I Spent a Day in San Francisco’s Thriving Mall

Рет қаралды 87,910

Adam

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 339

@xjuanx92 18 күн бұрын

It’s a stretch to call the Metreon a mall. It’s a Movie theater and a Target with some food stalls and that’s it.

@csaefong13 Ай бұрын

If you're doing a tour of malls in San Francisco go to Stonestown! It's thriving!

@demzre Ай бұрын

Agreed. Stonestown is a great example of how to pivot during a down economy. It's busy every day of the week.

@Early-Mornings Ай бұрын

Yea I was gonna come here to comment this, I think the reason is because everyone would rather live on the west side of SF instead because most jobs that were downtown give you the option to be remote now. So instead of living in SOMA why not just live in Sunset, Haight, or West Portal.

@Audibleknight Ай бұрын

Stonestown did have issues with teens brawling and a horde of 20+ teens randomly assaulting single individuals about a year ago. Not sure if it's still an issue.

@Mike__B Ай бұрын

Isn't the only thriving part of Stonestown the fact that it's one huge food court?

@trecendend Ай бұрын

Adam, please do a video on Stonestown. And please go to Matcha Cafe Maiko when you are there. Amazing Matcha soft serve.

@alerilantarai Ай бұрын

The Metreon used to be SO MUCH COOLER. It used to have a GIANT arcade with all sorts of games including these giant virtual bowling alley like machines where you had to roll a bowling ball in a huge machine like a tracking ball to get through these cool levels to the pins. Outside of that there was a small shop with tabletop game materials for sale. There was a Sony store with a bunch of cool new electronics and the Playstation store which had TVs with PS2s hooked up to each one that you could ask to play any PS2 game they had to test it out. I remember when the PS2 first came out and it was so cool to see the futuristic looking games on the tvs everywhere around that place. I really, really miss that Metreon.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

It sure has changed, but omg the amc is wonderful!

@1992AC Ай бұрын

Can’t forget about the “Where the Wild Things Are” thing! Absolutely loved it when it was here.

@smarterray Ай бұрын

Exactly my memory of the Metreon. God I wanted to go every weekend.

@papakuartz Ай бұрын

Don't forget the cool Sony store. Remember the days when Sony sold all the cool gadgets?

@aqumuffins Ай бұрын

They also had a gundam / Bandai anime store when it first opened

@ejw72 Ай бұрын

As a native of the Bay Area, thanks for highlighting one of the positives of San Francisco. So many videos just trash on San Francisco/the Bay Area, but if you live here, you really understand what is special about it.

@taotaostrong Ай бұрын

I work in SF. Despite news reports things are really pleasant in my area. Beautiful weather this month too! ❤

@elliekim6666 29 күн бұрын

FR. I left SF around 60° and returned to NYC at 40° 😂😭

@jtomyhope575 Ай бұрын

Stonestown is the only mall truly "thriving" in SF right now. Ample parking, throngs of local teenagers, university students, and families spending time there at all hours. The food there definitely brings in the most initial traffic, but then those people actually stay and shop.

@hansel2001 Ай бұрын

Stonestown was surprisingly busy in the 1-2 times I’ve been there. I know locals consider that area and everything out to Ocean Beach as San Francisco proper, but no one in any other metropolitan area would consider 90% of SF Proper a true ‘city’. I think the author of this video (not sure if he’s a local or not) was only considering true downtown SF in his comparison of Metreon vs. others like the old Westfield Mall.

@Dracongard Ай бұрын

Though sadly its mostly a place to get something to eat, hit the HUGE gym, and or watch a movie at the new theater. A lot of the shopping parts of the mall have closed or really niche.

@bartonpercival3216 Ай бұрын

Yep, my family use to go there all the time in the 70's. I remember the Big E use to be there!!!!!! 👍🌉

@lawrencewong4347 29 күн бұрын

yeah stonestown is really the only thing i consider a mall like you expect malls to have clothing stores, retailers etc. metreon is just a target

@SDZ675 27 күн бұрын

It's right next to Lowell High school and SF state too

@NateAlyn 22 күн бұрын

Oddly enough, Serramonte in Daly City is doing well too. They added a Chick-Fil-A somewhat recently and have a Dave n Busters. I grew up in that general area and watched them expand over time. It seems packed nearly all the time.

@ProximoK 6 күн бұрын

That Dave and buster is always FULL

@comicsgrinder 13 күн бұрын

Adam, I appreciate your POV. San Francisco is a big city with big city issues. Yes, SF is a big city. Union Square is not perpetually overrun with birds. Birds are birds, they are not threatening Union Square. Support SF and we can all get to where we want to be. Cities run in cycles; it takes time to improve and sustain any city.

