havanese

We are planning on staying on the Pan Pacific in August. However, I just read several answers to messages posted in 2002 which indicated there were many homeless people outside of hotels in Union Sq., including the Pan Pacific. Their recommendations were to stay in another part of town. Has anyone been there recently? Is this still the case? Thanks for any help!

gplimpton

What size city do you live in?
If you live in any large city you'll note that there are homeless people around.
Some cities are much worse than SF.
Most importantly, there are a handful of zealots at Fodors who are always ranting/raving about the homeless around U.Sq.
I just stayed there 3 months ago and it wasn't any different than any other year I've been there. Nor have I ever encountered any problems with the homeless. Many are mentally ill. Many are jobless drug users. Just ignore them and go on about your business.

havanese

We are travelling with children, and I also grew up in NY. The other hotels I was considering besides the Pan Pacific are the Mandarin and Park Hyatt. I had decided against them since I was advised to stay in Union Square. However, I am reconsidering. Do you think these hotels in the financial district would be any better? Thanks

andy

the streets in the Financial District are desolate at nite--

I always stay in Union Sq-- that is where there are tons of shopping,restuarants nearby, and the cable cars....

susanna

The financial district is very quiet and deserted in the evening and on the weekends, not really any fun to stay in. Union Square is only about 6 blocks from that area, downtown is a very small area. I live here,of course there are homeless, but there is also a large tourist business and I think that the hotels keep the homeless at bay, direct you where to go and what to avoid and do a very good job of helping you have a good vacation and returning. I do see a lot of talk about this area and I am truly amazed to think that people would stay in a remote area of the city (which also will have homeless) instead of staying in the heart of the city. The Pan Pacific is a lovely hotel, on a good block, if it looks good to you, by all means stay there...

J_Correa

I believe that part of the Union Square controversy stems from the difference between the west side of Union Square and the east side of Union Square. The west side borders the Tenderloin area which is a bad area with open prostitution, etc. The east side of Union Square is much nicer and although there are homeless people around, it isn't bad.

havanese

Is the Pan Pacific considered to be on the east side of Union Square? Thanks for all your help!

Shebs

I haven't stayed at any of the hotels you mentioned so I can't really comment on them. On my second trip to San Francisco (about four or five years ago), I stayed at the Hilton on O'Farrell and found some of the homeless people to be a little frightening when I walked back to hotel at night by myself. I should mention that I'm from NYC (and went to college in West Philly) and had never encountered anything like that before. Some literally followed me back to the hotel entrance, and once, two homeless men actually started a pretty serious fight over who had the right to "panhandle" me. That said, I think my experience that second trip was probably an aberration. On subsequent visits, I haven't had a problem with the homeless. As gplimpton said, just ignore them and go on about your business and they usually leave you alone.

I also agree with Andy that you should stay around Union Square over the Financial District. Despite my bad experience a few years ago, I still always try and stay near Union Square, and I think you'll definitely be fine especially walking at night as a family. Last two visits in Oct 2001 and Sept 2002, I stayed at the Palomar (which is also near the Metreon) and Clift and had no problems walking between Union Square and my hotel at night.

itswoody

I have been to SF numerous times for business and pleasure. Union Sq. is fine; just ignore the street people who are everywhere in downtown SF, not just Union Sq. If you really want to change locations, look at the Nob Hill hotels instead of the financial district.

Sabrina

My daughter and I were in San Francisco in March of this year. We stayed at The Sir Francis Drake in the Union Square area. We had no problems and I thought that it was a very convenient for the things that we had planned. There was shopping and theater in the area. A few years ago we stayed at The Pan Pacific and I don't remember having any problems there. have a fun time in San Francisco.

andy

The Hyatt at Union Sq is a good location if you are looking for a Large hotel....


Just do NOT cut Thru Union Sq- that is where a majority of the homeless are located..

You can easily walk around it- it is a very small park--similar to one near NYU in NYC....

I have been staying in the Union Sq area for over 25 years on trips to Calif.

You can also look at the Prescott Hotel or the Hotel Monaco for some GREAT boutique hotels that offer a smaller elegant San Franciso...and they are both 2 blocks off Union SQ in a VERY SAFE area.....

Union Sq is surrounded by NEIMAN MARCUS, Saks 5th Ave, Macys, GUMPS- and tons of small boutiques....it is NOT a derelict area....

The tenderloin area is sort of "iffy" but we go there for dinner--SOMA==South of Market--and ALWAYS cab in and cab out...and have NEVER had a problem.

ALso the Restaurant =the 5th Floor- in the Palomar Hotel is FABULOUS , as is that HOTEL...

If you are looking for a LARGE Hotel in the area, another great one is the Sheraton Palace- also 2 blocks off Union-on the historical register- serving high tea in the afteroon in the most elegant conservatory...

