To the publisher: As a former resident of San Francisco, I followed the news (“'The change of atmosphere is” real. The mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie, becomes the media man of his hometown “,” April 14) On the troubles that my ancient city had with homelessness, graffiti, waste and the commercial post with interest. Last week, I spent five days to visit San Francisco and walked everywhere in the city center, from the Ferry building to the United Nations at the Town Hall and in Castro, all my old lairs. I found the city remarkably clean with small graffiti and little visible home. Not so true in the net, but even there, I saw few camps, just people gathering on the sidewalks.
I have been relieved to see that the city now seems to be on the right track to present itself in a better light, more as it was when I lived there in the 1980s and 1990s. Yes, there are many retailing vacancies in the city center and near Union Square, but if you can create a clean and safe environment, it will attract retail companies when they can see increased pedestrian traffic.
George Meyer, Long Beach
