Poor citizens of San Francisco

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors are about to make another neighborhood into a wasteland of mediocrity and retail boredom.

The latest target of the anti-business klan is an area of Divisadero Street from Haight to Turk (photo on the right) that is going to be chain-store free. Or free of chain-stores with more than 11 outlets.  Two other areas of San Francisco are chain-store free (North Beach and Noe Valley) except for the many chains that are already there.

What is the consequence for Divisadero which is right now so boring that there is virtually no foot traffic? 

First, all the retail stores that the neighborhood needs to function as a genuine neighborhood will be banned. Examples: a UPS store, a Kinko’s copy service, a good photographic products store like Wolf camera, a pharmacy like Riteaid or Walgreens and a good organic food store like Whole Foods. Also banned, but much needed, are banks with ATM machines, all of which are chains and two of which started in San Francisco, Bank of America and Wells Fargo (both of which were driven out of town.)

Second, stores that were created in San Francisco and highly relevant to life in San Francisco are banned and many of which are loved by San Franciscans: Fuzio’s, Pasta Pomodoro, Gap, Baby Gap, Banana Republic, Esprit, Kimko Hotels and an office of Charles Schwab. There are many stores loved by San Franciscans such as Peet’s Coffee and the Body Shop, historically connected to San Francisco, are banned. 

Lastly, there are all the interesting shops from around the world that are banned such as the one’s I love in Tokyo: Uniqlo, Muji and Takashimaya.

San Franciscans are losers, in both English meanings of the word.

The Google satellite photo of the effected area is on the right.