Jones St, Tenderloin

Jones is awesome as a path to avoid all of the congested traffic of Van Ness, Montgomery or Embarcadero to get out of the city from North Beach, Russian Hill, Cow Hollow, Pac Heights or the Marina. Jones turns into 6th street and all you need to do is take a quick left on Golden Gate and go straight across Market and that puts you on 6th street which takes you to 280 freeway. Super easy, but you need to watch out for: the drug addicts and the cop traps.

Once I got a ticket for passing a yellow bus that was set up as a trap on the corner of Jones and Eddy. It was bologna b/c there were no kids even on the bus, and technically I didn't pass it. But that's another story. The ticket is $626, I fought it and won, but most people don't win. The other thing is that it merges into one lane the block before you need to make the left onto Golden Gate to get onto 6th and if you try to make the left from the middle lane, there's usually a cop there to pull you over as well. (this I've witnessed, although has not personally happened to me).

Jones Street is a long street that drops down from Nob Hill into the Tenderloin. I’m not that familiar with it in other areas but if you are into Asian food—especially Indian food—than this definitely the place to go. First, along the 500 hundred block, you will find at least four great, authentic Indian places—Pakwan, Shalimar, Chutney and Little Indian Deli. Shalimar is the best deal in terms of food and cost, but it is all authentic and fantastic.

Jones also has some great restaurants that stretch beyond Indian subcontinent. On the corner with Post there is Borobudor—an Indonesian Place, Tajine, a Morrocon place, and if you want a restaurant that defies national borders and mixes it all up in an eclectic blend, you might try the Millennium at the corner with Geary.

After you’re done with your meal, there are also a couple of really cool watering holes in the area. On the high end, right by the Indian places, you will find a classic speak-easy type establishment called, Bourbon and Branch (you have to make a reservation). If that is a bit too much hassle try the High Tide or Jonell’s Cocktail Lounge, two great dive bars that not only don’t take reservations but they post signs outside of their bathrooms threatening to break in if you shoot up in there—just another reminder that you’re in the Loin.

As for living on Jones, you would probably have to go up into the Nob Hill area to find a place. I don’t really know it that well, so my review is only based on the area around the Indian Food district.

I am talking about the part of Jones St, deep in the Tenderloin district. I have seen many streets in my years but this is quite scary. The large amount of homeless, desperate, drug affected people makes it a place you definitely want to avoid. You get the feeling that if you looked the wrong way at someone you would be in trouble. For a street so close to the tourist parts of San Francisco like Union Square and Market St, you would think the mayor would have done something to clean this up.