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Repeatedly described in most
tourist guides as "the worst
neighborhood in San
Francisco," the Tenderloin
thrives despite its bad rap.
Sure, there are
Tenderloinloads of drug
dealers, addicts,
prostitutes and mentally
unstable street people, but
if you can get past that,
you'll find it is also one
of the city's most exciting
and diverse locales.
Getting its funky, florid
nickname from the days when
policemen were paid more to
work its mean streets,
thereby affording the cops
better cuts of meat, the
Tenderloin is moving up
these days. A heavy influx
of Vietnamese families in
the last two decades has
been instrumental in
achieving -- if not entirely
responsible for -- its
face-lift. And then there
are those incredibly
delicious sandwiches you can
get at the corner markets.
This area is perhaps the
last frontier in SF's
ever-expanding
gentrification trend, and
you can still stumble on
unpolished gems in the form
of incredible cooking,
unpredictable bar scenes,
independently owned stores
and great live music.
The streets aren't the
cleanest, and you will be
approached frequently by
strangers, so just stay
alert and don't let it get
to you. You have to hunt a
little harder for your
treasures in the 'Loin, but
in a city increasingly
headed toward high-end
everything, it's a small
price to pay.
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