San Francisco’s Maiden Lane Stirring Back to Life

San Francisco’s Maiden Lane is slowly but surely coming back to life after years of shuttered storefronts and bleak financial outlooks.

Empty spaces at the pedestrian mall near Union Square, long a symbol of retail distress in downtown, have been filling up as local retailers and artificial intelligence startups move in, the San Francisco Standard reported.

Toy store owner Michelle O’Connor, for example, is opening a location of her “Just for Fun” chain on Maiden Lane. Coincidentally, the outpost will be in the former Jeffrey’s Toys store, the inspiration behind the “Toy Story” films, which closed in January 2024 amid decreasing foot traffic

“There’s definitely a vibe shift happening in the area,” O’Connor told the Standard. “Things are looking up, and we wanted to be part of that story.”

Other tenants have been moving in in recent months. A watch shop called Clicky Bezel and wedding boutique Chien & Buffle have opened their doors. In August, a John Varvatos store debuted on the strip, joining other menswear shops like Suit Supply, which recently renewed its lease, and Hugo Boss, which is reportedly in the market for a Union Square space, including a potential Maiden Lane shop.

Retailers aren’t the only ones planting flags on Maiden Lane. Just as the artificial intelligence boom is gobbling up office space in the city, commercial spaces above the pedestrian street are attracting AI startups.

Enterprise AI platform Writer, for example, moved this year into an upper-floor space.

Kaizen, another AI company, recently signed a lease for Maiden Lane offices. The price point for office space could be a draw for many firms. Class A offices in the Financial District lease for upwards of $65 per square foot, while offices in Union Square and Maiden Lane lease for $38 to $49 per square foot.

— Chris Malone Méndez