Toronto Parks

[ChesterCopperpot]

It's not the greatest - it should have wood chips in it.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

A big fenced-in patch of dirt.

It's very beautiful...someone should paint a picture of it.

What do you expect of a dog run? Form follows function.

 

[M.R.Victor]

The park suffers from a whole slew of design problems, the least of which is the dog area. In fact, that portion tends to be the nicest and liveliest side year-round, since dog owners tend to be a big segment of the minority of people who choose to spend time outside during the winter.

The biggest issues with this park are the South-East and South-West Corner, the general lack of seating, and the large population of homeless people.

 

[taal]

I find homeless people really tend to keep people away, even if they're completely harmless, which by far and large is what I experience, but still ..

I think in other cities they don't allow homeless to sleep or even linger in parks ! Again for better or worse ..

 

[AndreaPalladio]

If parks aren't for people to linger in, what on Earth ARE they for?

 

[Admiral Beez]

The pics below were posted in the Aura thread. They remind me how great the potential for Allen Gardens is, and so under-realized! With some improvements it could easily be Toronto's version of Montreal's Square St. Louis... and even better really given the victorian built form here. Sigh, what could be!

How did you get that pic of Robbie Burns without the usual vagrants and rubbish strewn about the statue?

 

[Admiral Beez]

If parks aren't for people to linger in, what on Earth ARE they for?

I think he means we want more of this...

And less of this...

 

[pman]

I think he means we want more of this...



View attachment 38200

And less of this...

View attachment 38201

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[Hamiltonian]

When is homelessness ever a good thing? Lmao

 

[Tewder]

Maybe we should build a separate park for the homeless and restore this gem!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Maybe we should build a separate park for the homeless and restore this gem!

There's already a sure fire way to get the homeless and crazies out of Allan Gardens, and that's if the regular folks (i.e. the housed and sane) use it. A few years ago I attended a big community event outside at Allan Gardens, where they had craft sales, farmers markets, entertainers, fire truck and police car tours, etc. and I think there must have been hundreds of people there. Half way through I recall saying to my wife, where are all the homeless folks? And they were all gone, because the regulars, for a day, had retaken the park. I can't remember what the event was called, otherwise I'd find a pic.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Or, you know, we could try providing more support for the homeless so they don't have to hang out in Allan Gardens?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Or, you know, we could try providing more support for the homeless so they don't have to hang out in Allan Gardens?

Chicken and egg. The very reason the homeless hang out at Allan Gardens is that a large part of the city's homeless industry is located within a short walk from the park, such as Seaton House, the largest homeless shelter in Toronto, across the street on George St.

IMO, Allan Gardens could the nicely converted into a downtown gated park like Halifax's Public Gardens, but with provisions for the dog run. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Public_Gardens

Such a gated park would have park wardens to keep people from sleeping on the benches, enforce existing public intoxication laws, and otherwise keep the park in good shape. It is odd that a historic city like Toronto does not have a ornate Victorian type gated public garden downtown.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Two of my favourite little known (and vagrant-free) parks....

Craigleigh Gardens

Lynndale Parkette, from my day's growing up at Fallingbrook and Kingston Rd.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Chicken and egg. The very reason the homeless hang out at Allan Gardens is that a large part of the city's homeless industry is located within a short walk from the park, such as Seaton House, the largest homeless shelter in Toronto, across the street on George St.

IMO, Allan Gardens could the nicely converted into a downtown gated park like Halifax's Public Gardens, but with provisions for the dog run. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Public_Gardens

Such a gated park would have park wardens to keep people from sleeping on the benches, enforce existing public intoxication laws, and otherwise keep the park in good shape. It is odd that a historic city like Toronto does not have a ornate Victorian type gated public garden downtown.

Thankfully, we don't exclude people from parks here.