@EshockT 19 күн бұрын

I once ran into Stephen King watching one of the Bourne movies during the middle of the day. He was one of the few people in the theater sitting in the ideal location, so I sat next to him with an open seat between us. He stayed for the closing credits and I finally asked what he thought of the director. He warmed up and asked me my opinion, and I told him the Greengas’s overuse of jump cuts would not work for one of his books. Don’t have too many of those slick perfect moments in my life, but at least that was one of them ;)

@colinneagle4495 Ай бұрын

I live in Sacramento now, but I grew up in the city, and walking around commercial streets in both cities I can't help but notice that since the pandemic every new business seems to be a service rather than retail. I see lots of cafe's, restaurants, hair salons, and tattoo parlors, but no shops where you can actually buy a thing and take it home. I worry that the pandemic trained everyone to shop online, which is having dramatic ramifications for our urban areas where commercial shopping districts have been completely gutted. Not only will this impact the tax base that cities rely on, but without the street activation and variety of uses that neighborhood shops bring, I'm worried a slow inevitable decline of cities is the end result. Jane Jacobs must be spinning in her grave seeing a core aspect of urban vitality being moved into the impersonal digital realm.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

I think we're seeing things start to turn around in downtown. And anywhere outside of that is just as great as ever!

@bubbledoubletrouble Ай бұрын

> I worry that the pandemic trained everyone to shop online, which is having dramatic ramifications for our urban areas where commercial shopping districts have been completely gutted. People were warning about this since online shopping became a thing; the pandemic just sped things up. We've literally had decades to prepare.

@colinneagle4495 Ай бұрын

@@bubbledoubletrouble It's difficult to adapt to changes being forced upon society by unregulated billionaires. Amazon for years undercut the prices of brick and mortar bookstores, forcing many out of business, now Amazon is the only option in most places to even buy a book, which makes the problem even worse as people get used to buying other items on the site affecting other business. Sure, online shopping is convenient in the moment, but it's costing society so much more and most people don't even realize it's happening.

@lukebandy516 Ай бұрын

@colinneagle4495 Don't forget about the corrupt progressive socialists that allowed crime and open air drug , SF even recalled their commie DA 2 yrs ago because of that !

@See5harp Ай бұрын

@@colinneagle4495 Sacramento and San Jose are a special sort of terrible to be honest. It’s always been horrible downtown for these cities. The only good thing about Sacramento is that it’s not as expensive.

@paulworkman2370 Ай бұрын

I can tell you exactly why the Metron has done better. First, the location is much better -- it's surrounded by museums and hotels and the convention center. Second, it has basic shopping -- burgers, tea, a Target. Westfield and Union Square were mostly about really expensive places, and that requires a lot of people who want to do destination shopping, people who want to stop by and splurge. The pandemic really cut into that, and the new pheneomenon of networking-enabled shoplifting swarms (a) targeted those luxury good stores, and (b) the security response also cut into the having-fun-splurging aspects for everyone else. It's not fun splurging when there's a guard by the door. Metreon was able to get consistent traffic from people stopping by after going to the park or the museums or conventions.

@See5harp Ай бұрын

@@paulworkman2370 yea union square really depending on not only tourists but tons of people coming from South Bay and east bay. I highly doubt it was ever locals shopping there.

@thefakemacaw Ай бұрын

@@See5harp If you're in the South Bay you might as well just go to Westfield San Jose and Santana Row anyway

@mrsleep0000 Ай бұрын

They also keep the junkies and thieves away. That's all it takes. It also one of the few things still open in the area. The bulk of businesses along Market are boarded up and gone now. Driving all shopping in the area to the Metreon.

@meeks102 Ай бұрын

Even with downtown, I want to defend it. I stayed in the FiDi Hilton for a week in September. The only sketchy thing was one morning while waiting for the elevator, I started to hear mass screaming, and I thought it was coming from Portsmouth Square Park. Naturally, I feared that someone unhinged was committing a massive act of violence and pulled my wife back from the window as the screams got louder... ...then the elevator door opened and I realized the stupid TV in it was playing footage from some 1960s concert.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

I think if you know where to go, SF is still just absolutely amazing. But for a lot of visitors, it's not hard to end up in a place that's not so great.

@TohaBgood2 Ай бұрын

@@AdamDoesNotExist Dude, what is "not great" about Union Square though? I was there last weekend and it was busy and extremely nice. This was a very weird video.

@fixpacifica Ай бұрын

@@TohaBgood2 I find Union Square depressing. Too many closed stores and restaurants.

