Over the years many of the best on the streets have gone on to stage careers, national fame and higher tax brackets, such as the Flying Karamazov Brothers (who now tour regional  theatres and starred in their own Broadway show) and Mike Davis and Frank Olivier (who joined the Broadway and national touring companies of "Sugar Babies").

Most of the street acts are not performed on sidewalks, at storefronts or at cable car turn-arounds, but rather at small stages and plaza areas inside privately owned tourist and shopping malls in the Fisherman's Wharf section of town. All four major locations - Ghiradelli Square, The Cannery, The Anchorage, and Pier 39 have policies concerning who may perform, how often, for how long, and in some cases, prop restrictions. Some locations choose acts with a polished, classy look. Others are concerned with family appeal and ability to interact with the audience. Due to plentiful numbers of jugglers in San Francisco, most locations have all the jugglers they can handle at this time.

Ghiraldelli Square has Ray Jason as its sole juggling act. The Cannery is full up with six acts sharing the time slots, and space at Pier 39 is awarded only to the top finishers in the annual Street Performers Competition, held at the Pier each spring.

The conditions for performers have changed radically since the early heydays here. Arrests are now rare for performing on the public streets, except for those charged with allowing congested sidewalks to become a pedestrian hazard. After such an incident, there usually will be several weeks of close scrutiny by the police department, and perhaps a proposal to further curtail street performing.

Unscheduled acts who attempt performing in the privately owned facilities will be told firmly to leave by security guards. Because shows are scheduled in advance, the spontaneity of the earlier days is gone, but so is the haggling over territory on the streets. Less flexibility also means greater security for established performers.