The Tenderloin District of San
Francisco
What most people know about the Tenderloin barely scratches the surface of what is truly there.
The Tenderloin is the fastest growing family neighborhood in the City. It is home to over 4,000 children and 25,000 residents, mostly from Southeast Asia. The fifty city-block area is lined with historic architectural gems of which City Hall is one. Restaurants are the most common storefront businesses. And in any given year, more people see live performances in this neighborhood than see the 49ers.
In a past life, the Tenderloin was the city's first gay neighborhood and a vibrant center for live jazz and nightclubs. Today, the community is striving to assert itself among the city's other wonderful and distinctive neighborhoods. Exciting partnerships are forming between residents, businesses, organizations and other interested groups and individuals to collectively bring this about.
The San Francisco Hilton, partnering with the Unbroken Chain Foundation for the PhilHarmonia event, is one such business that has been successful in uniting diverse interests over the Tenderloin. From playing a leadership role through service on neighborhood non-profit boards, to finding re-uses for tons of surplus materials, to providing the way for its 1,200 employees to volunteer, the Hilton is committed to seeing the Tenderloin be a decent place in which to live and work. Currently a core group of community leaders are immersed in a development project that is intended to benefit the neighborhood by providing new permanent jobs, increasing customer bases for Tenderloin businesses, creating safer streets by increasing foot traffic, incubating micro businesses, adding parking and increasing property and sales tax revenues for the city.
More ideas and involvement are always welcome. If you'd like to know more or wish to participate, please call Debbie Larkin, director of public relations at the San Francisco Hilton or Jo Licata, community projects manager at (415) 771-1400.