I'M OUTSIDE THE LOUIS VUITTON STORE, THE ONE THAT HAD ITS WINDOWS SMASHED AND MORE THAN
40 PEOPLE RUSHED IN TO GRAB STUFF. THE THIEF STOLE ALMOST $200,000 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE
FROM THIS STORE. WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THE PANDEMIC
HAS COMPLETELY TURNED THE CITY UPSIDE DOWN I JUST WALKED INTO THIS STORE AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE
WAS A ROBBERY MOMENTS AGO NOW EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IN THIS AREA YOU'LL SEE POLICE
THAT HAS DESTROYED OUR CITY MANY BUSINESSES CAN'T KEEP UP AND ARE SHUTTING DOWN HERE PAY
LESS SHOES BARNEY'S THE DEPARTMENT STORE JUST A BANK WALGREENS VERIZON THE HOTTEST JOB IN SAN
FRANCISCO RIGHT NOW SEEMS TO BE PRIVATE SECURITY GUARD THIS APPLE STORE BEHIND ME HAS THREE
SECURITY GUARDS INSIDE THEN IF YOU LOOK OVER THERE ACROSS THE STREET YOU HAVE TWO POLICE OFFICERS WHO
HAVE ADS FOR GUCCI RIGHT HERE BUT THEN ALL OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE FOR LEASE FOR LEASE
OR LEASE I'VE NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN SO MANY VACANT SPACES AND OFFICE OCCUPANCY RATES ARE THE HIGHEST
IN THE COUNTRY AIRBNB CEO IS SAYING THE MOST TALENTED PEOPLE ARE NOT IN SAN FRANCISCO ANYMORE
ALL THE OFFICES SHUT DOWN LIKE I'M REMOTE LIKE I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE BUT EVEN NEAR THE TOURIST
AREAS JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM FISHERMAN'S WHARF YOU HAVE A LOT OF STORES AND RESTAURANTS
THAT ARE NOW JUST COMPLETELY BOARDED UP THE CITY IS DEALING WITH A MASSIVE HOMELESS CRISIS
AND A CITY POPULATION IN DECLINE I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS AND NOT JUST
THE HOMELESSNESS BUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND IT REALLY MAKES YOU WONDER HOW IS THIS CALIFORNIA
HOW IS THIS THE UNITED STATES THIS IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE SUN OR THE PROGRESSIVE
POLITICAL POLICIES OF THE CITY I'M HERE TO UNDERSTAND HOW ONE OF THE RICHEST PLACES ON EARTH
HAS TURNED INTO THIS AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT DO YOU THINK LIKE IN A YEAR THINGS WILL GET BETTER
SAN FRANCISCO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR CARS OR ON THE STREETS INCREASED BY 17 THE BAY
AREA TECH EXODUS MARKET WILL BE ALLOWED TO WORK FROM HOME INSTEAD THE EXIT HIGHLIGHTS ONE OF THE
BIG CHALLENGES SAN FRANCISCO IS HAVING AS IT BANKS ON BIG NAME COMPANIES AND THEIR WORKERS RETURNING
TO THE OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE CRIME IS GETTING SO BAD LOUIS VUITTON WERE LOOTED
AND VANDALIZED PEOPLE PUT UP WITH NEW YORK CITY'S PROBLEMS JUST BECAUSE LIKE THE UPSIDES ARE SO GOOD
AS WELL I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SEE THOSE UPSIDES HERE EVERY SINGLE STORE EVERY SINGLE STORE HAS
AT LEAST ONE PRIVATE SECURITY GUARD EQUINOX IT'S A LUXURY GYM WITH LOCATIONS IN NEW YORK LA AND
MIAMI HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO ITS FLAGSHIP LOCATION REMAINS BARELY USED AND THEY'VE HAD TO HIRE THEIR
OWN SECURITY GUARD TO STAND OUTSIDE IT'S A RARE SIGHT CONSIDERING THIS GYM IS ONLY USUALLY IN
THE WEALTHIEST AREAS MEANWHILE THE AMAZON GO STORE WHERE YOU USE YOUR PHONE TO SWIPE IN AND
JUST WALK OUT HAS HAD TO HIRE A SECURITY GUARD YET THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS STORE IS TO BE HUMANLESS
THE CASHIER AT WALGREENS TOLD ME THAT IT'S GOTTEN WORSE THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THE SECURITY
GUARD HELPS A LOT SHE SAYS BUT SOMETIMES THEY STILL HAVE ISSUES WALGREENS SAID THAT CRIME
AT ITS STORES IN SAN FRANCISCO ARE ABOUT FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE IT'S NOW ACTIVELY
CLOSING STORES HERE THIS WALGREENS BEHIND ME IS STILL OPEN BUT JUST LOOK AT ITS NEIGHBORS
CLOSED CLOSED IT'S QUITE INTERESTING HOW YOU SEE ADS OVER HERE FOR BRANDS LIKE GUCCI AND
