4 ms·

Fun article, but note that there is such a thing as a long term trend. The fact that people have been pointing out a trend for a long time doesn't mean it's not

Fun article, but note that there is such a thing as a long term trend. The fact that people have been pointing out a trend for a long time doesn't mean it's not real.

JohnFen 3y ago
True. I've been having to travel to SF at various times for 30 years or so, and it's always been one of my least favorite cities for the reasons stated in the article. And I've watched it gradually and consistently get worse over the decades -- but once the SV crowd really took over, that gradual trend greatly increased in velocity. It's not gradual anymore.
- guestbest 3y ago
  It seemed like a pretty safe and fun town when I visited in the late 1990’s
  - WWLink 3y ago
    Word. I visited last in like 2014 and it was still wonderful. Honestly I'm still convinced all of these heavily negative posts are aztroturfing but I give them a little benefit of the doubt because I haven't been in nearly 10 years. Honestly I think the aztroturfing is because of the opiod crisis that practically destroyed the south.
    - junofan 3y ago
      It changed a lot with fentanyl.
    - ProjectArcturis 3y ago
      It was fine in 2014. It has changed radically since then.
- mc32 3y ago
  I've heard that when manufacturing left town in the 70s and 80s it was pretty bad. But probably in significant ways, not as bad as it is today. What was bad then was the RE market --it just tanked, and there was crime too (hence Dirty Harry), but not as pernicious as today and not the faeces, nor as much hard drugs nor as many people with severe psychological problems. Willie Brown tried but he too got sick and tired of the homeless situation and threw his hands up.
- thatfrenchguy 3y ago
  I have no clue how SF can be your least favorite city, do you just not have (even a book?) guide? Or do you just not walk? Or not go outside of downtown?
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    It's not my least favorite. There are cities I dislike more. It's just one of my least favorites. And yes, I do and have done all of those things. I didn't say that there's no good aspects to it! But the good stuff doesn't balance out the bad for me, and the same sort of good stuff can also be had in other cities that are generally more pleasant.
  - kalleboo 3y ago
    The last time I visited SF, I witnessed more crime/violence in 2 weeks than I have in my entire life before or after. I'm sure there are many worse cities, but I haven't visited them (and don't plan to?)
- civilized 3y ago
  What does the SV crowd have to do with it? A lot of people seem to assume tech is to blame but I don't see why.
  - 26fingies 3y ago
    Wealth inequality
  - asielen 3y ago
    Individual tech employees are not to blame. Or even perhaps the companies themselves, they are all working in their self-interest as every company and individual is. The issue with tech is the massive salaries that tech employees get compared to basically everything else. AND as equally an issue is the refusal of the area to build housing and services to support an influx of people (and an expanded tax base). People with lots of money tend to out bid people with less money which leads to neighborhoods changing, this wouldn't be as big of an issue if they just built more housing in the first place. The Bay Area was handed an opportunity to greatly expand and invest from a large wealthy tax base and instead they did who knows what with that opportunity.

Fun article, but note that there is such a thing as a long term trend. The fact that people have been pointing out a trend for a long time doesn't mean it's not real.

JohnFen 3y ago

True. I've been having to travel to SF at various times for 30 years or so, and it's always been one of my least favorite cities for the reasons stated in the article. And I've watched it gradually and consistently get worse over the decades -- but once the SV crowd really took over, that gradual trend greatly increased in velocity. It's not gradual anymore.

guestbest 3y ago
It seemed like a pretty safe and fun town when I visited in the late 1990’s
- WWLink 3y ago
  Word. I visited last in like 2014 and it was still wonderful. Honestly I'm still convinced all of these heavily negative posts are aztroturfing but I give them a little benefit of the doubt because I haven't been in nearly 10 years. Honestly I think the aztroturfing is because of the opiod crisis that practically destroyed the south.
  - junofan 3y ago
    It changed a lot with fentanyl.
  - ProjectArcturis 3y ago
    It was fine in 2014. It has changed radically since then.
mc32 3y ago
I've heard that when manufacturing left town in the 70s and 80s it was pretty bad. But probably in significant ways, not as bad as it is today. What was bad then was the RE market --it just tanked, and there was crime too (hence Dirty Harry), but not as pernicious as today and not the faeces, nor as much hard drugs nor as many people with severe psychological problems. Willie Brown tried but he too got sick and tired of the homeless situation and threw his hands up.
thatfrenchguy 3y ago
I have no clue how SF can be your least favorite city, do you just not have (even a book?) guide? Or do you just not walk? Or not go outside of downtown?
- JohnFen 3y ago
  It's not my least favorite. There are cities I dislike more. It's just one of my least favorites. And yes, I do and have done all of those things. I didn't say that there's no good aspects to it! But the good stuff doesn't balance out the bad for me, and the same sort of good stuff can also be had in other cities that are generally more pleasant.
- kalleboo 3y ago
  The last time I visited SF, I witnessed more crime/violence in 2 weeks than I have in my entire life before or after. I'm sure there are many worse cities, but I haven't visited them (and don't plan to?)
civilized 3y ago
What does the SV crowd have to do with it? A lot of people seem to assume tech is to blame but I don't see why.
- 26fingies 3y ago
  Wealth inequality
- asielen 3y ago
  Individual tech employees are not to blame. Or even perhaps the companies themselves, they are all working in their self-interest as every company and individual is. The issue with tech is the massive salaries that tech employees get compared to basically everything else. AND as equally an issue is the refusal of the area to build housing and services to support an influx of people (and an expanded tax base). People with lots of money tend to out bid people with less money which leads to neighborhoods changing, this wouldn't be as big of an issue if they just built more housing in the first place. The Bay Area was handed an opportunity to greatly expand and invest from a large wealthy tax base and instead they did who knows what with that opportunity.