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hmmm "SoHo in San Francisco?" maybe "Buskwick in San Francisco" would be more appropriate?

$400,000 for someplace where folks are getting shot across the street and street-folks are pooping on your doorstep?

I wouldn't pay $100,000 to live there - Thanks...

Ummm, acutally bepsf, no one is getting shot there. Nor has anyone pooped on my doorstep.

I live in the Tenderloin, thankyouverymuch and I am a single woman who goes running by myself at 5:00 am.

What I have learned is that you will be safe unless you fall into 1 of 3 categories: 1. The Homeless 2. Drug Dealers/Users 3. Hookers/Pimps.

And yes, I choose to live here.

i volunteer in the tenderloin every week..and yeah..its unpleasant walking home (I live on the other border),but im glad 'normal' people are moving in, it makes it that much safer!

Wow, "'normal' people" -- what a statement.

sf julia's right - I'm in the tenderloin nearly every day, at all times of day and night. Shootings are rare, and no one is pooping in the street or on dorrsteps. Places like Bayview and Hunter's Point are truly dangerous; the Tenderloin is more, just . . . unsightly. But not particularly dangerous.

by normal, i mean not shooting up in public...i have seen this many times. i dont have a problem with homeless people, i am concerned about the drug users (bc that is where most of the crime in this neighborhood stems from, drug deals gone bad). Ive heard that people come from outside of the neighborhood to buy cheap drugs..its awful.

but 'normal', its a pretty bad term, i know.

This news is so five years ago. The 'loin has been trendy for awhile now. It ain't what it used to be at all.

hopefully friends 17 years in their apartments and such will be spared eviction struggles as realtors will be vying for the few unoccupied spaces to renovate?

I'm glad that this building was not residential before, because I would be very concerned about the poor people who had been displaced by it's renovation and sale. While the term "pioneer" has some great romantic connotations, the fact is that more and more poor people who now call the Tenderloin home will be forced out of the neighborhood the more chic it becomes. Where will these people go?

Thirty or fourty years ago, SOHO was a great neighborhood where artists could afford to live and create a community. Abstract Expressionism was pretty much born there. Today, Soho has become completely bland and corporate, and for the most part the artists have been forced out. Some people may have made a lot of money from that transition, but that doesn't make it a good thing for the rest of us.

orangered: thats a good point. and all of the gentrification is a double-edged sword; it makes it safer, maybe*, but also less affordable.

Citiapartments is notorious for pushing out tenants in the TL to renovate, and i suspect this problem will get worse as it gets even trendier.

*and yeah, maybe it is already safe if youre not dealing/buying or are homeless.

Hi, I'm Ginger, I live in the Book Concern Building, too. (Also a Small Cool contestant, NW #25). Holla to my neighbors Erin and Danny, and congrats on getting in the paper!!!!

I am a lady, I live alone, and I feel safe. The location is actually one of the pluses, you can walk to just about anything, it's nice being in the center of the city. The tenderloin is gentrifying, and I have not found it to be dangerous. There are a lot of homeless people, and they have tinkled in our doorways outside to be honest, which can be a nuisance. But I am never worried about being shot or anything like that. There is a huge mid-market development project going on right now that should help clean things up. Also, the Book Concern Building is not deep in the TL mix, it is right off of Market just a couple of blocks from City Hall, the Opera, Symphony, etc., so you really are close to some very nice stuff, as well. I bought this property as an investment because I see the neighborhood changing, and I'm hoping that my place will appreciate.

Yup, nothing's edgier than SoHo. ;-)

Ohboy. I'm sure the anti-gentrification folks will have a few words to say about this. Especially the "pioneers" language. Oof. Cute place, though.

"Pioneers?" What about all the Asian (Vietnamese) and Latino families who have been living and raising kids in the TL for years? I think it's thanks to them and other concerned folks in the neighborhood that we see street banners featuring "Little Saigon" and signs urging drivers to "Slow Down, We Live Here Too."

The lofts look nice, though. I'm glad they found a good use for that building. But do they not have full kitchens? Is that what makes them efficiency units?

