They need to be tough on crime and clean up the homeless

California and cities like san francisco keep voting for this idiocy. Soft on crime policies are destroying this kind of city.

10 out of 10 criminals voted SF as best city to live in

All those city council members ran the city to the ground.

The pandemic had little to do with how San Francisco stands today. The issues are the local and state politicians are their policies. Additionally the residents who live there refusing to vote conservative to implement laws with common sense. Where else do you find law abiding citizens who work hard and pay taxes have less rights than criminals and homeless drug addicts?

I live in Detroit and we are rebuilding with leaders who give a shit. This makes me so sad, San Francisco is such a beautiful city! They need to get some sane people in office!

The politicians definitely have destroyed this beautiful city. It's so sad!

I was a libertarian before, the “I support your freedom to use drugs” kind. I’m not anymore. Drugs kills a community. Drugs, homelessness, crime, and mental health issues go hand in hand.

Soft on crime is what makes it difficult for tourists to visit & workers to want & come.

Union Square was once the top 5 retail hub in the U.S. Now it's empty.

Crime and corruption are Gavin’s legacy.

I was there June and 2024 and what a mess. People just stealing from target and walking out with out getting in trouble

Punishment for crimes! When you are not safe, you have nothing! People don't go there to take a chance to get robbed. Safety safety and safety.

The vast majority of vacated retail spaces will never fill up again. Too many factors working against retail.

Look, we can all call it as it is, but I blurted out with a laugh when you said the Tenderloin was a vibrant place. It's always been sketchy, and unfortunately still is. Have no idea why you're trying to put some revisionist spin.

TECH will never attract tourism the way ART and MUSIC did 😢 Artists can't afford rent here. We have a culture crisis : the RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH😢

I'm a native San Franciscan who's left and returned four times over the last 50 years. I always thought of myself as first a San Franciscan. But when I left in 2015 I realized it isn't just a San Francisco problem, but a California problem and by extension a U.S. problem. There are deep roots to this problem that no one wants to talk about: collapse of the educational system, rampant corruption, and the atomization of life. Sadly, the worst is yet to come as the national decay catches up to the urban decay. It's very, very sad, but delusions would fix the actual problems.

The cost of living needs to come down. Crime and homelessness need to be addressed. All that unaccounted money wasted on “resolving” the homeless and drug issue. Clean up the political corruption.

I lived in SF from 1987 to 1996. The tenderloin was already a place for homeless, and relatively unsafe. When did tenderloins a bustling nightlife area with restaurants and hotels?

Just returned from aSan Fran business trip. I’m traumatized. It’s beyond horrific.

The mayor of San Francisco reduced the police budget by $20 million after the residence there demanded for the police to be defunded. So you got what you wanted.

Also parking SUCKS in SF. Makes it very hard to impossible to shop at the stores or go to a restaurant or deli.

First create a safe and trustworthy environment for businesses then they will flock to a once great city like San Francisco

Good luck! SF is a lost cause. Most of commercial properties in SF are empty. Some institutional property owners agree to sell their properties at a huge discount (50% or more in some cases) but who wants to invest in a high tax and high crime city like SF?

I'm from SF. I think it gets a really bad wrap the media. While it is true there is weird funky crime, it is more specific to downtown SF like market street and the tenderloin, and parts of the mission. Voting has swayed to liberal originally is what made SF fun and hip, however mass crime has broken this trust, and therefore the police need more enforcements. Shame on Mayor. London Breed for not being urgent enough, infact I have no idea what she's done during her term her. It seem the city has really faded since Mayor Lee passed away. Can't stress it enough, police police police, needs to be more punishment for petty theft.

SF used to be a blast. When I lived on the Penninsula we would go up and ride the trolly stopping for beer lunch and more beer. The conductors were so cool. And we’d help the conductors spin the Trolley around on the pad. Drunk on our asses, SF was a blast then. I never thought I’d see one of the world’s greatest cities thrashed by liberal democrats. Jerry Brown started the ruin in Oakland. Newscum started the ruin in SF. I firmly believe all this was intentional

And someone thinks Gavin Newsome should be president

I used to work in SF in 2017, back then it was much safer(you have people doing drugs but not so many looting), I think the looting has it feel much worse, I remember back during Pandemic I went to SF to shopping once there were some sketchy people followed me and my wife through the street, I feel they were going to rob us once we finished shopping with stuffs

I'm from San Francisco too and it is Insane what SF has become!! Thank you for covering this!!