@TohaBgood2 Ай бұрын

@@fixpacifica I don't. Even with the closed stores it has 85% retail occupancy. You guys are pretending like it's mostly closed. Pretty much everything is open with a few closed stores next to Powell. And a lot of new stores and restaurants have already replaced the pandemic-closed ones. It's just odd to hear people complaining about the closed stores on the tourist stretch when everything else is actually open and the area is pretty lively.

@slipknotmfkrlocust8843 Ай бұрын

I was born and raised in the bay for the first 18 years of my life. I live in LA now, but your content reminds me of a lot of the positives of the area I grew up in, especially as an avid transit user. Much love coming from LA!

@Tony.in.motion Ай бұрын

I remember when the Metreon opened and it was such a vibing spot. It had a cool science spot for kids. Also the AMC IMAX is awesome. Hope it makes it. The city has always had its ups and downs. It will bounce back.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

It has certainly changed, but there's still a good amount going on down there!

@Tony.in.motion Ай бұрын

@@AdamDoesNotExist I was in San Fran a few weeks ago after not being there since before the pandemic. Yes stores are closed. But homelessness and drugs don’t seem any worse than 25 years ago. I grew up in the Richmond district and was shocked how things haven’t really changed that direction either. Downtown will reimagine itself again. Anywho. Keep up the great work. Hope BART gives you a sponsor. Hopefully they move to Apple Pay instead of the clipper card. It’s inconvenient coming from out of town. Cheers!

@penneya3911 Ай бұрын

Me too, it was the Sony Metreon with an amazing Sony flagship store decorated with cool soft orange furniture for sitting and trying the products. Then the arcade upstairs was amazing, there were these digital bowling games that used real bowling balls and had these huge screens. Basically it was all very high end and the place was packed.

@Tony.in.motion Ай бұрын

@@penneya3911 YES!

@SusanM. Ай бұрын

I’m a Gen Xer (50), and malls were life back in the day. Bring back malls ! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏻🙌🏾🙌🏿🙌🏾

@dylanhaworth3685 Ай бұрын

I went to San Francisco Center just to use the curved staircase. It’s such a pretty mall, but I felt so bad seeing it so empty and closed even with a BART station. On the bright side, the Japan town mall seems to be thriving and is such a great place to visit!

@jimmythestoryteller Ай бұрын

There was an article in the Standard that talked about Union Square catering to the international travelers and shoppers. But when you see how other neighborhoods that are thriving, they cater to the locals, the people that live there. If you go into Chinatown on Grant, a lot of the restaurants and shops struggle because they really depend on tourism. But go up the street to Stockton, it's bustling with locals shopping for groceries. Cater to the people that live there. They're your neighbors.

@Dr.Schnizzle Ай бұрын

I wonder if this is because of all of the bad press that sf has been getting. That would translate to less tourists, and less business for tourist-oriented shops. Locals know what things are really like, and they know the good spots.

@jimmythestoryteller Ай бұрын

@@Dr.Schnizzle Totally

@TohaBgood2 Ай бұрын

Actually, tourism in SF has rebounded much quicker than local foot traffic. SF got 23 million tourists in 2023 and is on track to surpass 24 million in 2024. That's just a tad above average for a pre-pandemic year between 2009-2029. It's the locals that are not as out and about yet due to work from home. The tourists are long back.

@chaotiongsai 28 күн бұрын

@@TohaBgood2Are the tourists domestic tourist or international tourists?

@TohaBgood2 26 күн бұрын

@@chaotiongsai It looks like Chinese tourists are still not able to to visit Western countries the way they used to pre-pandemic. So SF probably has a tad more domestic tourists than pre-pandemic.

@JP-ek7hb Ай бұрын

I remember growing up in the East Bay in the 2000s. My friends and I would take BART to SF and go to the Metreon and the Westfield mall lol

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

That's what I did!

@schermnaam5811 Ай бұрын

Yerba Buena Gardens was open for quite a while before the Metreon was built. There used to be a Samovar Tea Lounge in the upper level of gardens, the Arts space was integrated into area adjacent to the park, and the SF MOMA building (which was a big deal when opened) preceded all of the YB redevelopment by several years. Metreon benefited from the park having already been popular while the park benefited from having Metreon fill up a formerly empty space to enclose the area, making it feel more like a protected south of Market oasis (albeit at the cost of “privatizing” and commercializing what had been designed as a municipal complex. You should do a video on the whole YBC, including the MLK memorial under the fountain). The movie theater was one of the two main draws, the other being the Sony store (Sony having been the developer of the center). The center was originally, deliberately limited in scope. It wasn’t supposed to be a “mall” but rather a Sony branded “experience” focused on their products, electronic hardware and “software” (which included movies their studio produced playing upstairs). Those other spaces were secondary while Sony owned it but since sold to Westfield it’s been “malled” to fit their business model (they own the SF Centre along with others worldwide).

