Trendy Loin

Abstract

It was long thought that gentrification of the Tenderloin was not likely. Zoning laws designed by housing activists to protect the character and residents of the neighborhood don’t inhibit recent interest by young tech workers employed by new companies moving into the edge of the Tenderloin, a consequence of a “Twitter tax break.” Upscale bars, expensive housing, and “tech dorms” are spreading throughout the neighborhood. Some new operations are benefitting the residents; others threaten their security. Even the coffeehouse we have used as a base of operations for 20 years is going upscale. The Tenderloin is one of the few “affordable” neighborhoods left in the city, but that may not last for long except for the housing stock that is owned by nonprofit organizations.