Two people in safety vests walk on a city sidewalk lined with palm trees, parked cars, and colorful tiled buildings. A scooter is parked near the curb.
10:09 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez


You can see all the 16th Street posts here and our summary after 100 days here. We are now posting occasionally to check on progress.

The Department of Public Works and police were much more visible on Tuesday, and the west side of Mission Street looked clearer and cleaner, with vending relegated to the east side of Mission Street, especially late Tuesday. 

The always-occupied nook in front of the gate to La Fénix, the affordable-housing project at 1950 Mission St., had a barricade in front of it Tuesday morning, and was completely clear in the 15 minutes I was there, except for the quick minute when two men ducked in, exchanged money for a packet and left. 

By the evening, the barricade had been turned over, but the nook was still clear. 

The men and women who remained on the sidewalk Tuesday morning and evening were not in great shape, but there were many fewer of them. “You’re in the middle of the sidewalk,” one DPW worker told two men. They moved over to the side and sat down. 

This appears to be the second day of many city workers in the area. When I checked on Monday evening, Mission Street also looked better, and a couple of officers were on foot patrol, keeping it that way. 

If Mission Street between 16th and 15th streets is clear in the evening, it means a lot of work has been done earlier in the day.  Tuesday morning offered a good indication of just how many workers it can take. I counted at least half a dozen when I was out in the morning, and a few in the evening. Jose Velazquez counted four in the morning.

There were more people on Julian Avenue and Capp Street.

Southwest Plaza and west side of Mission Street

  • A group of people stand near a bicycle on a wet city sidewalk lined with trees and parked cars, with some puddles visible on the ground.
    9:53 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with people walking, a person standing near an orange bike, parked cars, and buildings along the street.
    9:53 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with palm trees, parked cars, and storefronts on the left; street and buildings are visible in the background.
    9:54 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A colorful mural featuring flowers and a person climbing draped fabric covers a building wall next to a metal gate and a glass door with posted signs.
    9:55 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with parked cars, people walking, a colorful floral mural on a building, and trees lining the street.
    9:57 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person in a black hoodie stands near a colorful floral mural on a city sidewalk; other people and parked cars are visible in the background.
    10:06 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk lined with palm trees and a green vine-covered wall; a worker in an orange vest sweeps near parked cars and buildings in the background.
    10:12 a.m. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with trees, parked cars, and a yellow building with covered windows creates an artful scene; a few people and pigeons are visible in the distance.
    10:22 a.m. 6/24, Mission Street east side. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
  • Street view of a building with colorful yellow, red, and blue tile walls, a "YOU NEED ART" sign in the window, and a metal barricade on the sidewalk—celebrating creativity in urban art spaces.
    10:22 a.m. 6/24, Mission Street west side. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
  • A person stands on a city sidewalk, reaching toward a security gate on a storefront; people, trees, and parked cars line the street.
    11:04 a.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person wearing a black jacket and carrying a bag walks down a city sidewalk lined with palm trees and colorful tiled buildings.
    11:04 a.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • People walk along a city sidewalk lined with palm trees, parked cars, and street art; one person bends down near a suitcase on the right.
    11:15 a.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person in a black hoodie and blue pants stands on a city sidewalk, holding food containers, with other people and cars visible in the background.
    11:15 a.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city street scene shows police and public works employees near a truck on a corner, with pedestrians walking and a police car parked nearby.
    11:17 a.m.. 6/24, southwest plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Several people sit on a sidewalk against a building, surrounded by belongings, while others walk or stand nearby on an urban street.
    6:07 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Two people sit on the sidewalk with belongings and snacks scattered around them, next to a building with a barred door and window.
    6:07 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Several people with belongings and a wheelchair gather on a city sidewalk near a building and bike rack; cars and murals are visible in the background.
    5:42 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A metal barricade lies on the sidewalk in front of a gated alley next to a building with a sign that reads "YOU NEED ART.
    5:43 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Two people stand near bags and belongings by a mural-covered wall and large gate on a city sidewalk, with a metal barricade nearby.
    6:07 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Northeast plaza and east side of Mission Street

  • Street scene with a group of people gathered near a colorful mural, parked cars, and palm trees lining the sidewalk on an overcast day.
    9:55 a.m. 6/24, east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A group of people gather on a city sidewalk near colorful murals and graffiti, with scattered belongings and litter visible on the ground.
    9:55 a.m. 6/24, east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A man carries stacked wooden chairs on a city sidewalk; police and several people are gathered in the distance near parked cars and buildings adorned with mural art.
    10:21 a.m. 6/24, 16th Street Northeast Plaza. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
  • A city street corner with a colorful mural, a police car, two people talking, a person in a yellow vest, bus stop shelter, and various signs on the sidewalk.
    11:16 a.m.. 6/24, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A group of people gather near a building entrance and bus stop on a city sidewalk; a cart with groceries and supplies sits in the foreground.
    5:41 p.m.. 6/24, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • People gather and sit on a city sidewalk in front of a building with boarded-up windows and graffiti, next to trees and a red bus lane.
    5:41 p.m.. 6/24, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • People sell various groceries and household items laid out on the pavement in an urban public square, with more people and a mural visible in the background.
    5:41 p.m.. 6/24, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Caledonia Street