@bartonpercival3216 Ай бұрын

Not to mention that YBG also has the original Charles Looff merry go round from the long lost amusement park Playland at the beach. Only older San Franciscans would remember Whitney's Playland!!!! 👍

@davidmartin1051 20 күн бұрын

Did you check out Maiden Lane at Union Square? It has a great Art Galley that was built as a proof of concept for the Guggenheim in NY

@PrecisionAcc Ай бұрын

Yeah I wouldn't call the Metreon "thriving". Stonestown sure, Valley Fair for sure

@isaacsac5 Ай бұрын

You should go check out the Stonestown mall. That mall in San Francisco is doing very well.

@LucasDimoveo Ай бұрын

I live right next to downtown. Yerba Buena is my favorite place to hang out without having to leave my neighborhood. There is even a kids park that is safe and pretty secluded

@atallshadeofthecolorred6918 Ай бұрын

I didn't grow up here so I'm relatively inexperienced with SF Centre Mall, but when I think of Metreon I think of all its surrounding spaces, like the park, Howard St, SFMOMA, the mid-block crossing to Market, and how going between the park and 4th street takes you through the eateries. It helps that Target got my foot in the door when I needed various knick-knacks. When I think of SF Centre, I think of eating by the dome, and of fairly lackluster surroundings (hell, Mission St between 4th and 5th there seems to be just parking lots?), and the official/fortress-like facade on Market St. In a way it feels like Metreon's environment is more open to the city while SF Centre tried to be more open to parking lots and people driving in from suburbs. The latter group doesn't visit as much anymore partly because people have become scared to come to the city. And everyone is doing a lot less in-person retail shopping in the last decade, especially since 2020. SF Centre had a bigger focus on retail than services (or failed to pivot), so it also suffered more than Metreon. See "Why US Malls Are Dying (And Why European Malls Aren't)" from Adam Something for more on that topic. Regarding that starred restaurant that's closing, despite the short distance from Metreon, the feel of the location is completely different. If a building could have a posterior, I think the side of Moscone on Folsom might just be it. Maybe that will change when the city is done rebuilding that street in 2026-2027.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Yeah these are great points. Despite having been to all of these places before many, many times, I didn't realize how close together they are until making this video. I think that's because of what you said, they really are different environments.

@josephbernados1649 Ай бұрын

It's so surreal because I used to work in that area and both the Metreon and the surrounding areas, Westfield and Union Square used to be so full of life all week. It's so strange seeing them so dead and empty.

@Kendilious Ай бұрын

Wasn't expecting a video about my neighborhood! I live about two blocks from Yerba Buena Gardens, and I go to that Target and AMC all the time. I will say, the vibe of the neighborhood to the southeast of 4th and Mission is inexplicably very different from the rest of SOMA/downtown (unless you go to the McDonald's on Market late at night, then it gets sketchy.)

@thenewlevi Ай бұрын

You should do a restaurant video of downtown. It's awesome to see such a dramatic rise in restaurants as of recent! Much better than 2-3 years ago.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

One of my favorite things about the Bay Area is the food! But one of the reasons I don't usually talk about food is that it gets really expensive. Plus I'm not ready to divulge my favorite burrito just yet!

@elliekim6666 29 күн бұрын

I saw you mention the strike and I was like I was there when they were striking. I was staying in the Barnes. Union square surprised me but I enjoyed my stay in SF. Went to the AMC because of the IMAX because we have the Lincoln square one where I live (NYC). The target tho surprised me everything locked up and no self checkout which I disliked but thankfully the employees were nice tho

@stuartshaffer6619 Ай бұрын

Thie question probably boils down more to what rent is for a given business and what sqft options exist in both places. Union square was formerly the higher end shopping neighborhood and commanded much higher rent than south of market movie theater mall. Corp and commerical realestate would rather let thing sit open than drop prices to what the market dictates because their property values were invested at having a certain monthly rent for those store fronts. They can't lease them for less or it will be an admission that the land/building value has actually depreciated that much. They'd rather let them sit empty to keep those portfolios looking good until the inenvitable crash occurs.

@stuartshaffer6619 Ай бұрын

Also, there used to be two movie theaters in two blocks there (Century at the westfield). That one closed in 2023, so metreon is doing well (not dead) by being the last person standing.

