up and go for a walk rather than toss and turn and wake DH.
This has never been a problem in NYC but in SF I felt really unsafe with the sheer volume of homeless people everywhere.

I went in 2011 and will not go back. Walking down by Pier 39 and seeing some shit on the pavement wasn't great thing.

So sad to read this. It's a place I've always wanted to visit.

Thanks all - some scary stories on this thread!

The reason I’m asking if I may have an ‘opportunity’ to go in the future with work, which I would do but wondered if it was even worth extending into a personal trip and my partner and toddler joining me… reading this I would just stay a day extra myself in the safe areas and come home.

I haven’t been for over 4 years, but although there were rough areas in the centre, and I’ve heard it’s got worse post-covid, but the real charm of San Fran for me was getting out of the centre- going up and over the hill and walking along the sea path, or up to Golden gate park. Going on a ferry to an island, or biking up country a bit.

I was there in 2018 and absolutely loved it.

If you're there for Business, just head down the coast after San Francisco, we loved to stay in Pacific Grove, it's right by Monterey and we used to walk to the Monterey Aquarium from there along the seaside path and watch the otters and their babies in the water
We used to stay at Borgs Ocean Front Motel, you can't get any closer to the water and they never used to be on any booking sites, you had to book through their own site. Proper old fashioned motel.

Borgs