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Cabbagetown

Hume named "any street East of Parliament in Cabbagetown" as the 3rd most desireable street to live in Toronto.
 
There was a supposed drug den that burned down last year near Parliament and Wellesley. Does anyone have any more info on that?
 
There was a supposed drug den that burned down last year near Parliament and Wellesley. Does anyone have any more info on that?

Yeah. It was on the East side of Parliament, metres North of Wellesley. The two adjacent houses are still standing.


So the BIA is circulating a petition asking that the SunArts landscaping proposal scrap the bench seating at Spruce/Carlton/Winchester because it will only inflame the current loitering problem. The owners of NoFrills and the Winchester Hotel building have signed it.

I have to agree. Who is going to sit on benches at intersections other than the people who already stand there? Even if they were empty, which one of us would sit there?

Is a lack of "street seating" an issue in any neighborhood in Toronto? Such a random "weakness" to target....
 
There was a supposed drug den that burned down last year near Parliament and Wellesley. Does anyone have any more info on that?

That fire ended up being a good thing for the neighbourhood. I remember waiting at Wellesley and Parliament for a bus to Castle Frank on weekday mornings. The stop was right in front of this house and seeing 2-4 cracked out people skulking around at 8 AM wasn't a great way to start the day. After the fire I noticed an immediate reduction in the sketch level of the corner.
 
Yeah. It was on the East side of Parliament, metres North of Wellesley. The two adjacent houses are still standing.


So the BIA is circulating a petition asking that the SunArts landscaping proposal scrap the bench seating at Spruce/Carlton/Winchester because it will only inflame the current loitering problem. The owners of NoFrills and the Winchester Hotel building have signed it.

I have to agree. Who is going to sit on benches at intersections other than the people who already stand there? Even if they were empty, which one of us would sit there?

Is a lack of "street seating" an issue in any neighborhood in Toronto? Such a random "weakness" to target....

How is this loitering really a problem? Is there something so terrible about relaxing on a street corner in a nice neighbourhood during pleasant weather? Are we only allowed to stop and chat with friends on private property after shelling out for a coffee?
 
How is this loitering really a problem? Is there something so terrible about relaxing on a street corner in a nice neighbourhood during pleasant weather? Are we only allowed to stop and chat with friends on private property after shelling out for a coffee?

I'm fine with benches, as long as they're designed so that people can't lay down on them. You shouldn't have to sit on a patio to relax and enjoy watching the world go by.

get rid of all the damn cabbages in that plan before anything else. Yuck.
 
How is this loitering really a problem? Is there something so terrible about relaxing on a street corner in a nice neighbourhood during pleasant weather? Are we only allowed to stop and chat with friends on private property after shelling out for a coffee?

A few things:

Parliament St. isn't a nice neighborhood. If you're interested in chilling out in a nice neighborhood, Riverdale Park (by Riverdale Farm) has lots of seating, and is in a great setting.

A lack of seating merely provides a disincentive for loitering, so nobody's rights are being trampled on.

Loitering seems to be limited to people who don't have much to do (ie. funemployed vs. unemployed). I realize the people in question probably don't need seating, as they have mobile seats, but forgive me for not wanting to increase their affinity for the intersections in question. If we want to make these people more comfortable, increase funding to social housing and outreach programs.

I'm not a hard-core NIMBY and do not want to turn the neighborhood into a gated community, but I could do without an increase in the shouting, litter, drug-dealing and passive intimidation associated with these groups. Loitering bylaws are around for a reason...
 
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I realize the people in question probably don't need seating, as they have mobile seats, but forgive me for not wanting to increase their affinity for the intersections in question.

I heard someone call those scooters "Cabbagetown Cadillacs". Oh, I had a good laugh.
 
A few things:

Parliament St. isn't a nice neighborhood. If you're interested in chilling out in a nice neighborhood, Riverdale Park (by Riverdale Farm) has lots of seating, and is in a great setting.

How is it not nice? A secluded and quiet park surrounded by green is worth spending time in for sure, but many people, including myself, actually enjoy hanging out on a busy neighbourhood street, watching the comings and goings of daily urban life. Look at any patio on a major street in the city; they're busy because because, for many people, it's "nice" to feel like they're a part of the city. Parliament Street from Gerrard to Wellesley is my favourite stretch of urbanity in Toronto for its diversity, its character, its convenience, and its life.

I'm not sure what's *nice* to you, but Parliament is damn nice to me. Benches or no benches, I'll spend as much time as I can taking it in.
 

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