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Axios San Francisco
San Francisco's downtown visitor activity dropped 21% over the past year
Data: University of Toronto; Note: Downtown defined as the central location with the highest concentration of employment in each metro area; Chart: Alice Feng/AxiosMost American downtowns saw a bump in visitor activity over the past year — but not San Francisco, new data shows.Why it matters: Amid narratives about crime, store closures and an emptied downtown post-pandemic, local officials have launched a suite of initiatives aimed at revitalizing the city. The updated figures reveal that we haven't quite bounced back.By the numbers: San Francisco's downtown visitor activity dropped over 21% between March 2023 and this past February, according to researchers...
San Francisco weekend events: DogFest, The Fillmore Eclipse and more
We're forecast to get sun the whole weekend, and you know what that means — time to get out of the house.Luckily, there's a bunch going on around town.Friday🎷 Experience an immersive theater project set in the 1950s Fillmore jazz club scene, in which African Americans and Japanese Americans banded together to fight displacement. "The Fillmore Eclipse" will have a limited run starting Friday through May 12.7:30pm Friday and Saturday, and 2:30pm on Sunday at Honey Art Studio.General admission tickets are $50, with discounts for students and artists as well as a VIP package.🍿 Take the whole family to a...
Bay Area leads in femtech growth potential
The Bay Area "femtech" sector — focused on technological products and services tailored toward women's health — has grown substantially in the last few years amid broader challenges in the tech industry, a recent report finds.Why it matters: Femtech is an emerging but underserved field, according to CNBC. It can range from health care solutions for fertility and menopause to retail skin care products and prescription drugs.Broader awareness of these issues, as well as a surge in demand for telehealth options, has helped increase the field's growth potential, the report's authors say.State of play: The Bay Area's femtech sector has...
Throwback Thursday: The beginning of car-free JFK Drive
Sunday will mark four years of car-free JFK in Golden Gate Park.Flashback: Mayor London Breed, on April 27, 2020, announced that a 1.5-mile segment of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, along with John F. Shelley Drive in John McLaren Park, would be car-free throughout shelter-in-place orders.Car-free JFK became permanent in November 2022, when about 63% of voters approved a ballot measure to keep it car-free and about 65% of voters rejected a measure to reopen it to cars.What's next: Walk San Francisco is hosting a car-free JFK anniversary party Sunday from noon-3pm at Peacock Meadow.Expect lawn games, surprise guests, food trucks and more.
Stonestown redevelopment plans inch closer to fruition
A deal to redevelop the Stonestown shopping mall — which would include thousands of housing units — has been reached between city officials and the developer but still needs approval by the Board of Supervisors.Why it matters: If fully approved, the development would bring more housing and jobs to the area, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.State of play: The proposed plan includes 3,500 housing units — about 700 of which would be affordable — a senior village and center and a child care center.The redevelopment plan also includes six acres of parks, a town square, additional retailers and more.The project...
Inside Saluhall, Market Street’s newest food hall
I visited Saluhall, the new food hall next to IKEA on Market Street, expecting Swedish meatballs, but instead I found elevated fast food and tasty vegan fare.Catch up quick: Saluhall, owned by IKEA's sister company Ingka Centres, features smaller versions of Bay Area restaurants serving quick-service food:Casa BorinqueñaCurry Up NowKayma Algerian EateryMomo NoodleTaqueria La VenganzaWhy it matters: The goal of Saluhall's creators is to "breathe life into Market Street." My thought bubble: When I visited there was plenty of foot traffic, so hopefully this is the start of a broader Market Street revitalization.What to try: Casa Borinqueña's vegan chicken skewer pinchos, Taqueria La Venganza's vegan "al pastor" taco and the spicy noodles from Momo – they have a kick!Check out Claire's full video review of Saluhall on Axios SF's Instagram.
