Outside 1950 Mission, the affordable housing complex on the northwest corner of 16th Street, the sidewalk was packed.
Vendors laid out goods on a tarp: One was selling an ivory sculpture, another solicited customers to buy a LEGO set. A woman, pushing a baby stroller and holding her child’s hand, carefully navigated through the narrow space left for pedestrians to pass.
The police mobile command unit and a police SUV were parked on the southwest plaza, but no officers were visible. Around 1 p.m., both plazas were clean, and the side streets were quiet; but the west side of Mission Street between 15th and 16th streets remained full of activity.
On Caledonia Street, a private security guard sat on a stool outside the garage of 3090 16th St., watching videos on his phone. Raz, who just started the gig a week ago, only comes to work on the weekends…