Tenderloin, Downtown neighborhood between Union Square and Civic Center in San Francisco, US.
The Tenderloin is a dense residential neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, bordered by Union Square to the east, the Civic Center to the south, and the Theater District to the north. Its streets are lined with mid-rise apartment buildings, small storefronts, single-room occupancy hotels, and social service offices packed close together.
In the late 19th century, the area developed as an entertainment and hotel district, drawing workers and travelers near the city center. Over the 20th century it shifted toward dense low-income housing as wealthier residents moved to other parts of San Francisco.
The Tenderloin has one of the largest Southeast Asian communities in San Francisco, with Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian shops and restaurants lining many of its streets. Walking through, visitors will notice signs in multiple languages, small family-run groceries, and Buddhist temples tucked between apartment buildings.
The Tenderloin sits in the heart of San Francisco and can be reached on foot from Union Square or the Civic Center in just a few minutes. It is best explored during the day, and visitors should keep an eye on their belongings as they would in any busy city center.
In 1966, transgender women and drag queens at Compton's Cafeteria on Turk Street fought back against police harassment in what is considered one of the first organized LGBTQ+ protests in the US. A small plaque in the neighborhood marks the spot where this little-remembered event took place.
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