Ross Hallinan

I am seeking advice and safety information prior to a visit to San Francisco. I was last in SF ten years ago and I stayed at the Adelaide Inn just off Taylor St and west of Union Square. This was an interesting part of town but at that time I encountered no problems. If any one has an opinion on this part of SF as an area to stay please email me your comments.

Thanks Ross

Owen O'Neill

I just returned from a short SF trip Grant St near the corner of Sutter (just below the Chinatown arch near Union Square). At night, walking northwest (towards Tenderloin District)I did see a surprising number of homeless men, generally staked out on each corner with a cup asking for spare change. I ignored all of them, made not eye contact and no verbal responses. I was not hassled beyond the initial request for money and did not feel uneasy at any time - I just accepted it as an unfortunate aspect of this city's current social problem. Late at night walking back to the hotel, most of them were gone - one fellow walked up to me for money, became hostile when I said no and then immediately apologized to me for his angry words. All told, my trip there was a positive experience and I never felt unsafe. Obviously, a single woman should take certain precautions especially at night but this is true of any major city (most suburban areas as well for that matter).

X

For what it's worth, both SF and SJ PD have just refused to cooperate with the Justice Department in tracking down and interviewing about 2,000 illegal or with expired visa immigrants of Middle Eastern origins. They say it will ruin the good local community relationships they have developed.

YYY

X not everyone is a redneck, there are probably no crime related problems from the group you are mentioning.

Gene

I have a similar question about the fairmont. Will be staying with Daughter in August and only for 2 nights. Will we have to wald through unsafe areas to get to fishrman's wharfl. How central is this area. Hope I am not hijacking this thread Ross.

Wendy

The Fairmont is right off the cable car lines, which will zip you through 20+ residential blocks down to the foot of the wharf area near Ghirardelli Square. Just hop on and take the ride down, but be prepared to wait in line for your ride back up--you may want to grab a taxi or walk through North Beach instead. That area is more interesting and pretty safe, though a longer route.

tj

Hey Y,
It would seem that visitors with expired visas are breaking the law and should be tracked down, particularly given events of last year.

This is not a redneck or paranoid driven objective.

I believe you owe X and apology.

RudyL

Do you consider being asked for money by the indigent unsafe? If so, then you need to get out of the trailer and see the world. Unsafe is standing in the center of a gang of handgun waving crack addicts when you're alone on a side street at 3 in the afternoon and nobody comes to your aid.

X

Y, I bet you are one of those Bay Area liberals who think just because "you care" that there will never be, God forbid, any activity like 9-11/NYC in the Bay Area?
Not a redneck, just a realist who likes to error on the side of safety.

Traveling man

Perhaps Y just doesn't think your comments are relevant to Ross's question. Is Ross concerned about possible terrorist activity in San Francisco while he's visiting or street crime? My guess is street crime, but I could be wrong. X, do you consider this information you've shared to be reason enough not to visit San Francisco or San Jose? Do you think Ross should cancel his trip?

tj

I would say that the lack of cooperation from officials there tends to take some of the lustre away from San Fran.

Does that make it any less safe than other cities? Maybe, maybe not, but indicates a lack of willingness to enforce the laws.

If safety is a concern, go to Yosemite.

Z

Didn't something happen to some women at Yosemite a few years back? No area is ever 100% safe. John Walsh was on Larry King the other night and mentioned that he thought crime only happened to people in "other areas".

lizbeth

Ross, to get back to your original question:

The Adelaide Inn is in an area of S.F. which borders the Tenderloin. In general, it's in an active area of restaurants and hotels. If you were staying there again, I would recommend NOT walking to Market Street via going south on Taylor, but going east to Powell St. and then down to Market. You would then avoid the part of Tenderloin which is probably the worst. Walking in the uphill direction (towards California St.) is o.k. If you are at all a savvy traveler, I think you already have the street smarts to sense when you're entering an iffy neighborhood, and will have your guard up. You will run into panhandlers throughout downtown S.F., but as Owen comments, adopting a policy of no eye contact, no response is a good deterrent - it's what I do, and I'm a local. I think you'll do fine.

YYY

think again tj it could also indicate that they are not seeing significant problems. X I live in Manhattan on the upper east side hardly a liberal community thinking people yes liberal no. Lived through the events 911 and guess what, it did not send me into the streets to malign Arabs. So you are about as on the money about me as you are on illegals in SF, REDNECK! ...You have said nothing to show us anything different. HERE ON THE THINKING COAST we are not comfortable maligning groups without any information to back up our claims. REDNECK!!!

alsoanewyorker

YYY, you are a bigot for calling someone a redneck. That is a racial slur. You claim to be someone on the "thinking coast," but your words show that you are ignorant.

Mark

Wow just bumped into this thread. I agree with Y you really can't come to a conclusion that because they don't want to crack down on homelessness that there is a sense of lawlessness, that is a leaping generalization. Any city will go down in an instant should crime with homelessness become so huge that it will alienate tourist or more importantly business and community members. Tell me the city does not want to prosecute drug dealers that is not such a stretch with your thinking X.

Mark

That is a crack down on homelessness or illegal immigrants. Have you all followed a stories of people that have been locked up sense 911? Also from the east close there have been numerous editorials in papers across the country on this. Last I checked it was something like 500. My guess is SF is aware of the hundreds that are getting caught up in this frenzy.

Mark

Ok so not all of us can spell in a hurry

Katherine

I think people are just not aware of the numbers that are getting thrown into jail because they have expired visas. Are they breaking the law? … yes is it prudent?… I doubt it . They are just keeping these people in prison at tax payers expense I thought the number was up to 5000. That is 5000 people in jail cut off from families. I know this is a scary time but it is just not a practical measure. Hats off to San Francisco for not complying.

Too your question Ross I found San Francisco very safe. I think it is like any city the crime ridden areas are usually identifiable and avoidable. I would stay away from the civic center.

what

What if 1, 2 or 3... of the people arrested in the "frenzy" were "cell leaders" and by being arrested, stopped some follow up terrorist activity?