If your impression of San Francisco was formed during the pandemic, it is time to update it.
The city portrayed as a dystopian collection of homeless encampments, open-air drug markets, boarded-up storefronts, and empty office towers still exists in the public imagination. Some of those problems remain, but that version of San Francisco is increasingly outdated.
I first noticed signs of improvement two years ago. During a visit earlier this month, it became clear that America’s most beautiful big city is back.
I spent Saturday morning at the Ferry Building, home to one of the best farmers markets in the country. I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, visited the Legion of Honor to see its Auguste Rodin sculptures, and ate a perfectly cooked filet mignon at John’s Grill, the iconic steakhouse near Union Square.
Later, I passed up a stiff drink for a Coke Zero at the Pied Piper inside the landmark Palace Hotel. I also experienced the future by riding in one of Waymo’s autonomous taxis. If Waymo can safely navigate San Francisco’s iconic hills, it can surely operate just about anywhere.
These weren’t isolated stops inside a tourist bubble. Every day, I walked between 10 and 12 miles across the city. Restaurants and bars were busy. Tourists lined up to ride the cable cars. Police officers walked beats in major retail areas.
The statistics support what I saw.
Property crimes fell roughly 25% during the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported last month.
Homelessness is at its lowest level in 15 years, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office.
Those numbers don’t mean every block is safe or every problem has been solved. They do mean that travelers shouldn’t judge San Francisco solely by images from three or four years ago.
Lurie, who defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed in 2024, campaigned on everyday concerns such as public safety and homelessness.
The city still faces serious challenges. Housing remains expensive. The Tenderloin continues to struggle with drugs and homelessness.
The commercial real estate market continues to struggle. In June, 25.8% of the city’s office space was vacant, compared with 17.7% nationwide, according to Commercial Cafe.
Much of that reflects the persistence of remote work. Companies need less office space, while employees no longer tied to a daily commute have fewer reasons to tolerate California’s high taxes.
As of July 2025, the Bay Area’s population remained 2.6% below its 2020 level, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Among metropolitan areas with more than 1.5 million residents, only Los Angeles experienced a greater decline. The common denominator? California.
That matters to visitors because downtown San Francisco was built around office workers. Empty buildings mean fewer customers for restaurants, bars, and retailers. That, in turn, means shorter hours, fewer amenities, and more vacant storefronts.
Tourism, however, is recovering, with a second consecutive year of gains expected in 2026. San Francisco is projected to welcome 24.2 million visitors who will spend $9.9 billion, compared with 23.7 million visitors and $9.4 billion last year, according to the San Francisco Travel Association.
Visitor spending could surpass the prepandemic record of $9.6 billion set in 2019. That is particularly notable because business travel continues to lag and international travel to the United States faces considerable headwinds. Just ask Las Vegas or any of the communities along the border with Canada.
Few American cities can match what San Francisco offers: hills, cable cars, turn-of-the-century houses, distinct neighborhoods, world-class museums, landmark hotels, and an excellent food scene.
San Francisco remains expensive and far from problem-free. Travelers will still encounter homelessness, while the Financial District around Market Street can feel deserted on weekends.
TRUMP PROVED AMERICA CAN HOST THE WORLD. DON’T LET POLITICS SCORE AN OWN GOAL NOW
But great cities matter. They should be places where people want to live, work, and visit.
San Francisco is once again worth crossing the country to experience.
Dennis Lennox is a political commentator and public affairs consultant. He writes a travel column for the Christian Post. Follow him on X @dennislennox.