Modern San-Francisco looks literally like Soviet anti-American coldwar prophaganda posters

Uptin were you in town last week when the sweet old Pinay Tita got murdered right there at Powell station? We are in mourning. The murderer was already previously well known to Police for his actions and behaviors. He was free as a bird. & now we are down one more incredibly generous, neighborly , hard-working, taxpaying citizen.

Earlier it was $ 400 why they increased to $950.

born and raised in sf and had a business for 8 years here. Recruit more police and have subsidized housing for them. Mandatory shelter for homelessness and mental illness. and more

Its pretty obvious when rents or purchase price for homes is insane, your system will break!

I love seeing Progressives policies work as they are intended to.

I moved out of SF back home to Mumbai and I haven't been happier. I make way more money than I did in SF and I don't need to attend any office. I think part of the reason of SF's demise is hidden in the tech ecosystem which has become increasingly commoditized and has allowed a ton of low skill folks to move into tech, but here's the thing, one does not need all that much know how any more to build anything, everything is on the internet and whatever low hanging fruits there were, everything has been built. It's back to big corps and big money era. And to add AI into the mix, that's even lesser number of people needed. Lack of ideas, saturation of markets, automation and AI, it's a perfect storm and the glory days of SF buzzing with young wannabe entrepreneurs is history. It's kind of sad but it is what it is.

Other peoples money......GONE NOW....

I come to SF for shows. The empty storefronts are EVERYWHERE. Who owns these buildings? Are foreign investors complicit in destroying SF ? Where is our LEADERSHIP 😢?

Not as many people go downtown, but SF residents shop and dine in their local neighborhoods.

Russia is smiling. What a $950 law.

Imagine you work hard for your money; pay an effective %60 tax only to have the rest stolen by criminals and money printing loooooool

The tenderloin has always been sketchy😮

Thank you and other KZfaqrs who are telling us the truth. The MSM is not talking about it.

I can not see my home town being economically destroyed

Sf has Nancy pants and Gavin Howlsome.

The expenses and high taxes have led many who cannot keep up with the rest to feel entitled for more than they have, and they reach a point where they just give up. This is happening in Vancouver as well, and you see this Downtown Eastside (homeless people and business shutdowns)

They say the Devil is the Greatest Deceiver. Can SF outwit the Devil?

Tenderloin has been bad four decades, not new problems there.

1:57 - or as “METAL LEO” says: “For Leeeeesse.”

why is the government of california giving up the state to crime, drugs and homelessness?, fucking reduce the taxes and help busyness to grow, people need jobs and rent that they could afford with that job, is really that difficult for a rich state like CA to plan the state again? this is so insane to me

ok, some REAL FACTS. The Tenderloin has always been a shady area. This keeps the rents there comparatively LOW.(understand?) For a big city SF has always had a very low crime rate it still is. It suffered like other big cities after the pandemic. Its settled down now. The rents in union square are astronomical, research them. Truly ridiculous. Other local retail hubs throughout the city are thriving. SF actually does a pretty great job at housing genuinely homeless families etc.. people on the streets are addicts or mentally ill. Most refuse addiction help. Sweep the camps, the addicts will move on most are not from SF or even CA & you're left to find supported housing for the mentally ill.

Lived in SF last 2 years and agree need to get more workers. But also just be more strict on drug use and homelessness… it just doesn’t feel like a city in some parts while other gentrified areas are popping off.

maybe those stealing look a certain kind . they known to be in gangs and love to wear sneakers and pants below their waists

Truth is its still alot of people living, moving, and want to stay in California. 🎉 stop giving half truths

I have not been back to SF since 2015 and can’t believe that it has gotten this bad. I used to enjoy going to SF but not sure if I will anymore. I am so sad as the mall was so crowded and busy but now looks like a ghost town.

people elect at council which does nothing - so blame the voters

I love your videos, but as a local I’d suggest the better and more fair title would have been “Can SF’s Union Square and Financial District be saved?” Most of the areas outside these zones are still quite nice and wonderful places to live and visit.

