I am considering a trip there in the fall but…
I’ve been reading and seeing pictures of streets and BART stations lined with drug addicts shooting up and with needles, feces and vomit everywhere.
Bay Area CC parents: Is it really as disgusting as those photos look?
LOL, no it’s like any other major city and nicer than most. There’s sketchy neighborhoods like anywhere else but most areas aren’t any different from decent areas in LA, Seattle, Chicago, etc. When I’m there on business I usually just leave the car at the hotel and walk everywhere.
It is like every other city. BART stations are just as clean as NYC subway stations, if not cleaner. In certain neighborhoods like the tenderloin, soma etc there is a high density of homelessness/drug use, but that’s easily avoided and no extreme danger is really present. SF is mostly a great city! There is a lot to do and with some planning you can have a great experience.
Agree with above. You’d not have a reason to go to the tenderloin district. Have a blast in SF! Fun city!
(For some reason I can’t copy and paste the link) but the Daily Mail had videos that a commuter took at a BART station. The tunnel was lined with people shooting up. It also showed vomit. Then I read that the man in charge of San Francisco tourism development (or some such title) was begging the mayor to clean up the streets, that tourism was suffering because of the filth on the sidewalks.
I travel to San Francisco anywhere from 4 to 6 times a year. Most of the time I travel alone. It is a fantastic city. Yes, there are serious problems, more prevalent in certain areas. I avoid those areas and if I am unsure, I will take an Uber. I grew up in a city and am always aware of my surroundings, even where I live.
I wouldn’t use the Daily Mail as the best source of accurate info. Just sayin’
This is the video of people shooting up at civic center bart. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/04/26/bart-officials-appalled-by-video-of-rampant-drug-use-at-civic-center/
I love San Francisco and was there in September and had a great trip. Used BART and buses with no issues. Sad to read those articles (which appear on actual news sites and have comments from BART and the Mayor) and hope the city can resolve this. We would not hesitate to visit.
I would be more worried about car break-ins in San Francisco than BART. It’s no better and no worse than any major city.
^^ I feel bad for those commuters who have to pass through that daily. It’s sad and disturbing.
“…not enough officers right now to manage the flood of challenges produced by homelessness and drugs, two disasters unfolding on parallel tracks just above these stations.”
I used to BART in from East Bay and gone are those days where SF wasn’t like this. A female shot this video too and I would not feel safe walking through this BART stop.
But if you’re a tourist you can easily avoid these areas. I just feel bad for the people affected by this.
I was in NYC few months ago and rode the subway all over Manhattan and never saw anything like those conditions at BART civic center.
I was just there last weekend, staying in the Union Square area. It was also 4/20 - so the marijuana smell was a bit stronger than “typical” too. I will say that we saw a lot of homeless, probably more than any other big city we’ve been to in recent years, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from visiting. The touristy areas near Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. were beautiful and you don’t need to worry about anything there. We took BART from Oakland (I flew into the airport there) to SF with no issues whatsoever. At the end of the trip (my husband had to stay for his conference) I rode BART with my luggage by myself to SFO and wasn’t nervous or concerned. There are a lot of “helpers” in the BART stations trying to help you get your tickets. etc, and I’m sure would have asked for money if they did…but my husband travels there frequently and knows what he is doing. Even at that, they were not aggressive or rude. The only thing I would worry about are the HILLS! Get in shape 
SF is one of my favorite cities. We visit it every few years. It definitely has it share of the problems as any major city but it not the reason to avoid it.
@mom2and - we were there in September too! And October, and November… and will be back in May. Just got off facetime with DS, DIL and g’baby. Didn’t get a chance to ask about this, but DIL rides BART daily to/from work.
Crowds are more of an issue for me. When I can’t see asphalt through hordes of tourists, I lose any desire to add one more body to that human soup. Have plenty of that in my hometown.
@TatinG I saw that video in the daily Mail and immediately sent it to my daughter because I couldn’t believe it. She said it’s absolutely true! She used to have to get off at that station, but when she got a new job she now gets off at a different station, thank goodness! She said you have to learn which entrances and doors to use.
It wouldn’t stop me from visiting but the article is accurate.
Civic Center BART is not great, but not that bad. I definitely avoid that hallway, and the drug dealers at the top of my escalator are generally polite enough to move out of the way. I have seen a definite increase in the presence of cleaning crews at the station, and, even if the floors do not stay clean for very long (there was a good article in today’s SF Chronicle but it appears to be behind their paywall so no point in my posting a link), it’s a welcome attempt. I work (obviously) in the Civic Center area, and there are a lot of homeless folks but they’re mainly “sleeping rough” and there are none of the tent encampments that have besieged other neighborhoods. The streets have actually gotten cleaner than they used to be (I’m drawing on some 40 years of memory here), although there is still more trash than I’d like to see. There are places I would not walk late at night, and there is no guarantee you will not encounter a crazy person.
We live in the east bay and both my husband and I have worked in SF and ridden Bart to and from extensively. Yes, Bart can be gross, and some stations like Civic and Powell are worse than others. Mostly though, it’s fine. My teens have ridden it alone and with friends with no issues. Just be aware of your surroundings. As for the city itself, there are homeless everywhere but they will likely not bother you. Just stay out of some areas like the Tenderloin and you’ll be fine. Also, car break ins are very common so if you’re planning to rent a car, don’t leave anything visible on the seats.
My first experience in the Tenderloin was not long after we moved here. My husband and I brought my kids and a friend to the city to go to a festival in Japantown on a Sunday morning. We got off Bart at Civic and had planned to walk to the festival. Well, we didn’t realize what the area was like encountered a hooker, a fist fight between multiple people in the street, and pungent marijuana smell in the air, as well as many sketchy looking people on the way. It was uncomfortable to the point that we didn’t even want to pull out our cell phones for directions. We didn’t personally have any trouble but if that’s what it’s like on a Sunday morning, I don’t want to know what it’s like at night!
As others have posted, the Civic Center BART station is sketch. The ‘tourist’ areas of the town are not like that and are safe, though more homeless than many people are used to seeing. Just don’t ever leave a single thing in a car, if you have one.
@AboutTheSame - looks like one can open 5 SFChronicle articles for fee before the paywall hits. can you describe the article title?