SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) If you ve ever been to San Francisco s Chinatown on any weekday afternoon, pre-pandemic, you d be struck by the vitality of the community. Residents weaving through the tourists, the sound of children throwing poppers onto the ground, workers unloading boxes of fresh produce onto crowded sidewalks while locals compete to find the best deals.
Now, many businesses in America s oldest Chinatown are at risk of closing. We spent a day in Chinatown to find out how the neighborhood is really doing.
Our day started as we emerged from the underground parking lot at Portsmouth Square where we were first shocked to see dozens of people.