One of the worst offenders is San Francisco, notably. Once a beautiful city on the bay with stunning Victorian architecture, the city is now absolutely plagued by crime, making it virtually uninhabitable for residents, both rich and poor.
It has escalated to such an extent that celebrity chef Tyler Florence has had enough and is fighting to try and rescue the city he holds so dear.
Celebrity chef Tyler Florence plans 2 cafes in San Francisco Union Square as part city's revitalization
— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) September 7, 2023
"I want San Francisco to be the place I fell in love with when I moved here back in 2007… We're going to make it happen,” @TylerFlorence said. https://t.co/ZHuWCBmh9T pic.twitter.com/nLagKOLAP8
From Breitbart:
Speaking with CBS News Bay Area, Florence said that people in the city “can’t live like this any longer,” citing the high levels of crime that have made it unsafe and unpleasant.
“I think people need to just look in the mirror every day and realize that we can’t live like this any longer, with the crime, car vandalizing, theft and robbery,” Florence. “I think on the other side of the coin is the positivity in the city.”
“We want this to be a cultural impact, make a big difference in the city of San Francisco, and really even from a citizen’s standpoint, lean in,” he added. “We can’t complain about it, we can’t point fingers. I think it’s everyone’s collective responsibility — pick a neighborhood.”
Florence expressed confidence that San Francisco can recover, especially as the city faces a crisis of stores shuddering due to ongoing crime. As noted by Fox News, those storefront vacancies “can ‘operate like a virus,’ as every empty storefront makes it more difficult for other downtown businesses to survive, a recent New York Times report concluded.”
“Gracias Madre, a popular vegan eatery in San Francisco’s Mission District, also closed its doors in late August after more than a decade due to the city’s deteriorating conditions,” noted Fox News.
Daniel Montes, spokesperson San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, told CBS News Bay Area that the city is “really excited to work with Tyler.”
“He has three successful restaurants in San Francisco already, so we want to recreate some of that magic and bring it here to Union Square,” the statement said.
Well hats off to Tyler for his efforts in trying to save San Francisco, but unfortunately, it's going to take more than a few restaurants to save this mess.
But Tyler's idea of building up areas more with more commerce is certainly a step in the right direction and hopefully others will follow suit.
