How putrid is San Francisco?

[Unagi]

I think LA is in the process of tearing down the huge homeless city that has grown alongside one of their freeways. The area known as Skid Row has as many as 20,000 people living in it.

Jeebus. I live in a rural community with 3,700 people in it. I can't imagine multiplying that by 5.4 and making them homeless. Madness.

Actually, those 20k are indeed already homeless. Skid Row isn't a bunch of low income homes.

[Jeff V]

I have a suspicion that the 'solution' will be some variation of this:

Certain areas will be designated as tourist areas. So the path from major travel hubs, like an airport, will be scrubbed clean to and from the designated tourist area. This way people going to San Francisco to visit will never see anything other than the areas prepared for them.

This accomplishes a couple of things. It helps tourism. It protects the city's image since no one visiting sees anything bad. And last but certainly not least, it requires absolutely no attempt to help the homeless.

Hmm...here in Chicago, an attraction of sorts thanks to movies is lower Wacker Dr. It is teeming with homeless, and weirdly I think it's part of the attraction.

[Anonymous Bosch]

SF’s appalling street life repels residents — now it’s driven away a convention:

In a move that is alarming San Francisco’s biggest industry, a major medical association is pulling its annual convention out of the city — saying its members no longer feel safe.

“It’s the first time that we have had an out-and-out cancellation over the issue, and this is a group that has been coming here every three or four years since the 1980s,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of S.F. Travel, the city’s convention bureau.

D’Alessandro declined to name the medical association, saying the bureau still hopes to bring the group back in the future.

As a rule, major conventions book their visits at least five years in advance. So when D’Alessandro and members of the hospitality industry hadn’t heard from the doctors about re-upping, they flew to the organization’s Chicago headquarters for a face-to-face meeting with its executive board.

And with good reason: The group’s annual five-day trade show draws 15,000 attendees and pumps about $40 million into the local economy.

“They said that they are committed to this year and to 2023, but nothing in between or nothing thereafter,” D’Alessandro said. “After that, they told us they are planning to go elsewhere — I believe it’s Los Angeles.”

The doctors group told the San Francisco delegation that while they loved the city, postconvention surveys showed their members were afraid to walk amid the open drug use, threatening behavior and mental illness that are common on the streets.

It didn’t help that one board member had been assaulted near Moscone Center last year.

[naednek]

LA makes SF look like heaven.

duh, that's because the Dodgers are in LA

[Skinypupy]

Diseased Streets:

How dirty is San Francisco? An NBC Bay Area Investigation reveals a dangerous mix of drug needles, garbage, and feces throughout downtown San Francisco. The Investigative Unit surveyed 153 blocks of the city – the more than 20-mile stretch includes popular tourist spots like Union Square and major hotel chains. The area – bordered by Van Ness Avenue, Market Street, Post Street and Grant Avenue – is also home to City Hall, schools, playgrounds, and a police station.

We spent last weekend a couple blocks from Union Square (JW Marriott, corner of Mason & Post). I was honestly a little shocked at the number of homeless in the area. Far more than the last time I was there, 5 years ago. I was making mental notes of which directions not to walk as we drove in from the airport, as even a block or two away started to get really sketchy. Driving around in the open-air tour buses certainly didn't do downtown any favors. Saw one dude pooping on the sidewalk, another couple dudes in a fistfight, and another guy threw a beer bottle at the bus.

The tourist areas are still pretty fantastic, but the homeless population is definitely concerning.

[Smoove_B]

Saw one dude pooping on the sidewalk

He didn't the decency to put it in a bag?

The horrendous smell and sight quickly gained notoriety when a Reddit user posted a screen shot of a report made to San Francisco's Citizen app for identifying crimes.

"Twenty pounds of feces dumped onto sidewalk," the report called out.

That sounds...bad.

[Kasey Chang]

Let's just say I don't go into the seedy areas. I'll gladly spend 5 on Lyft to get the heck out of dodge.

The forced removal of homeless camps in some areas that were actually out of the way (like below some freeways) didn't help matters. it's clear there are problems, but everybody is NIMBY (not in my backyard). With the Dogpatch area and all along the waterfront being developed, there basically is sort of a push so the homeless either get more concentrated around downtown... Or get pushed out further south (Cesar Chavez or further). And those who want to beg will want to be near people, thus downtown.

And yes, I'd say the homeless folks nowadays are even MORE whacked out and more brazen than when I first got here.

About year or two ago, I've actually had a shirt-less guy came into my storefront, sat down and scared the **** out of my attendant, took off a pair of beaten up shoes, and walked off with my barely worn sneakers I left downstairs. The guy looks like he hadn't washed for days, matted hair and all that.

So, yeah, I'd use Citizen's 311 app on them, if they become a bit bothersome. /r/sanfrancisco on reddit is a good place to vent...

[morlac]

SF’s appalling street life repels residents — now it’s driven away a convention:

In a move that is alarming San Francisco’s biggest industry, a major medical association is pulling its annual convention out of the city — saying its members no longer feel safe.

“It’s the first time that we have had an out-and-out cancellation over the issue, and this is a group that has been coming here every three or four years since the 1980s,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of S.F. Travel, the city’s convention bureau.

D’Alessandro declined to name the medical association, saying the bureau still hopes to bring the group back in the future.