California's prison death rates rose amid COVID
Data: The Marshall Project via UC Irvine and Brigham and Women's Hospital; Note: Rates calculated using prison populations at the start of each year; Chart: Axios Visuals Social:Death rates among incarcerated people in California, as well as in many other states, significantly increased during the worst phase of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers say.Why it matters: It's long been clear that prisons struggled to contain COVID outbreaks, but understanding COVID's true impact in prisons is key to ensuring "we don't do this again in the future when we have another pandemic, another crisis," researcher Naomi Sugie told the Marshall Project.Driving the news:...
SF hosts immersive art experience downtown to honor Montgomery Block
A new immersive art experience will come to downtown San Francisco for one day this week, and everyone in the city is invited to participate.Why it matters: The outdoor immersive arts project, titled CREATE!, is part of a larger effort to revitalize the downtown area and will showcase an array of local artists, performers and chefs to honor the history of the famous artist enclave Montgomery Block.The event is organized by Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP) and admission is free.Context: Montgomery Block once stood where the Transamerica Pyramid is located today and housed many creatives — including Frida Kahlo, Jack London,...
Outside Lands unveils 2024 lineup: Tyler, the Creator and more
Outside Lands has released its full 2024 lineup, and the festival in Golden Gate Park will feature some huge names — including Tyler, The Creator as well as the Killers, Grace Jones and Post Malone, who will perform a "special country set."The big picture: Outside Lands is slated for Aug. 9–11. Instead of the SoMa tent, this year the festival will hold an open-air party in Marx Meadow, SFist reports.The LGBTQ-centered dance party space Dolores' will also return. General admission tickets go on sale Wednesday at 10am. Image: Courtesy of Outside Lands
San Francisco's office vacancy hits nearly 37%
San Francisco's office market is beginning to stabilize after a four-year downturn but it will take years to fully recover, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE.Why it matters: San Francisco's commercial office market activity has implications for the city's property and business tax revenues, as well as transit operations.By the numbers: The city's office vacancy rate increased from 35.6% in the last four months of 2023 to 36.7% in the first quarter of this year, but the rate of increase has slowed, per CBRE.Civic Center/Van Ness has the smallest total vacancy rate, at nearly 27%, while Yerba Buena has...
San Francisco will get its own giant pandas, Mayor Breed announces
Mayor London Breed announced Friday that the San Francisco Zoo will receive giant pandas from China, the first time the city will host an official residency for the animals.Why it matters: Giant pandas have stayed in San Francisco for only brief visits at a time. The last time was in 1985. Breed, who is finishing up a weeklong trip to China to bolster economic ties, has long advocated for giant pandas to come to the city, saying the gesture would honor San Francisco's Chinese heritage as well as the larger AAPI community. Their presence would likely boost tourism as well....
Everything we know about the Bay Area's WNBA team
As the Bay Area prepares for its WNBA team, supporters noted it's coming at a time when there's an increased interest in women's basketball, driven in part by the Caitlin Clark effect.Why it matters: When the yet-to-be-named team's season tips off next year, it'll mark the first WNBA expansion since 2008.What they're saying: "Everything that happened in March Madness, everything that's been happening in women's sports, is not a coincidence," Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, told Axios at an event about the WNBA this week.Catch up quick: The Bay Area's WNBA team, owned by the Golden State...
420 travel: San Francisco's ranking for weed-friendly rentals
U.S. cities that blazed the marijuana legalization trail now have a high concentration of 420-friendly vacation rentals, a new study shows.Why it matters: Cannabis-cations are one piece of the growing multibillion-dollar weed economy.By the numbers: Out of the 50 largest U.S. cities in states where recreational marijuana use is legal, San Francisco ranks 26th when it comes to lodging that markets itself as marijuana-friendly.Our city has almost 14 pot-friendly rentals per 100,000 residents, according to the study by travel information company Upgraded Points.Across the bay, Oakland comes in at 11th with about 22 per 100,000 residents.The big picture: Three Colorado...