Julia--

No offense, but the article states:
"When we were working on that project, I think there were two, if not three, shootings right at that Hibernia building," architect Paris said."

I'm glad you feel safe there - and perhaps things have improved, but it's still too sketchy for me...

bepsf: it depends on the risks you want to take. as a couple of people have pointed out, its safe for *most* people, *most* of the time, but maybe still doesnt feel so comfortable...im a scaredy cat so 99% of the people im scared of may have some issues, etc, but are probably harmless.

this map actually makes me less scared of one particular area (bc its so spread out):

http://www.sfgate.com/maps/sfhomicides/

id still like to live in one of these lofts. :/

I think "colonizers" might be more appropriate than "pioneers". I'm just sayin'...

yeah everyone know the right way to cure urban blight is to have yuppies move in, buy up formerly low cost rentals from citiapartments and gentrify the place. I mean it would be crazy to try to actually address the issues that are causing the urban blight.

Please there have been non drug using, tax paying latino and asian families in this neighborhood for years but I guess since they weren't young white professionals, the city wasn't too big on listening to them when they asked for more police presence, better street cleaning services, more diversion and outreach programs.

I'm sure now that folks like this young colonizers opps I mean pioneers are moving, the city will be a heck of lot more responsive to the requests of the residents and hundreds more lower and middle class family who have lived in the city for decades will be forced out of the city.

bepsf, I think vallejo would be nice and perfect for you.

I love that even in the so called progressive liberal bastion of San Francisco, "normal people" are consider those who are white, young, upper middle class straight people. thank god they will get rid of all those non normal Latino and Asian multi generational hard working families that call the loin home.

TheoJ-- what i dont get is the police station in the middle of the TL ..what do they do? there is all sorts of crime that could be prevented by more police presence on the streets. in 8 months of my thursday night walks, i have seen ONE police officer!

Nothing to add other than WOOF that dude is HHHHHHOT. :)

I don't live in this neighborhood. I don't even live in this city for that matter (or even that country if we want to get right into it)... but I feel bad for you folks who fear getting "pooped" on and shot at in your daily lives. I realize that this is reality for some people... you could very well get shot no matter what city or what neighborhood you live in. I commend these people (and people everywhere!) who choose to live somewhere without that fear. Being afraid to walk down the street often doesn't change whether or not you'll get mugged while doing it, and it takes that courage to get other people to join you. The more people who choose to live in an "unsightly" area despite it's unsightliness the better that area becomes. It's not about what's "cool" or even about what's affordable. It's about soul and having the guts to find love in a place that maybe isn't so lovable and making it your own.

I think in any large city it can be sketchy anywhere. I do have a friend who was mugged by 2 people in the loin a few months ago. She had been living in the loin for a few years and always felt safe. I also know a couple that were mugged right on my block (in noe valley) in the middle of the day. But, I'm sure being in the wrong place at the wrong time one can even get mugged in Vallejo....

Theoj hits the nail squarely on the head: This area has been an improving neighborhood for decades, but it didn't make the news until the rich white people started moving in. This is what has irritated me about the gradual gentrification of this part of San Francisco, the problems these places have faced for years and years were met with no concern or a wall of indifference from our city leaders. Oh, but they were great for a photo op and a speech about how they all planned to Do Something... just right after they were re-elected. But anyway, all of a sudden now that the rich Caucasians have moved in, things are actually changing in these neighborhoods. The police who used to say "we can't do anything!" suddenly show up within seconds rather than minutes.

Oh well! If you can get rid of the all the colored people who look and speak differently than you by simply saying they're not allowed, just price 'em out of the neighborhood and Mission Accomplished!

some of the best posts on the chronicle thread:
skillcraft:
" 'We're not those yuppie people who are buying a condo . .' Sorry honey, I know that makes you feel better but you bought for the same reasons 'those yuppie people' did. You are probably more like us than you realize. The horror."
sockmonkey:
"..pioneers?....whattya call the peple that have been living there their whole life?....whattya call the immigrants who have settled there over the past 30 years?...what a crock of an article.... ..."pioneers" indeed."
And he got paid to write it/editors approved it!

