[HamiltonJay]

Different strokes for different folks, but SF's beautiful architecture, doesn't compensate for its deplorable conditions. You cannot walk anywhere in SF downtown area (and lets face SF proper is only like 5 square miles) without bums owning every bus stop, accosting you, the stench of urine, and graphiti.

Pimp mayor and his cronies bilking the city, tent cities all over the caltrain stations and public squares... its a complete abject dump. And that's not even getting into the crap that goes on publicly over by Castro.

[buwaya]

You are right about the Mayor. The oddity is in this town he is held to be a conservative.

And, really, I'm having serious cognitive dissonance going here. The place isn't that bad. Even at its worst its no different across the bay, like by Lake Merritt. There are no tent cities at the Caltrain station. Downtown is where nearly all the bums are, but geez, us residents don't live there, do we ?

[Drango]

You cannot walk anywhere in SF downtown area (and lets face SF proper is only like 5 square miles) without bums owning every bus stop, accosting you, the stench of urine, and graphiti.

My wife won't go into SF after dark, and during the day will go only if I'm with her.

[rivercat]

...its deplorable conditions.

I have to agree with HamiltonJay. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. I've lived here all of my 40 years, except for my seven years of military service during the 90's. Upon my return in '98, I was absolutely floored at the condition of SF. The nutballs have absolutely destroyed, what was once, the most beautiful city in the world. My wife and are in year two of our five-year plan to leave here, once and for all.

Folks, it's not the people of California, or the people of the Bay Area that have done this. It's all these idiot "intellectuals" that have come from somewhere else!