Live blog: Chinatown celebrates Daniel Lurie as he becomes mayor

Daniel Lurie’s first day on the job was packed with events.

The Levi Strauss heir and political newcomer officially took over from London Breed with a City Hall ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. But for hours before that, he was busy with appearances around the city.

His day kicked off with volunteer work at St. Anthony’s, followed by a walking tour through the Tenderloin. Then, like a first-time tourist, he rode a cable car and got hot chocolate in Ghirardelli Square with his family.

After the inauguration, Lurie hosted an open house at City Hall before getting down to official government business in the afternoon. The new mayor capped things off in Chinatown with a night market that featured a set by EDM performer Zhu.

Thousands of Zhu fans crammed into a few narrow blocks of Grant Avenue to hear the SF-born DJ — an evacuee from the Los Angeles wildfires — play a spacey, bass-heavy set.

“This is just a normal Wednesday in San Francisco, right?” Lurie said, taking the stage while noting that he was tired of hearing the city trashed in the national press and promising a new day. “But you didn’t come to hear me talk. You came here to hear Zhu!”

— Astrid Kane

California attorney general Rob Bonta honored incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie at a banquet Wednesday night at the Far East Cafe in Chinatown.

Bonta is rumored to be running for governor when Gov. Gavin Newsom is termed out in 2026. In his remarks, Bonta said Chinatown was a seat of power for San Francisco.

“That this event is here tonight right here in San Francisco Chinatown, the first Chinatown in North America, the oldest Chinatown in North America, the oldest Chinatown outside of Asia, it talks so much about the importance of the impact and the legacy of the Chinese American community,” Bonta said.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who is openly running for governor, also spoke about Chinatown’s importance and remembered the late Mayor Ed Lee.

“I couldn’t help but think Mayor Lee was looking down on us with the same hope for the future Mayor Lurie expressed today,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lurie promised the hundreds of community members gathered at the restaurant that he would be an “ally and a friend” to Chinatown every day.

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez and Han Li

During the Chinatown night market, residents and visitors didn’t hesitate when asked what they’d like to see Lurie prioritize as mayor: cleaning up the city’s streets.

“I do come here just about every weekend, and it’s kind of unfortunate to see that people use the bathroom everywhere,” said Thuy Nguydep, a former San Francisco resident who came to the event from the East Bay.

Eduard Navarro, who ran for District 3 Supervisor, told The Standard that Lurie’s promise of a safe and welcoming environment “starts by making sure the streets are clean.”

“I think we can all agree on that,” Navarro said with a laugh.

The former candidate said he walked through the Tenderloin to get to the mayor’s inauguration speech Wednesday morning and had never seen the neighborhood as spotless as it was.

“But it’s impressive what happens when you walk down the street, and it feels clean,” Navarro said. “It’s silly and simple, but if you don’t feel intimidated by everything that’s happening on the ground, you can actually see the stores and shops.”

— Morgan Ellis

After taking the oath of office, Lurie announced a bevy of initiatives he said would revitalize downtown and combat the drug crisis.

He said he’d issue emergency declarations related to fentanyl while launching a “police-friendly” drop-off center as an alternative to jail. He also intends to create a “hospitality zone” where police and other city agencies can concentrate their efforts to rejuvenate downtown.

“Recovery is possible, but it needs to be more than a possibility in San Francisco — it must be our mission,” Lurie told the crowd. “Together, we can all get better, do better, and return San Francisco to its rightful place as the greatest city in the world.”

The Journey Home program, which buses homeless people to loved ones in other cities, will be expanded, Lurie said. He also promised to fully staff the San Francisco Police Department and 911 services.

“You voted for accountability and change — a clear mandate that my administration will work to fulfill every single day,” he said.

Read more about the speech here.

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

Gov. Gavin Newsom was supposed to attend the inauguration but had to stay in Los Angeles because of the major wildfires affecting the city, a Lurie transition team spokesperson confirmed.

Still, there was a contingent of elected officials in attendance. In the front row facing Lurie will be outgoing Mayor London Breed, alongside former three former mayors: Willie Brown, Frank Jordan, and Art Agnos.

