When I tell Americans why I left San Francisco, I often talk about the endless empty storefronts in the downtown core. I suspect they think I’m exaggerating. Turns out, these vacant storefronts extend much further around the city.
When I tell Americans why I left San Francisco, I often talk about the endless empty storefronts in the downtown core. I suspect they think I’m exaggerating. Turns out, these vacant storefronts extend much further around the city.
Thanks Gavin.
Take a good look and pay attention. If the Democrats win the next election, the entire country will look like this.
I was in the US military relatively near San Francisco for 1 year in the 1960’s – and later returned in the early 2000’s.
In the 60’s SF was already in decline. The Hippies had taken over and hallucinogens were easy to score about anywhere. The the queers began to take over and bath houses sprung where queers would have sex with 100 partners a year. Shopping back then sucked also.
Later when working for GM we had a conference downtown for 5 days 20 years ago in 2005. Everywhere we went the homeless were panhandling us. They were disgusting then and now have taken over neighborhoods.
SF started going downhill 60 years ago without interruption. Gavin Newsome was Mayor of SF 2004 -2011 when I was there. Prior to that Willie Brown was mayor and we all know what his relationship with Kamala Harris was. She was his Monica Lewinsky.
San Andreas (SF and Silicon Valley), Calaveras (Hollister), Hayward (Berkeley) faults can’t destroy America’s Sodom and Gomorrah soon enough. It is a wretched hell hole.
Robert … as I was starting my professional career … ‘New Urbanism’ was all the rage. We were going to all turn the clock back and create ‘walkable cities’ and restore the oldy fashioned small towns replacing all those horrid (I don’t disagree) suburban strip malls set back from a sea of parking lots.
The ‘New Urbanism’ demanded that every apartment block be a mixed use development with retail at the ground floor … energizing … the dull bedrooms above. Or better still! Live-work townhouses with retail shops on the ground floor. Kate could airbrush and sell her works on the ground floor of a Regina Townhome … and publish SDA on the peaceful floors above! And everything she’d need would be within a 15min. walk! Nirvana for Kate!
Well … now all those energized ground floors are vacant. Hollow shells making the dreary cubicle apartments above all the drearier. Nobody bothers to walk 15min. to go anywhere. Now …
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look, but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb
GREAT tune!
Well at least we have Dubai eh. Try finding something to lease there.
Empires come, and empires go.
Morocco is like that, 2-3 storey concrete and block apartamentos with rollup or swing steel doors on main floor retail, if at all. The free rangers tend flocks.
Some live our future.
Kenji, that urban system you mention is quite common throughout Europe in inner cities and towns and sometimes in the outer burbs. It goes back decades at least, and it works (for the most part anyway).
Big box stores are almost always located around the fringes of urban areas, and shopping malls in the cities.
For example, in my town of around 30,000 I find I rarely have to drive anywhere to get most of what I want.
Having said all that, people do use their cars alot.