Is California’s Bay Area ready for tourists? That’s been a discussion topic circulating on social media platforms after TikTok food critic Keith Lee abruptly ended his food tour early.
In his first video, Lee gave three reasons why he ended the tour prematurely on TikTok. He said he had a severe allergic reaction to a restaurant that served him shellfish, even though he had alerted staff beforehand of his allergy. He also stated that he had several videos of restaurants that he didn’t want to post.
“This is the first city where I have over six videos that I don’t feel comfortable posting because nothing about my experience was constructive,” he says.
However, Lee’s first reason is what sparked a lot of discussion on social media. Lee says the Bay is not in a position to host visitors.
@keith_lee125 Bay Area taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
“I actually don’t believe the Bay is a place for tourists right now,” he explains on TikTok. “The people in the Bay are just focused on surviving. That’s from business owners [to] the locals.”
Lee says he was stunned to see the number of homeless people living in tents and “burnt-up cars.” For more context, he tells viewers “people were comparing [the Bay] to Gotham City” before his family visited.
Gotham is a fictional city in DC Comics that’s best known as the home of the superhero Batman. Gotham City is one of the most dangerous cities in the comics series.
In a follow-up video, Lee provides more insight into his decision because he says the first video was “misconstrued.”
“We didn’t leave because of violence,” he says. “Not at one point did we feel threatened or scared. I gave a list of reasons why we left early. One of those reasons is because I said I don’t believe the Bay is fit for tourists at the moment, and I said that specifically based on the spots we went to.”
One of the deciding factors is that he felt the places he visited weren’t conducive to long wait times.
“I don’t think any of the spots that we personally went to were conducive of a five to six-hour wait time, especially with people coming straight off the plane. When I say people, I mean tourists,” he explains. “As a tourist, I wouldn’t wait outside three or four hours in any of those areas.”
How California’s Bay Area Is Defined
This criticism isn’t new for the Bay Area. Bay Area Census defines the area as the nine counties surrounding Northern California’s San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries. These nine counties include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties. This region includes major cities such as Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Over the last few years, the region has received negative attention for its homelessness. More recently, the violence has sparked negative reactions following viral shoplifting videos and car thefts.
In 2023, for example, Target closed three stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. Retail leaders stated that theft and organized retail crime threatened the safety of its employees and customers. The move came two years after the retail giant announced it would close stores four hours early to mitigate these crimes, as NBC reported.
In 2018, city tourism leaders told KPIX that San Francisco lost bids for conventions because organizations were concerned about safety in the city.
What People Are Saying About The Bay?
For Shaun Fletcher, a community activist in the Bay, he found Lee’s comments irresponsible.
“He brought up some challenges that the Bay area has faced with the unhoused and homeless crisis. It’s well documented that many of us who are leaders in the community, that we continue to hold our officials accountable to deal with. That’s nothing new,” Fletcher tells Travel Noire.
“I took issue with the somewhat careless way he insinuated that the Bay area is unsafe,” Fletcher says. “He put it out there in a haphazard way that he wouldn’t want tourists and his followers to wait outside in long lines in some of these areas because of safety.”
On social media, people who live in the Bay are torn. On one hand, people agree with Lee.
“[I’ve] been in the Bay for 20 years now, and you didn’t tell a single lie,” TikTok user Myri commented under Lee’s video. “The Bay Area post-pandemic just hasn’t been the same. We can and will improve.”
“I’m from Oakland, and it’s gotten bad,” TikTok user monicaharris507 added. “I always take Uber when I go out because of car break-ins.”
On the other hand, some people criticize Lee for going to the “popular cities and restaurants” versus the lesser-known places.
“I don’t like how Keith Lee came to the Bay and made it seem hella bad,” X, formerly known as Twitter user JuMobbin, stated. “The Bay Area is beautiful here.”
“Not going to lie and say I’m not disappointed, but I’m curious what cities were hit up?” TikTok user Cr8ckMyGlowStix asked. “The Bay area is more than just San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.”
Other people are glad that his trip brings to light what residents have felt for some time.
“One thing I can say is I’m glad Keith Lee came to the Bay and didn’t put us down, but it brought exposure to what needs to be done!” X user Samiyah Amanee says.
“Like other urban destinations in the U.S., the city faces some challenges,” a San Francisco Travel Association spokesperson tells Travel Noire. “Leaders are prioritizing investments in public safety and economic activations and are continuing to build on this momentum. These efforts are delivering results. During the holiday season, for example, San Francisco reported car break-ins and retail theft fell 48% from last year.”
For Fletcher, he encourages people to give the Bay a chance.
“It’s absolutely a safe space and it’s not a monolith. The Bay Area, by and large, is Oakland, San Francisco, [and] San Jose. It houses millions of people and thousands of restaurants,” says Fletcher. “Lee didn’t do justice to the Bay like many outsiders do because they lump all areas of the Bay as unsafe. It’s a much more nuanced conversation that needs to be had.”