@fixpacifica Ай бұрын

The Japantown Mall is supposedly doing pretty well.

@IconandEveryman Ай бұрын

I didn’t realize the Metreon was a thing although I don’t really go to movies and I’m not a shopper. I moved to SF about two years ago and generally hang out in my area (TenderNob/Russian Hill) or go north and west. Most of the eastern side on the city is just so packed with tourists or empty office buildings. Maybe it’s just about finding the right vibe.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

SF Moma, Yerba Buena Gardens and that Imax screen really do make it a place worth going to!

@Topaz_Estrella 19 күн бұрын

Your two videos of the SF downtown malls have been so surreal. I worked and lived around there for a few years and basically lived at both malls. But now I'm in the East Bay and haven't been back in years because of the pandemic, and it's truly wild to see the differences. It's like watching a documentary about an alternate timeline or something.

@mongoemaniac247 21 күн бұрын

Serramonte, in Daly City, is always packed. That mall is for sure thriving

@illustrajay3363 Ай бұрын

Check out SF’s Stonestown next!

@lolkthnxbai 14 күн бұрын

I saw Interstellar at that IMAX, I was only able to get seats at the bottom section so I was treated to having to look up at that massive black hole. 10/10 experience, loved every minute of it. Also RIP the westfield!

@leslievanhouten Ай бұрын

The Dolby theater at the Metreon is a better experience. IMAX is a way better screen, but Dolby is a better overall experience

@dvizr 19 күн бұрын

It’s so strange to see an empty Metreon and hear it’s “thriving”. If you saw the Metreon in the early 2000’s, the comparison is night and day. Like literally 1% of the foot traffic it used to have. I worked at the arcade back when it was the HOTTEST attraction in SF, and you couldn’t do anything in the building without a half-hour wait. We even had to pre-order a staff lunch at the food court because you had to be back at work before you could get through the line. (We would play Capcom vs SNK 2 tournaments to see who got a free lunch btw. Those were the days.) The Microsoft Store, Sony store, PlayStation store, Bandai/Namco, Where The Wild Things Are, Airtight Garage/Portal One, even the Starbucks kiosk (which is now the corner unit) got more business than the entire building does now.

@j7gy8b Ай бұрын

How the turntables. This mall has been notoriously half failing for more than a decade.

@ZetaReticuli_ Ай бұрын

At end when you get to Westfield, it is so weird for me seeing that place so deserted. I lived and worked in SF for many years. And spent a lot of time in that mall. Even in the middle of the week it was packed. It's a very beautiful city, and area. I used to live in downtown SF back in the 90s, and it was great. I know people say it was the pandemic that is responsible foe the current state of the city, but I would argue that is both wrong and myopic. I would argue this is what bad ideas put in to policy cause. And that politicians use the pandemic excuse to shirk any responsibility for their own actions.

@Unmannedperson Ай бұрын

As someone who used to live a few blocks away, I was at the Metreon at least once a week because of Target. We'd also stop at the tea/restaurant places to get a drink or bite to eat. Westfield on the other hand? Maybe twice a year for some specialty shop or gift shopping. Stonestown? Never - too far away. But again, Metreon? Weekly because of Target.

@mich00000 Ай бұрын

Interesting to see Metreon is having a comeback!!!! Even pre-COVID, Metreon had its ups and downs (esp. when I saw my cousin had a business in their food court - we thought she made good money but she said it's not as good as we expected.) While Union Square has the expensive places, it offered affordable shopping destinations in the past: the huge Old Navy on market street and surrounding area has a big Ross and Forever 21. There's a Sephora nearby and after that you would find yourself with Urban Outfitters and H&M. And when SF Shopping Center was opened, it had another H&M and the Westfield still had A&F on the ground floor. Post-COVID, it seems like only the luxury brands are willing to pay the hefty rent to stay in San Francisco for their 1% clientele and branding purpose. I joked to my Hermes SA that Hermes works harder to shop in-person than my company getting me back to the office. I love Stonestones but it's not for tourists or folks who want to work remote... and it's one of the few shopping center that still offers FREE parking. (It's always jammed pack during the holiday season!) Hillsdale mall in San Mateo has the upgraded foot court that is perfect for people who want to work while being in the mall.

@Ramonatho 23 күн бұрын

I saw Pacific Rim in Imax here as a kid. What an experience, being a small town kid in a big coastal city watching a killer movie.

@brendanmohareful 24 күн бұрын

The bay has another 70mm IMAX in Dublin's struggling Hacienda Crossings outdoor mall. The are only 30 in the world and 2 if them are in the Bay! You should take BART out there. There is incredible food in Dublin.

