How safe is San Francisco?
 

After reading messages re: how bad San Francisco has become, I'm wondering if I want to spend my only vacation this year there. I visited 15 years ago, have always wanted to go back.I stayed on Union Sq., walked around everywhere at night and thought I was in heaven! Has it changed that much? I visit NYC often and feel perfectly safe, visited Chicago this year and felt threatened. What's the real story? I don't want to go to Disney World, but don't need to be hassled or feel unsafe on vacation.

I was there in the fall. It was my first visit, so I can't tell you the difference from 15 years ago, but I did feel safe during the day as a solo traveler. At night was the same way, except when we were squeezed in the crowds on Halloween night in the Castro.<BR><BR>I didn't find it any different than walking the streets of NYC or DC.

We went a few weeks ago and if you are used to New York you won't have a problem.

SF is fine! Honestly, I don't know what everyone is complaining about. I have lived there the past four years and feel completely safe. Of course, don't be stupid... you have to be careful at night in any city. If you're used to NYC, I imagine you'll wonder what the big deal is.

Don´t hesitate to go. I just came back:<BR>Nice walks and boat rides, friendly people and great food.Enjoy!

It's not that we locals are barricated in our apartments in fear! My husband never worries if I'm out. I walk home from theaters living in Nob Hill area. Common sense never hurt anybody, keep your purse hanging diagonally, not hanging on one shoulder so it can't be snitched. Look at who is around you. And don't have a paranoid look on your face. I'm sure you can find safety advices on the web. And just enjoy your vacation.

Annie,<BR><BR>I recently have been to both San Francisco and New York City, and NYC to me seemed alot safer. NYC basically never sleeps, so there are always people on the streets, subways, etc. In San Francisco, much of the city closes down after dark, and this is when most of the druggies and prostitutes tend to take over. However, even during the day, the shady characters, which primarily target tourist areas as well as public transportation, create an uneasy atmosphere.

Darlene,<BR>Where do you hang out after dark, sweetheart? Unless you are a Pro or lookin' to score why would you be in those areas where it is so rampant?<BR>And please don't say it's all over SF. That lie is getting pretty darn old. Even the "I Luv San Jose" trolls are tired of using it.<BR>As for NYC, it has around 7 million more people than SF and is a bit larger in sq miles so of course you may have a few more people around.

Darlene's just perpetuating the same old tired lies she uses under different screen names. I must give her credit for coming up with so many aliases, however!<BR><BR>I am in San Francisco now, staying at the Westin St. Francis right in the middle of what Darlene (and her personalities) would call homelessville. There are homeless here (perhaps more than in my home city of Chicago) but for years that's been part of the SF story.<BR><BR>I have not felt threatened, uneasy or even looked at funny. Nor has my wife, who has turned a business trip-with-the-spouse into a world class shopping spree!

If you look up crime stats at the FBI website, San Francisco is still very safe compared to other major cities. Go and enjoy but keep your street smart wits just like you would in New York, New Orleans or Des Moines!

Willie,<BR><BR>SF is not safe. The safest big city in America is not New York. SF should maybe look to such model cities as NYC and San Jose to see what a real city is like.

Willie,<BR>I meant to say the safest big city is NOW New York in the most recent surveys.

San Jose, a model city! Thanks Darlene for today's chuckle.

Who ARE these people from San Jose? They are infecting this site with their ridiculous recommendations that vacationers go there. Nobody wants to go home and say they spent their vacation in San JOse. Where? Huh?<BR><BR>Here let me save you San Jose lovers some time. Usual response to a post like this. "Don't listen to X. He/she is just working for the SF visitors Center, blah blah blah"

x, I don't think it's more than one person, to be honest!

annie,<BR><BR>when i lived there, i walked around by myself everywhere during the day, and by myself at night in familiar, well-lit areas with good foot traffic. i've had no problems walking around the union square area at night by myself, it's pretty busy. the only time i've ever had problems was when a group of us (3 women) were walking around the mission district at night looking for an address. a cab driver pulled over and took us to the restaurant we were looking for at no charge. he told us we shouldn't be walking around alone at night in that neigborhood. that's the extent of my scary/threatening experiences in the city over the course of 5 years. i'm in my late 20's and just moved away.<BR><BR>as for the "scary" panhandlers that people talk about, just ignore them and keep walking. they seem to target those who respond meekly or look at them with nervousness and fear. they never really bothered me. a firm "no" always did the trick.

JJ,<BR><BR>San Jose is a model city. One of the safest big cities in the country, great culture and restaurants, good schools as far as urban schools go, the best weather in northern California, close proximity to the Monterey Bay, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe. Incidentally, which city in Northern Caliornia contributed most to the state's economic prosperity, San Jose, NOT SF! San Jose workforce is highly educated with one of the largest disposable incomes in the country. The fact that San Jose has one of the highest real estate prices in the country points to it being a desirable city.

Darlene, I've pulled up the crime stats for San Francisco and New York and compared them. SF has a LOWER violent crime rate than New York. See for yourself: http://www.bestplaces.net/html/crimecompare3.asp?lcity=349&rcity=1580&view=T<BR>< BR>As a fellow San Jose resident, let me just say that you do our city a great disservice by constantly bashing a fellow Bay Area city.

