Burnt, spent and seeking redemption, I moved to San Francisco around the turn of the century.
It always seemed such an exotic, faraway destination, and after visiting 10 years prior, I realized it was a place I could live after my tenure in NYC.
It had a little bit, actually quite a lot of everything, and I wasn't getting any younger. A myriad of parks, large and small, great public transportation, decent food (can't beat New York), a thriving cultural scene and a bustling downtown.
I've heard it said that San Francisco is a "boom or bust" kinda town, and twenty-five years later, ain't no question what faze we're in now...
The once hustling, bustling downtown has been reduced to a literal ghost town; officially, one third of the buildings in the business district are vacant- I'd say much closer to two thirds.
And now, they're only in use three of five days per week! All the supporting businesses have died alongside them, and half (if not more- no exaggeration) of the stores in the shopping district are visibly vacant.
This whole descent into concentrated madness started with Covid.
Tech is San Francisco's number one industry, and techies make their home, work and reality wherever they lay their laptop.
Once they made home their official work base- there wasn't anything dragging them back.
San Francisco has essentially had its very soul cored out, and as if all the aforementioned wasn't insane enough- it's still expensive as all hell!
Rents, and the overall price of living are still sky high, and here's the rub- the further you remove yourself from downtown, the more you'd swear that nothing was amiss.
The parks, the architecture, the NorCal ambience... it's all still there! I honestly don't know what to make of this Jekyll/Hyde personality- is it a won't admit defeat attitude to be admired, or a simple carry on, NIMBY denial of reality?
Either way, this tale of two cities cannot persist indefinitely.
photos by Stan Banos
As for photographic resources, one of San Francisco's premier photographic institutions, Pier 24, has closed its doors for good as of the end of January.
Pier 24 was one of the preeminent venues to view, and contemplate, the work of some of photography's most prestigious image-makers.
(Not since the legendary Light Gallery of New York have I ever witnessed a space so attuned to honoring the medium.)
It was a large, cavernous cathedral, directly over the bay, each spacious room dedicated to a particular photographer befitting the specific theme.
Entry was free, you only had to reserve in advance, and attendance was held to a minimum; often, it was as if you almost had the place to yourself.
The city wanted to up their rent, and seeing the opportunity to ruin one of the few remaining high points in a rapidly deteriorating city- they jumped at the chance!
Yes, agreements had been made, contracts signed, but hell- they repaired the damn pier for the city so the entire structure didn't fall into the sea, and then didn't charge the public a single dime! I'd say that's room for compromise.
Meanwhile, other public art institutions are charging well over $20 a pop; surely something coulda, shoulda been worked out...
Whether it will be gradual, over the ensuing decade, or if something novel and as of yet unforeseen will take hold and alight the town anew?
Perhaps our new mayor will assist, rather than just pocket money, as has his predecessors?
It would be nice if all the abandoned, office real estate downtown was converted to homes for the unhoused and working classes. But converting commercial space into housing is an expensive proposition; not eagerly embraced by the very nature of capitalism.
San Francisco is too unique a city to die a forgotten and ignominious death, and the infrastructure is already there- just waiting.
Like Manhattan, it is one of the very few urban areas in the United States not ruled by the automobile, with its own inherent architecture, culture and contributions.
Sunshine and Olly 
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