@YoRAHeem 26 күн бұрын

I never thought of The Metreon as the mall in SF. It was always Westfield and they’re closing. Metreon exists to cater to tourists and event goers.

@Shakester71 Ай бұрын

Pre-pandemic, I use to work a few blocks away from the Metreon and use to loathe going there to grab lunch because there was just so many people, but I did it anyways. I also use to work at Copeland Sports which was on 5th and Market in the 90's. I was working there when the Rodney King riot was going on, and even after that, it pretty much went back to normal. That area use to be such a bustling part of the city. The Woolworth, Emporium and SF Center. Tourists lined up on Powell waiting to ride the Cable Car. It's sad to see what it has become and there a few factors to blame and one of them isn't the pandemic or online shopping. It's the leadership in this city and throughout the pandemic, it has been Breed.

@jyc313 Ай бұрын

I live in sf, and I only go there for movies. Otherwise that whole area has become (well it always kinda was) a s-show with random weirdos walking about. I go to stonestown if I need to go to a mall (which is seldom). Stonestown has improved quite a bit compared to 10 years ago.

@pabsg 5 күн бұрын

Going to the AMC Metreon for an IMAX weekday matinee is amazing. Just you, your partner, and a few high school kids who skipped class

@tmghui888 Ай бұрын

Union Square will continue to improve. I’m reading more retailers are deciding to open in those vacant spaces. It will get better and better. I have also read that Union Square continues to be top 3 most expensive shopping district in the country. So, I see Union Square bouncing back.

@Soliaipix 6 күн бұрын

Hillsdale has the Cineplex, Stonestown has the Regal. One doesn't need to go all the way downtown. I loved Yerba Buena, but can't bring myself to drive there.

@SippyCupAdventures Ай бұрын

I am surprised you opened up with, "Homelessness is worse than ever." 🤔Hasn't the city made a more concentrated effort to "clean up" the tents? Of course, where they shoved them all to, who knows? The InterContinental on Howard and 5th, is our "default" stay when we're not filming for a vid. and we will be there this weekend. I had NO idea the Metreon was even there, other than the Target! 🤷🏼

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

They've removed some tents in some neighborhoods, but it looks more like an election year effort than an actual solution. Yearba Buena Gardens is worth a look next time you're in town. Thank you!

@SippyCupAdventures Ай бұрын

@@AdamDoesNotExist so, a couple of things. We’re in the city this weekend and we went to a music event at Club Six. It’s at 6th and Jessie. Wow. A whole other world there with the unhoused. A few budget hotels and many services are in that area. The difference with 6th street and just a block away, 5th st where our hotel was, is stark. 😳We went to Joyride pizza at Yerba Buena gardens too! Thanks for the recommendation! Great pizza and a beautiful view!

@namesbc Ай бұрын

If you want to see a thriving mall go to Japantown! It is packed!

@ibonchen Ай бұрын

At 2:37, THE HANDS GUY, I can gurantee you he's been there for at least 20+ years, back in 2000, he freaked me out as a kid, still does whenever I visit. My after school program at the YMCA used to bring us here all the time for field trips to the Metreon. The playground, movie theater, and ice skating rink there was my childhood all throughout my elementary years! I love how your videos bring back so many fond memories of mine when I used to live in San Francisco, I miss it everyday.

@CarlosMartinez-ig6nl Ай бұрын

I saw Oppenheimer at this theater in IMAX 4 times

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

I'm Jealous!

@pimaxuma 27 күн бұрын

I detest the homeless stench in both the Metreon & Target restrooms. But the interior AMC restrooms are better. That space w/now leasing sign was sushi restaurant Sanraku Metreon. The vacated "dance studio" was a sports bar with pool tables. Aphotic restaurant (whiny Michelin star chef) is closing because it lacks foot traffic, but also consider its hiked up $215-$295 prix fixe menu (was $135), plus mandatory 20% gratuity + 5% SF Health "Mandate Fee". The coffee robot arm moved to SFO airport (same company operates the Yo-Kai Express ramen vending machine). Stonestown Galleria (really thriving) has a better coffee robot arm (Artly Coffee, on 2nd floor food court). And Crocker Galleria (FiDi) has a roof garden. Cheers!

@ParisLawLess Ай бұрын

Dude I used to love going to the Metreon back in the mid to late 2000s play video games in the PlayStation Store the mall used to stay crowded I didn't like it too much after they remodeled it though

@kennixox262 Ай бұрын

Overall, I think that the "Tech Bros" have had a major negative effect on San Francisco. Digging a bit deeper, the closure 30 or more years ago of the Presidio and the general loss of the middle class. The mostly pleasant climate of the city's weather along with the liberal bent that has always been San Francisco attracts a lot of people who are on the margins of life. Areas of Market St. have always been seedy as well as SOMA has been a bit weird. The price of real estate, rent have driven the middle class out.

