Young San Franciscans aren’t drinking at bars. They’re at the library
San Francisco Main Library, photographed in 2023. The library’s marketing and community engagement teams have made concerted efforts to capture the attention of millennial and Gen-Z audiences. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Opinion // Emily HoevenYoung San Franciscans aren’t going to bars. They’re hanging at the library
Is it any surprise that young people like me are forgoing moody bars for free books when a glass of wine can set you back $20?
By Emily Hoeven, Opinion Columnist, Aug 16, 2025San Francisco Main Library, photographed in 2023. The library’s marketing and community engagement teams have made concerted efforts to capture the attention of millennial and Gen-Z audiences.
Stephen Lam/The Chronicle
It’s no secret that young people in San Francisco don’t frequent bars and nightclubs the way they once did.
This has left many perplexed. If the city’s dwindling population of 20-somethings isn’t drinking and dancing, what are they doing?
This 20-something has spent much of her time this summer at the San Francisco Public Library. And based on my observations, plenty of other young adults have, too.
No, we aren’t geeks. The library is cool.
To start, it’s a free third space — a perk that cannot be overstated in this ridiculously expensive city.
I recently visited the Chinatown library shortly before it closed at 8 p.m. There was barely an empty seat in the house. And it was impossible not to notice the sizable number of young adults.
Is it any surprise we’d forgo a moody bar when a glass of wine can set you back $20 these days?
Meanwhile, the library’s marketing and community engagement teams have made concerted efforts to capture the attention of millennial and Gen-Z audiences.
Their smart gamification strategy is working.
The library offers a tote bag as a prize for completing its Summer Stride program — which challenges residents to complete 20 hours of reading from June through August.
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