I would agree, though I'm very concerned about the increasing geopolitical isolation of the US and its effect on tourism, among other considerations.
By J.D. Morris, Tom Li, Staff Writers Aug 6, 2025 - San Francisco Chronicle
Fewer homeless encampments and trash-strewn sidewalks. Busier restaurants and retail shops. A new mayor who hits the streets almost daily to chat with residents and business owners.
These are just some of the reasons why San Franciscans say they now feel optimistic about the city’s future despite years of negative news about empty downtown offices, widespread public drug use, rampant stolen-goods sales and other serious concerns.
Why S.F. residents say the city is finally undergoing a major vibe shift
Greg
Quick and Dirty
That optimism is less pronounced just west of Union Square.
In the Tenderloin, residents and business owners noticed a “slight improvement” in street homelessness and drug scenes after Lurie took office in January, said Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. But conditions have deteriorated since then, Shaw said.
“I’ve never heard more pessimism from business owners in the Tenderloin than I’ve heard in recent weeks, because people just feel like there’s nothing positive moving forward,” Shaw said. “There’s a feeling that the Tenderloin is being left behind in the San Francisco comeback.”
Merchants and residents around 16th and Mission streets share those sentiments since the area has been grappling with an influx of drug users and unpermitted vending. Lurie responded by surging police enforcement and community ambassadors to the area, but progress has been inconsistent.
Layla Salwan, of Canada, right, watches as her brother Waleed Salwan and father Wael Salwan play a game of pingpong in Union Square.
Gabrielle Lurie/S.F. Chronicle
Though the city overall has seen some encouraging signs, plenty of challenges remain. Office vacancies have fallen but are still historically high. Market Street has more abandoned storefronts than occupied ones between Fifth and the Embarcadero, a path heavily traveled by tourists. The city’s largest mall, the San Francisco Centre at Market and Fifth streets, is mostly empty. BART and Muni ridership is trending upward, but both transit agencies are staring down giant budget shortfalls. City Hall is also expected to face a large deficit next year.
Yet for now a majority of voters are happy about where the city is headed — and satisfied that Lurie is in charge. He had a remarkable 73% approval rating in the Chronicle poll, a high mark that University of San Francisco public affairs professor Patrick Murphy said is linked to residents’ views of the city in general.
The public attitudes about San Francisco and Lurie are likely being shaped just as much by residents’ daily experiences as they are by the information they receive from other sources such as media reports, social media posts and commentary from other people, Murphy said.
“Part of it might be a little bit of (personal) experience,” he said. “A lot more of it has to do with perception.”
Another factor in Lurie’s favor is that voters clearly grew weary of Breed, whom residents blamed for the downturn during the pandemic and its worsening drug crisis.
“If Mother Teresa was in charge during the pandemic in San Francisco, she would have lost that election,” Murphy said.
Vendors and pedestrians in the plaza in front of the Ferry Building on Wednesday.
Gabrielle Lurie/S.F. Chronicle
Poll respondent Leslie Carol Roberts of Pacific Heights described feeling “very optimistic about the city” because of what she feels is its reemerging restaurant and shopping scene, including along Valencia Street, which struggled in recent years.
“People are at brunch. People are in the shops,” said Roberts, who’s lived in the city since 1989. “An indicator of the health of the city is whether you can touch down in any of its neighborhoods and find that it is fluid and active.”
San Francisco restaurants seem to be doing better than last summer, said Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.
“Are we raking in money? No. But I do think it’s heading in the right financial direction,” Thomas said. “There is a perception that things are getting better from a safety perspective, which has been our members’ No. 1 concern in our poll we do every year.”
Lurie has pushed the narrative that San Francisco is bouncing back on his watch.
An heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, he has spent heavily to promote the city’s public image — and his own — since taking office. By the end of June, his self-funded campaign account paid $350,000 to political consultants and public relations firms that advised him on messaging, according to recent disclosures.
Lurie has said his “entire team shares an unwavering commitment to San Francisco’s success.” One of his advisers previously told the Chronicle he was honored to help “share the story of San Francisco’s comeback.”
When he signed his first city budget in July, Lurie ticked off a list of bright spots that put the city in a flattering light.
“There’s a shift in how people are feeling,” Lurie said. “More San Franciscans today believe the city is headed in the right direction. More believe their quality of life is improving. This is what we are all working for, and it’s why I know our best days aren’t just ahead of us — they’re starting right now.”