@Dale_K Ай бұрын

Love your videos Adam! You bring a much needed positive perspective to the Bay Area. I’ve seen your other vids checking out the sports teams around here, but have you gone to an Oakland Roots soccer game yet? Would love to see a vid about it!

@brownieberry9126 20 күн бұрын

I live near SF, and every time I have to go over there, I get nervous. I don’t feel safe in most parts, and although I try to feel empathy the homeless population scare me. I never knew about this place however, I’ll try to go when I can.

@justdavidy Ай бұрын

I'm at the Metreon almost every week to go to the AMC and I totally forgot about the coffee robot that used to be there! Now I only get to see it in SFO.

@karyrogers8873 7 күн бұрын

I went to Westfield for the first time in a long time last night. I couldn’t believe how dead it is. Such a prime location, what a shame

@RNG-Bsus 22 күн бұрын

incorrect on why you would come to the metreon. There's a Target right above you. normal Target prices(on almost everything), and the park allows you some time before ( or after if not shopping for more than a snack and drink) to relax and enjoy some sunshine.

@bunzy2226 Ай бұрын

You should check out other theaters in the Bay Area like the Alamo Drafthouse, New Parkway, and Grand Lake to name a few! They're all super cool and unique in their own ways and have a lot more character than the Metreon AMC (although it does have the best IMAX screen)

@MrEricSir 21 күн бұрын

It's funny that the Metreon is considered "successful" now despite the fourth floor and its outdoor balcony sitting there unused almost all the time. If I recall there were plans to turn it into a restaurant at one point but nothing ever came of it.

@Naliyah.christine 27 күн бұрын

The Metreon was my childhood! I would beg my grandmother to take me inside and when we went I couldn’t stop asking. As an adult it’s okay now but the movie theater was amazing.

@austinballard8867 Ай бұрын

Go here all the time, its right in my neighborhood and has so many things i can use - the movie theatre, the park outdoors (multiple "vibes" this park can deliver depending on which part of it you sit at too!), tons of food, lots of free music in the park too, this is a great spot! edit: do want to add though - i dont go to that target anymore (Even though the location is ideal for me.) because as you showed EVERYTHING is locked up. it is so bad that all "old man yelling at cloud, san francisco doom spiral" aside - i just can not go there to shop for anything. Its impossible to compile a basket of toiletries or clothes or anything esle really, and its to the level where i have to abstain just on principle of not rewarding that.

@Andre-Nader Ай бұрын

Your usual positivity in the light of adversity doesn’t seem to shine as much this side of the bay.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Good to hear that feedback honestly. I like SF as much if not more than Oakland. It probably has something to do with topic selection, but I'm bummed that it doesn't come through.

@jfungsf882 Ай бұрын

Cool video Adam. Downtown SF continues to rebound especially in 2024, so I don't think it's getting worse. Like many in the comments you should definitely visit Stonestown in the Westside of the city next. Who knows I might see you there again 😅

@sonoflaw Ай бұрын

oh shit i was literally just there a few weeks ago with my brother. we didn't stay long but the park was nice, and I also saw the strike happening as well

@chrisjackowski591 9 күн бұрын

Adam I wish you had a time machine to take us back early 2000s, when merre on and surrounding were busting with life and people were enjoying themselves.

@gridley Ай бұрын

The NY Times posted an article around 2018-2019 about problems in SF. I recall that same paper posting an article (I think not long before or after that) about how many vacant storefronts were in NYC on I believe Madison Ave. Those articles were written even *before* matters of post-Covid work-from-home, more brazen shoplifting, more vandalism (graffiti is the new trademark of Manhattan), homelessness, inflation, migrant crisis, budget-conscious customers & even more entrenched online shopping. When I read the NYT's story about SF over 6 years ago, at the time I thought things would get better in the near future. Then Covid-19 hit, the politics/governance didn't get any better & the economy throughout the world in 2024 seems like falling dominoes. In 2018-2019, I'd never have thought by the mid-2020s that Westfield SF Centre would be on its last legs, Macy's Union Sq would be closing & highrises in downtown SF would be going for pennies on the dollar. Meanwhile, YT vlogger Cash Jordan details how today's NYC is evoking the era of the 1981 movie "Escape from New York."