THEN OVER HERE YOU SEE ALL OF THIS REAL ESTATE IS ACTUALLY VACANT FOR LEASE NO BUSINESSES ARE THERE
MEANWHILE THIS ROSS STORE IS STAYING OPEN I JUST WALKED INTO THIS STORE AND IT SEEMED LIKE
THERE WAS A ROBBERY MOMENTS AGO THE WOMAN WAS DESCRIBING TO THE POLICE EVERY ITEM THAT WAS
STOLEN AND THE POLICE SEEM LIKE THEY'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THESE CALLS TYPICALLY WITH A SCOOTER LIKE
THIS YOU JUST USE AN APP AND UNLOCK IT AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO BUT NOW THEY'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO ADD
THE EXTRA LEVEL OF SECURITY SO PEOPLE DON'T JUST GRAB THEM AND TAKE THEM HUNDREDS OF SCOOTERS HAVE
BEEN STOLEN AND GONE MISSING THIS SAME SCOOTER COMPANY IN LA DOES NOT REQUIRE USERS TO CHAIN LOCK
THEIR SCOOTER IF YOU LOOK AT THIS STREET CORNER IN UNION SQUARE YOU HAVE BARNEY'S BEHIND ME WHICH IS
GONE YOU HAVE THIS MAJOR SPACE WHICH IS NOW EMPTY IN FRONT OF ME OVER HERE YOU HAVE CREIGHTON BARREL
WHICH IS GONE AND THEN THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN THE CORNER IS MACY'S WHICH IS OPEN AS OF NOW IT'S KIND
OF INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF KNOWN THAT IF A STARBUCKS LOCATION CLOSES THEY WILL
PRETTY MUCH OVERNIGHT REMOVE THE SIGNAGE BECAUSE IT JUST LOOKS BAD FOR A BUSINESS TO BE SEEN
THAT IT DIDN'T SURVIVE THAT IT SHUT DOWN SO IT'S INTERESTING THAT SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES HERE
HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO TAKE DOWN THEIR SIGNAGE IF YOU GO TO SOME OF THE TOURISTY AREAS LIKE
PIER 9 AND FISHERMAN'S WHARF YOU DO SEE SIGNS OF RESTAURANTS AND STORES REOPENING IN FACT
THINGS FEEL SOMEWHAT NORMAL AT LEAST SORT OF I REMEMBER COMING HERE AS A KID TO FISHERMAN'S WHARF
AND IT USED TO BE PACKED YOU USED TO COME GET A CLAM CHOWDER MAYBE IT WAS IN A BREAD BOWL ALL ON
THIS STREET I REMEMBER VERY SPECIFICALLY IT WAS THIS STREET AND NOW THERE'S JUST VERY LITTLE SIGN
OF LIFE IT'S AT LEAST GOOD TO SEE THAT THE ONE BUSINESS THAT IS IN BUSINESS IS ACTUALLY DOING
PRETTY WELL IT SEEMS STILL TODAY 1 IN 16 PEOPLE HERE ARE AT RISK OF SOME SORT OF CRIME HAPPENING
TO THEM MAKING IT MORE DANGEROUS THAN 98 OF OTHER CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY
FROM UNION SQUARE WHERE THAT LOUIS VUITTON IS ALONG WITH A GUCCI AND BLOOMINGDALE'S I COME TO
THIS AREA IF YOU SEARCH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ONLINE IT SAYS IT'S A GRITTY UNDERGROUND PLACE WITH ART
SPACES AND COOL CONCERT VENUES BUT TODAY THAT'S FAR FROM THE VIBE IT AMAZES ME THAT JUST TURNING
ONE CORNER AND YOU'RE REALLY IN A WHOLE NEW WORLD TODAY IT'S EVEN LABELED AS A STATE OF EMERGENCY
MORE THAN 1 000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM DRUG OVERDOSE MANY OF THOSE OCCURRENCES HERE IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS AND NOT JUST THE HOMELESSNESS BUT
THE MENTAL HEALTH BY THE WAY IF YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS VIDEO MAKE SURE TO HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON
BECAUSE I'M MAKING MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS SAN FRANCISCO IS SORT OF IN THIS LOOP RIGHT NOW
SEE THE CITY'S SUCCESS IS LARGELY DEPENDING ON WORKERS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC THERE WERE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMMUTING EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM NEARBY CITIES TO COME TO THEIR OFFICE
NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC ARE SIMILAR BUT WHEN YOU SUDDENLY LOSE THOSE PEOPLE WHO USED TO COME
RESTAURANTS DRY CLEANERS STORES SUFFER IT'S STUCK IN THIS CYCLE WHERE WORKERS DON'T WANT TO COME
PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS PARTIALLY HAPPENING
BECAUSE WORKERS AREN'T COMING BUT IN TERMS OF LIKE COMING TO DOWNTOWN THERE'S LIKE NO REAL
