Comments on: Adam’s Block, Live Video of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District

By: Justin Ryan

Justin Ryan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:52:15 +0000

To call any particular neighborhood the ‘worst’ categorically is a bit shallow, but fighting crime in the ‘loin is difficult because there is a culture of prostitution, crack and heroin sales, and related violent crime that migrates from block to block on an hourly or so basis. It’s difficult to come up with a strategy for dealing this that doesn’t persecute homeless people not participating in these activities, and that is a big part of why the SFPD have done so little in this area for so long. Our new police chief has a new enforcement strategy which begins with incarcaration for two ‘trespassing’ charges for loitering in front of the same address within a 24 hour period. A system of cameras could really help with this. That some people will take joy in observing the foibles of the rampant mentally ill set loose by Governor Reagan is a sad statement for humanity, not an argument against monitoring an area which is extremely dangerous to live in on a daily basis. My girlfriend was attacked at our front gate recently despite my not having hung an HDTV camera in front window – I’m not sure this Adam guy, even if he is a bit of a jackass, created a significant amount of additional danger for himself. He may also not consider that he was targeted as the type of person who probably carries electronics – replace those white earbuds around here, folks. ;)

By: Green Arrow

Green Arrow — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:10:10 +0000

Yeah, I heard about this thing a while back. I even saw footage of a guys throwing himself into a passing bus. Here’s something I found about the Tenderloin that’s a bit newer. Definitely an interesting take: http://twitter.com/thetenderloin

By: FRANZISKA GONZALEZ

FRANZISKA GONZALEZ — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:54:14 +0000

I was homeless in the tenderloin for a few months (by choice). It’s was fun and scary at the same time. I love what your doing by putting a spot on that neighborhood. I truely did leave my heart in San Francisco and in the Tenderloin Distr.

Thanx!

By: Gena M

Gena M — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:53:30 +0000

Does anyone local know a Rich English? He probably is in the Tenderloin area…..he’s my boys’ Dad & we are trying to find him.
If you know ANYTHING about him, PLEASE let me know?
Thank you!

By: greg williams

greg williams — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:21:04 +0000

this fuckup not only put his gf in danger, he arrogantly put the whole building in danger.

taught karate? shoot, i’d go a round or two with his fat ass.

By: tom swift

tom swift — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:01:19 +0000

This kid is an idiot. He comes from a background of teaching karate to law enforcement and carries a gun. He posts his name, girlfriends name, address, work address, and pictures of him and his girlfriend on his website. He than puts cams up and posts this on the net.

He is flabbergasted when he gets death threats and punks are following him to work. He has to move to protect himself and his girlfriend who he put in danger.

What did this idiot expect?

By: greg williams

greg williams — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:43:51 +0000

Adam said this was about him getting sleep.
Making fun of poor people, addicts and people with metal illness isnt going to get him any rest. Fuck adam.

If adam has a superman complex, let him join the police force.
If adam wants to make fun of people, and make it availabe for other idiots to make fun of people, i hope he gets what he deserves

By: mikl-em

mikl-em — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:19:04 +0000

This article from sfgate covers the saga in detail:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/13/BA7Q14N5S6.DTL

Jackson began to get e-mailed threats. [...] When Jackson called the police about some letters being spray-painted on the street, the harassment intensified. He was a snitch. Anonymous thugs threw rocks at his window at night, and he was followed to work by a group of guys in hooded sweatshirts.

So the site will now continue but run by someone else as ourblock.tv (not up yet). Also, from the article above “Jackson said at least three other sites have sprung up independently” and they may in the future be linked together via the ourblock domain. So I guess we should stay tuned.

By: Scott Beale

Scott Beale — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:03:28 +0000

Thanks Jim, I’ve updated the post. Maybe Adam will jump in here and explain what happened.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:53:26 +0000

Adam’s Block is no more.
http://sfist.com/2008/12/12/adams_block_down.php#comments

The twitter feed tells the tale as well:

http://twitter.com/adamjackson

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:42:05 +0000

I agree—I was a Fed Ex driver for years in downtown San Francisco—And lived on Castro between 19th and 20th—It could get pretty noisy on Fri. and Sat. nights.
Turk and Leavenworth is awful, or at least used to be.—I miss the sights and sounds amd smells of San Francisco.

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:06:38 +0000

Someone should paint antennas and knobs one the box the white lines make and it
would look like a tv.

By: pdpl

pdpl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:33:46 +0000

I think that framing this project with the characaturizing “worst neighborhood” marginalizes–though I'm sure not intentionally–in the same way that Bill O'Reilly works to marginalize our city: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/18/bill-o.... This project has the potential to show the ways in which the homeless community (which is generally misrepresented and prejudged) are alienated to the point of being treated like literal shit and trash and hosed from the street: http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Guest_Edito.... It also has the potential to reinforce such an alienating standpoint.

Re-presentaiton of this project on a blog so identified with San Francisco on an international stage can either be framed towards compassionate healing or towards simplification and vilification. We all have a right to share our opinions but we also have a responsibility to know how powerful our voices are and to act accordingly.

By: Scott Beale

Scott Beale — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:10:29 +0000

Yeah, I think a lot of people where confused about the whole “worst neighborhood” thing. I went ahead and updated this post to reflect the changes to Adam's Block.

By: cgb

cgb — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:02:38 +0000

That's not the worst neighborhood in SF (and the cam's actually on the edge of the tenderloin anyways). Adam just didn't know that…he changed it though, because everyone was complaining, and now it doesn't say the “worst neighborhood” anymore, but “the tenderloin” instead.

By: Ariela

Ariela — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:34:52 +0000

Yeah… used to live on Gilman… Tenderloin has nothing on HP

By: Ariela

Ariela — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:27:14 +0000

Hunter's Point is much, much worse than the Tenderloin… grow some balls, guys!

By: Fran Cisco

Fran Cisco — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:07:12 +0000

I wonder if anyone has ever jumped from his apartment building… Like what happened to this guy in Hayes Valley: http://trey.blogspot.com/2008/11/man-fell-down-...

By: KevinEvans

KevinEvans — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:48:03 +0000

“WORST” neighborhood in SF?”

Not really. Hunter’s Point, top of the hill (in the projects)

By: rockbandit

rockbandit — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:14:06 +0000

When I first moved to San Francisco, our apartment was in an alley by 6th and Folsom. It quickly made me wonder why I moved to this city.

It didn't help when we found one homeless bum giving another one a blow job on our doorstep one night.