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Let down by downtown

C

Chuck100

Guest
The past few weeks have left a very sour taste in my mouth when it comes to how I feel about living right in the heart of the city. There are countless perks associated with living dowtnown, but based on my own personal experiences in the past month, here's the other side of true downtown living:

- I was scared to death by a very rowdy homeless person on the subway. I recently saw him freaking people out on the sidewalk too. This is the guy who walks around without a shirt and flexes his muscles.

- my car was vandalized while parked overnight on my street

- I witnessed a woman get sexually assaulted on a streetcar

- my street stinks a day before and after garbage day. No wait, it stinks all week.

- I am tired of being harrassed for money no matter where or when I'm on the sidewalk

- a random lady started banging on my window as I was driving to work

- I witnessed two bike thefts in broad daylight

- I avoid parks in my neighbourhood because now that it's warm, they are filled with bums. Come to think of it, so is my alley, which is my own private property.

- No matter where I go, it's packed. I have resorted to walking in the streetcar ROW because there's no room left on Spadina.

True this past month was not typical. And true, I'm very pleased with my decision to move to the city two years ago. But two years is enough, and I couldn't be happier about just signing a lease on a nice midtown apartment. I feel that midtown provides most of the perks associated with city living, but does not suffer from the majority of the problems you'll encounter south of Bloor. What I have discovered is that I'm happier to have the city at arm's length rather than right at my finger tips.
 
Sorry to hear about your recent problems. I just have one question, did you do anything about the assaults or the robberies?
 
I can understand some peoples frustration with living right downtown. It can be a very intense environment at times and even for urbanites, it can sometimes just be a bit over the top.

Personally, I prefer living right downtown. Ive spent two years living on The Plateau in Montreal (a midtown Toronto equivalent) and it has been a wonderful experience. But if I were staying in the city, I would move as close to downtown as my budget would allow (McGill ghetto would have been a likely pick).

At least you gave it a chance and in fairness to downtown areas, they are going through so much change right now its little surprise they have their problems. Hopefully as time goes on some of these issues can be addressed, but central areas of large cities are never likely to lose some of that grit you mentioned.

Your experience is deffinitely one that planners should be taking to heart. The idea of more urbanized spaces is one im sure that a lot of people are very open to, but when the choice between safety and urbanity are in hand, most people will choice the former. Middle ground is something that many urban planners and architects have not quite got a hold on yet.
 
- I was scared to death by a very rowdy homeless person on the subway. I recently saw him freaking people out on the sidewalk too. This is the guy who walks around without a shirt and flexes his muscles.
Click to expand...
Zanta?
 
He was doing pushups on cabs in Yorkville last night. Somebody should just have an "accident" when he wanders onto the road.

Incidentally, I can't stand the city in the summer either. I empathise with Chuck, in the sense when I was looking for a place, I settled on Yonge and Sheppard. I don't much care for the city in the summer anyway, with all these endless pre-programmed, infantile festivals and the annual sprouting of bums everywhere. And now we have meth addicts begging with impunity at intersections again too. Thank you David Miller.
 
I'm moving back to Toronto, and I'm pretty negative towards living right downtown for some reason. I think you've hit the nail on the head in regards to the ills of living where there's just so many people.
 
Zanta was running around Bloor a couple of weeks ago yelling "Zanta with a zee! Google me! Zanta with a zee! GOOGLE ME!"

I enjoy having characters downtown, especially when they're not holding office. But Zanta, in his ripped way, seems to come on pretty strong to women who are walking solo, which strikes me as problematic. (Though I haven't heard that from anyone else...)

If he's causing you problems, I hear he's responsive to restraining orders...
 
It is frustrating that a relatively small minority of people cause so much unhappiness for all the rest of us. Funny that I know exactly who you mean by the muscle flexing guy, another guy I'd like to see get run over is the black-prophet guy who yells racial insults at people (you likely know him if you take the king st streetcar from at least Duffrin or walk past Bay and Richmond on a regular basis). It is hard to believe that in a city of 5+ million people, that we all know these few specific cases. People always say it is not fair to blame the homeless, but sometimes I do. Its not cool to berate, abuse, harrass, steal from, insult, etc... the other people who live around you. I'm only willing to rationalize so much, sooner or later we all need to take some responsibility. Not sure what the answer is though - but rounding them all up into work camps and making them dig us subways for us would kill two birds...
 
Not sure what the answer is though - but rounding them all up into work camps and making them dig us subways for us would kill two birds...
Click to expand...

Boy I sure hope that was meant tongue in cheek! I can't remember hearing a more fascistic remark on this board before.
 
I'm going to vote for Jane Pitfield as mayor!

I won't let you know if I'm kidding or I'm being serious.

I live in North York but in downtown most of my time. So this combination suits me fine. But there are many parts south of Bloor that are relatively nice and quiet. Ar u living in or near the club district?
 
That Zanta guys is one disturbed character... As for living downtown, I've been doing it for over seven years now and I'm loving it.
 
Zanta (is that his name?) cracks me up every time i see him. i've never spoken to him, but my girlfriend has, and she reports that he's actually remarkably normal. he's definitely cognizant of the fact that he has a public persona to maintain.

and i empathize with wanting out of downtown. i'm at jarvis/carlton, and in the last six months i've had my car broken into, i've had two attempted muggings, and the alleyway behind my condo became a haven for prostitutes (tho that stopped once we got the police involved)

if i had the money i'd move a little further out, into the annex perhaps, but for now this is the best i can do. still tho, i'm hopeful that the area will improve. there aren't half the prostitutes there were a year ago, and i noticed a marked change in the neighbourhood once the hoarding came down at Radio City. i'm hoping projects like The Met, Verve, Steam Plant Lofts, 22 Wellesley, and even the MLG Superstore will have similar effects.
 
Anyone who says Zanta is the biggest problem in their life is the crazy one, not Zanta.
 
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