A tale of two cities: Why San Francisco is rebounding and Los Angeles isn’t
Who's accountable for the results?
Not every San Franciscan is a fan of Mayor Daniel Lurie‘s prolific online presence. The day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents clashed with activists trying to disrupt deportations outside San Francisco’s immigration court, Lurie broke news on his Instagram account that Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu plush dolls, was opening a store at the city’s beleaguered Union Square.
“It’s troublingly dystopian to see this video about Labubus from you while your constituents are being kidnapped by federal agents, and those who are trying to stop that from happening are being brutalized,” reads a comment from an account called Concerned City & County of San Francisco Workers reacting to Lurie’s Instagram reel. “Is this what you want your legacy to be?”
The answer appears to be yes.
“Now I can see firsthand what my kids have been talking about with Labubus,” Lurie explained with his signature earnest-dad-energy. “It’s all the craze around the world, and now it’s coming to San Francisco. Let’s go, San Francisco!”
Left: San Francisco, California. Right: Los Angeles, California.
“Let’s go, San Francisco!” has made Lurie an effective messaging force for the city online.
In addition to celebrating big, brand-name stores filling vacant storefronts at the city’s iconic shopping venues, Lurie’s Instagram account is filled with pop-ins at local mom-and-pop restaurants and stores. “That’s really nice for the neighbors and for the businesses,” Amy Cleary of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association told a local newspaper. “The mayor knows we exist. The mayor cares.”
The pop-ins are a conscious media strategy for the mayor. “These restaurants, these small businesses, they deserve our support,” Lurie said. “I want to be a cheerleader. I am going to tell people how great our city is.”
That is exactly what Lurie has been doing every day since he defeated his predecessor, London Breed, in the November 2024 election: cheerleading San Francisco’s success. And it is working.
Crime is down, including a 45% decrease in robbery with a firearm and a 43% decrease in car break-ins. Homelessness is down, including an 85% decrease in tents since 2020. Tourism is up, including a 9% increase in revenue per hotel room, a 7% jump in travelers coming through San Francisco International Airport, and a 60% increase in convention-related room nights. BART and Muni ridership are also up, as is attendance at home games of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco …
Who's accountable for the results?
Not every San Franciscan is a fan of Mayor Daniel Lurie‘s prolific online presence. The day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents clashed with activists trying to disrupt deportations outside San Francisco’s immigration court, Lurie broke news on his Instagram account that Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu plush dolls, was opening a store at the city’s beleaguered Union Square.
“It’s troublingly dystopian to see this video about Labubus from you while your constituents are being kidnapped by federal agents, and those who are trying to stop that from happening are being brutalized,” reads a comment from an account called Concerned City & County of San Francisco Workers reacting to Lurie’s Instagram reel. “Is this what you want your legacy to be?”
The answer appears to be yes.
“Now I can see firsthand what my kids have been talking about with Labubus,” Lurie explained with his signature earnest-dad-energy. “It’s all the craze around the world, and now it’s coming to San Francisco. Let’s go, San Francisco!”
Left: San Francisco, California. Right: Los Angeles, California.
“Let’s go, San Francisco!” has made Lurie an effective messaging force for the city online.
In addition to celebrating big, brand-name stores filling vacant storefronts at the city’s iconic shopping venues, Lurie’s Instagram account is filled with pop-ins at local mom-and-pop restaurants and stores. “That’s really nice for the neighbors and for the businesses,” Amy Cleary of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association told a local newspaper. “The mayor knows we exist. The mayor cares.”
The pop-ins are a conscious media strategy for the mayor. “These restaurants, these small businesses, they deserve our support,” Lurie said. “I want to be a cheerleader. I am going to tell people how great our city is.”
That is exactly what Lurie has been doing every day since he defeated his predecessor, London Breed, in the November 2024 election: cheerleading San Francisco’s success. And it is working.
Crime is down, including a 45% decrease in robbery with a firearm and a 43% decrease in car break-ins. Homelessness is down, including an 85% decrease in tents since 2020. Tourism is up, including a 9% increase in revenue per hotel room, a 7% jump in travelers coming through San Francisco International Airport, and a 60% increase in convention-related room nights. BART and Muni ridership are also up, as is attendance at home games of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco …
A tale of two cities: Why San Francisco is rebounding and Los Angeles isn’t
Who's accountable for the results?
Not every San Franciscan is a fan of Mayor Daniel Lurie‘s prolific online presence. The day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents clashed with activists trying to disrupt deportations outside San Francisco’s immigration court, Lurie broke news on his Instagram account that Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu plush dolls, was opening a store at the city’s beleaguered Union Square.
“It’s troublingly dystopian to see this video about Labubus from you while your constituents are being kidnapped by federal agents, and those who are trying to stop that from happening are being brutalized,” reads a comment from an account called Concerned City & County of San Francisco Workers reacting to Lurie’s Instagram reel. “Is this what you want your legacy to be?”
The answer appears to be yes.
“Now I can see firsthand what my kids have been talking about with Labubus,” Lurie explained with his signature earnest-dad-energy. “It’s all the craze around the world, and now it’s coming to San Francisco. Let’s go, San Francisco!”
Left: San Francisco, California. Right: Los Angeles, California.
“Let’s go, San Francisco!” has made Lurie an effective messaging force for the city online.
In addition to celebrating big, brand-name stores filling vacant storefronts at the city’s iconic shopping venues, Lurie’s Instagram account is filled with pop-ins at local mom-and-pop restaurants and stores. “That’s really nice for the neighbors and for the businesses,” Amy Cleary of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association told a local newspaper. “The mayor knows we exist. The mayor cares.”
The pop-ins are a conscious media strategy for the mayor. “These restaurants, these small businesses, they deserve our support,” Lurie said. “I want to be a cheerleader. I am going to tell people how great our city is.”
That is exactly what Lurie has been doing every day since he defeated his predecessor, London Breed, in the November 2024 election: cheerleading San Francisco’s success. And it is working.
Crime is down, including a 45% decrease in robbery with a firearm and a 43% decrease in car break-ins. Homelessness is down, including an 85% decrease in tents since 2020. Tourism is up, including a 9% increase in revenue per hotel room, a 7% jump in travelers coming through San Francisco International Airport, and a 60% increase in convention-related room nights. BART and Muni ridership are also up, as is attendance at home games of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco …
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