Welcome to San Francisco

[flaminio]

Hell is probably paved with roundabouts.

It's not Caltrans' fault that you suck at driving.

And turn off you goddam blinker already!

[MacCrimmon]

Hell is probably paved with roundabouts.

You should try one in London ..... driving on the other side of the road

[BigMark]

I didn't rent a bike there, would have gotten killed.

[flaminio]

San Francisco's Union Square is emptier than ever

Real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield just released a report about the city’s retail market, which found that Union Square reached a new peak vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2024, clocking in at 20.6%. That record-breaking number helped drive San Francisco’s overall retail vacancy rate to a new high as well, at 7.9%.

“The decline in retail performance was primarily due to the worsening conditions in Union Square and the surrounding downtown areas,” Cushman & Wakefield analyst Soany Gunawan wrote in the report.

The record high may not surprise anyone who’s followed the litany of recent closures, including the North Face, Jeffrey’s Toys and Lacoste. Furthermore, Macy’s announced eventual plans to shutter its location in the square.

The loss of Macy's is the end of an era. Their Christmas decorations were always a destination back in the day.

[ArtificialStupidity]

Not bad. Chicago Miracle Mile retail is at 30% vacancy.

[PerryHall]

It's a real shame what democrat rule has done to America's once great cities.

[BigMark]

[flaminio]

Record number of sea lions swarm San Francisco pier; largest gathering in 15 years, officials say

San Francisco's Pier 39 is getting a lot of attention right now. It's seeing the largest number of sea lions gathered in about 15 years.

The sea lions first appeared at Pier 39 after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in 1989.

Visitors will find a lot to see and do around Pier 39-- the shops, the restaurants, the ferris wheel.

But, perhaps the star attractions right now are the sea lions.

Back in the day, this was a functioning marina, with lots of boats docked. Then a few sea lions moved in, and the boat owners tried to shoo them away, but being a protected species, the sea lions could not be harassed. Then more and more showed up, and have now taken over the entire marina.

Being easily visible from Pier 39, this has attracted more folk to this tourist trap, spending their money at the pier along the way.

I don't have the math, but in terms of net money spent, I'd wager the tourists spend more money at Pier 39 than the boat owners did at the marina. So, in that regard, the sea lions are a net positive for the coffers.

There's a lesson there somewhere, but I don't know what it is.

[tlhoy]

San Francisco Residents Outraged Over Cost of Providing Tiny Houses For The Homeless

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/san-fran ... 11249.html



Build tiny homes for over $100k that you can buy online $30k. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1672677504 ... TcQAvD_BwE
Destroy them a few years later to build new ones. What a brilliant idea!
Oh yeah and it costs only $3 million a year to manage this little community.

[flaminio]

50-cent hike proposed for California gas prices

California’s already high gas prices could see an additional spike of almost 50 cents a gallon under a little-known proposal aimed at meeting the state’s aggressive emission reduction goal.

Right, 'cause gas in California is too cheap, so why not tax it some more

[ArtificialStupidity]

Flam, are you going to stay in California?

[flaminio]

Flam, are you going to stay in California?

Only place I would move is Hawaii, so not much savings there.

[PerryHall]

Flam, are you going to stay in California?

Only place I would move is Hawaii, so not much savings there.

You'd jump from the frying pan into the fire?

[flaminio]

Flam, are you going to stay in California?

Only place I would move is Hawaii, so not much savings there.

You'd jump from the frying pan into the fire?

Climate trumps politics.

[ArtificialStupidity]

Flam, are you going to stay in California?

Only place I would move is Hawaii, so not much savings there.

You'd jump from the frying pan into the fire?

Climate trumps politics.

And the mountains.

[flaminio]

And the mountains.

What does that even mean? CA & HI both have amazing mountains.

[ArtificialStupidity]

And the mountains.

What does that even mean? CA & HI both have amazing mountains.

It means that climate as well as mountains Trump politics.

I got the wrong city but the right state.

[ArtificialStupidity]

This is the best that Perry can do, and he is boycotting.

[flaminio]

Bay Area waterfront cities selected for new ferry terminals

Several new ferry terminals are underway for three Bay Area cities, with hopes to ease commuters off the road and onto the water. The expansion is part of the San Francisco Bay Ferry’s 2050 Service Vision, adopted by its Board of Directors on Thursday.

Plus ça change plus c'est la même chose. Ferries used to ply the bay, but generally dropped out of favor once all the bridges got built (although there are still a few, most notably the Larkspur ferry, which is a very nice ride). But now the bridges are clogged, and there is concern that an earthquake or other event could render the bridges unusable for a time, so they're bringing the ferries back.

The map is very nice, but I can't imagine commuting from Antioch to SF via ferry (with two stops along the way). That has got to be at least a three hour tour.

[PerryHall]

Florida is the flattest state in the union. Great climate and low taxes. No state has a lower state income tax.