What has happened to Union Square?
 

We just returned from San Francisco and noticed construction on Union Square. What is the deal? Anyone know? Is it the end of the square as we know it?

The square itself - 1 square block - is closed for renovation till don't know when. The garage underneath is opened to public, only they switch the entrance all the time from Post to Geary and back. The 1/2 price ticket booth is inside now, temporarily.

Faina, they are renovating the square or building something on it? Will it still be a park like square? Thanks for the infor.

I don't know for sure, I can only see they are building something what looks like 2 roofs over a bus stop on both sides:) And cover the ground with concrete. And no idea where you can check... maybe SF City Hall? I ride by every morning, when it's over I'll let you know.

This is what's going on -- not sure of current estimated completion date.<BR><BR>http://www.asla.org/meetings/awards/...unionsqre.html

Thanks, it is a little clearer now, I guess I won't panic. Keep us in WEHO informed!

Howard,<BR><BR>Union Square is being turned over exclusively to the homeless to use as an encampment, as if hasn't already been taken over by them. Of course, as you have seen we in San Francisco have quite a large homeless population (about 10-15 thousand at last count, but it probably is higher than that) that for whatever reason we just can't seem to get it under control. This is despite the fact that these derelicts are very agressive in their approach of asking people for money. We SFers seem to to like letting them use our streets as a public restroom, so that means we have to hold our nose as we walk down the street. The best thing I could recommend is that people stay away from San Francisco until we can figure out a way to take care of this problem. There are so many other bigger cities that are so much cleaner than San Francisco, that have better weather, with so much more to see and do.

"We SFers"? I guess you may be correct that the people in SF are stupid if they know all of this and STILL live there. Please let us know where you get your homeless statistics. The 10-15,000 amount you quote sounds very low if it's as bad as you say it is you big SFer, you!

NOxxxx,<BR><BR>10-15 thousand is the number that is reported, but that does not mean that it is accurate. In reality it definitely more than that. As you can see, our streets are littered with many cardboard condominiums.

More blah blah blah blah. Your "10 gallon hat for a 5 gallon head" "facts" are quite convenient.<BR>Back to San Jose with you.

NOxxxx, <BR>This website estimates the homeless population in San Francisco to be 12,000-14,000 back in 2000. It is definitely worse now, probably closer to 20,000. You cannot argue with the facts!!!<BR><BR><BR>http://www.sfbg.com/News/34/34/34stat.html

2 to 3yr old facts from The Bay Guardian!!!! There's a REAL realiable source! <BR>What next? Someone quoting Rush Limbaugh?<BR>Besides, it can't be THAT bad in SF or<BR>the most liberal of all mayors, Willie Brown, along with the most liberal of all Governors, Gray Davis, would have cleaned up the mess by now.

Mr. Liberal,<BR><BR>Apparently you did not look closely at the website. Those figures are from the San Francisco Homeless Coalition!<BR><BR>Liberals are the reason that SF has a homeless problem in the first place! What SF needs is someone like Rudy Giuliani to clean up the town. Go to NYC, like I do on a regular basis. You can count on one hand the number of homeless people you see in The City. You are most likely to see them in Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. Other than that, The City is immaculate. Clean streets, no odor of urine, etc. That is saying alot considering that The City has 8 million people and San Francisco has only 730,000

Let's see. We are now expected to accept figures from the SF Homeless Coalition whose sole budget is based on having a LARGE number of homeless in SF?<BR>Next source please.

It definitely FEELS like 10,000 when you walk about and get hassled. <BR><BR>Mind you, it also feels like 10 thousand get on every bus in china town.....!!!!

