Not a chance. And I love San Francisco. Not a chance.

Anonymous wrote:My dd lives there. We go several times a year. Lovely city. Avoid the Tenderloin area just as you would avoid Anacostia.

These two neighborhoods are not remotely similar. Jesus.

Visiting SF made me think Philadelphia was much nicer in comparison.

The area surrounding SF is nice though.

LOL absolutely not

Being that I live in SF with a child, yes. I live downtown, and have never stepped in shit. A bird crapped on my head in the Ferry Building once, but that's it. You can walk down 1st through 5th Streets downtown. Don't walk down 6th through 12th. Don't walk along Mission Street downtown.

Please keep in mind that just because someone is homeless it doesn't mean they're unsafe. It means they don't have a home, for various reasons. It's not even drug users that are unsafe - more like the mentally ill who are trying to self-medicate with drugs who are unsafe. But just avoid Civic Center (although I was there this past Wednesday and it was fine). There are a bunch of hotels up and down 3rd Street that are perfectly safe.

Was just in SF for work and stayed with a friend in Noe Valley. Loved watching the fog roll in at sunset every night and trying funky restaurants in the mission—- it is still a gorgeous and vibrant city, just avoid walking or staying in tenderloin/Union square area.

We took our kids there a couple of years ago and will be going back this fall, visiting some friends who live in the city and also have kids. (Which is one good indicator that of course you can go there with kids: Families do actually live there.)

Absolutely no reason not to go. Just think about where to stay; the hotels around Union Square are probably not ideal, as the downtown business district really has gotten shabbier and sketchier. Spouse and I stayed near there maybe four years ago on a trip without kids, and even back then, the neighborhood wasn't ... great. Agree with the recommendations for Pac Heights/Cow Hollow/Marina, or North Beach. Japantown also has good hotel options if you don't want to Airbnb. And if you're there for a while and have never visited the redwoods, definitely look into renting a car at least for the day to get out to Muir Woods (need reservation in advance) or one of the state parks nearby that have them.

Anonymous wrote:We went to SF for a week long vacation last August with our 11 year old and had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Hyatt Embarcadero. No problems.

+1 We went with our tween/teen last July and had a fabulous time. We stayed at the Wyndham Canterbury in lower Nob Hill.

My dd lives there. We go several times a year. Lovely city. Avoid the Tenderloin area just as you would avoid Anacostia.

No, I wouldn’t. Skipping chicago for same reason.

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

I have to agree.

We went to SF for a week long vacation last August with our 11 year old and had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Hyatt Embarcadero. No problems.

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.

If you're prone to walking around a city, you might have to walk there to get from Interest Point A to Interest Point B.

It's perfectly fine.

Anonymous wrote: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.

I agree witht this PP. I live in Marina and all of these areas are wonderful. I would recommend getting an Airbnb in one of these neighborhoods, including North Beach, Nob Hill, Russian Hill. These are vibrant neighborhoods that are clean and safe with great food, shops, bars, cafes, etc. You can take beautiful walks and the Presidio and Ft. Mason Parks are close by. And if you want to get out of the city and into nature - there are beautiful places within an hour to take wonderful hikes with great veiws, and more great food!

You won't need a car in the city (lots of window smashing and theft happening all over now), but you could always rent one for the day to head out and explore. We like heading up over the GG Bridge into the Muir Woods, Mt. Tam area for lovely hikes. Then it's fun to wander around Sausalito or Tiburon and have lunch or dinner.