FORGET the financial district- too much out of the swing of things and too desolate at nite when all the offices close, as is the Embarcadero area....

flopmeister

i agree with brian, but perhaps did not make my previous post clear on the safety issue -- it's not that you're going to feel unsafe, right, there's lots of other people around, cops, etc. but you will feel uncomfortable, like okay you just spent $200 on theatre, dinner, maybe a few drinks etc., and here comes someone asking for money and literally following you down the street with jive talk about nothing, maybe saying rude things to your wife, etc., making your kids feel like maybe they ought to hold your hand -- not exactly a vaction feeling. it's not a safety issue, it's a "i'm-on-vacation-and-dont-need-this" issue. I'd follow susanna's advice and stay in the financial district, or better yet there are LOTS of smaller, cheaper hotels you can find on i think it's sanfranciscoonline.com or sfonline.com

dovima

Dear havanese,
I work in the Financial District of S.F. - in fact I am there right now. About the Mandarin - great hotel, killer views, good service - this is feedback from my business associates who have stayed there. Yes, the area is much quieter at night than, say Powell and Market. But at this time of year, the evening stays light until 8:30 or 9:00 so it does not feel quite as deserted. Tadich Grill (good, old-time S.F. fish place) and the California cable car are right at hand at that location, and Market St. with its myriad transport choices is just a few minutes away. You can also walk easily to both Chinatown and North Beach from the Mandarin.
That being said, I personally don't think the Pan Pacific is a bad choice at all. Good restaurants all around you, car rental agencies just a block away, shopping at the major dept. stores, etc. are all close by. I've heard great feedback on the nice rooms and service there, again from business people who stay there frequently.
I don't think you can go wrong either way - don't obsess about it, just get a good price, and welcome to S.F.!

Veronica

I live in Los Angeles and go to S.F. periodically and now would only stay in the Marina area.

gplimpton

This board was around for about 6 years before registration, My Dear Watson.
Nothing posted prior to the past year is going to show up on a search.

The homeless in SF don't bother everyone, either. I've never even had one speak to me in perhaps 25 trips to SF.

Watson_

gplimptom,

Actually, I have done searches and posts from as far back as 1997 have come up. So I guess that Fodors saved everything from before registration too.

glink

The area west of Union Square is "Block Sensitive"- you can wonder 1-2 blocks too far and really be in the heart of the Tenderloin, which is not a good place to be. That said the PP is on a good block and as long as you travel between it and Union Square (vs. going the other way) things will be fine.
There are too many vagrants about, but if you ignore them they'll do the same and it's not really a big deal.
The folks who say avoid Union Square to avoid them aren't being realistic; the only way to do that is stay in Pacific Heights and not really venture out beyond that, which isn't much of a trip for a tourist.
Have a good time, and bring warm clothes.

karentb

I just moved to new york from SF. If you are worried about the area in union square (which isn't THAT bad) you might want to consider staying at the W or the marriot in the south of market(SOMA) area. You can walk to union sqaure and all shopping areas, you are near the SFMOMA, the moscone center, the sony metreon and yerba buena garden. Great restaurants and you can walk to cable car/muni etc. Kids will love it and there is lots to do. I wouldn't stay in the financial district-its very deserted at night.

groovysparks

Just two weeks ago, my wife and I spent 5 days in San Francisco as part of our honeymoon. We stayed at the Pan Pacific. Our stay was wonderful and would stay there again.

Thanks to many posts on this very message board we were a bit nervous about the homeless situation in San Francisco. As we found out though, it was a non-issue. I can't remember any homeless people around the Pan-Pacific. We they there at Union Square? Yes. We they in large numbers that made you feel threatend? No. Not once did the homeless around Union Square, make us worried or scared... this included walking through Union Square even at night. The one rule to follow, don't look at them... If you don't acknowledge them, they usually leave you alone. I don't think we were asked for money once.

Please note, we are from Madison, WI a city of over 200,000 and again we did not feel threatend. It was an overrated issue.

Stay in Union Square, it's central to everything, the transit system is great, and Chinatown is just a few blocks away. The one thing to do is SF, that not enough people talk about is the Legion of Honor. Works by Rodin (including the Thinker) and Monet will take your breath away. Plus, if you go on Tuesday's it's free.

wagonwheel

While staying in SF for a business trip, I was walking down a street ( can't remember a name )at 2:00pm when I was "jumped" by what I considered to be a homeless person. He tried to drag me into a parking garage, and while I struggled and yelled, "normal" people walking by kept going, but an older homeless man who had been sitting on the street corner with his dog came to my aid. He helped me back to me hotel, and when I tried to reward him for his efforts, he told me "pretty lady, just take care the next time". Sometimes you can't judge a book by it's cover.