Hey Mr. Liberal, <BR><BR>Here is some information on SF's homeless problem from the website listed below. It talks about how NYC cleaned d up its act.<BR><BR><BR>San Francisco is spending more than $200 million a year, about the same as it spends for its fire department, on the homeless but is barely making a dent in the problem, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. There are still thousands living on the streets there, hassling passersby, openly abusing drugs and urinating and defecating in public. New York, meanwhile, has nearly eliminated its homelessness problems. What does New York know that San Francisco doesn't? New York invested in homeless shelters ? it has 27,000 beds now ? and used police and social workers to make it difficult to sleep in public. San Francisco officials viewed that approach as "warehousing the poor" and spent their money on long-term housing and services for a portion of the homeless. Problem is, they are serving the most quiescent homeless people. The more difficult ones, with mental illnesses or drug problems, are left on the street, and those are the ones causing trouble. "You walk down Market Street and step over comatose bodies, debris and human waste. It's just not a pleasant experience," said one businessman, who said he no longer visits the city for entertainment. <BR><BR>http://www.civic-strategies.com/resources/metros/san_francisco.htm<BR>

Noxxx,<BR><BR>Those figures are the FACTS, like it or not. I know that you find it difficult to accept the truth. <BR><BR>My previous post from the civic-strategies.com website is an excerpt from a San Francisco Chronicle article, which in no way is a newspaper biased against SF. They are merely reporting the facts, that SF has an out of control homeless population!! So get your head out of the sand and stop denying the obvious.

The SF Comicle is another REALLLL unbiased source to get "facts" on the homeless. &lt;snicker&gt;. If you think so, you really don't live in SF.<BR>I'm not saying there isn't a homeless problem in SF (like any other big city), it's just not as bad as you anti-SFers are letting all believe it to be.<BR>My head is always out of the sand but I think I know where yours is firmly implanted.

Noxxx,<BR><BR>I know that the truth about your town is hard to take. But stop being childish about it and admit that SF has a MAJOR problem in terms of the homeless and how severely run down it has become. In no way should we be misleading tourists to spend any time or hard earned money in such a cesspool until it is cleaned up.

I have admitted that it's a major problem but I've seen it just as bad, as aggressive in Portland, Seattle, LA, Dallas, NYC (Rudy has helped quite a bit), Miami and Chicago.<BR>Any city with a population over 300,000 will have a major problem. It's just that SF's "problem" is not as bad as you, "SFers" (yeah, right) say it is.<BR>Enjoy The City. Warts and all!

Noxxx,<BR><BR>Lets come clean with the truth. You are working for the SF Chamber of Commerce and all you do is post misleading information about how great a tourist destination SF is, making it sound so nice when the truth is exactly the opposite. Also, let's stick to the topic at hand and not mention Portland, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, LA, or Chicago. <BR>By the way, I was in Miami 2 weeks ago, and I hardly saw any homeless people on the streets. <BR><BR>I am not an SF hater as you think, but I do think it is important to state the truth.

Noxx, it seems silly to debate this here, but SF has a much, much worse homeless problem than any of those cities you mention. Can anyone image any city in the world where the authorities (including the police standing around) do nothing about drunks screaming and lunging at women and children? I saw this often in the Union Square area on a trip a few years ago.<BR><BR>I won't be back until the city decides to get tough with this. Throwing more money at the problem simply encourages more homeless to move in and take advantage of it.

SF has got to be the only city in America that forced Government housing projects in nice neighborhoods, rolls out the red carpet for the homeless and generally prefers to populate its city with the scum, freak degenerates of the world rather than decent hard working families. Take a stroll down the trash strewn streets of the Haight or Tenderloin. Liberal politics at their best. What a joke.

The homeless are definitely taking over Union Square and SF in general. Basically the town has become nothing but a haven for derelicts and prostitutes. Hardly a place to be recommended as a vacation destination.

I make it a policy to never post to these types of discussions, but it keeps coming back... so just this once.<BR><BR>OK, we get it. We in San Francisco have a homeless problem. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.<BR><BR>Now, while those of us who live here are busy working on solving it, will the rest of you please stick to the subject of travel advise? I come here for a break from my work - to dream and share stories. <BR><BR>We have heard that you would like the problem solved. Thank you for sharing. Please keep the Fodor's discussion civil - and better yet, focused on travel.

