AUDASE

Tenderloin gets trendy, apparently on the way up

C.W. Nevius

The Tenderloin and environs have been called many things, including dangerous, dirty and unmanageable. But lately locals are rolling out an unlikely new term - trendy.

The anecdotal evidence is the number of young hipster types roaming the streets with snap brim fedoras, Chrome-brand messenger bags and fixie bikes. But the real barometer of change can be found in the storefronts.

Cult coffee shops, quirky eating places and designer cocktail bars have not only set up shop, they're thriving. Kinani Ahmed opened Jebena, his coffee and tea place on Polk, a year ago. Doubters looked at his menu - featuring more than 60 types of loose-leaf tea - and asked him if he knew what neighborhood he was in.

"People actually thought I was crazy," he said. "But we are seeing more of a young crowd now, a coffee-savvy crowd."

Ahmed has a prediction. The area around the Tenderloin, he says, "is becoming the next Mission."

That's not as far-fetched as it sounds. The young crowd moved to the Mission for the cheap rent, gritty vibe and innovative restaurants. Check, check and check in the new Tenderloin area.

"The Mission is too expensive," said Alex Kladitler, who moved to the Tenderloin three months ago. "This is one of the few places where you can afford a studio apartment. I like it here. It's entertaining, and it's safe enough."

If anything, the newcomers celebrate the grit. Brenda Buenviaje opened Brenda's, her Cajun Creole restaurant on Polk above the Civic Center in 1997. There was such demand for crawfish beignets and watermelon iced tea that she expanded and opened a new dining room.

"I got a little flak that the room was too neat," said the New Orleans native. "I feel like the expectation here is that they expect a little funky."

Let's be clear, this is no theme park. This month David Williams will celebrate his first anniversary at Hooker's Sweet Treats. Who knew you'd need to go to lower Hyde to score some awesome hand-dipped, sea-salted caramel candies? But there have been a few Tenderloin moments, like the woman who hit Williams in the face with her purse. That began when he asked her to move along.

"You're just hassling me because I'm black," the woman said.

"No, it's because you're smoking crack in my front door," Williams replied.

Certainly the Turk and Golden Gate corridors near Market are no-go zones. A good rule of thumb is to stay above Ellis, an area known as the "Tendernob," because it creeps up toward Nob Hill.

"People try to say it is kind of Nob Hill. But no, actually it is the Tenderloin," said Jordan Langer, a partner and general manager of Jones, a dinner and custom cocktail spot with a huge rooftop deck on Jones Street, just off Geary.

Jones, which opened in February, is almost too cool for the Tenderloin. Mixed drinks are $10, there's an extensive list of wines - none of them Thunderbird - and the place has such an insider vibe that there's only a small sign next to the entrance. But last Saturday, Langer says, they had more than 1,000 customers, including the dinner and drinks crowd, with 800 for cocktails after 10 p.m.

So there is a market for a high-end foodie experience. If you go to Brenda's, which doesn't take reservations, expect to wait 20 minutes to an hour. But having that much traffic in the area has improved the street - even if crack dealers use her storefront lights to sort product. It is all part of the urban adventure.

"There's a certain charm to parking your car and wondering if it will be broken into," Langer says.

If that sounds charming, head down to the 'Loin. If not, just wait.

It seems, after all the attempts to improve the neighborhood, we may have finally hit on some effective agents of change. The surprise is they turned out to be hand-poured coffee, praline shortbread cookies and Cajun gumbo.

C.W. Nevius' column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail him at cwnevius@sfchronicle.com.