it's actually really frustrating-- moved to sf during the pandemic. it was empty but didn't feel so bad. it feels way worse now, lots of shops closed up or moved, a lot of sketchy areas downtown, the whole foods closed mid-market, so i'm moving to south bay. can definitely afford it, but wanted the car-free life.
coming from europe, it's sad and disappointing. last time i was in sf was in 2016 or so for work and it felt way better, and that was commuting to soma and walking around market at night
I hosted a lot of couch surfing travelers in the Tenderloin from 2016 to 2019. The first thing each of them commented on was the number of homeless people in SF. It was honestly embarrassing.
I'm no SF expert and haven't been back in a long time, but I used to travel there in early 2000s and thought the number of homeless and agressive people was a lot more than where I lived in both LA and NYC.
Knowing how post-pandemic and post wealth grab has made the homeless population grow I can only guess how SF looks now.
If you haven't moved yet, and are open to giving SF another chance, pick a new neighborhood. Based on your post, I'm guessing you lived in SoMa? It's... kinda the worst, honestly. I moved to the Dogpatch right before the pandemic (from SoMa) and am fantastically happy. The pandemic did kill a few businesses, but others have sprouted up in their place.
If the Dogpatch isn't your cup of tea, there are many other neighborhoods that are much safer, cleaner, and pleasant to live in than SoMa or thereabouts.
coming from europe, it's sad and disappointing. last time i was in sf was in 2016 or so for work and it felt way better, and that was commuting to soma and walking around market at night