KZfaqrs like yourself, traditional media, podcast bros, etc. don't talk about how long term societal issues, late stage capitalism, and more factors got us here. Some of the reasons why downtown & the tenderloin have suffered: Higher education and vocational training are no longer affordable nor accessible for many. This has been happening for decades. A lot of these people committing crimes, shoplifting, or abusing substances would have been helped if they are introduced to higher education or vocational training at a younger age, around when they were 16 to 20 years old. In-state and out-of-state tuition and private university tuition have doubled or even tripled over the last couple of decades. Housing & living costs are prohibitive to anyone who comes from a lower socio-economic status who wants to get an education or vocational training. People get stuck at minimum or low wage jobs and can't make ends meet nor raise their children properly. The school to prison pipeline. A lot of the schools are bad, underfunded, have terrible student to teacher ratios, or don't have the resources to help kids who don't do well in the traditional school setting. Kids, who act out or aren't good at the typical subjects, fall through the cracks. These kids are susceptible to turning to crime or substance abuse. For profit prisons. For everyone in the comments saying that the city just needs to be tougher on crime: our problems can't be solved by locking up 25% of the people forever. Why are we not also rehabilitating people? People should have to pay their debt to society for their crimes but the rehabilitation part is often left out of the equation because it's not profitable for prisons to actually help people become contributing members of society. Prison helps people get better at committing crimes and getting away with it. They get released with records or they get really messed up psychologically and/or physically while serving time and can't get a decent job so they turn back to crime. It's a cycle we need to stop. Prop 47 is a problem for sure, and the media highlighting high profile shoplifting incidents like you are have helped spread the word to the world that it's happening and people are not caught (some people actually have been caught and charged in some incidents). This has inspired and encouraged a lot of people to start shoplifting. It's kinda like the DARE program's unintended influence. The city was not previously allowed to sweep the unhoused. As the pandemic and fentanyl crises continued for years, the city (and the state of California) couldn't sweep or force the unhoused to accept shelter or substance abuse treatment. Nobody wants to shop/dine in areas where the homeless are so the city's hands were tied and the business owners, employees, and residents suffered. Fentanyl. Fentanyl has gotten cheaper and cheaper. I believe the ingredients are usually from China and then produced in Central American and smuggled in. Cheap synthetic drugs is one of the worst things to happen to this city and the country. Closures of state mental hospitals. Decades ago they closed almost all mental health live in facilities. We are still suffering from this decision today. You mentioned unaffordable housing, which is definitely one of the biggest factors. Teachers, janitors, restaurant cooks should be able to afford a place in the town they work in. Most people cannot afford to live in the city. I've heard there are lots of vacant homes and apartments. The city needs to find these landlords and figure out this issue. I've seen more people moving in and out, but the condo complex I'm at is almost always full. There are a ton more factors like decades of racist policies, nimbys, how the area used to have great public transportation but then gave way to automobiles, and the nice year round weather, understaffed police and sheriff departments. Speaking of police, it'd be great to discuss how the police departments sometimes have their hands tied when it comes to stopping crime, investigating incidents, and how to improve public safety. The DA's office has been improved by Jenkins at the helm but charging and putting away people who have committed non-violent crimes forever is not the answer. I'd like to hear your solutions or thoughts on the criminal justice system. In general, it would be good to focus on deeper issues other than going to a mall that already announced its closure and pointing to all the mall stores that are closed. Wow, what insight?! Also, you didn't mention any other parts of the city neighborhoods that are picking up. You can have a good time in most neighborhoods in the city. Weekends are lively, but I recommend supporting local businesses midweek. --- Lastly 0:35 "Suburbs"? I have no idea what that guy was talking about. Please explain.

I used to live in SF back in the 90's. The difference is night and day. There are way more crimes and homeless people on the streets now. High cost of living plus inflation are adding more to the problem...

I was there last weekend after a year and yeah it’s so sad and depressing in the downtown area, still a lot of great outer areas

As long as housing is unaffordable, it will be hard for San Francisco to rebound. Without that, it will be impossible to attract entrepreneurs who might revitalize those areas.

