I've been haunting this site for months now and have a whole book of notes from it. So much help you locals have given me without knowing it! Now we're leaving in the morning, our first trip to SF, I'm beyond excited, and I have a question. My husband and I are staying close to North Beach and plan on using feet and public transportation to get around. We love public transportation but have been known to take a day or two to get used to it. My question is: Are most areas of SF safe at night for walking around in and/or in case we miss a bus? I already know the Tenderloin area isn't safe, and I don't think the panhandlers will bother us, but what about the rest? Chinatown? Haight? We would love to continue to walk around at night if it's safe.

Well, I never assume a panhandler just because he is begging will not hurt me. They don't sign a contract. Some are desperate, on drugs or mentally ill. I have been approached by some who did not have my safety and health foremost in their minds. Just be aware and follow your gut feelings.

Except for the southeast section of the City - most locals would feel pretty safe in just about any other area.

However, tourists and people not familiar with big cities might feel less safe in other sections. Here are a few that you might want to avoid late at night

1. Civic Center
2. Tenderloin, as you stated
3. Haight St area between Webster & Market St
4. Hayes St is a popular area to shop, dine, browse etc - but I would not wander much north of there between Gough & Fillmore
5. Certain sections north of the Panhandle to Turk St.

Here are a few areas that were threatening 15 years ago, but things have changed & I think they are pretty safe how.
1. Haight St west of Webster (including Haight/Ashbury) - this area is packed with 20 somethings now & Hight/Ashbury looks much worse than it really is.
2. Divisidero St
3. Hayes Valley - escept where noted in #4 above. Some pockets are still a little scary
4. Alamo Sq - there really isn't any reason you would find yourself here at night anyway.
5. Mission District - lots of 20 somethings wandering around
6. SOMA - perhaps the most "changed" area in the City in the last 15 years.

Stu Dudley

Thank you both so much. I'm printing out your responses and packing them.

Just to add to what StuDudley has said with some specifics....

1. Civic Center - Specifically, Market Street between 6th and 9th/10th Streets. It gets pretty seedy over there. I wouldn't want to walk down there at night, but during the day it's ok, just beware of sketchball people - mostly harmless. Many MUNI buses run up and down market, so I'd hop on a bus if you find yourself uncomfortable in that area.

2. Tenderloin - Not all parts of the tenderloin are that bad. The edges are better - closer to Van Ness and north - Sutter and post streets. But the bad parts are north of market - Turk Street especially.

The only disagreement I would have with Stu's warnings are: 5. Certain sections north of the Panhandle to Turk St.

I live just south of the panhandle, but north of the Panhandle (aka "No-Pa) has really cleaned up in the last few years. That said, I highly doubt you'll find yourself walking around there at night anyway.


Enjoy and bring an umbrella!

Thank you, too. I'm checking all the posts up until we go to bed tonight. I'm packing my umbrella, although we won't actually be there until Wednesday morning. (We have to spend three days in Anaheim first.) Weather.com is not calling for rain from Wednesday through Friday and only a slight chance of showers Saturday morning. Of course we all know how accurate those forecasts are. I am prepared for rain, though, and it won't ruin my vacation.

DD and I just got back--took public transportation and walked the entire time and felt perfectly safe.

The only place that I felt unsafe in SF was anyplace South of Market.

>>The only place that I felt unsafe in SF was anyplace South of Market.<

Wow - So you felt unsafe around Boulevard restaurant, Nordstroms, Bloomingdale's, Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena Gardens, ATT park, Whole Foods, Borders, Metron center, Rincon center, One market, Palace Hotel, Hawthorn Lane restaurant, The Castro, Noe Valley, Mission District, Dolores Park, Mission Dolores, etc? This area includes about 80% of my favorite restaurants & shops - and where I lived in the Noe Valley.

The only place I feel threatened in that area is Nordstroms when my wife has her credit card out !!!

Stu Dudley

Yeah, Nordstroms makes me a little nervous too

Seriously though, there are some areas south of Market that aren't great, but there are some really good places too. Also, there has been some good redevelopment in that area in past years, so areas where someone may have felt uncomfortable before may have changed significantly. Things also depend on time of day. Walking from 4th and King Caltrain station in the day time - no worries. After dark, maybe not.

My credit card never feels safe around Nordstrom

Some areas of North Beach may be not safe, there are the "projects" there. Make sure you stay on the streets with people walking around.

I am look for the answer to what is "sketchball" that SFNative wrote there. Nobody in my house knowing this word.

AR

"sketchball" works for me on analogy with "screwy" and "screwball - isn't it amazing what you can get from Google?

It's more like seedy or shady, rather than screwball. A sketchball would be a shady character.

I've walked from 1st and Mission at the Greyhound station to 5th and Mission, which was fine during the day.

OK. I see. We thinking last time it was part of the Etch A Sketch the children toy they like.