As a rule, major conventions book their visits at least five years in advance. So when D’Alessandro and members of the hospitality industry hadn’t heard from the doctors about re-upping, they flew to the organization’s Chicago headquarters for a face-to-face meeting with its executive board.

And with good reason: The group’s annual five-day trade show draws 15,000 attendees and pumps about $40 million into the local economy.

“They said that they are committed to this year and to 2023, but nothing in between or nothing thereafter,” D’Alessandro said. “After that, they told us they are planning to go elsewhere — I believe it’s Los Angeles.”

The doctors group told the San Francisco delegation that while they loved the city, postconvention surveys showed their members were afraid to walk amid the open drug use, threatening behavior and mental illness that are common on the streets.

It didn’t help that one board member had been assaulted near Moscone Center last year.

I used to work in the trade show industry for mostly Pharma Companies and have been to SF for about 5 conventions (including the show they are referencing). It was always an interesting short walk from my hotel to the CC. One particular show coincided with some sort of Naked Marathon (around Halloween IIRC). There I was in my full business suit dragging my rolling case behind me while intermingling with completely wasted folks either dressed up in a costume or wearing nothing at all at 7am. Being an ex wannabe hippy and dabbling in that scene a little I thought it was hilarious and awesome. I'm pretty sure I was in the minority for people attending the convention. Also, this was 8 years ago and from my understanding things have gotten worse. I do miss The Thirsty Bear Tavern right by the CC though.

[Smoove_B]

Update on San Francisco poop:

Between 2011 and 2018, San Francisco experienced a massive increase in reported incidents of human feces found on public streets.

In 2011, just over 5,500 reports were logged by the San Francisco Department of Public Works; in 2018, the number increased to more than 28,000.

I mean really.

[Isgrimnur]

Something should be done about the bathroom gap.

[McNutt]

I left my crap in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where today's lunch came out under the stars
The morning fog may chill the ass, I don't care

My crap waits there in San Francisco
Amongst the yellow and putrid pee
When I come home to poo, San Francisco
Your golden sun will shine for me

[Anonymous Bosch]

SF’s appalling street life repels residents — now it’s driven away a convention:

In a move that is alarming San Francisco’s biggest industry, a major medical association is pulling its annual convention out of the city — saying its members no longer feel safe.

“It’s the first time that we have had an out-and-out cancellation over the issue, and this is a group that has been coming here every three or four years since the 1980s,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of S.F. Travel, the city’s convention bureau.

D’Alessandro declined to name the medical association, saying the bureau still hopes to bring the group back in the future.

As a rule, major conventions book their visits at least five years in advance. So when D’Alessandro and members of the hospitality industry hadn’t heard from the doctors about re-upping, they flew to the organization’s Chicago headquarters for a face-to-face meeting with its executive board.

And with good reason: The group’s annual five-day trade show draws 15,000 attendees and pumps about $40 million into the local economy.

“They said that they are committed to this year and to 2023, but nothing in between or nothing thereafter,” D’Alessandro said. “After that, they told us they are planning to go elsewhere — I believe it’s Los Angeles.”

The doctors group told the San Francisco delegation that while they loved the city, postconvention surveys showed their members were afraid to walk amid the open drug use, threatening behavior and mental illness that are common on the streets.

It didn’t help that one board member had been assaulted near Moscone Center last year.

...and another one bites the dust. Oracle will move its annual OpenWorld conference to Las Vegas because San Francisco is too expensive (and putrid):

Oracle's OpenWorld conference, one of the biggest annual technology events in San Francisco, is moving to Las Vegas in 2020 and will remain in Sin City for at least three years.

According to an email that the San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA) sent to its members on Monday, Oracle has signed a three-year agreement to bring its flagship event to the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

"Oracle stated that their attendee feedback was that San Francisco hotel rates are too high," the email, which was viewed by CNBC, said. "Poor street conditions was another reason why they made this difficult decision."

The SFTA, a private nonprofit organization that promotes San Francisco tourism, said it's issuing a cancellation bulletin, covering five days and over 62,000 room nights in October 2020, October 2021 and September 2022.

"The estimated economic impact of each of the above is $64,000,000, a huge loss for our city," the email said.

[Daehawk]

In Vegas street folk get a .38 bullet to the back of the head and a shallow burial in the desert.

[Kasey Chang]

I will agree that hotel prices are crazy around downtown, all the good convention hotels. You're looking at $200-300 a night even for Holiday inn around that time. Parking is extra cost (about $80 to 100 a day)

Actually, I've known this forever. I used to price out tour groups, and usually they pick something near the airport... I've seen groups pick as far out as Union City, which is like 45 minutes away. Only RARELY would they get something in town, like Holiday Inn Civic Center or the Whitworth (formerly Ramada Inn Civic Center) I think I've only seen group that went to Marriott or Hilton a couple times. It's cheaper to bus them in from a couple cities over than pay the hotel difference.

[mori]

I stayed in some shithole (maybe 2 star on a good day) across the street from the San Francisco Zoo for a decent price. Only a block or two from the ocean and a block from MT as well.

[Isgrimnur]

Mirage Inn & Suites?

[mori]

I want to say Robert's On The Beach or something of that order. It was also in eyesight of the landscaping store that Mythbusters used.

Looking at Google maps, I think it has been torn down and replaced by condos.