SF weekend events: Cherry Blossom Festival, 420 comedy and more
Shake it off, the workweek is over. We've got your weekly digest for things to do on your days off.Here are a few on our radar.Friday🎤 Check out a special cannabis lounge takeover at the 420 Comedy Festival, 21+ only.8pm on Friday and Saturday at Moe Greens. Requires minimum purchase of $7. 💃 Take an introductory class to learn Hawaiian hula or Tahitian dance at the Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance.7pm at 1800 Dwight Way No. 4 in Berkeley. Free. Registration required. Saturday⛵️ Pay homage to National Safe Boating Week by sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding on the...
San Francisco faces protests over budget cuts amid deficit
San Francisco officials are facing difficult decisions over which programs to prioritize amid a looming budget deficit.Why it matters: The city has had fiscal challenges since its pandemic-driven downturn. In December, Mayor London Breed ordered midyear budget cuts of about $75 million before directing agencies to propose 10% spending cuts for the next fiscal year.State of play: Budget officials told the Board of Supervisors in a January hearing that San Francisco is projected to face a $245 million deficit in the coming fiscal year, which starts in July, and a $555 million deficit in the following year.That figure could reach...
Warriors postmortem
It's game over for the Warriors, and now we look to the offseason with a specific focus on the future of Klay Thompson.Driving the news: The Warriors fell to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night in a single-elimination Play-In game with a final score of 118-94.That loss, in which "Splash Brother" Thompson didn't score a single point, ended the Warriors' playoff hopes.What they're saying: "It was a tough way to end our year for sure," Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said following the loss. "We've obviously been through so much all year."Catch up quick: The Warriors had an objectively tough...
San Francisco works toward seismically retrofitting some concrete buildings
Amid collective anxiety about when the "Big One" will hit, San Francisco city officials are working to seismically retrofit the concrete buildings at risk of collapsing during a major earthquake.Why it matters: Certain types of concrete buildings — ones that are inflexible or lack steel reinforcements — can be vulnerable to cracking and collapsing during a major quake, according to city officials.Driving the news: Mayor London Breed on Tuesday directed San Francisco's Office of Resiliency and Capital Planning to draft legislation creating a screening process for concrete buildings to determine if they would be at risk during a quake.So far,...
Bid farewell to BART's legacy trains with one last ride
BART's legacy trains, composed of rail cars that have served the Bay Area for over half a century, will sunset farewell ceremony this Saturday.State of play: BART will hold a retirement ceremony Saturday at Oakland's MacArthur Station, where there will be food trucks, an activity table, a raffle for legacy car number plates and more starting at noon. Many of the groups who are repurposing old BART cars for new uses will be present to share information about their projects.Following the ceremony, interested riders can line up in the plaza and board a legacy train that will run from MacArthur...
Homicides in San Francisco declined in the first quarter of 2024
Data: AH Datalytics; Chart: Axios VisualsThe number of homicides in major American cities, including San Francisco, is falling after huge jumps during the pandemic.Why it matters: The nation is on pace to see one of the most significant declines in violent crimes and homicides since President Obama was in office.State of play: There were nine reported homicides in San Francisco during the first three months of 2024, compared to 13 in the same period in 2023, according to AH Datalytics, a criminal justice consulting firm.That's a 31% decrease.Most homicides in the city are driven by gun violence, San Francisco Police...
How the city plans to tackle Muni fare evasion
San Francisco's transit agency is considering a plan to increase the number of fare inspectors on Muni buses and trains to ensure riders are paying fares.Why it matters: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) must address fare evasion as a condition of receiving about $309 million in much-needed state transit subsidies.Driving the news: SFMTA's board of directors is expected to decide Tuesday whether to approve a new two-year budget that includes the addition of 35 transit fare inspectors, SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato told Axios.The budget would enable the SFMTA to double the number of fare inspectors, the San Francisco...
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