A utility truck with cables and equipment is parked on a city street near buildings, palm trees, a mural, and a blue trash bin on a sunny day.
3:33 p.m. 7/9, southwest plaza. Photo by Jessica Blough.

The west side of Mission Street on Wednesday continued to look better, with little loitering and a fair number of workers from the Department of Public Works and Ahsing Solutions keeping the sidewalk clear and clean.

Ahsing, a company that hires workers transitioning from jail or recovering from addiction, began working in the area on Saturday.

Other than Capp and 15th streets, the side streets were mostly clear of loitering. A few people gathered in the early evening on Wiese Street, just off 15th Street.

By 3 p.m., some 50 people were on the east side of Mission Street, near and north of the plaza. By 7 p.m., the same area was packed with unpermitted vending and open drug use. Meanwhile, on the plaza, several vendors had spread out fruits, vegetables, and beans for sale.

Mobile Unit Two is back on the southwest plaza. A police car was also parked there. No one interfered with the vendors or those openly using drugs.

Southwest Plaza and west side of Mission Street

  • A paved plaza with palm trees, colorful railings, and a building labeled "American Indian Cultural District" under a clear blue sky.
    3:32 p.m. 7/9, southwest plaza. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A police emergency vehicle and a police car are parked on a city plaza near people sitting on a circular bench, with shops and palm trees in the background.
    3:32 p.m. 7/9, southwest plaza. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • Two people stand by a blue table with pamphlets on a city sidewalk near a truck and trash bins on a sunny day.
    3:32 p.m. 7/9, southwest plaza. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • Several people stand on a city sidewalk near a building, some wearing uniforms and safety vests. A trash can with an orange vest draped over it is in the foreground.
    3:13 p.m. 7/9, west side of Mission Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A small group of people stands and talks on a city sidewalk near trees and parked cars; others walk further down the street.
    6:53 p.m. 7/9 west side of Mission Street Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Several people stand and sit near a graffiti-covered wall and storefronts on a city street, with a parked car and a red curb in front.
    6:59 p.m. 7/9, west side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person in a vest stands by a building while another person with a backpack walks down a city sidewalk; several people are further ahead near storefronts.
    6:59 p.m. 7/9, west side of Mission Street looking south from 15th Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A black van waits at a crosswalk next to a "No Turns" sign on an urban street with yellow pedestrian lines and buildings in the background.
    6:59 p.m. 7/9, west side of Mission Street looking north from 15th Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Northeast Plaza and east side of Mission Street

  • A city street with a colorful graffiti mural on a building, people gathered along the sidewalk, and a red city bus passing by under a clear blue sky.
    3:17 p.m. 7/9, east side of Mission Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A group of people stand and walk along a city sidewalk in front of a colorful mural and buildings, with palm trees and clear blue sky overhead.
    3:17 p.m. 7/9, east side of Mission Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A group of people gather on a city sidewalk near colorful murals and street art, with a small structure and cars parked nearby.
    6:54 p.m. 7/9 east side of Mission Street Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A busy urban sidewalk scene with many people, some carrying bags and suitcases, gathered near buildings and street art on a sunny day.
    6:55 p.m. 7/9, northeast plaza and east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person in a red jacket bends over a collection of toiletries and supplies laid out on a sidewalk, with graffiti-covered walls in the background.
    6:57 p.m. 7/9, east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • Three people sit and crouch on a sidewalk in front of a colorful mural, with backpacks and belongings scattered around them.
    6:57 p.m. 7/9, east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A person with dyed hair in a denim jacket sits on the ground next to a skateboard, sorting packaged food items and bags on a city sidewalk.
    6:57 p.m. 7/9, east side of Mission Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • People gather near outdoor street vendors selling goods on the sidewalk in an urban area with graffiti-covered walls and palm trees.
    6:54 p.m. 7/9, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A group of people gather on a city sidewalk with makeshift stalls, personal belongings, and various items laid out on the ground near a transit sign.
    6:54 p.m. 7/9, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • People gather on a city sidewalk, some with bags or in wheelchairs, near street art and a taxi sign; various belongings and items are on the ground.
    6:54 p.m. 7/9, northeast plaza, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Caledonia Street

  • Narrow urban alley with cracked pavement, graffiti-covered wall on the right, beige building on the left, and scattered litter on the ground.
    3:30 p.m. 7/9, Caledonia Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A narrow urban alley with graffiti-covered walls, several people walking or sitting along the sides, and trees visible at the end of the street.
    6:51 p.m. 7/9 Caledonia Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Julian Avenue and 15th Street

