San Fran Super Bowl shine should be more than a once-off |
San Francisco is cleaning up for Super Bowl LX, set for Sunday, Feb. 8.
With the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks gearing up for their historic clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, preparations are intensifying across the Bay Area.
San Francisco, the primary hub for tourism, hotels, dining, retail, and events like the Super Bowl Experience at Moscone Convention Center, is ramping up efforts to present a polished image.
The Bay Area Host Committee projects up to $440 million in economic benefits for the city. Yet locals wonder: Will the shine last beyond the final whistle, or will familiar problems — homeless encampments, open-air drug markets, graffiti, and street blight — quickly return?
The pattern is well-established.
In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom openly acknowledged ordering an aggressive cleanup for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, largely for the benefit of visiting Chinese Premier Xi JInping.
“I know folks say, ‘Oh, they’re just cleaning up this place because all those fancy leaders are coming into town.’ That’s true … because it’s true,” he said in a........