I was just in SF and felt quite safe. We were amazed at how quiet the city gets after dark. In all, during the 6 days we were there, we had 3 "panhandlers" come up to us. One was doing a spill about writing you up for things like not holding hands or whatever. My husband thought it was entertaining so we bought the 2 t-shirts he was selling for $7.00. One asked us for money and/or the leftover food we were carrying (which we should have given him because we ended up not eating it) and the 3rd was in Washington Square Park -- a homeless woman tried to start a conversation, asking for a cigarette, and my husband shooed her on.<BR><BR>Nevertheless, we never felt threatened. I liked how small the area was, that we could walk from FW to downtown, using the trolleys occasionally. I never smelled urine like everyone talks about and didn't think the city was trashy (even though I did see a little trash in one area). Even though FW is touristy, I thought it was nice and a fun place to hang out.

Can I sniff out a SJ TROLL or what?<BR><BR>AND, I wonder why NYC could be considered the safest city right now. And God bless them all for it.

Jim,<BR><BR>Come on, admit that you are working for the SF visitor's bureau. We should be telling the truth about SF and not dispensing propaganda just to get people to waste their money in such an overrated city. SF is trying to promote itself as some type of a world class city. Compared to El Paso, TX, yes. Compared to NYC, Chicago, LA, not even in the same league. Go to SF and what do you see. Trash in the streets, hookers looking for business, druggies shooting up in the hate, and a generally run down hell hole tourist trap. SF should look to NYC and clean up. Its a total dump no matter how you look at it. Too bad that SF people such as yourself can't admit to the truth.

Jim,<BR><BR>Come on, admit that you are working for the SF visitor's bureau. We should be telling the truth about SF and not dispensing propaganda just to get people to waste their money in such an overrated city. SF is trying to promote itself as some type of a world class city. Compared to El Paso, TX, yes. Compared to NYC, Chicago, LA, not even in the same league. Go to SF and what do you see. Trash in the streets, hookers looking for business, druggies shooting up in the Haight, and a generally run down hell hole tourist trap. SF should look to NYC and clean up. Its a total dump no matter how you look at it. Too bad that SF people such as yourself can't admit to the truth.

Did the San Jose mayor just have to lay off a bunch of city employees and cut some programs in order to balance the drooping city budget and say he hopes the people won't notice?

come on people, lay off the san jose stuff. who the hell cares if you hate sj? the issue is "how safe is sf"? if you don't like sj then start a "how i hated san jose thread". you sj hates inhabit all these northern ca posts. give it a break will ya? move on already.

These San Jose haters know that what is being said about San Francisco is true. Obviously we should ignore such mentally disturbed individuals and feel sorry for them.

I think school just got out.

I do think some people are being ignored here but it's not who you think it might be!

I don't see anyone asking a question about San Jose in this thread. Go away, SJ goons. You're doing a disservice to people who come here for answers. <BR><BR>Annie, in reply to your question, I've lived in Northern California all my life (45 years) and have worked in SF for the past 10 years and I agree with the first sensible posters. It's as safe as any other city. The only part of the city that seems to shut down after hours and on the weekends is the financial district because no one is working. But Union Square, North Beach, the Wharf and all the other great areas are still hopping. <BR>My only complaint about the City is the weather--The best bet is October but the rest of the year is truly a crapshoot.

Excuse me, but who is Darlene? I'm not Darlene and I am truely trying to get some info on a city that has been my absolute favorite since I visited 15 years ago. (Someone needs some anger management classes!) I live in the South and my children both live in NYC. I LOVED San Francisco, and I've been raving to my husband about how wonderful the city is but just do not want to spend money and time if it's really as bad as the people who replied to "Hated San Francisco," said! (I don't even know a Darlene!) Ok, where is the best place to stay? Obviously, not Union Sq. where I stayed before! Any ideas?

Oh, I forgot to say, I don't even know where San Jose is, nor was that my question! I'm from Tennessee!

Annie,<BR><BR>I have lived in Northern California for about 20 years, 7 of it in San Francisco, and I currently live just outside of San Jose. From my experience in San Francisco, I would have to say that it is not as safe a city as New York or Chicago, both of which I go to frequently for business. The politicians in San Francisco seem to turn a blind eye to blight, homelessness, drug dealing, etc. Therefore, my recommendation is to be very aware of your surroundings. In answer to your question about San Jose, it is larger in than San Francisco in population and it is the center of Silicon Valley. SF is about 1.5 - 2 hours north of San Jose. Since moving to the area, I have discovered that SJ does have alot of culture(respected museums and performing arts), great restaurants, nightlife, unique neighborhoods,and the best part is the good weather. In the summer when it is 60 and foogy in SF it will be 80 and sunny iun San Jose. In the summer there are festivals and street fairs almost every weekend The other great thing about San Jose is the city's proximity to The Monterey Bay Area and the Mountains.

SF is wonderful. I explored extensively in April, 2002, as a single female- parks, wharf, downtown, etc. Even used public transportation. I felt very safe! People were very nice!

Hello Darlene/David/XYZ/all other aliases. Please stop bothering these travelers.<BR><BR>You may want to look at one of these forums instead:<BR><BR>http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/<BR>http://www.attractievestad.nl/world/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi<BR><BR>There are people there who actually enjoy bashing and arguing about cities. Most will not agree with you, but at least you can do your thing with a clear conscience.<BR><BR>Thank you.

Annie,<BR><BR>San Francisco is most certainly not a safe city, especially when compared to 15 yrs ago. If you remember SF from 15yrs. ago, you will not recognize it today. Personally, I would not waste my time there.