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This Week's Top Stories

Tenderloin

'Tenderloin Night Shift' Zombie Game Pulled After City Officials Call It Dehumanizing

A developer built an AI-generated shooter game set on Tenderloin streets in a weekend — then took it down days later under pressure from Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the City Attorney's office.

A video game placing players in a nighttime Tenderloin where they shoot zombie-like figures was live for only a few days before its developer pulled it offline Friday, October 17, following a swift and unified condemnation from San Francisco city officials and neighborhood advocates. The game, titled 'Tenderloin Night Shift,' was created by developer Pierre-Louis Biojout using OpenAI's Codex over a single weekend. Among its enemy types were characters called 'the Folded,' a clear reference to the posture associated with opioid overdose. Local landmarks including a Waymo vehicle and scooters were rendered in the game's digital streetscape.

Read the full story: ABC7 San Francisco →
housing

Board of Supervisors Unanimously Passes 'No Hidden Rent' Law, Making SF First in California to Require All-In Price Disclosures

Landlords across San Francisco must now show renters the true total monthly cost — including amenity fees, trash charges, and other add-ons — upfront in listings and on the first page of leases.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, October 20, to approve the 'No Hidden Rent Act,' legislation introduced by District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood that requires landlords to disclose every recurring fee in rental advertisements and lease agreements.

Read the full story: Mission Local →
Mid-Market

Mid-Market Arts Festival Draws a Crowd, but Questions Linger About Who the District Is Really For

The inaugural Market Street Arts and Theater Festival brought thousands out on October 17, but a new SF Standard assessment published today finds the neighborhood's recovery still a work in progress.

The inaugural Market Street Arts and Theater Festival, held on the evening of Saturday, October 17, drew crowds along six blocks of Mid-Market from Fifth Street to Van Ness Avenue, with more than 50 performances spread across 35 venues.

Read the full story: SF Standard →

The week ahead

Civic Center & Tenderloin · forecast issued October 23, 2026 · National Weather Service

  1. Fri 67°53° Mostly Sunny
  2. Sat 70°52° Sunny
  3. Sun 68°54° Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
  4. Mon 65°53° Mostly Sunny
  5. Tue 63°53° Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
  6. Wed 62°54° Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
  7. Thu 61°54° Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny

Upcoming & Ongoing in the Community

Friday–Saturday, October 23–24

SF Symphony: Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi

Composer-conductor Joe Hisaishi, whose scores include 12 Studio Ghibli films and Oscar-winning works by Hayao Miyazaki, leads the SF Symphony in a program of his own music — including the West Coast premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra, newly commissioned by the Symphony. The run opened Thursday; two performances remain this weekend.

  • Location:Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., Civic Center
  • Time:7:30 PM
Verify details →

Opens today, October 23; through January 25, 2027

Asian Art Museum: 'Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean' Opens

The nearly 20-foot West Mebon Reclining Vishnu — Southeast Asia's largest ancient bronze, on loan from Cambodia's National Museum — arrives at the Asian Art Museum for its only West Coast stop before returning home. The museum describes this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the sculpture at its full monumental scale; included with general admission. A public opening celebration takes place Sunday, October 25.

  • Location:Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., Civic Center
  • Time:Thurs 1–8 PM; Fri–Mon 10 AM–5 PM
Verify details →

Thursday–Saturday, October 29–31

SF Symphony: Elim Chan Conducts Adams and Mendelssohn (Doctor Atomic Symphony)

Music Director Designate Elim Chan leads the SF Symphony and Chorus in the orchestra's first-ever performances of John Adams's Doctor Atomic Symphony — an orchestral condensation of Adams's 2005 opera about J. Robert Oppenheimer — alongside Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with French violinist Renaud Capuçon and choral works by Brahms and Arvo Pärt. An open rehearsal with an Inside Music Talk runs Thursday morning at 10 AM.

  • Location:Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., Civic Center
  • Time:7:30 PM (open rehearsal Thu at 10 AM)
Verify details →

Sunday, November 1

Asian Art Museum: Free First Sunday — Diwali Celebration

The museum marks Diwali on its monthly Free First Sunday, offering free general admission and special programming, alongside the newly opened 'Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean' exhibition and docent talks on the permanent collection.

  • Location:Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., Civic Center
  • Time:10:00 AM–4:30 PM
Verify details →

Through October (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Civic Center Soundtrack — Final Weeks of the 2026 Season

The free outdoor lunchtime concert series, now in its third season, wraps up its 2026 run with live local music and food trucks every Tuesday and Thursday through the end of the month at the plaza outside the Main Library. Admission is free.

  • Location:Fulton Street Plaza, 147 Fulton St., Civic Center
  • Time:12:00–3:00 PM
Verify details →

More from the Community

public-safety

SFPD Narcotics Unit Raids Smoke Shops Citywide; First Death From New Kratom-Derived Opioid Reported

San Francisco police announced on October 21 that Narcotics Unit officers served search warrants at multiple city smoke shops in September and October, seizing hundreds of items including kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) packets, suspected psilocybin, flavored tobacco, nitrous oxide canisters, and drug paraphernalia.

Read the full story: SFist →
SFPD

SFPD Tenderloin District Gets New, Tighter Boundaries — Effective October 1

New patrol district boundaries took effect citywide at 6 a.m. on October 1, with the Tenderloin station's jurisdiction notably reshaped: Market Street and everything south of it reverts to Southern Station, while the Tenderloin district now extends north to Sutter Street and west to Van Ness Avenue, bringing Lower Polk…

Read the full story: KRON4 →

Community Directory

Brunch & Breakfast

Tenderloin Landmark

Brenda's French Soul Food

Creole & Southern brunch restaurant

The Bay Area's most-reviewed restaurant, serving New Orleans–inspired beignets, fried chicken, and Creole-accented plates from morning through dinner.

652 Polk St  ·  415-345-8100

Visit website →
Tenderloin

Son & Garden

New American brunch and dinner restaurant

Lush, Thai-inflected New American restaurant from the Farmhouse Kitchen family, serving colorful brunch plates and a dinner menu in an Instagram-beloved setting.

700 Polk St  ·  415-913-7404

Visit website →

Seafood & American

Mid-Market Landmark

Zuni Café

California seasonal café-restaurant

James Beard Award–winning Market Street landmark celebrated for its wood-roasted chicken for two and impeccably sourced California-Italian menu.

1658 Market St  ·  415-552-2522

Visit website →
Mid-Market

Villon

California cuisine hotel restaurant

Kelly Wearstler–designed dining room inside the San Francisco Proper Hotel, serving seed-oil-free California farm-to-table breakfasts and lunches daily.

1100 Market St (San Francisco Proper Hotel)  ·  628-895-2039

Visit website →
Civic Center

Sam's American Eatery

American-Korean casual restaurant

Civic Center neighborhood staple steps from City Hall, drawing office workers and performing-arts visitors with a broad American and Korean-inflected menu.

686 McAllister St  ·  415-621-5555

Visit website →

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern

Civic Center Landmark

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

French brasserie and cocktail bar

Hayes Valley brasserie serving upscale French and Northern Italian cuisine with a lively bar scene beloved by pre-symphony and pre-opera crowds.

398 Hayes St  ·  415-551-1590

Visit website →
Civic Center

Bar Jamon

Spanish small-plates bar

Civic Center tapas bar open from late afternoon, popular with post-theater crowds from nearby Herbst and Davies Hall for its Iberian wines and cured meats.

24 Grove St  ·  415-829-2230

Visit website →

Mexican & Latin American

Civic Center

Chao Pescao

Cuban-Colombian casual restaurant

Bright, colorful Latin Caribbean spot directly across from City Hall, known for arepas, empanadas, and tostones, open Tuesday through Saturday.

272 McAllister St  ·  415-621-2200

Visit website →
Tenderloin

Cantoo Latin Asian Rotisserie

Venezuelan-Chinese fusion restaurant

Tenderloin standout blending Venezuelan and Chinese culinary traditions, earning a loyal following for its rotisserie meats and flavors that tell the story of its owners' heritage.