The Tenderloin was always bad. It’s been like that for at least 40+ years! It is worse than ever now, as well as the rest of San Francisco! I’m a San Francisco native, born and raised! San Francisco is disgusting and depressing now! Thank you London Breed and Nancy Pelosi and Gavin Newsom!

when you talk about remote work online there is also something to take into account, it's that you don't have to take your car to go to your office = you don't use gas = reduce your cost = increase your revenue. That give an extra argument to recruteurs :"hey we don't pay more than others, but at least you will be spending less, meaning you'll keep more money working with us" That might also be an incentive for people to look for remote work, and unfortunatly make those offices downtown empty, leading to less customers for shops and restaurants

I’m a Bay Area native and OP interviewed people who don’t live here 😭😭. San Francisco is seriously NOT that bad to what the media shows. The tenderloin is a small, dangerous area. It’s like LA’s skidrow OP highkey just showed financial district (work from home area, no traffic for sure) and tenderloin. Go to Golden Gate Park, Mission Bay or Dolores park to visit people who are actually from the Bay

i live and work downtown, and this coverage is a good, accurate snapshot of SF today in summer 2024. This city is a strange mix of beauty, hope, and gloom. If you ask the sales associates who still work at the mall or any downtown business owner, the #1 culprit of downtown's woes is the prolonged unsavory street conditions that ultimately scare away shoppers, visitors and businesses. Just look around - who wants to shop amongst the mentally unstable and the filth? Look at the Target on 4th and Mission - there are always homeless vagrants swarming the store and playing cat and mouse with security. Work from home of course played a huge role initially, but like you said, the pandemic is over. If the city were actually attractive like it was pre-2019, workers and visitors would WANT to be here. But that is obviously not the case. The city leadership and the nonsense progressive policies are 100% to blame for the struggles of SF.

Turn empty commercial buildings into housing. Also, repeal "soft on crime" laws.

Rihanna predicted all this shit in 2008 with her song “Disturbia” “Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (I'm goin' crazy now) Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum *(referring to all the bums who are living in our streets, going crazy off the drugs which they are being provided with)* No more gas, in the red (Can't even get it started) Nothin' heard, nothin' said (Can't even speak about it) All my life on my head (Don't wanna think about it) Feels like I'm goin' insane, yeah *(Referring to the fact that the American people can no longer afford these gas prices)* It's a thief in the night to come and grab you (Ah) It can creep up inside you and consume you (Ah) A disease of the mind, it can control you (Ah) It's too close for comfort, ah *(referring to the new criminals who are often thieves and people who want to snatch you up at night, bringing diseases to the point it’s too close for comfort)* Put on your brake lights You're in the city of wonder Ain't gon' play nice Watch out, you might just go under Better think twice Your train of thought will be altered So if you must falter, be wise *(referring to the fact that there are many people wandering into the streets so you should make sure your brakes lights are working, in the city of “wonder” it’s unpredictable what could happen)* Your mind's in disturbia, it's like the darkness is the light Disturbia, am I scarin' you tonight? Your mind's in disturbia, ain't used to what you like Disturbia, disturbia *(referring to the fact that we are all disturbed and our minds are filled with darkness due to the Biden administration)*

I live in a house by the ocean on the east coast. I purchased it in 2016 for $350,000. Now it is worth $900,00. The same house in San Francisco would cost $8-$12 million dollars. The tech people who can afford the high rents and home prices that drove everyone out of SF are not enough to rebuild an entire city. You need Starbucks, Mcdonald's, and Uber driver people to be able to live there too. Slash housing prices by 75%, and prevent speculators from buying them up. That will decrease homelessness and increase the tax base and improve the city.

