While the Tenderloin might always be considered one of the less desirable sections of San Francisco, it contributes to a large part of the city’s character. The dense concentration of art galleries, bars and excellent restaurants (both affordable and less so) adds to the area’s rich cultural life; locals who may have previously shied away from the ‘Loin are the newest tourists discovering its treasures.

The Tenderloin area came to life when the 1906 earthquake laid waste to much of San Francisco, and a great number of hotels were hastily erected to house the displaced residents. As the wealthy located permanent housing, the hotels were converted into lower-income units, and have remained so to this day. Located just blocks away from the Financial District, the Tenderloin provides a striking contrast to that area’s wealth and ornate buildings.

While there are many stories as to how the neighborhood got its name, one of the most well-known is that police officers working in such a dangerous area of the city received a “hazard pay” that enabled them to afford the better cuts of meat, i.e. tenderloins. Another is that the Tenderloin is the “soft underbelly” of San Francisco, where crime, drugs and prostitution are concentrated. Regardless of how it got its name, it has always been one of the more colorful areas of San Francisco.

Despite the crime and poverty that riddles the area, the Tenderloin has one of the city’s highest concentrations of children. In a city that has some of the most expensive rents in the country, many families – working class and otherwise – find that the ‘Loin is one of the few places they can afford to live in.

During Prohibition, the area had an unusually high concentration of speakeasies and is famous for its bars and nightlife to this day. Dashiell Hammett, who was known for his love of drinking, set his book, The Maltese Falcon, in the Tenderloin, and there is an alley that bears his name. Another book based in the neighborhood is William T. Vollman’s Whores for Gloria, which takes place in and around numerous bars and back alleys.

The Phoenix Hotel is a popular spot for visiting rock acts with its funky, ‘50s vibe and swanky restaurant and lounge, Bambuddha. Some other well-known bars in the area include Edinburgh Castle, where Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh is a regular, and Divas, the famed transgender bar.

While the Tenderloin may have a (well-deserved) reputation for drugs and crime, it also boasts one of the biggest and most eclectic selections of ethnic restaurants in town.

Glide Memorial Church is one of the centers of the Tenderloin community, known for the famous Glide Ensemble choir and its charismatic preacher, Rev. Cecil Williams. Glide has provided social service programs for over forty years, including free medical care and over one million meals yearly to the poor and homeless, with Williams as the guiding force behind it since 1963.

As a minister, community leader, author, lecturer and spokesperson for the needy, the Reverend is respected and recognized as a national leader on the forefront of social change. His controversial methods include removing the cross from the church and opening it up to prostitutes, drug addicts and the homeless. His willingness to put himself in the line of fire for what he believes in – the Reverend has been arrested numerous times in the course of demonstrations and protests – has made Williams northern California’s best-known preacher. Currently the Reverend is five years past the church-mandated age for retirement, and shows no signs of stepping down. For more information on Williams and Glide, go to glide.org.

Far from the burnt-out wasteland it has the reputation for being, the Tenderloin is gritty and real, a microcosm of the extremes and diversity that make San Francisco exceptional.

In 2004, a stretch of Larkin Street was renamed “Little Saigon” in honor of the significant number of Vietnamese residents in the area; of the over eighty restaurants in the Tenderloin, fourteen of them are Vietnamese. Whether you are in the mood for Vietnamese or a number of other exotic cuisines, there is something to satisfy your cravings, no matter what your budget. Some highlights include Golden Era (vegetarian Vietnamese), Maharani (Indian), Mekong (Thai) and Szechuan Second.

The amazing social programs offered by the St. Anthony Foundation and Glide Memorial Church are, for many, a vital part of Tenderloin life. The St. Anthony Foundation helps low-income and homeless people with clothing, shelter, medical care and drug rehabilitation. The St. Anthony Dining Room, on Golden Gate at Jones, has served roughly 2,500 meals a day to the down and out – every day for the past fifty years.