San Francisco, California

San Francisco is a beautiful city. This is without question. When I describe what Istanbul looks like to Americans, San Francisco is included in my usual response. With a child in school in that city, I made multiple trips across the country to visit, but until the city gets its act together downtown and the Tenderloin, the heartbreak is too much for me to return.

Being a Tourist in the City

These photos are from my last trip. I walked to the park to see the Painted Ladies, and this article includes facts you may not know about these famous houses. Several cafes are nearby for sandwiches and drinks for a picnic in the park.

Even these stately Monterey cypress trees on the top of the hill of Alamo Square Park are under attack, not from humans, but from Mother Nature and the constant storms that San Francisco has endured over the past few years.

Ten Things to Do

If you are to visit San Francisco, here are things, some touristy, some not so much, that I did in no particular order. As usual, they all involve walking. That’s what I do.

1. Walk through Haight Ashbury - it used to be the old hippie enclave and still has some of those vibes, although moving toward the trendy.
2. Walk through Hayes Valley - nice cafes and restaurants, boutique shopping. Did I say shopping? Oh, and there’s shopping. Stay to the west of Van Ness Avenue.
3. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge (this link is the history)— yes, walk the entire bridge. It is a great experience. Then, get an Uber to take you the rest of the way to Sausalito for lunch. There’s an easy pickup location at the end of the bridge.
4. Take the ferry to Angel Island, Belvedere Island, and Sausalito and get off in Sausalito to be a tourist and wander. Take the last ferry back to SF in the evening.
5. Take a walk in Golden Gate Park. It is the SF equivalent of NYC’s Central Park. Visit the Japanese Tea Garden.
6. If you want a half day to be a tourist, go to Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building Marketplace. Be prepared for the people, the loud music, etc. But for a half day, it’s fun. Go eat chocolate at Ghirardelli.
7. If you want a view or part of the city, go to Coit Tower, a monument to honor the city's firefighters.
8. For the best view, visit Twin Peaks. You will climb up, but it’s worth it. And the neighborhoods around it are worth wandering about.
9. Ride a cable car. Get familiar with your map and ride the cable car UP the hill so you can walk down and around later.
10. Wander through Presidio Heights. There are views, shops, and just a nice relaxing time.
11. If you want more suggestions, here’s an article with a more extensive list and there are a lot of Substack articles that can provide more information.

Reality Hits Hard

What would I not do?

[This is my opinion. If you don’t want reality, you can skip the rest of this post.]

You can do whatever you wish on your visit. I listened to a podcast last week from Trevor Noah and his irritation at other Americans criticizing the looting and homelessness in his city. His main complaint? Americans complained when they had never been to the city.

Well, guess what, Trevor? I’ve been. Multiple times. These issues are worse than ever, and the news glosses over much of it.

1. If you are a tourist in the city for a few days, I would avoid Union Square, the area around City Hall, or the Tenderloin district, even during the day. Do not ruin your trip by “taking a shortcut” through that area like I did. Go around it. Take the tram down the hill, get on another, and go back out. More detailed information on why it is named Tenderloin here.Seeing the homeless, the garbage, the drug paraphernalia, the human excrement — don’t do it. I’m not so concerned with your safety as there is a private citizens group with members stationed strategically throughout the area. I had several long conversations with these guys, and they are doing their best to help.It is emotionally devastating, at least to me.
2. Or DO SEE this area. See what humans in our first-world country have to endure to live. Just be careful of the crazies. They can be frightening. We learned the street people in SF are very different from those of NYC, Denver and the population in Miami.Start at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Market Street, and take a nice long wandering walk around to Fisherman’s Wharf. If you stay on Market Street, you won’t be appalled by much. However, if you go to the left of the market for a block or two at any point close to the beginning of your walk, you will immediately understand my concern.
3. Then, as you get closer to the Union Square area and what used to be the top shopping area of the city, see what is left. Not much. Searching for “shopping” on Google Maps will show you the dessert. How will this city handle the required services with this many high-end tenants gone?

I don’t live here. I don’t vote here. But I can tell you from my experiences and those of my family that things in this city must change. How can the opera, ballet, and symphony patrons go to concerts and ignore what is around them?

I’ve read the resident’s opinions (see an example here from Jonathan C. Lewis) and their description is worse than mine. In scrolling through Substack, you can find several dozen Substacks that focus on San Francisco. These newsletters show that I’m not the only person who is concerned.

It’s so disappointing. One of my favorite little Turkish restaurants, A La Turca, is on Geary Street, right in the heart of this area.

San Franciso is a lot more than its downtown. Of course, it is. The surrounding neighborhoods are terrific despite the steep cost of living here. Will I return? Of course. But the city will need the next twenty years to correct these issues first.