"Duboce Triangle neighborhood getting scary with drugs, violence."
That's the headline of a Chronicle story by columnist C.W. Nevius published last night.
In the story, Nevius talks to various long-time residents, Supervisor Scott Wiener, and SFPD Northern Station Captain Greg McEachern about a perception that unsavory activity has been on the rise in the Dub-Tri™.
The consensus is that yes, things have gotten bad.
More trash, more violence, more "shady characters" shooting up and/or masturbating on residents' steps – these seem to be the prevailing concerns. The fatal assault on resident Bryan Higgins at Church and Duboce earlier this month only reinforced the narrative.
Various factors are credited with these increasingly pervasive quality-of-life issues. The so-called "Mid-Market revival" is cited for pushing so-called "bad actors" into the neighborhood. The Safeway parking lot remains a magnet for "marginal types," despite the recent ousting of the recycling center there. And Duboce Triangle's location itself, where the outskirts of three police districts intersect, means that it's not exactly prominent on the SFPD's radar screen.
So, things sound pretty rough out there. But, are they really?
As usual, we want to hear from our readers. If you're a Duboce Triangle resident or frequent visitor, what's your take on the state of the neighborhood? Are things actually getting worse, or is this much ado about nothing? Share your thoughts in the comments below, if you're so inclined.