REAL REASON ANYMORE THIS IS THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK THIS IS THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK DAY IT'S ABOUT
12 O'CLOCK YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE PEOPLE HAVING LUNCH VISITING BUSINESSES MOST BUSINESSES ARE
CLOSED BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT COMING FOUR OUT OF FIVE CEOS SAY THEY'VE ALREADY DOWNSIZED
THEIR OFFICE SPACE HERE OR THEY'RE PLANNING TO AND ALMOST 25 OF THE OFFICE SPACE HERE IS
CURRENTLY VACANT A RECORD AMOUNT OF EMPTY DESKS SOME COMPANIES ARE LIKE REALLY ADAMANT GOOGLE IS
FOR SURE LIKE EVERYONE HAS TO COME TWO DAYS A WEEK THERE'S A LOT OF COMPANIES SMALLER COMPANIES THAT
ARE DOING THE SAME UH BUT I THINK LIKE HALF OF THE EMPLOYEES WILL BE LIKE NO WE'RE NOT COMING BACK
IF THE OFFICES LEAVE OFFICE WORKERS LEAVE IT'S LIKE KIND OF BECOMES A GHOST TOWN AS OPPOSED TO
LIKE YOU GO TO NEW YORK CITY MIDTOWN STILL HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THE CITY IS NOW
CHANGING AS A RESULT OF IT LIKE I NOTICED LESS OF A TECH PRESENCE FOR THE CITY WAS LIKE OH LIKE
ALL I TECHIES LIKE ANYWHERE YOU GO IT'S LIKE SEE GROUPS OF YOUNG URBAN LIKE YOU KNOW RECENT GRADS
KIND OF ENJOYING THEIR NEWFOUND WELL SPENDING IT EVERYWHERE YOU DON'T SEE THAT ANYMORE BUT THE
SCARY PART ABOUT ALL THIS COMES DOWN TO MONEY YOU SEE THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS MONEY TO PAY FOR THINGS
LIKE THE POLICE AND THE GOVERNMENT RELIES ON TAXES TO GENERATE THAT MONEY BUT THE CITY'S SALES TAX
REVENUE DROPPED ABOUT 70 IN 2020 AND SAN FRANCISCO EXPECTS TO GET MORE THAN ONE BILLION DOLLARS EACH
YEAR JUST FROM BUSINESS TAXES BUT WHEN BUSINESSES LEAVE SO DOES THE MONEY MAYBE THE CITY GREW
FASTER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE THE TECH INDUSTRY COMPLETELY MADE LIVING HERE UNAFFORDABLE FOR
MOST IT PROPELLED THIS AREA TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE SEE SAN FRANCISCO FIRST GAINED
POPULARITY AT THE GOLD RUSH OF THE 1850S SINCE THEN IT'S GROWN STEADILY WITH BURSTS OF PEOPLE
IMMIGRANT SURGES THE DOT-COM BOOM OF THE 1990S THEN THE TECH BOOM OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS IT'S
BEEN ATTRACTING THE WORLD'S VISIONARIES SAN FRANCISCO AND THE AREA BECAME THE HOTTEST PLACE
FOR TECH BUT WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IT BROUGHT HOME PRICES SURGED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE
AVERAGE PERSON TO LIVE AND PRETTY MUCH ABOLISHING ANY SORT OF MIDDLE CLASS IN FACT TENSION DREW
DRAMATICALLY BETWEEN THESE NEW TECHIES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS AS THE CITY TRANSFORMED ALL OF THIS WAS
UNTIL COVETED I HOPE IT NOW GROWS AT LIKE A STEADY PACE SO THAT LIKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT MARKETS
DON'T OVERHEAT THE CITY FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS MORE OF A CHANCE TO LIKE BUILD
FOR THAT FUTURE BY MANY MEASURES SAN FRANCISCO IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE IN THE US
CALIFORNIA'S REALTOR ASSOCIATION SAYS YOU NEED AT LEAST 338 000 OF ANNUAL INCOME EVERY YEAR TO LIVE
THAT'S MORE THAN SIX TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THE AVERAGE INCOME FOR AN AMERICAN THIS IS ALSO
CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL CITIES IN THE COUNTRY THIS IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE SUN
AND THE PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL POLICIES OF THE CITY BUT CRITICS OF THE GOVERNMENT BLAME THE
CITY'S PROGRESSIVE POLITICS THAT DON'T DO ENOUGH TO PUNISH CRIMES AND DRUG ABUSE I'M HOPING THAT
WHATEVER CHANGES THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO MAKE WHETHER IT'S TO THE BYLAWS OR
TO THE POLICIES UM THEY WILL DO SO CAR BREAK-INS HAVE SURGED A CRAZY 750 FROM MAY 2020 TO MAY 2021.
