This Week's Top Stories

Tenderloin

Tenderloin Asks: Where Is Downtown's Revival Money?

As the Downtown Development Corporation channels $60 million into Union Square and the Embarcadero, Tenderloin and Mid-Market stakeholders say their neighborhoods have been left out of the city's recovery.

On a July afternoon, Kate Robinson, head of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, led a small group of Downtown Development Corporation representatives down Turk Street, through Turk-Hyde Mini Park, and around Dodge Alley — a tour that marked a first for the DDC, a nonprofit that funnels private money into public projects.

SF Opera

Opera Orchestra and Management Still at Impasse as Opening Night Arrives

Negotiations between SF Opera management and its musicians' union remained deadlocked as of September 9, leaving the fate of tonight's season-opening 'Simon Boccanegra' at the War Memorial uncertain.

As of September 9 — the most recent reporting available — the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and management had not reached a new collective bargaining agreement, putting tonight's opening-night performance of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at the War Memorial Opera House in doubt. The orchestra's previous contract expired July 31, and American Federation of Musicians Local 6 has said its members will not perform unless a fair deal is in place. The core dispute is over pay.

City Hall

Full Board to Vote Tuesday on Controversial $38.9M OpenGov Permit Contract

The Board of Supervisors will take a final vote September 15 on a five-year extension of Mayor Lurie's permitting software contract, which critics say bypassed competitive bidding and is already running behind.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to vote this Tuesday, September 15, on a contract worth up to $38.9 million to extend OpenGov as the city's permitting software provider through at least 2031. The contract is the centerpiece of Mayor Daniel Lurie's PermitSF initiative, intended to replace the city's notoriously fragmented permitting infrastructure — spread across multiple departments and software systems — with a unified online portal. The road to Tuesday's vote has been rocky.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, September 12

SF Opera Opens 104th Season: 'Simon Boccanegra'

📍 War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave. · Various times

Thursday, September 17

Tenderloin Museum: New Episodes of 'The Tenderloin Diaries'

📍 The Compton's Cafeteria Riot venue, 835 Larkin St. · 7:00 PM–8:30 PM

Friday–Saturday, September 18–19

SF Symphony: Garrick Ohlsson Plays Brahms

📍 Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. · 7:30 PM

Thursday, September 24

SF Symphony Season-Opening Gala with Hilary Hahn

📍 Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. · 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 26

Fantastic Negrito with the SF Symphony

📍 Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. · 7:30 PM

More from the Neighborhood

City Hall Dome Lights Up Pink and White for Opera Opening Night

City Hall's dome is scheduled to glow pink and white on Saturday, September 12, in recognition of SF Opera's opening night, per the Civic Center's published September 2026 lighting calendar.

Opera Ball Rescheduled to November 12 at City Hall

San Francisco Opera has moved its 2026 Opera Ball from September 12 to Thursday, November 12, still at City Hall.