Starlight Market at Ellis and Jones is among four corners filled with drug users, dealers, and other substance abusers. It’s only two blocks from the Hilton but this intersection is a different world. Longtime businesses in the area are struggling to survive.
Why does this out of control drug scene remain despite years of complaints? Three main reasons.
The Tenderloin
First, it’s located in the Tenderloin. Despite City Hall’s insistence that the city does not use the Tenderloin as a drug containment zone, the scene at Ellis and Jones and other corners of the Tenderloin says otherwise. No other neighborhood has four corners of open air drug markets.
Second, three of the four corners are controlled by owners who never complain to police about drug activities. The exception is Sam Patel, owner of the Mentone Hotel at 387 Ellis. On the corner under the Mentone is the legendary Cinnabar bar. Patel has constantly requested city help to clear the area bordering Cinnabar. He often gets Jones Street temporarily cleared, but drug activities soon resume…