Quote:
Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian
The sketchiness factor in this area is steadily going down and it is even developing an urban fabric.
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I went to Fairview Jr. High in the early 2000s and I can remember this area feeling a lot more suburban and yes, kind of sketchy/unfriendly. The Hell's Angels HQ was plainly right there, etc.
HAs etc. notwithstanding, it's interesting how this area is starting to feel "less sketchy" as it fills in with newer things. For the most part older buildings aren't being torn down and the existing residents aren't being "pushed out" with higher rents as far as I can tell, but because there's a lot more going on in the neighbourhood the grimier factors don't dominate the character of the neighbourhood like they used to, even if they're still there in the background. There is also a large and growing immigrant/multicultural vibe to the neighbourhood with several small groceries and restaurants representing/catering to the Central American/Carribbean, Slavic, African and Middle Eastern immigrant communities, and a small farmers market. It feels a lot like Gottingen did about 10 years ago (in terms of retail) or like a smaller version of Quinpool, although it's a degree more suburban than either.
(FWIW I don't mean that it used to be a neighbourhood "filled with sketchy people", over my lifetime it's always been a fairly average neighbourhood of unassuming people - the sketchy ones were just the only ones who really stood out and there was little else of note about the area. As far as I could tell 90% of the "crime" was small-scale pot dealing inside peoples houses - it wasn't the kind of place associated with random muggings or anything)