Frankly, as a person who lives in LA and has been going to SF all my life, I'd avoid it, especially with kids. Unless you want them to witness a zombie apocolypse with unchecked public drug dealing and consumption, I'd stay away from the area, and if not that the city. Don't support a place that allows such complete lawlessess to flourish. Anyone that tells you that "SF has always been this way" is gaslighting you. There is a reason why conventions are moving to other cities and businesses are closing and leaving, and commercial propertly lessees are walking away from their commitments.

I'd also tell you pretty much the same thing about parts of Los Angeles as well (Hollywood, Downtown).