They need to solve the crime first

I think the San Francisco people need to invest in their Family Manners and try to get back the Last Names Family Order to re-create their reputation again

With the rise of break-ins and shoplifting and theft crimes, retailers would probably be loathe to store and sell large amounts products in SF in the immediate future. Unless local government assurances can be provided for effective onsite security for businesses operating there (and that city-wide effort isn't cheap!) it is likely that only smaller, well insured business operations (small cafes, night live jazz and other entertainment clubs, soup and sandwich houses, salons, barber shops, and 7-11 type shops) would be able to profit and maybe thrive in SF's downtown area post-Covid. The SF homeless problems are noticable downtown, as well as an honest lack of inspiration for tourists and business people conventioning in the City for whatever purposes or reasons. The scenery just looks sort of like an abandoned set of large block to block areas with closed doors and retail and lease signs. And hardly any gas stations or EV charging machines! Many of those unused spaces shown here could benefit from a rethinking of operations that people, past Covid, could make use of, like the following: Affordable and safe Asian and Pizza restaurants, new pastry, sandwich and bakery shops, small and affordable boutique clothing outlets and well- secured bank and investment company offices. Downtown parking has always been difficult, so maybe some new replacement constructions.....And some Asian countries have large amusement parks and entertainment centers located safely INSIDE of what once were extremely large retail buildings. Also, the idea that San Francisco could be a testing ground for new advanced transportation paradigms (flying taxis over the SF Bay), new partly robotic restaurant novelties and multi-story public restrooms and washrooms, along with 24/7 fast food restaurant "dives" could all be part of and constitute a coordinated SF business culture attempt at stopping the exodus of retailers that is destroying the City's reputation as a sophisticated and popular place to be if one is a tourist, visiting relatives and friends or attempting to have a good time on a Friday or Saturday night or weekend after work. Good luck SF! My prayers are with you for business resurrections and new civic prosperity in the near future!

They should decrease the rents for apartments and offices besides stores to make a step toward future. People can't afford to live here with less than 130 k per year.

Would love to see you come back in another two years!

Thanks for making a video on a city I call home for 10 years. Hopefully you went to other parts of this city outside of downtown - yes, our office/commercial district hasn’t rebounded but the city as a whole is flourishing, and it’s only a matter of time until downtown becomes revitalized.

Here's a thing... you can't call market street SF... a lot has changed and the center has moved.... SF is more than market street

No, I'll stay in Arkansas. They punish people that break the law. I can leave my car running at the store. It's 100°f+ I know my neighbors. It's beautiful here. Stay away 😊

I air dropped into San Francisco two years ago to tell you how bad it is and now I come back two yeaars later to tell you how bad it is! I'm so impressed, another dork coming to my city "acting" like he's a journalist to get a few more clicks on his sad KZfaq channel for click bait on those who hate my city. An actual journalist (like myself) has been covering this city for over 25 years and knows that it is a complex place facing challenges like other places in the post pandemic, work at home, AMAZON kills retain world.

This usually happens in developing countries. Any country or city in this case that has a massive income gap between rich and poor will see this. The city and many others in California have an enormous amount of millionaires while giving 15-20 dollars an hour to the average Joe. If food and housing were affordable you most likely wouldn’t see so much looting and other crimes. It’s just what happens when the citizens reach a breaking point!

This is terrible. Pick one of these lame cliches we here all the time: We need to “vote”, “sign useless and meaningless petitions”, “attend town halls”, “hold dog and pony show hearings”, “sue”, “pass more laws” (which will never be enforced), “propose new bills” “work with the other side”, “form committees of bureaucrats ”, “peacefully protest”, “win court cases”, “contact our elected officials”, “follow the constitution”, “follow the rule of law” ,“work in a bipartisan fashion”, “recall politicians”, “censure politicians” Yes! that will really STOP and CRUSH these commies that have usurped the USA. (Sarcasm emphasized)

Among all the good points one big one hasn't been mentioned - SF (along with NYC) used to be a magnet for 25-45 singles to mingle, go out, party, etc... With the emergence of Tinder, Hinge, Instagram, etc... the incentive of living in the city isn't there for that segment of population, which previously generated lots of vibrance. Also, the locals have embraced doing everything from home (dating, shopping, watching movies, etc...) much more so than other cities and cultures. Crime / homelessness don't tell the whole story. There are many far more dangerous cities around the world that remain quite vibrant. p.s. Nice running into you downtown when you were here.

Whether it's the state or local government, they've got to make it more economical for these big real estate holders to rent out shops than to leave them vacant.