@See5harp Ай бұрын

@@gridley nyc is nothing remotely close to SF. NYC has like a shopping district in every borough that is busier and nicer than current sf.

@chaotiongsai 28 күн бұрын

That Cash guy and Nick Johnson are Russian funded propagandists paid to produce doom-and-gloom America video propaganda for the far right.

@denniszenanywhere Ай бұрын

Used to live there when it was thriving. This is in stark contrast to Manila where they've made malling look like mini cities and everything else inside.

@mcmann7149 Ай бұрын

I often frequent the Hilton hotel at Union Square and seeing the difference between Union Square before and after the pandemic is rather shocking. When everything was shoulder to shoulder with people going in and out of stores to what it is now with empty retail space everywhere and the few stores open having armed security out front and their goods behind plexiglass and key.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Sounds like it may have started to rebound a bit though!

@hatiefern Ай бұрын

I love Bimi Poke in the Metreon! Whenever I have been in there it had been generally busy. Never been in the AMC though, will have to go!

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Same! Give me some Poke and Boba and I'm a happy camper!

@davidp9575 Ай бұрын

So that mall is only around for movie and Moscone convention foot traffic, right?

@charlesthistlethwaite Ай бұрын

It still hurts to see the city suffering. Maybe if 30-50% of the commercial was changed to residential?

@IhavenoarmsbutImustGOON-n6e Ай бұрын

Metreon is dead too what are you smoking? It has been dead since the 2010s. The Stonestown mall is the only one doing well and it only does well because it is safe unlike DT.

@lt5466 Ай бұрын

The Metreon is for sale.

@Ponchoed Ай бұрын

Bay Area's best movie theater? You been to the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland?

@bevror6180 Ай бұрын

Love the Videos, I used to live in the bay and always enjoy watching your content

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Awesome! Thank you!

@willstout5988 Ай бұрын

I used to love going to the metreon when I’d visit SF (Sacramento resident here). There used to be a game I loved at the arcade called HyperBowl, which was moved with a giant fixed bowling ball as the controller. Super fun and was a great way to kill an hour

@OrangeSodaGod Ай бұрын

Sony use to own the Metreon years ago but sold it to Westfield. i didn't notice in your video, but in the upper area of the building im assuming the "event center" of the building they use to have a "video game walk of fame" where there were these plaques build into the floors just like the hollywood walk of fame but would have names like Shigeru Miyamoto, Nolan Bushnell, John D Carmack and even video games like Mario, Sonic, and Starcraft. I actually feel bad for not taking pictures of them on my last visit years ago before the buyout by westfield.

@MsAngrybutterfly Ай бұрын

So is the AMC Metreon somehow better managed now? Because it used to be tied with rat infested Four Star for the WORST movie theater in San Francisco. It may have been state of the art and overpriced, but it was also always filthy, the popcorn was stale, the soda was flat, and the flow was indecipherable. I only went there if a friend insisted, and every time it was intolerable for someone who used to work at movie theaters. Oh look, trash in your first shot! Mid day on a Thursday!

@echung168 19 күн бұрын

I don't think I've ever seen the hotel workers not protesting. And I go up maybe once or twice a year in that area.

@thaivong6620 Ай бұрын

I was here a few months ago to see the Disney+ documentary on The Beach Boys in IMAX and the theater seemed like the only place that was really thriving. The other stores were getting customers, but not nearly as much as Stonestown, which as another commenter has recommended, should be visited as it has way more to see and do and also happens to be home to the Regal that I honestly visit way too often. In fact, I'm gonna be there to see one of the last showings of The Wild Robot this week.

@bensaunders6800 Ай бұрын

What no mention of the new and bustling Sales Force Tower Park?

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

It's in a few of my videos. So cool that there's a park... in the sky!

@edlee9432 11 күн бұрын

If you want a thriving SF mall, go to Japantown center

@mwest3583 15 күн бұрын

The bay's best theater is Alamo Drafthouse, for the record.

@try8042 28 күн бұрын

I get around the locked cases at Target by using order pick-up. That way I’m not waiting around for employees to open them.

@machao5531 Ай бұрын

Have you checked out Japantown? I like going there most of the time I visit SF. The center of the mall is currently under renovation. I don't know what they're planning to do on it.

@AdamDoesNotExist Ай бұрын

Yes I love Japan Town. It's in one of the first videos I made in SF, but just for a moment. I've spent hours in Soko Hardware. And there are too many great restaurants to mention!

@machao5531 Ай бұрын

@@AdamDoesNotExist When I brought my little sister there for the first time, she fell in love with the place. Now she mostly goes there whenever she goes to SF with either me or our mom.