  • A city street with parked cars along the curb, multi-story buildings on both sides, and a clear blue sky overhead.
    3:29 p.m. 7/9, Julian Avenue. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A city sidewalk lined with parked cars beside apartment buildings and a storefront on a sunny day.
    3:29 p.m. 7/9, Julian Avenue. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A group of city workers wearing safety vests and helmets perform maintenance tasks on a sidewalk near a busy street with cars and buildings.
    4:00 p.m.. 7/9, 15th Street near Wiese Street Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A quiet urban sidewalk with parked cars on the right side, trees lining the street, and apartment buildings on the left.
    7:00 p.m. 7/9, 15th Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk bordered by a black fence on the left and trees on the right, with parked cars and trash bins visible in the background.
    7:01 p.m. 7/9, 15th Street near Caledonia Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk alongside parked cars and residential buildings on a sunny day. Trees line the street in the background.
    6:52 p.m. 7/9 Julian Avenue, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A man walks on a city sidewalk beside parked cars, with a sign for Kailash Hotel visible above. Trees and buildings line the street under clear daylight.
    6:52 p.m. 7/9 Julian Avenue, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk lined with trees and parked vehicles, bordered by a brick and iron fence on the right, with scattered leaves and debris on the ground.
    7:00 p.m. 7/9, Julian Avenue near 15th Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Wiese Street

  • A narrow urban alleyway with yellow and green walls, metal railings, graffiti, barred windows, and a "No Parking" sign under a clear blue sky.
    3:29 p.m. 7/9, Wiese Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A person repairs a bicycle on the left side of a narrow urban alley, while a group of people gathers near a building further down the alley.
    4:00 p.m.. 7/9, Wiese Street Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A woman stands and talks to a man sitting on a metal bench in an alley, while another person pushes a stroller and a young child walks ahead.
    6:53 p.m. 7/9 Wiese Steet, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Capp Street

  • A city sidewalk with cars parked along the street, a group of people sitting by a building with graffiti, and scattered trash on the ground.
    3:11 p.m. 7/9, Capp Street. Photo by Jessica Blough.
  • A city street intersection with yellow crosswalk lines, parked cars, a red traffic light, and pedestrians walking on the sidewalk in daylight.
    6:56 p.m. 7/9, Capp Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez
  • A city sidewalk with a graffiti-covered wall on the left, a utility box on the right, and a row of parked cars along the street in the background.
    6:56 p.m. 7/9, Capp Street, Photo by Lydia Chávez

Follow Us

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 the Tenderloin. I'm a multimedia journalist based in San Francisco and getting my Master's degree in journalism at UC Berkeley. Earlier, I worked as an editor at Alta Journal and The Tufts Daily. I enjoy reading, reviewing books, teaching writing, hiking and rock climbing.

Join the Conversation

9 Comments

  1. BTW, Natoma betweem14th to 15th Streets is looking like cr*p these days, replete with illegal dumping.

    +3
    -1
    votes. Sign in to vote
    Reply

  2. h: just wondering if any of the “tweakers” or dealers participated in bagging up the trash.

    +1
    -1
    votes. Sign in to vote
    Reply

  3. The Mission should encourage and embrace more homeless to its neighborhoods and encourage residents to invite them into their homes to show their support.

    0
    0
    votes. Sign in to vote
    Reply

  4. Thank you for continuing to report. Are we expected to believe that the little golf cart they’ve been driving on the sidewalks and the white-vested sanctioned muscle are going to be permanent? Because that’s what is keeping the crowd on the east side of the street. As soon as they go away (because really who is paying for that long term?) the throngs are coming back.

    And again, if they’ve moved off our streets whose streets are they on now? Which neighborhood will be the new containment zone? Because pushing people around isn’t really fixing anything, it’s just the only solution on offer.

    How long does this punitive approach have to fail until we realize? It’s been basically my whole life so I’m a bit short on hope, but Four Pillars has helped in other places and maybe eventually we’ll figure it out.

    +1
    -2
    votes. Sign in to vote
    Reply

    1. Four Pillars is predicated upon access to health care, psych and substance, which we are not going to be having in the US any time soon, and safe consumption sites which we’re not going to be having in San Francisco any time soon unless it is forced on a neighborhood. We know what neighborhoods any such site will be forced on because they’ve already tried that and failed for legal reasons.

      The civil rights of residents to traverse the public realm without harm nor hindrance are senior to the right of people to use opiates on the sidewalks.

