Out of the Tenderloin

I’ve moved out of the Tenderloin. As a film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle (who also lived in the Tenderloin years ago) said, “It’s o.k. to start out in the Tenderloin, but it’s not the place you want to end up!” Indeed, on my last round of moving, I returned to my rented vehicle with a load of worldly possessions to find two people smoking crack in a doorway adjacent to where I had parked. I had to make several rounds back to the apartment, and was hoping that the crackheads felt wonderful enough after their indulgence that they wouldn’t be in a mood to break into the car; something that happens in broad daylight every day in that neighborhood. Fortunately, I escaped with my possessions and windows intact!

[note: this post was edited because the film critic cited did not want their name used] Also note, the Chronicle later published an article about the huge proliferation of car break-ins, not just in the Tenderloin, but all over the city.