"It's just Frisco now."
She was referring to the slang term "Frisco" and the disdain many folks have for it -- associating it with tourists. It sadly summed up what had been happening the last 10+ years with the tech industry and developers moving in and slowly sucking SF's cultural soul away.
Yesterday I saw a picture from a new advert campaign in Bayview Hunters Point. HP is basically the ghetto of San Francisco, and one of the last areas to be gentrified, but unaffordable high-rise housing is creeping in. When I saw this bus stop campaign I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was to promote said high-rise housing.
But after further investigation I discovered it's not a housing ad. It's part of a warm, fuzzy, we're a diverse "neighborhood" campaign promoting the idea that "Bayview" is made up of all kinds of nationalities and ages, genders and such. Apparently the bearded dude has lived in "Bayview" for eight years and loves it there. I lived in San Francisco 26 years. If I ever went to "Bayview" -- which I did many times, I always called it "Hunters Point." But doesn't "Bayview" sound so much more pleasant?
I get the good intentions and idea behind the "it's a small world after all," life is about diversity stuff, but this just screams "young, hip, white people are taking over" and it's like a slap in the face to those who are being pushed out and displaced -- mostly black people, who live in HUNTERS POINT.
And to that, I say, FUCK YOU ALL.
I would love to see a campaign "I WAS (insert SF neighborhood here)" with photos of all the friends I've had who have been evicted over the years and had to leave the bay area.
I can't help but want to fuck with this campaign...
I guess if the posters said "I am PART of Bayview" it'd be easier to digest. POOR, poor San Francisco. How I miss what you used to be. I know SF is not alone, it's happening all over... but it hurts.
--Beth
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