A Brief Introduction

When it comes to first impressions, downtown San Francisco doesn’t skimp; stepping off the bus at the corner of Geary and Webster, the first thing to notice was the overpowering aroma of hearty beef stew and fresh-baked bread which rendered an already rumbling stomach weak with anticipation. Up the street a small Vietnamese noodle house and a dingy Subway outlet shared a choice corner spot, endlessly engaged in a bitter rivalry for the hearts, minds and stomachs (not to mention wallets) of the lunchtime crowd.

And crowd is certainly the consummate choice to describe the neighborhood populace; home to popular tourist spots like the Fillmore Auditorium and the Japan Center, the area does a fairly brisk bit of business thanks to gregarious out-of-towners eager to catch a little taste of San Fran’s uniquely exotic blend of cultures and communities.


The area in and around the Japan Center (hereafter referred to as “Japantown” for ease of use) ended up subverting the lion’s share of my visit, but it wasn’t the first thing to demand my attention as I tightened my jacket against the bitter wind funneled down to street level by the endless apartment complexes and condos which flank Geary Boulevard. A dull roar from just behind the local Safeway drew me closer, where I beheld the Fillmore Farmer’s Market in the last throes of its weekly Friday showcase. The overwhelming auditory assault was the enthusiastic stylings of a local Gospel band celebrating the start of the weekend, and several representatives from local churches had turned out to take advantage of the market crowd; among them were representatives from nearby Third Baptist Church encouraging residents to register for the upcoming election and a young man from Glad Tidings Ministry working to promote the Teen Challenge youth outreach program.

The Fillmore Market has been a boon for local farms and businesses as well as the nearby community; I had the opportunity to speak with many of the shopkeepers as they were dismantling their stalls, and all were positive about the increased commerce and visibility the popular event has afforded them. Max Jacobs, an employee of Tomatero Farms (based out of Watsonville, CA) was quick to point out that his company had been taking advantage of the event for the last five years, and since their first year in attendance the farm had expanded to selling produce at local farmers markets across the city.

Unfortunately, the increased foot traffic in the area may not be an entirely benign phenomenon; many shopkeepers in the nearby Japan Center complained of a recent rash of burglaries, break-ins and blatant petty theft by juvenile patrons. Though they declined to give their names, a pair of security guards who work to patrol the area in and around the commercial center cited vagrant youth moving in from the housing projects along nearby Cleary St. as the primary cause of petty crime in the area. On my way back to the bus stop (the sun had long since begun to set) I chanced to overhear a young couple arguing about a recent theft; when I questioned them, it turns out that the two had suffered a break-in that very evening. An unknown perpetrator had evidently scaled the wall outside the window of their apartment in the Fillmore Center, broken the glass and swiped a laptop computer (valued at $800) before disappearing into the night. The pair (Lyuba Traue and Alex Litvak) were understandably incensed, and Ms. Traue was seriously considering taking legal action against the building owners for negligence and security mismanagement.

Interested in pursuing the matter further (perhaps with the Fillmore Center management) I was slightly disappointed to see my bus had arrived a few minutes early. I think this entry has run on long enough, but I look forward to the chance to get back and explore the neighborhood more deeply.