One S.F. neighborhood is seeing an economic boom. This map shows how bad things are in other areas

"San Francisco's mood has brightened with downtown more regularly full of conventiongoers, retailers returning to Union Square and a new mayor who's all too eager to remind people of the city's vibe shift. But, while hope has returned, consumer activity has stalled out. Retail spending in most of San Francisco remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels as population loss and remote work continue to drag on the economy, according to a Chronicle analysis."

"Mission Bay is one of the few exceptions. The growing neighborhood saw a 31% surge in sales tax revenue in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period in both 2019 and 2024, even adjusted for inflation. New towers, residents and a slew of new eateries like Via Aurelia, Sweetgreen and Flour + Water pizza are fueling a boom - not to mention the new headquarters of $500 billion startup OpenAI."

"The Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset and Japantown were the only other neighborhoods that saw sales tax growth between 2019 and 2025. The city's biggest economic engine, downtown, is still struggling amid numerous vacant storefronts. The Financial District's sales tax of $11.7 million in the first half of the year was 39% below 2019 levels and down nearly 10% year-over-year. Nearby South of Market was down 41% from 2019, the highest percentage decline among all neighborhoods."

Downtown is more regularly full of conventiongoers, retailers are returning to Union Square and a new mayor emphasizes a city vibe shift, but consumer activity has stalled. Retail spending in most of San Francisco remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels as population loss and remote work continue to drag on the economy. Mission Bay posted a 31% surge in sales tax revenue in the first half of 2025 versus both 2019 and 2024, driven by new towers, residents, eateries and the arrival of OpenAI. Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset and Japantown also saw sales tax growth. Citywide sales tax revenue was $71.3 million in the first half, down 27% from $98 million in the first half of 2019, adjusted for inflation.

Read at San Francisco Chronicle