The COVID-19 pandemic brought tough times for both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Crime briefly rose. Rising housing prices combined with the opportunity to work remotely led to declines in population. Concerns over blights and quality of life became political issues.
But now, there are early signs of a postcrisis divergence in fortunes between the two cities.
A tale of two cities
San Francisco is in the midst of a new tech boom fueled by artificial intelligence that has lured new residents to the city and boosted a downtown economy. The city netted a small increase in population last year, according to new U.S. census data…