      Safe consumption sites will be an addict magnet, orders of magnitude more powerful than the Gubbio addict magnet, which only further degrades the civil rights of residents.

      Treatment is another pillar and is barely successful most of the time for addicts with prospects for a better future. Few if any of these addicts will have prospects. The lack of prospects is what contributed to their addiction in the first instance. It is crueler than cruel to force people to confront their shitty situation sober than to numb that largely immutable reality on opiates.

      We need fentanyl dens in the remaining industrial neighborhoods where addicts can get safe supply, have a bunk and live their addicted lives away from the normal people, away from our elementary schools, away form our BART stations, away from our Muni stops, away from our neighbors and small businesses.

      Four Pillars absent the pillars is like Transit Oriented Development absent the transit–a scam.

      +2
      -1
      votes. Sign in to vote
      Reply

    2. If you’re on Julian, you should be pushing for solutions that will have an impact on the neighborhood far more quickly than it will take to get the dramatic and expansive Four Pillars off the ground. Unless you’re happy with muddling along and letting junkies do their thing for the next few years.

      +1
      -1
      votes. Sign in to vote
      Reply

      1. Most of the hordes are already gone from Julian and Wiese, thank you for your concern. They’ve moved a block or two over to Mission as has been reported. So answer me this, how many blocks should they be pushed onto someone else’s neighborhood? Is four or five more blocks enough? Ten? Twenty? Your solution is to not have a solution, your solution is to make it someone else’s problem. I still hope for something better.

        0
        -2
        votes. Sign in to vote
        Reply

        1. How about pushing them into treatment? Not just asking them nicely and letting them say no while they take over and trash the public commons.

          0
          -1
          votes. Sign in to vote
          Reply

  5. Campers,

    In related news I phoned Mission District station this evening and the next Community Meeting has been moved back inside the precinct station on the last tuesday (July 29th) of the month from 4 to 6pm.

    Could it be that we’re seeing a return to the normal Mission cop/citizen interaction where cops only leave in vehicles or as a heavily armed group bent on bullying us ?

    New Captain’s first foray into community in force saw him physically leading his troops and screaming threats of violence as he broke up July 4th neighborhood parties block by block.

    When I asked the officer (? I spaced name) if they’d be having more meetings out in the community she said they planned to, “alternate” but didn’t have a location for the next meeting outside the station.

    All that really matters is what they do when someone calls for help as I did when cleaning behind the Armory a few weeks ago.

    I’d bagged some garbage and trash from the gutters and sidewalks on both sides of the street (over 300 feet length plus parking lot length of Armory plus another hundred feet opposite to finish Public housing project) …

    I’d called it in when some of the tweakers started hassling me and my dog and I phoned 911 which I’m loathe to do on my own behalf.

    Dispatcher kept asking more questions while my dog and I were getting closed in on and I told her so and put my phone away in case I was attacked.

    No cops came.

    Know what saved me ?

    Cavalry in blue ?

    Nope, just the opposite.

    Some of the American Indians housed in the project yelled out their windows for the druggies to leave me and my dog alone (one of them was teasing Skippy who was barking like hell).

    Everyone agrees that when the cops go away the addicts and dealers and illegal vendors flow back.

    Reminds me of a big puddle of urine filled with paper and tissue down the street two blocks in between the North end of the front of the Armory and the bus stop caused by a depression in the sidewalk that needs to be reshaped because tho DPW keeps sending crews to power wash it almost every morning, it always returns.

    Again, the City (yes, I complain constantly to the new Mayor’s office just as I did to Breed’s) …

    City refuses to do right thing which is to cite the owner (billion dollar outfit called AJ Partners with ties to Trump) and force them to remedy the situation.

    What the new Police Administration has done beside give the Mission a return to a head banger Captain is to give the dictatorial head of the SFPOA (she refused to give rank and file voice in last years Mayoral Candidate endorsement and took all of the power for herself and endorsed Breed) …

    For some reason she was given a double promotion from Lieutenant to Commander and I talked to her a couple of month’s ago at Police Headquarters and she said that she thought that the Mayor should likewise be able to choose the next department Chief by himself, so I guess he agrees with her.

    For me and you ?

    “I got a bad feeing about this one, Vern.”

    go Niners !!

    h.

    0
    -2
    votes. Sign in to vote
    Reply
Leave a comment
Please keep your comments short and civil. Do not leave multiple comments under multiple names on one article. We will zap comments that fail to adhere to these short and easy-to-follow rules.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *