For decades, San Francisco and Los Angeles have been twin engines of California's identity, shaping global perceptions of the state through their cultural and economic heft. But today, these two megacities are charting starkly different courses, with San Francisco emerging from crisis while Los Angeles grapples with the very dynamics that once threatened the Bay Area.
Just four years ago, San Francisco was the poster child for urban decay. Headlines screamed about rampant crime, open-air drug markets, and a hollowed-out downtown as major employers fled. That narrative became a self-fulfilling prophecy: as residents lost faith, businesses hesitated, and the city's civic pride eroded. I remember those days vividly—when I returned to San Francisco in 2022, my Los Angeles friends thought I was making a mistake. They were wrong.
Today, San Francisco is a testament to the power of political will. The transformation is not just about cleaner streets or better economic indicators; it's a renewed sense of possibility. Mayor Daniel Lurie has made public safety and economic revival his north star. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Police Chief Derrick Lew, and U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian have broken down silos, proving that local, state, and federal agencies can collaborate effectively. Business leaders, labor groups, and neighborhood organizations are now pulling in the same direction, a shift that has become the city's competitive advantage.
The city's Democratic establishment has also evolved. The Democratic County Central Committee, under the pragmatic leadership of Nancy Tung, now embraces a governance philosophy that sees no conflict between progressive values and economic growth. Supporting public safety, welcoming employers, and demanding accountability are no longer seen as ideological sellouts but as prerequisites for an equitable, thriving city. This collaborative spirit has attracted investment, emboldened entrepreneurs, and convinced employers to stay and grow.
Ironically, Los Angeles now echoes the despair San Francisco once knew. Conversations there are tinged with resignation—about bureaucratic inertia, fleeing investment, and a creeping acceptance of mediocrity. That mindset is dangerous, because cities often become what their residents expect. San Francisco proved that decline isn't inevitable; it also proved that recovery is possible with the right leadership and a collective refusal to accept failure.
This isn't about abandoning progressivism. San Francisco hasn't jettisoned its core values; it has rediscovered that local government exists to solve local problems. Cities can be compassionate without being permissive, support innovation while welcoming business, and protect vulnerable residents while insisting on public safety. They can pursue ambitious goals while demanding measurable results—a lesson that extends beyond California, as cities left out of major economic booms can attest.
Los Angeles retains immense strengths—its creative industries, universities, ports, diversity, and entrepreneurial energy. But too many of its institutions still operate at cross-purposes, and too many conversations start with why something can't be done rather than how it can. That's exactly where San Francisco found itself a few years ago, and it's a trajectory that can be reversed.
The encouraging news for Los Angeles and every American city is that political cultures can change. What changed in San Francisco was attitude. We stopped asking whether recovery was possible and started asking what it would take. We chose results over rhetoric, collaboration over division, and civic pride over cynicism. That is San Francisco's most important lesson—for Los Angeles and for cities striving for a better quality of life. When people choose true progress over paralysis, remarkable things happen.
Alex Bastian is president and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco.