While I understand the concerns of this video I do feel like this video ignores the fact that there are many vibrant neighborhoods in San Francisco that are still attracting workers, and generating tax money for the city. Downtowns of us cities generally suck because the office building typology effectively leads to dead zones aside from commuting hours and lunch breaks and sf is no exception. Sf is lucky however to have beautiful, mixed use, vibrant neighborhoods within the city proper to bolster the economy of the town while downtown goes through the process of recovering from hyper real estate speculation.

SF is being SF. It has always been a crazy city from its start during the 49r gold rush. It’s not the place for the faint of heart, it has never been. This guy is really clueless to today’s reality.

Why go soft on crime? It's rewarding criminal behavior. How can the biggest financial city in the biggest state with all of it's resources in the sciences, academia, and technology come to the conclusion that going soft on crime is promoting the wellbeing of anyone and puts quality of life on the trajectory toward anything good?

Thanks Uptin. I love your videos and commentary. My first trip to SF was 30 years ago. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to visit when it was a pleasure to be there. Based on this video I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon. But there are many other places based on your videos that I would love to visit.

Ok i live there, it's not THAT bad across the whole city. It's usually the immediate area surrounding Tenderloin that is terrible. But the same can be said for Seattle, LA, Vancouver, all the west coast cities have the same issues, expensive home prices and beautiful weather and scenery, so that attracts lots of homeless from other parts of the country to come here to panhandle... Imagine if u r a homeless, do u wanna be a homeless in interior US? Interior Canada? Or would u rather have sunny beaches, moderate climate and higher population density? Homeless people know how to pick places too.. Government can't fix this issue much, because more will come. SO it's best to keep them within an area just like what LA does to SKid Row where homeless generally dont cross over certain road.

It’s a race to be Detroit and LA, NY and SF are all tied

We moved 8 months ago. Its still hurts to see videos like this, I love this city, but this isn't the city I know and love.

nice fear mongoring piece bro lol

Native San Franciscan here. Born and Raised . First of all were you born and raised here? If not, you cant judge. Period. Second, did you get your journalism degree (do you even have one?) from a Cracker Jack box? Slamming SF for one particular area (TL/Downtown) is weak dude. Flat out. Most major US cities that have down town areas have these same issues i.e. LA, New York, Baltimore, Miami I could go on. In my experience having travelled the US and many countries around the world, the more rough and tumble a city is typically that same city is super rich in cultural, historical, and ethnic diversity. Third: You're preaching something that everybody already knows and there are a million KZfaq videos on this same subject. Why don't you try being original instead of bandwagoning. We got a long way to go to fix things, but SF is more than just downtown.

California politicians are doing a very good job promoting business, keeping things safe and fixing the homeless issue. Great leadership

Spent the last 3 days in SF. Completely different from 2 years ago. Yeah a few bad areas (Tenderloin, Market etc) but ever since Xi came into town they cleaned it up and sent countless homeless to cities like Oakland and Vallejo.

What SF needs to do is to get rid of the current failed and incompetent mayor, DA, and district politicians, and elect a tough Republican mayor to take on the challenges and crimes they faced like NYC in the early 2000s!

From my point of view as a resident of this city, there is two major problems: prices and drugs. As long as the city won't fight drug dealing, drugs especially fent and meth will be a problem. Also, most people are not stealing bc they have the opportunity, but because they have to in order to survive. Making 3k a month is not enough here, so how do you want people to survive? If they lose their job or if they have an expensive bill, only way is to stop renting, thus becoming homeless which eventually leads to drug. Sorry for the bad English, Im not American but I still wanted to share my thoughts about the situation

The fact that you made a huge deal about so many "for rent" signs, yet not one of them said for rent😂

I have a cousin who lives in Cupertino. She works for Apple. She is not bothered at all by what happens in SF.

The city needs SF49ers to win a Super Bowl 😀

The problem with all these empty stores , I believe, stems from people working from home and rents being too high for these retail stores to stay open.

Simply be like Saudi Arabia, abandon alcohol and drugs. America will be the safest country in the world, and the American people will live their best lives. Come to Saudi Arabia, there are no homeless people and no crime gangs.

They need someone who can rule with an “Iron Fist”, they need to vote REPUBLICAN!.!. LOL!.!.