The Tenderloin District
The Tenderloin District is a triangularly shaped downtown neighborhood in San Francisco that is situated below Nob Hill, between Union Square, and wedged between City Hall and Market Street. It is not too far from the headquarters of Twitter, which is on Market Street. The Tenderloin neighborhood has been infamous for its grittiness but is quickly becoming a chic and hip area that shows off its uniqueness. Some of the nicknames of this eclectic area are The TL, The Loin, and The L’s. The TL encompasses 50 city blocks and borders Geary Street to the north, Mason Street to the east, Market Street to the south and Van Ness Avenue to the west.
About The Tenderloin District
About 25,000 residents reside in the Tenderloin, making it a dense urban melting pot. It has been a downtown residential neighborhood since the Gold Rush. The name of this neighborhood actually comes from a similar New York City neighborhood and is named after butcher’s cut of cattle, hence the neighborhood being characterized as the ‘soft underbelly’ of vice in S.F.
Most tourists are interested in the part of Tenderloin Heights that falls within the theater district. You should explore Geary Theater, Golden Gate, Orpheum and Curran Theatres. There are alternative theaters as well, such as New Conservatory Theater, PianoFight, Phoenix Theater and CounterPulse. Check out the Music Center, Luggage Store, and 509 Cultural Center. There are a few bars including the drag bar called Aunt Charlie’s. You can listen to some live music at Great American Music Hall or Warfield Theater. There were many strip clubs at the Tenderloin but most have shut down over the years. The City of San Francisco calls a western part of the neighborhood Little Saigon which is something you should check out.
The Tenderloin is very artsy with many murals dotting the walls throughout the neighborhood. The TL is definitely worth checking out despite some of the gritty aspects of the hood. A truly resurgent neighborhood that is slowly gentrifying, The Tenderloin offers a taste of urban charm.
The Tenderloin offers a diverse array of dining options: The Tandoor-loin, Pakwan, and Shalimar which offers awesome Indian fare, Farmerbrown which offers soul food, Osha Thai, and Thai House Express. The high concentration of Vietnamese immigrants into the TL offers some amazing Vietnamese cuisine: Vietnam II, Mangosteen and Bodega Bistro are worth checking out.
Stay at HTL 587
HTL 587 is brand new boutique hotel located in the Tenderloin neighborhood offering a central and convenient location to major city attractions. Be sure to explore the Tenderloin Museum en route. Reserve your stay at the HTL 587 to secure availability and to get the best deal online by booking directly at https://www.htl587.com/