Sharon,<BR>I guess you work for the SF Visitor's Bureau. It is time that you take off those rose colored glasses and start seeing San francisco for what it really is. One of the only cities in the country that has been on a steady decline starting back in the 90's. The homeless are only part of the problem. We should also mention the many prostitutes on the the streets both day and night, especially in the Union Square area and on Market Street. How about the increase in violent crime. Cab drivers are even afraid to pick up passengers for fear of being robbed or murdered.

OK, xxx,<BR>You have stated it twice (on 2 threads), so now I need to respond (why you need to fabricate to make your point I am note sure). I am a self employed management consultant. I do not work for the visitors bureau. I just happen to visit this site because I like to travel - including within my own city.<BR><BR>C'mom, xxx. What do you get out of this conversation? And why won't you use your name?

I recently went to LA and San Diego for the first time. Now am glad that San Francisco was not in my itinerary and will avoid it in the future. I am glad for the information of how things really are. I rather spend my travel dollars where I can enjoy myself and would not appreciate experiencing the harrassment some have posted. Hopefully, those that are supposed to correct the situation will do so.

OK. Yeah. Right there "Traveler". Maybe you can just STAY in San Jose the rest of your life then?

Don't assume because you really don't know where I'm from. <BR>

I guess I can "assume" you may have been educated at San Jose St Univ from your sentence structure?

pseudo,<BR><BR>This is data from the US News and World Report ranking of San Jose State University. It is also the most respected of the California State Universities. I think YOU are the one that is ignorant.<BR><BR><BR><BR>San Jose State University Ranking<BR><BR>Undergraduate Computer engineering specialties: Schools programs: <BR><BR>1. Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)<BR>2. Rochester Inst. of Technology (NY)<BR>3. Cooper Union (NY)<BR> Harvey Mudd College (CA)<BR>5. Cal Poly?San Luis Obispo *<BR>6. Bucknell University (PA)<BR>7. San Jose State University (CA)*<BR><BR>Undergraduate engineering specialties: Schools programs: Electrical/Electronic/Communications<BR><BR>1. Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)<BR>2. Harvey Mudd College (CA)<BR>3. Cal Poly?San Luis Obispo *<BR> Cooper Union (NY)<BR> Rochester Inst. of Technology (NY)<BR>6. United States Air Force Acad. (CO)*<BR>7. Bucknell University (PA)<BR> San Jose State University (CA)*<BR><BR>#16 overall for its undergraduate engineering program<BR>

Sharon,<BR><BR>And Sharon is your real name? I don't think so! Sharon, or whatever your name is, obviously you work for the SF Visitor's bureau because you keep posting false and misleading information about SF to mislead tourists into spending their hard earned money in your city.

NERD ALERT!!! NERD ALERT!!! <BR>Where does it score in English skills?<BR>Pocket Protector Univ.!!!!!<BR>

Pseudo, obviously you've touched a nerve! And must be pretty close to the mark with the SJSU prediction...

That's really sad -- San Jose State coming in last on both of those rankings. I guess that's why they are called [san] HOSERS!

Cliff,<BR><BR>Considering the ranking consisted of a total of 100 universities, San Jose State University's ranking is excellent, which is alot better than San Francisco State!

Our wonderful Mayor "Slick" Willie Brown has turned over Union Square to the prostitutes and homeless drug addicts. No doubt that it will be our top tourist destination!!

Is it going to be one giant homeless shelter? How convenient for the homeless to be right in the center of town. Nothing but the best for our beloved homeless.

Here's a clip from an article about the remodel...and no, it's not going to be the Hon. Willie Brown's castle!:<BR><BR>http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/unionsq.shtml<BR>=======================<BR>"The $25 million renovations being conducted on Union Square itself, with the help of the Uptown Parking Corp. and the city and county of San Francisco, are scheduled to be completed in August 2002. <BR>Plans include constructing a central plaza paved with granite where live performances will take place. The TIX Bay Area half-price theater ticket booth, now located on the perimeter, will be placed in the square, and a caf&eacute; will feature outdoor seating. Palm trees and gardens will be added as well. The Dewey statue is getting a face-lift, and four sculptures by R.M. Fischer will be installed in the square. This will no doubt make a great place to relax between shops."<BR>===============================