Others spotted in the crowd include Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi; Assemblymembers Matt Haney and Catherine Stefani; and state Sen. Scott Wiener. 

“As you can see, that’s a very diverse group of people coming together,” Supervisor Connie Chan said. “It’s a new day in San Francisco, and I’m ready for it.”

— Gabe Greschler and Han Li

Lucy Junis, who has lived in San Francisco since the 1980s, said Lurie should focus on homelessness, crime, and street cleanliness — perennial problems.

“No usual business. Something different, out-of-the-box thinking,” Junis said, adding that she wants “affordable housing to be built in every freaking district, not just in the two or three different districts like SoMa, Tenderloin and the Mission. We are not containment zones. … We share the same problems.”

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

The ceremony at City Hall will feature a list of notable speakers and performers.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered a “reflection.” Kerr, who has led the Warriors since 2014, has become a significant force in Democratic politics and spoke at the party’s convention in August. Other speakers included Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and Becca Prowda, Lurie’s wife and a high-ranking official in Newsom’s office.

A host of musical talent will perform, including members of the SF Conservatory of Music, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Gay Men’s Chorus.

— Gabe Greschler

Much of the area around Civic Center was blocked off Wednesday morning for Lurie’s inauguration, with parts of McAllister, Polk, Larkin, and Grove streets closed to traffic as police officers and security swarmed.

Around 10:30 a.m., there was a long line of elected officials, activists, and others waiting to be checked by security guards.

Lurie, who will be the city’s 46th mayor, will give his inaugural address before an expected crowd of more than 2,000. The backdrop will be City Hall’s gold-tipped dome and the facade of the 1910s Beaux-Arts building.

— Gabe Greschler and Han Li

Lurie, who was born and raised in the city, took his family to two of San Francisco’s most popular attractions. They rode a cable car along Powell Street before heading to Ghirardelli Square for hot chocolate.

Inside the chocolate shop, amid the smell of waffle cones, Lurie began taking orders. “Anyone want anything?” he asked.

When a reporter asked how the mayor-elect was feeling, he replied: “Calm and very excited, fired up, and rolling up my sleeves up to get to work.”

— George Kelly

Lurie, who founded an anti-poverty nonprofit in 2005, said addressing the needs of the city’s most vulnerable residents will be a priority.

“I’m trying to commit myself every single day to being tireless about getting people the help that they need, whether it’s into a mental health bed or a drug treatment or into a shelter bed,” said Lurie.

He vowed to be a mayor who interacts directly with constituents, as he did during his tour in the Tenderloin.

“Tomorrow, there won’t be any cameras, and you’ll hear about me walking down the streets of San Francisco with or without the cameras here,” said Lurie. “You’ll see a mayor walking the streets often.”

— George Kelly

At 8:20 a.m., Lurie began touring the Tenderloin on foot. As he walked through the neighborhood, he was accompanied by San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott and officers.

Along the way, Lurie shook hands of children standing outside Compass Family Services on Leavenworth Street.

Crossing guard Tatiana Alabsi gave a thumbs-up when she saw Lurie and company. “Congratulations! Great,” she said.

But some of the people he encountered demanded immediate results from the incoming mayor. A car heading west along Turk Street paused at the intersection at Leavenworth, and a man yelled out the window, “Clean up this mess!”

— George Kelly

The first stop on Lurie’s itinerary was St. Anthony’s in the Tenderloin at 7:30 a.m. The incoming mayor, his wife, Becca Prowda, and their two children put on blue aprons to hand out coffee and water as part of the daily free breakfast served in charity’s dining room.

There was a large contingent of the San Francisco press corps in attendance, but Lurie did not speak to reporters. Instead, he rolled up the sleeves on his buttoned-up white shirt, dispensed drinks, greeted diners, and posed for photos with St. Anthony’s staff and volunteers.

“So, I am very happy today,” said John Lauw, 68, who got to shake Lurie’s hand while getting breakfast. “I see the new mayor Lurie.”

— George Kelly