Boraxo

As bad as downtown is now, I think the favelas are in a class of their own. For example in downtown SF you do not have to worry much about gangs relieving you of your wallet, or snatching chains off your neck or holding up your tourist bus at gunpoint to take your phones - all of which occurred during the few days I was in Rio. Violent crime is still a rarity in SF with exception of rolex robberies (and even then they seem to follow victims to the burbs).

That said your vehicle is definitely at high risk. I was walking up Bush b/t Polk & Van Ness after lunch last week and passed a row of cars with smashed windows. A half hour later I saw a guy casing cars on Sutter. I was parked on Franklin in front of a liquor store and emerged unscathed - luck of the draw

angetenar

If you don't want your car windows smashed, don't leave valuables in your car, no? I feel like this is universal advice beyond just SF.

Boraxo

It doesn’t matter here they will break windows anyway to see if there is anything of value. Some just break windows for the fun of it as we saw on Lake Street earlier this year.

in SF the bottom line is just don’t park on the street here. But Unfortunately it seems worth the risk as given the conditions on BART

mjm

Not universal at all. In Tokyo, London, and Vienna, i.e. the cities I live in/most often frequent because the Bay Area (where I grew up) has become such an extraordinary dump on all levels, this is not even remotely the norm, or even frequent enough to be something people consider. Leaving things in your car is dangerous and that people believe that to be the norm? Good grief, that is the most depressing thing I have read all morning and and I am still half way through the financial pages. When I do visit the Bay Area I note that my hometown of Berkeley is rapidly transitioning into a faceless "could be any town in the US" kind of place and that if you want to enjoy the City you have to head to the neighborhoods to have a chance at a great meal and a calm walk back to your car. The Richmond is my current favorite, hoping it stays great for a while. Time was, downtown served that purpose. No longer.

gaobest

i ate on telegraph in Berkeley before David sedaris in May and it still looks very Berkeley. We ate at muraccis across from amoeba, a store I frequented often 1993-2003. Amoeba looks great as always and now I’m only playing music on my phone, so zero buys of vinyl & cd.

i drive and park on the street in Sf pretty often including on Tuesday in Russian hill (pine by Leavenworth / Hyde). It’s just random bad luck. There’s zero guarantee of car safety in general. I’ve driven and parked a car on the streets of San Francisco since 1991. Until last year, I had a total of 1 broken window, in the inner sunset on Irving by 9th on Xmas Eve 2002 (I was eating brekky at Howard’s after having done the honey baked ham pickup on Xmas Eve at 6am). Now, when I include last year and this year, I have a total of 1 broken window. Maybe it’s because I still Club my steering wheel? Hello boomer indeed. Another mom in our children’s class even commented on my Club.

mjm

I am more of the Rasputin's (original location) and Leopold's crowd. There are spots in Berkeley that remain as they have been, but they are getting nudged out. Look at all the destruction of houses and buildings west of T'graph, along Shattuck etc. Been to a movie in Berkeley lately? Not at the Oaks, California, or UA. It has become very plastic looking in many places. A shame because it really was a huge part of the definition of the East Bay and of the entire Bay Area for decades. Time marches on. The hills still have the natural beauty though and the sunset s still amazing from LHS. Arinell still tastes great, but I miss David's Pork Baos at Center and Shattuck.

azepine00

SO had a window broken in burlingame.. according to cops this has become quite common there as well...

Boraxo

I grew up near burlingame - had almost no crime in the last century. Very sad.

gaobest

sorry - not fun.
my bestie in Chicagoland took a nature walk and returned to discover a car window broken. A friend from HS who lives in north north California recently had a car breakin. This crime stuff can happen anywhere in the world.

gaobest

Took 10:30a bart to meet my bestie in union square SF (450 sutter). Tons of tourists on the walk up Powell. Several euro languages - French German English. Surely others that I missed. It’s less crowded and it looks nice overall. I’m surprised and impressed. Btw practically zero masks for the tourists (like me)

DELee

Why were you a tourist in Union Square?

David

Eastbay1K

450 Sutter? Probably going to the Plastic Surgeon.

Kacee

No it's truly special in SF and Oakland. I have to specifically remind everyone from out of town (including Berkeley or, especially, Walnut Creek and surrounds) DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING, AND I MEAN ANYTHING, IN YOUR CAR WHEN YOU PARK IN OAKLAND.

We don't have this issue in Scottsdale.

DELee

So the bestie is the Plastic Surgeon? And they play tourist in Union Square?

David

gaobest

i was so happy to see so many tourists on Tuesday. These people spend money to visit San Francisco.

i took Bart to union square and then walked to 450 Sutter.

I met my bestie at 450 Sutter. Supposedly the dentist. I bet it was an eye job. Zero proof. Then we walked to our luncheon at Uno Dos.