5/08/25 At 9:15 a.m., construction crews continued work on the Valencia Street bike lane project. Near 15th and Valencia, yellow city trucks with an attached crane were replacing a streetlight. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez
Joseph Ferraro walked with a friend down 16th Street toward the southeast corner of the BART Plaza, dressed head-to-toe in black on a sunny San Francisco Thursday afternoon. He moved slowly, scanning the sidewalk.
“This is San Francisco, man,” he said with a shrug, after being asked whether the recent crackdowns had changed anything. “It has its ups and downs. You just don’t bother nobody, and they won’t bother you.”
Ferraro said he spent a decade living just a few blocks away at 16th and Shotwell streets, and now lives in SoMa. “I went to Mission High, class of ’92,” he added with a grin. “I’ve been around long enough to see this place change about a hundred different ways.”
Now, Ferraro said he often comes back to the Mission to walk the streets he grew up on. His posture was relaxed but alert, the way longtime locals carry themselves: Present but rarely surprised.
When asked if the fencing, vendor removals, and daily police patrols had made a difference, Ferraro paused for a beat before answering. “Maybe for the tourists. Someone not from around here sees more cops and thinks it’s safer,” he said. “But for us? If you know how to carry yourself, it’s all the same. Head on a swivel.”
Ferraro didn’t describe fear or comfort, just familiarity. “I’ve seen it all,” he said, still walking. “You just keep moving.”
Thursday morning unfolded with minimal visible tension, but signs of enforcement and strain continue to surface.
At 9:59 a.m., on Wiese Street, eight people were present. Two of them were seen shielding themselves with their shirts as they smoked from pieces of foil using lighters.
On Caledonia Street, a new security guard sat near the garage door entrance of 3090. Idris, who said it was only his second day on the job, acknowledged the risks: “It seems like they might be trouble, but we can only prepare,” he said with a shrug.
5/08/25 At 9:22 a.m., a police cruiser slowly moved through Caledonia Street, exiting toward 15th. A single individual was seen walking out toward 15th, and the street appeared freshly sprayed with sanitizer. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 At 9:44 a.m., on 15th Street between Caledonia Street and Julian Avenue, the Hunters Point Family “pit stop,” a portable bathroom site, put out a display sign stating that smoking, entering with large items, and disrespectful behavior are not permitted. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 By 9:51 a.m., the area outside the Gubbio Project on Julian Avenue was clean, with its two orange trash bins empty. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 On Julian Avenue, no one was present in front of the Kailash Hotel. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 Along the southwest plaza perimeter, two workers used 20-foot ladders to install string lights. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 By noon, a gray Mercedes-Benz was parked on the southeast 16th Street Plaza. Three men sat along the plaza’s ledge with a shopping cart filled with plastic bins, bicycle tires, and suitcases. One of the men, holding an umbrella, fumbled through his belongings while spreading clothes out in a disorganized pile that did not appear to be for sale. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 At 10:12 a.m., on the northeast side of the 16th Street Plaza, no police or DPW workers were present. About a dozen people lined the plaza steps, listening to music. A couple of them drank from brown paper bags. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 On Capp Street a HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) crouches down offering available services to two people. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 By 10:20 a.m., a man outside an empanada shop on 16th flagged down two SFFD paramedics who had been eating inside. The man, holding an ice cream bar, told them someone needed help at the corner of Capp and 16th streets. The paramedics quickly sprang into action and rushed to the scene. They encouraged the man in distress to go to a local hospital, while reassuring others nearby that he’d be back and there was no need to worry. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.5/08/25 On Capp Street, the ambulance pulled away with the man inside by 10:35 a.m. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Gustavo Hernandez is a freelance photojournalist and videographer currently living in Excelsior District. He graduated in Fall 2024 with a double major in Journalism (Photojournalism) and BECA (Broadcasting and Electronic Communications Arts) from San Francisco State University. You can periodically catch him dodging potholes on his scooter and actively eating pho.
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.
