So when signs of a new grocery development started popping up in the neighborhood, the reaction from locals was less "oh, that's nice" and more barely-contained euphoria.

"Big improvement from Safeway!!!" as one SF resident put it. Another local was even more direct: "We really needed it here in the wharf. TJ is great but it doesn't cover everything you need. I'm really stoked."

And honestly? They're right to be excited. This is what good local development looks like — private investment filling a genuine gap in a neighborhood that's been underserved. No billion-dollar city program required. No task force. No consultants billing $400 an hour to produce a PDF nobody reads. Just a business recognizing demand and meeting it.

That's the thing about San Francisco that drives fiscal conservatives (and, frankly, anyone with common sense) a little nuts. The city spends staggering sums trying to engineer outcomes that the market can often deliver on its own — when you let it. As one frustrated Bay Area resident asked: "What happened to the BILLIONS spent on solving the homeless issue? Where'd all that money go????"

It's a fair question, and it applies broadly. The city is excellent at throwing money at problems and mediocre at solving them. Meanwhile, a new grocery store opening in a food desert gets people genuinely thrilled — because it's a tangible, visible improvement in their daily lives.

Northeast SF deserves more of this: real investment, real services, real accountability for the public dollars already being spent. If the private sector is willing to bet on these neighborhoods, the least the city can do is not get in the way.

We'll be watching for an opening date. In the meantime, NE San Francisco, your excitement is not unreasonable. It's overdue.