  • A narrow urban alley with cracked pavement, a beige apartment building on the left, and a graffiti-covered wall showcasing vibrant street art on the right, under a cloudy sky.
    10:26 a.m. 6/24, Caledonia Street. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez
  • Narrow urban alleyway with cracked pavement, graffiti-covered wall on the right, beige building on the left, and no parking signs visible.
    6:10 p.m.. 6/24, Caledonia Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Julian Avenue

  • A person leans over a bicycle on a city sidewalk near parked cars, while several people and belongings are visible further down the street.
    5:30 p.m.. 6/23, Julian Avenue was crowded again on Monday evening when Mission was clearer, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A group of people gather on a city sidewalk near parked cars and buildings on a cloudy day, creating a scene reminiscent of urban art.
    10:26 a.m. 6/24, Julian Avenue east. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez
  • A white blanket or comforter lies unattended on a city sidewalk next to a building, with parked cars and a person visible through a window.
    6:09 p.m.. 6/24, Julian Avenue, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person stands near a building on a city sidewalk with a suitcase; cars are parked along the street and a graffiti-covered trash bin is in the foreground.
    6:09 p.m.. 6/24, Julian Avenue, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Wiese Street

  • A man with a loaded bicycle stands on the sidewalk near a liquor store; pedestrians walk past shops and street signs in an urban setting.
    9:52 p.m 6/24, 16th Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A narrow urban alleyway lined with yellow and green buildings, metal barricades along both sides, and a woman standing on the right in foreground, evokes the feel of urban art and city life.
    10:25 a.m. 6/24, Weise Street. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
  • A narrow urban alley lined with metal barricades, scattered litter, and bags on the right side, with yellow and green buildings on either side.
    6:09 p.m.. 6/24, Wiese Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A group of people stand around a table with supplies on a city sidewalk near a corner store and parked cars; buildings and palm trees are visible in the background.
    6:09 p.m.. 6/24, Wiese Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Capp Street

  • A person in a wheelchair sits on a city sidewalk beside a closed storefront, with cars parked along the street and pedestrians in the background.
    5:27 p.m.. 6/24, Capp Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with parked cars, a parking meter, people gathered near a mural wall, and buildings in the background on an overcast day.
    5:27 p.m.. 6/24, Capp Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person wearing an orange safety vest stands next to a stroller on a city sidewalk near parked cars and a pay parking sign.
    5:27 p.m.. 6/24, Capp Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

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Founder/Executive Editor. I’ve been a Mission resident since 1998 and a professor emeritus at Berkeley’s J-school since 2019. I got my start in newspapers at the Albuquerque Tribune in the city where I was born and raised. Like many local news outlets, The Tribune no longer exists. I left daily newspapers after working at The New York Times for the business, foreign and city desks. Lucky for all of us, it is still here.

As an old friend once pointed out, local has long been in my bones. My Master’s Project at Columbia, later published in New York Magazine, was on New York City’s experiment in community boards.

At ML, I've been trying to figure out how to make my interest in local news sustainable. If Mission Local is a model, the answer might be that you - the readers - reward steady and smart content. As a thank you for that support we work every day to make our content even better.

Reporting from Bayview-Hunters Point. I grew up on 24th and York Street and attended Buena Vista Elementary. As a teenager, I moved to Hunters Point and went to school in Potrero Hill. I'm currently a student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. I've developed a toxic relationship with golf.

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8 Comments

  1. Rational cities are hostile towards drug addicts and vagrants. Irrational cities are welcoming to drug addicts and vagrants, and slowly and inevitably over time, become hostile to good citizens. Chaos and misery are the result.

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  2. The Mission has seriously declined. The so-called marketplace on 15th is basically a stolen goods bazaar—littered with needles and trash. It only pops up on weekends now, but when it does, it takes over the whole block. How did we let things get this bad?

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  3. This is a good move on the City’s part. And I’m sure all the folks who live in that area really appreciate the effort, as it has become disgustingly filthy & dangerous, and I’m happy for them, however, quite a few of those people being scooted out, are now migrating up the the neighborhood of 16th & Guerrero, and bringing their drug habits and mental problems with them, which should really be taken care of by professionals, but since that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, if the City wants to keep this action up, I suggest making sure they come up to 16th & Guerrero to continue the work. Our neighborhood deserves to live on clean & safe streets as well. The neighborhood would appreciate the attention.

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  4. It’s going to be a long term process to keep that area cleared. It’s been strewn with humans for a very long time, but things can change, and hopefully the neighbors will appreciate the effort!

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  6. Has anyone given serious thoughts to opening a consumption site so that these people can use supervised and the public doesn’t have to deal with them. I know the one that was open unofficially monitored 10000 injections in 3+ years and no deaths. All during a time when deaths were at an all time high. Long live the SF Drug Users Union

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