San Francisco is coming back, baby!
That’s according to Mayor Daniel Lurie, who won the election by portraying himself as a political neophyte and outsider (albeit one from a family as wealthy and entrenched as any in the city) who would turn back time on pandemic-era doldrums.
Since Lurie’s inauguration in January, there’s been a bevy of good news: Small businesses are opening in greater numbers, a variety of crimes are trending downward, the sun came out during Pride weekend, nitrous oxide connoisseurs celebrated some Dead guys’ concert. All good things, in short.
It’s not enough for good things to merely happen in SF, however. After so many years in the so-called “doom loop,” the city needs a hero, and the mayor, who is spending loads of his own cash on consultants, is determined to be that hero.
If we’re having a comeback, you damn well better know that Lurie was at least partly responsible.
Or so he wishes.
To know the full extent of his cheerleading of this narrative, I spent a stupid amount of time scrolling through Lurie’s official press releases and combing his X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts for variations on the phrase “SF is back” or mentions of the city’s “comeback.”
For the sake of brevity (and sanity), I combined instances of the same post across social media channels and ignored (the many) paraphrased versions of “SF is back” in Lurie’s press releases. To sum it up, Lurie has referred to the city’s glorious comeback at least 42 different times in the last 10 months. That averages to a declaration more than once a week, every week.
Turns out that the crux of SF’s pending rise is, well, everything — and Lurie’s signed himself up to lead all of it. (One must imagine Sisyphus happy.)
Are you feeling back? Maybe you will as you read on.
December 19, 2024: “Thank you to the workers of Unite Here Local 2 and the Marriott for coming together to make a deal today, offering the latest proof that our great city is on its way back. ” (X)
December 20, 2024: “Tourism is the heart of our economy and key to our comeback.” (LinkedIn)
January 9, 2025: “San Francisco is making a comeback, and I intend to put us in the best possible position to drive that growth.” (Release)
January 13, 2025: “I’m inviting you, as industry leaders, to not just witness our comeback, but to be part of it.” (Release)
January 27, 2025: “Our public spaces are part of what makes San Francisco great, and improving them will be central to our comeback.” (Release)
January 29, 2025: “The music industry is driving various economic investments throughout the city, highlighting how the arts are key to our comeback.” (Release)
February 6, 2025: “Helping people feel safe walking downtown is the key to unleashing our city’s comeback.” (Release)
February 13, 2025: “San Francisco is coming back, but we need to create clearer pathways to open businesses and build housing.” (Release)
March 17, 2025: “Downtown is coming back to life.” (X)
Also March 17, 2025: “San Francisco is on its way back, and we’re working hard every day to make it happen.” (X)
March 19, 2025: “Unlocking the potential for more homes and residents downtown will fuel San Francisco’s comeback…” (Release)
April 7, 2025: “I want to thank Supervisor Dorsey, Supervisor Sauter, and Supervisor Jackie Fielder for co-sponsoring this legislation and all of our partners in these communities for working hand-in-hand with our administration to bring our city back.” (Release)
April 17, 2025: “Databricks, just one of the world’s leading companies committed to San Francisco’s comeback, will invest $1 billion in our city over the next three years.” (Release)
April 21, 2025: “Vacant to Vibrant is fueling San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
April 23, 2025: “Take a look at what’s happening in our city as we build our comeback.” (Instagram)
May 2, 2025: “Our arts and culture are helping to drive San Francisco’s comeback…” (Release)
Also May 2, 2025: “Our comeback runs right through Union Square.” (Instagram)
May 6, 2025: “I’m excited to continue supporting their work and our city’s comeback.” (Release)
May 22, 2025: “Clean streets are key to our comeback.” (Release)
May 30, 2025: “Together, we will make sure that San Francisco’s comeback isn’t just a moment…” (Release)
June 12, 2025: “Downtown drives San Francisco’s economy, and revitalizing that area is key to our entire city’s comeback.” (Release)
June 18, 2025: “...Their new roles to cut red tape, revitalize downtown, and drive San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
June 24, 2025: “Downtown drives San Francisco’s economy, and a thriving, 24/7 downtown will be key to our city’s comeback.” (Release)
June 26, 2025: “My team got to work, and in just a few months, we worked with the Board of Supervisors and partners across the city to deliver a proposed budget that tackled that deficit head-on and prioritized core services like public safety and clean streets to drive San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
July 8, 2025: “I am grateful for their collaboration in driving San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
July 16, 2025: “To everyone just learning about our comeback: Come be part of the San Francisco story.” (LinkedIn)
July 26, 2025: “The energy in San Francisco has come back in a powerful way.” (X)
July 28, 2025: “They will drive San Francisco’s comeback, and I look forward to working with each of them.” (Release)
August 18, 2025: “Arts and culture are helping to drive our city’s comeback, and we’re not stopping here…” (Release)
August 21, 2025: “...We are identifying the tools to get people back to our theaters, hotels, and restaurants, and drive San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
August 27, 2025: “That’s real proof our city’s comeback is gaining strength.” (LinkedIn)
August 28, 2025: “SF is back on the map in a big way.” (X)
August 29, 2025: “...Support San Francisco’s communities and deliver safe and clean streets to drive our city’s comeback.” (Release)
September 1, 2025: “To all our workers: Your hard work is driving our comeback.” (LinkedIn)
September 4, 2025: “Our downtown comeback is underway, and Taskrabbit is part of that momentum.” (Instagram)
Also September 4, 2025: “San Francisco’s comeback depends on safe, reliable, and affordable transit…” (Instagram)
September 5, 2025: “The San Francisco comeback isn’t just about downtown — it’s about our neighborhoods and local shops…” (Instagram)
September 6, 2025: “...Safe, affordable and reliable public transit is key to powering our comeback.” (Release)
September 10, 2025: “Yesterday I signed the ‘Heart of the City’ Executive Directive to accelerate San Francisco’s comeback.” (Release)
September 12, 2025: “...These events power our comeback and prove, once again, that San Francisco is a city on the rise.” (Instagram)
September 15, 2025: “The organizations recognized today bring culture, performances, and experiences to our city — helping to drive our economic comeback by bringing our neighborhoods to life.” (Release)
September 16, 2025: “Across San Francisco, we are expanding safe, reliable, and modern transportation options — supporting our city’s economic comeback…” (Release)
I reached out to Lurie’s office to ask about the mayor’s favorite catchphrase but, unlike San Francisco, he didn’t get back.