I lived a block from there for 4 years, it's not so bad, but, as shadowgov't said: "Tenderloin chic? He he. Ha ha ha haaa. Bwaaaaa hahahahahahaha!"

red83 (Feher or Montoya?) your response on the Chronicle thread is one of the few with any sense; Nevius' article is still unfortunately written though, no? We've seen what effects a previous similar "influx" has had on this city of course, hopefully this one's, if it can be termed, will be positive...good luck to you and the civicloin

I don't like gentrification because it doesn't just displace the crime--it displaces everyone. I remember being asked to do a presentation for college back in 1999 on a famous California architect's work in Culver City, and coming away from my research disgusted at what I foresaw happening to the area. Sure enough: http://www.laweekly.com/news/features/welcome-to-gentrification-city/14285/.

I lived right across from that building (when it was still the Scientology home) while attending law school at UC Hastings, which is a block away. While the blight and misfortune on display at all times was sad, I can't say I ever felt unsafe. And more recently I worked for the federal court (also in the Civic Center/Loin area) and walked to the UN Plaza BART station at some pretty late hours. Again, I never had occassion to feel unsafe.

Regarding the Tenderloin generally, it's always had a good, solid core of hard working families. I'm not sure if this still happens, but back in my Hastings days, the whole neighborhood would come together and throw a HUGE Halloween party for all of the kids in the area, which was a blast to be involved with. Also, the SF School Volunteers office is nearby (McAllister at Franklin), and always has opportunities for individuals and groups to volunteer at the Tenderloin Community School, which is another great way to support the local kids. So for those of you whole currently live in the area (I'm out of state now), get involved and help build the neighborhood in a non-gentrification way!

Theoj has it right. I lived in the Tenderloin for a few years a while ago. I'm white but not rich. People would smoke crack and sell it on the hood of their car below my window in the middle of the day. The dealers would actually count their piles of cash on the hood of their car.
I used to watch little asian kids walk to school in groups while this was all going on in front of them (not to mention the prostitutes). I called the police all the time to report this kind of stuff and not one police car ever showed.... no cop car even driving by to check out the situation.
I'm sure if the same scenario occured in Pacific Heights the cops would be on the scene in minutes.
I live in LA now and while the cops have issues down here at least they have the nerve to show up when called.

i'm sorry for being a bit of a creep, but will Nevius' next article on the neighborhood address the question, or can anyone, can the developers and realtors, these peddlers of chic, of whether these situations will improve the neighborhood in the long run, proving their share of money for schools and things, that they have not been created using loopholes given to some previous new housing develpments.

providing that is, sorry

sorry to derail the gentrification comment train. i just want to say big congrats to erin and danny & ggsnaps & all others there who are gutsy enough not only to find a place they can afford, but to use their talents to turn it into something that LOTS of people can admire--including the 300 here who voted their effort either 'cool' or 'super cool.'

It is definitely unsightly and a magnet for drugs and gangs. Not horribly dangerous but if you look out of place you take a risk. Something (anything) has to be done to revitalize the TL. I know Latino families who have raised their families in the TL. Its not easy and it took a lot of perseverance. The area needs better housing stock and a better mix of income groups. Otherwise it will remain the horrible mess it is. It is still a magnet for drug users. No one wants to live around that. Its time the homeless and the drug addicts get the care they need. First step = get them off the streets of the TL.

aw...... you can walk to Dottie's True Blue Cafe. Love it!

i agree with patrick!

The police probably don't show because this is San Francisco, after all. If they start rousting street people, then they're accused of being insensitive--usually by people who don't live in the area and don't have to deal with it. I used to live in the Tenderloin when I first moved here (corner of Hyde and Eddy) and never felt threatened but then I'm a 6 foot tall man.
That police station is there as a political pay-off. They can't tear it down(gasp!! It's a landmark!!) And if it sits empty it really attracts problems--so let's put a police station there even though there is no parking for police cars and can't be remodeled.
One big problem with gentrification are all those people who move into the city for the "energy" and then try to change it so it's like the burbs. SOMA is always having trouble with people moving next to clubs and then upset about the music. Just once I'd like to see a city official tell someone to tough it up and quit being a baby.