I love the Tenderloin! What's all the fuss about? (theater, live)

[gotigers123]

Originally Posted by TigerBlood

I'm a 27 year old (Eastern European) from Chicago. Went to school in Santa Cruz, and have been living in the TL for the past 3 months (500 block of Ellis). It was really the only way I could afford rent without having roommates while I'm back in school full time. I was a little nervous to move here, but the last 3 months have been great. I haven't spent so little on good food in my life, there are all kinds of stores open 24 hrs a day, AWESOME dive bars (The Outsider is great), very short walk to Union Square and Market, and a very unique vibe overall. There are people here from all walks of life, and meeting new people is easy. I've walked alone at all times of day and night and have never had any issues, but living on the South Side of Chicago, the TL seems harmless. I've seen plenty of homeless arguing, but have not witnessed any assaults or robberies, or anyone who seemed threatening. You're gonna see some sketch characters, but they all seem harmless.

I feel like this area is getting a bad rep. No, it might not be the prettiest, but it's real. Historically, it's a very important area for the city. I saw so many negative posts about the 'Loin' that I wanted to put in my two cents. Don't be scared away by this unique neighborhood. The rent is cheap, the food is cheap (And delicious), and the people are very cool. A very tight knit community feel. It's the Mission and Haight in one package. I'm also involved in music and have built a nice studio in my apartment. I have 3 big windows overlooking the entire downtown area. Creatively, I couldn't have a better view when I'm recording

I agree with you for the most part. I don't find the Tenderloin remotely scary or intimidating. The vast majority of San Francisco "bums" are friendly and not overly aggressive. You're also close to great food, transit, and the rent is pretty cheap compared to the rest of the city. The northern part of the neighborhood (Sutter, Bush) has some really nice apartment buildings as well.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by TigerBlood

I'm also involved in music and have built a nice studio in my apartment. I have 3 big windows overlooking the entire downtown area. Creatively, I couldn't have a better view when I'm recording

What kind of music?

[SunDevil1212]

I agree with you, I enjoy walking through the TL (down Geary, for instance). As someone else pointed out there is some great architecture and its got a nice historic feel to it. Plus there are some great dive bars in the area and as you noted some awesome cheap eats.

I find myself going to Great American Music Hall a lot (best venue in SF in my opinion) and I often leave a show there past midnight, walk home, and have never felt that uncomfortable. Granted, I'm a fairly tall male - if I was a younger woman I might have the opposite opinion.

I could see myself living in parts of the TL...maybe the "Tendernob." The thing about the TL is that some blocks are far worse than others. So its hard to classify the entire area as either "dangerous" or "okay". Most of the TL I think is just fine, but certain stretches all avoid at all costs (see: Turk between Market & Taylor).

[gone down south]

Originally Posted by MathieuL

I got lost in Tenderloin and I saw in front of my eyes 12 yr olds buying weed. That's what's wrong with Tenderloin, easy access to drugs for children

Oh, please. There's more weed sold to 12-year-olds outside Berri Metro in Montreal than in the whole Tenderlook.

[gone down south]

Although there are some scary-as-hell areas in the region, natives tend to get a little bit dramatic about how scary SOMA and the Tenderloin are. Yeah, bad stuff happens there, but once you've seen a real ghetto (Chicago southside, North Philly, Trenton, places like that), 6th Street is like the Disney version of sketchy.

[bmw335xi]

I love the ethnic food in the Loin! So good n cheap.

[rah]

Originally Posted by gone down south

Although there are some scary-as-hell areas in the region, natives tend to get a little bit dramatic about how scary SOMA and the Tenderloin are. Yeah, bad stuff happens there, but once you've seen a real ghetto (Chicago southside, North Philly, Trenton, places like that), 6th Street is like the Disney version of sketchy.

As someone who has seen many "real" ghettos (yes i include the TL on that list), you and others in this thread are vastly underestimating the TL's capacity for messed up violence.

Yes it has nice food. Yes it has immigrants, and families, and kids, and artists, and hipsters, and bars, and clubs, and that makes it unique compared to most ghettos, which don't have nearly as many positives in comparison to the TL. But, the TL has lots drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, lots of parolees (it's a drop off point for released convicts), lots of homeless, lots of registered sex offenders, and lots of addicts as well, and a good deal of crime and violence. It does not have it's bad reputation for no reason, though yes there are those people who greatly exaggerate crime/"danger" in the TL just as some people greatly underestimate it for crime. The tenderloin is a place where you can be beaten to death at random by a crazed homeless man...or killed by a stray bullet while on vacation, or stabbed to death for your video game console, or killed in the crossfire of a gunbattle (with 5 more bystanders wounded). It's a place where a homeless woman was robbed and then when she talked to the cops, was kidnapped off the street and burned alive (all of those incidents actually happened, all within the past 4 years, and none of the victims were criminals). It's a place where drug dealers/thugs are known to shoot each other at all hours of the day. Seriously, does that kind of stuff sound like the stuff that happens in Disneyland to you?

The thing about the TL is that during the day, if you're not a thug type person/drug dealer/homeless/waving money around, you're not too likely to have any trouble (not any more so than say, the Mission). It's a dense area with LOTS of foot and vehicle traffic, including plenty of people simply passing through to get to and from Union Square and the Financial District. At night the dynamic can change a little as there are less "normal people" out and about, with even more dealers/etc out at the same time. Also, the fringe areas of the tenderloin (geary/polk/larkin/mason/sutter) are usually fine these days no matter what time it is..it's more likely to get truly sketchy deeper in there. The worst part of the TL is probably the area bounded by Leavenworth, O'Farrell, Taylor, and Market streets. I wouldn't warn anyone away from the Tenderloin unless they're squeamish/non-streetsmart, but i definitely WOULD tell them to watch their back more than they would in a neighborhood that doesn't have the same drug and poverty issues and all the extra crime that comes with them.

[Brickmama]

What is the worst part of the Loin? Which streets other than the stretch of Turk just mentioned?

How is the area at Sutter and Jones?

[rah]

Originally Posted by Brickmama

What is the worst part of the Loin? Which streets other than the stretch of Turk just mentioned?

How is the area at Sutter and Jones?

I just mentioned it in my post above yours. Worst is the area between O'Farrell, Taylor, Leavenworth, and Market...as in you're most likely to see dealers, crackheads, groups of homeless people, dudes hanging around, etc at any given time in that area. Sutter is not bad at all compared to the depths of the TL, though it's a little gritty. It's not even considered the Tenderloin by many people...personally I see it as half Tenderloin, half nob hill--kind of a transition area. That area just north of Geary is actually called the "tendernob" by some people, though many people, especially those in real estate call it "Lower Nob Hill".

[HappyBunny23]

I think the real scare is on 6th street. They makes the folks in the loin look good! I lived in the loin and did get shot at carrying a 6 pack of beer into my apt. It was really colorful, and interesting, and close to everything. Very urban.

If you are more near Nob hill, in the "tender nob" then you are alright.