This Week's Top Stories

Tenderloin

'Tenderloin Night Shift' Zombie Game Pulled After City Officials Call It Dehumanizing

A developer built an AI-generated shooter game set on Tenderloin streets in a weekend — then took it down days later under pressure from Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the City Attorney's office.

A video game placing players in a nighttime Tenderloin where they shoot zombie-like figures was live for only a few days before its developer pulled it offline Friday, October 17, following a swift and unified condemnation from San Francisco city officials and neighborhood advocates. The game, titled 'Tenderloin Night Shift,' was created by developer Pierre-Louis Biojout using OpenAI's Codex over a single weekend. Among its enemy types were characters called 'the Folded,' a clear reference to the posture associated with opioid overdose.

housing

Board of Supervisors Unanimously Passes 'No Hidden Rent' Law, Making SF First in California to Require All-In Price Disclosures

Landlords across San Francisco must now show renters the true total monthly cost — including amenity fees, trash charges, and other add-ons — upfront in listings and on the first page of leases.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, October 20, to approve the 'No Hidden Rent Act,' legislation introduced by District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood that requires landlords to disclose every recurring fee in rental advertisements and lease agreements. The law is expected to make San Francisco the first city in California to mandate that a total estimated monthly cost be advertised alongside the base rent.

Mid-Market

Mid-Market Arts Festival Draws a Crowd, but Questions Linger About Who the District Is Really For

The inaugural Market Street Arts and Theater Festival brought thousands out on October 17, but a new SF Standard assessment published today finds the neighborhood's recovery still a work in progress.

The inaugural Market Street Arts and Theater Festival, held on the evening of Saturday, October 17, drew crowds along six blocks of Mid-Market from Fifth Street to Van Ness Avenue, with more than 50 performances spread across 35 venues. The free event — anchored at UN Plaza and backed by $500,000 from a coalition of civic and private donors including crypto-billionaire Chris Larsen and the SF Downtown Development Corporation — was billed as the launch of a formal Market Street Arts and Theater District.

Upcoming Events

Friday–Saturday, October 23–24

SF Symphony: Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi

📍 Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., Civic Center · 7:30 PM · Verify · SF Symphony

Opens today, October 23; through January 25, 2027

Asian Art Museum: 'Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean' Opens

📍 Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., Civic Center · Thurs 1–8 PM; Fri–Mon 10 AM–5 PM · Verify · Asian Art Museum

Thursday–Saturday, October 29–31

SF Symphony: Elim Chan Conducts Adams and Mendelssohn (Doctor Atomic Symphony)

📍 Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., Civic Center · 7:30 PM (open rehearsal Thu at 10 AM) · Verify · SF Symphony

Sunday, November 1

Asian Art Museum: Free First Sunday — Diwali Celebration

📍 Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., Civic Center · 10:00 AM–4:30 PM · Verify · Asian Art Museum

Through October (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Civic Center Soundtrack — Final Weeks of the 2026 Season

📍 Fulton Street Plaza, 147 Fulton St., Civic Center · 12:00–3:00 PM · Verify · Illuminate / City of Awe

More from the Community

SFPD Narcotics Unit Raids Smoke Shops Citywide; First Death From New Kratom-Derived Opioid Reported

San Francisco police announced on October 21 that Narcotics Unit officers served search warrants at multiple city smoke shops in September and October, seizing hundreds of items including kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)…

SFPD Tenderloin District Gets New, Tighter Boundaries — Effective October 1

New patrol district boundaries took effect citywide at 6 a.m. on October 1, with the Tenderloin station's jurisdiction notably reshaped: Market Street and everything south of it reverts to Southern Station, while…

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