WHEN I USED TO HAVE A CAR HERE MY CAR GOT BROKEN INTO THERE WAS NOTHING IN THERE THEY JUST BROKE
IN TO LOOK OPEN THE BACK SEAT TO LOOK IN THE TRUNK BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE KIND OF EXPECTS THERE'S
GOING TO BE A MACBOOK AND IF YOU THINK THIS IS BAD CONSIDER THIS MOST PEOPLE I SPEAK TO HERE ACTUALLY
SAY THEY THINK THINGS ARE IMPROVING BUT HOLD UP IT'S NOT LIKE EVERYWHERE IS CHAOTIC AND
EVERYWHERE IS CRIME RIDDEN I'M WALKING IN THIS LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL HOMES
ARE INTACT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD OF COURSE THIS IS A WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD
THEY HAVE WAYS OF DEALING WITH ISSUES WITH CRIME WITH THE HOMELESS CRISIS OF COURSE THERE'S BARELY
ANY PEOPLE HERE BUT THAT COULD JUST BE THE NATURE OF THE STREET I THINK IT'S GETTING BETTER UH
PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK SURE IT'S BOARDED UP BUT I THINK I THINK PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK WHAT IS
IT LIKE I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE COVET HAS HURT SAN FRANCISCO A LOT DUDE IT'S DEFINITELY RECOVERING
IN THE PAST THE LOBBY IS QUITE PACKED I WILL SAY I HAVE NOT SEEN AN OFFICE BUILDING LOBBY SO CROWDED
IN A WHILE SOME EVEN SAY THE TECH EXODUS IS A GOOD THING THE FACT THAT EVERYONE LEFT AND IT'S
NOT AS ATTRACTIVE GIVES THE CITY A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM TO KIND OF MAKE UP FOR ALL THIS LOST
CAPACITY AND HOUSING AND TRANSIT SO IF THE FUTURE OF SAN FRANCISCO RIDES ON WHETHER OFFICE WORKERS
WILL RETURN LET'S GO TO THIS COMPANY SALESFORCE THIS COMPANY HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES OUT
OF ANY OTHER COMPANY HERE THEY'VE BUILT THIS 1.1 BILLION DOLLAR CAMPUS OVER A COUPLE YEARS
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STARTED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC ONLY ABOUT 20 OF ITS EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING FROM
HOME BUT NOW THE CEO SAYS OKAY 50 TO 60 CAN WORK FROM HOME AND THAT HAS GREAT IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE
REMEMBER A LOT OF THESE WORKERS A LOT OF THESE EMPLOYEES DON'T ACTUALLY LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO
THEY COMMUTE IN FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA WHICH MEANS STORES RESTAURANTS SHOPS HERE ARE ALL
IMPACTED I DO SEE THE SIGNS OF LIFE THAT PEOPLE HAVE COME BACK THE LOBBY IS BUSY AND PEOPLE ARE
COMING IN AND OUT ON THE REGULAR NOW SALESFORCE IS TELLING MOST OF ITS EMPLOYEES THEY NEED TO
COME BACK TO THE OFFICE AT LEAST A FEW DAYS A WEEK BUT OF COURSE THE TREND OF WORK IN GENERAL
IS GOING TOWARD MORE FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY AND LESS TIME IN AN OFFICE 61 OF AMERICANS THAT ARE
STILL WORKING REMOTELY SAY THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO STAY REMOTE AND THAT'S TWICE AS MUCH AS 2020 WHICH
MEANS PEOPLE ARE MORE COMFORTABLE AND MOST JUST DON'T WANT TO GO TO AN OFFICE RIGHT NOW A LOT IS
LIKE CLOSED BUT YOU CAN SEE IT SLOWLY OPENING SO I THINK AS PEOPLE SEE IT THEY'RE GOING TO
WANT TO COME BACK THERE'S NO WAY OF TELLING WHAT THE PROJECTION IS CAN'T BUT WE CAN ONLY REMAIN
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HOPEFULLY THAT THESE SHOPS AND RETAILS UM WILL BE FILLED AGAIN WITH NEW ONES
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD EVER COME BACK TO THE SAME BUT JUST LIKE HOW SAN FRANCISCO'S CHANGED EVERY 10
YEARS FOR THE LAST 150 160 YEARS I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND I THINK THE VIBRANCY
WILL BE DIFFERENT BUT I THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH DRAW TO THE HEART OF THE CITY I'VE REALIZED
THAT SAN FRANCISCO IS AT A CROSSROADS IT'S HIGHLY DEPENDING ON WORKERS COMING BACK TO
THE CITY TO FIX ITSELF TO BREAK THIS CYCLE SO MY QUESTION IS THIS CAN SAN FRANCISCO BE SAVED