611 Larkin St  ·  415-360-3339

Visit website →

Asian

Tenderloin Landmark

Saigon Sandwich

Vietnamese bánh mì shop

Cash-only Tenderloin institution serving the city's most celebrated bánh mì, stuffed with roast pork, pâté, and fresh herbs, for over 40 years.

560 Larkin St  ·  415-474-5698

Visit website →
Tenderloin

Sungho

Korean soul food restaurant

Michelin Guide–recognized Tenderloin gem specializing in 24-hour-simmered gukbap (bone broth with rice), savory pancakes, and marinated raw crab.

250 Hyde St  ·  415-971-2283

Visit website →

Other

Tenderloin

Tadu Ethiopian Kitchen

Ethiopian restaurant

Tenderloin original serving authentic injera-based Ethiopian dishes in an open-kitchen setting, open Wednesday through Monday for dinner.

484 Ellis St  ·  415-409-6649

Visit website →

Vegetarian & Vegan

Civic Center Landmark

Golden Era Vegan Restaurant

Vietnamese vegan restaurant

Long-running Civic Center plant-based kitchen serving a wide menu of Vietnamese and pan-Asian vegan comfort dishes, including pho, claypot rice, and banh xeo.

395 Golden Gate Ave  ·  415-487-8687

Visit website →

Bakeries & Desserts

Civic Center

Arsicault Bakery – Civic Center

French-style bakery

Civic Center outpost of the Bon Appétit–crowned best bakery in America, with a spacious open kitchen turning out croissants, kouign amanns, and café drinks daily.

87 McAllister St  ·  415-926-5155

Visit website →

Bars & Wine Bars

Mid-Market

Charmaine's

Rooftop cocktail bar

Stunning rooftop bar atop the San Francisco Proper Hotel, offering panoramic city views, curated cocktails, and an indoor-outdoor terrace designed by Kelly Wearstler.

1100 Market St (San Francisco Proper Hotel)  ·  628-895-2039

Visit website →

Know of a listing that's wrong or a business that's closed? Report a correction →

Sources & Editorial Notes

Stories in My Town News are compiled from public sources, and with assistance from AI. Please verify important details at the cited source. All named individuals appear only in their publicly documented roles. Directory listings reflect publicly available contact information and are updated periodically.
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Tenderloin 'zombie shooter' game shut down by creator after backlash over depiction of homeless

 ·  https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/tenderloin-zombie-shooter-video-game-22481096.php

3

San Francisco landlords must disclose 'hidden' fees to tenants upfront

 ·  https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/san-francisco-hidden-rent-fees-legislation/

4

Mid-Market staked its recovery on the arts. A weekend festival was the first test

 ·  https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/23/mid-market-arts-festival-revival/

5

New Mid-Market Arts District Launches With $500K Investment From SF Billionaires

 ·  https://sfist.com/2026/10/15/new-mid-market-arts-district-launches-with-500k-investment-from-sf-billionaires/

6

Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi — SF Symphony

 ·  https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2026-27/Hisaishi-Conducts-Hisaishi

7

Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean — Asian Art Museum

 ·  https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/vishnus-cosmic-ocean/

8

Asian Art Museum Calendar — October/November 2026

 ·  https://calendar.asianart.org/

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10

Civic Center Soundtrack — Fulton Street Plaza

 ·  https://illuminate.org/venues/fulton-street-plaza/

11

SF Reports First Fatal Overdose From Kratom-Derived Opioid as SFPD Raids Smoke Shops

 ·  https://sfist.com/2026/10/21/sf-reports-first-fatal-overdose-from-kratom-derived-opioid-as-sfpd-raids-smoke-shops/

12

SFPD Seizes Hundreds of Items Illegally for Sale at City Smoke Shops #26-132

 ·  https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/news/sfpd-seizes-hundreds-items-illegally-sale-city-smoke-shops

13

San Francisco police implement new district station boundaries

 ·  https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/san-francisco-police-implement-new-district-station-boundaries/

14

SFPD Department Notice 26-102: Implementation of Revised District and Patrol Sector Boundaries

 ·  https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/your-sfpd/policies/department-bulletins-notices/26-102