I’d skip it. But do go to Northern California! It’s gorgeous and there’s so much to do!

I’m here now with 11 and 14 YOs and having a blast. my advice is, dont stay in Union Square, which is easier said than done because that’s where most of the big chain hotels are (Hyatt, Marriott, etc). Union Sq bleeds into the Tenderloin, and the homelessness is a problem all along Market and Mission too. You wont feel great wandering out for breakfast or walking back after dark. There are smaller expensive boutique hotels elsewhere (Noe Valley, for ex), and plenty of dumpy looking motels along Lombard and near Fishermans’ Wharf. We paid up for an Air BnB near the Marina and have felt very safe all the time - walked out to most meals in Pac Heights/Cow Hollow/Marina, where there are great restaurants and a real neighborhood feel.

We're flying to SF with the kids next week.

Looking forward to it.

SF is safe enough if you know how to handle yourself. The amount of homelessness is really sad and the human feces on the ground everywhere was gross though. Be prepared.

Sure. I've been to SF for work recently. Yes I saw lots of homeless people some which looked like they were high on drugs. I also live and work in DC so see this around my office building all the time. I assume your going to SF for the tourist sites so go for it.

We went in 2019 with teenagers, we did not feel unsafe, but the level of homelessness and trash were noticeably more than DC.

Sorry, what news?

Looks like there was a self-driving car that blocked some emergency vehicles.
There was a mass shooting. (There were 15 mass shootings in the US in the last 7 days.)
Tech workers are either leaving or returning, depending on the news article.

None of these are items that would make me reconsider a family trip.

Five years ago we went with our elementary age children; I get the sense that things haven't changed much for better or worse, but welcome correction. We walked all around downtown and never felt unsafe.

However, the level of homelessness and disorder on the streets was truly shocking - and we live in close to downtown DC so are familiar with the issues here and have traveled to many large cities in the US and around the world. There were large, filthy encampments with open drug use to a degree that I've never seen in the US. We learned to avoid the worst blocks, but it definitely made visiting the city less pleasant.

If you're interested, this article is eye opening. What's amazing is how much the city is doing to help, but how hard it is to address:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/a-window-onto-an-american-nightmare

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hahaha. What? SF is not safe?

If all you watch is Fox News, no, it's not.

I probably wouldn't hang much around Market Street or the Tenderloin, but then why would you do that as a tourist? There are so many great places to see there, and it's totally fine safety wise. Just like DC, don't leave anything visible in your car- car break-ins are a real and consistent threat.

Lucky I don’t watch Fox News.

I mean, we live in a pretty unsafe area ourselves here in DC. I’m pretty sure SF is ok.

Thanks everyone!

Anonymous wrote:Hahaha. What? SF is not safe?

If all you watch is Fox News, no, it's not.

I probably wouldn't hang much around Market Street or the Tenderloin, but then why would you do that as a tourist? There are so many great places to see there, and it's totally fine safety wise. Just like DC, don't leave anything visible in your car- car break-ins are a real and consistent threat.

I did. If you stick to nice neighborhoods you will be fine. I went with my toddler.

Hahaha. What? SF is not safe?

Sorry, I just realized, SF isn't super clear... San Fransisco

Trying to figure out if the news is an exaggeration or if the city is actually unsafe. Can anyone with recent knowledge of the city chime in?