There are very real problems in SF (as with every other major american city). Take your news sources with a serious dose of skepticism.
Depends on your definition of 'death'.
I take issue with JumpCrisscross's definition of 'it's not going to be as wealthy as it was.'
In fact I mourn the opposite.
The city is too expensive.
Specifically too expensive for new voices to take risks on interesting food ideas, or unique boutiques, or artistic expression.
The story of San Francisco is the story of gentrification chasing culture. Dating back to development of the Fillmore Jazz culture precipated by poor people moving into the boarded up buildings in what was then Japan town following the US government's rouding up and interning of Japanese residents.
I think San Francisco is dead, or at least 'dying', because all of the unique neighborhoods have become homogenised 'techie' centers; 'dead' because everyone seems unintersted in making efforts to push back on legislatively.
If the majority of your residents are primarily consumers of culture, and monied to the point that producers of culture are unable to afford to live there, then your city will lose any cultural identity.
I think it was perfectly encapsulated in a scene in "The Last Black Man In San Francisco". The protagonist was sitting at a bus stop and a fully nude person walked up and sat at the bus stop. They sat quietly together until the nude person asked how long the protagonist had been waiting. The protagonist answered and added a personal note about thinking it'd just be faster to skateboard instead. They nod in aggreement and then a party bus full of people adorned in what appears to be startup swag stop in front of the bus stop and drunkenly point out the 'hillarity' of this old naked person just sitting at a bus stop.
Something that was unconventional social behaviour was treated as normal by our San Francisco loving protagonist and the drunken tech mob vocally mocked and denigrated that part of the city's identity.
That two minute scene encapsulated the last 15 years in the city for me, and it broke me.
I have heard some people hope that the now many vacant store fronts that suffered the ultimate fate due to the pandemic means the city could have a resurgence, but I have grown cynical, and fear it will just result in further consolidation of ownership in a wealthy few.
It happened to Manhattan too; another city I love. It belongs to the banks and uber wealthy now.
It happens pretty much anywhere that becomes desirable to live for the rich.
I'm not really sure what could be done about it, since the rich are so good at getting what they want.
The recreational cannabis rollout was delayed when the city, in my opinion rightly, realised that the dispensary licenses were being granted to a wealthy few. (And likely people who had previously financially lobbied against the legalisation for years.)
https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sfs-proposed-cannabis-regula...
Build more housing. Shut down streets to car traffic. Encourage first time business owners. Expand social programs. Fund the arts. Make these wealthy companies buying up property pay for it. If they threaten to leave for Salt Lake or Austin then kindly wish them well.
Who isn't being honest here?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/These-charts-show-...
https://sfist.com/2021/06/24/recall-chesa-boudin-campaign-tr...