Shittiest neighborhood in your city

[MolsonExport]

the title says it all. What, in your opinion, is the shittiest neighborhood in your city/urban area?

When I lived in Vancouver, it was a toss-up between Whalley (rebranded Surrey City Centre, but in the early-mid nineties, it was still Whalley-world, and not too long ago featured a tent city on 135A street) and Downtown Vancouver Eastside.

Montreal? With gentrification, a lot of formerly shitty areas have become hipster zones. But not the A Ma Baie ghetto (They say:"Stay away from a-ma-baie."), in the easternmost part of the former city of Pierrefonds.

London Ontario has many shitty pockets, but most are on the small side. There is a general "EoA" stigma (East of Adelaide, as in Adelaide street) but this takes in many good neighborhoods as well as numerous bad ones.

[TorontoDrew]

Love this thread!

[HomeInMyShoes]

Hard to pick, hard to pick. ummm.. North Central which is pretty much the MacLean's poster child of poverty, overdose, random arson, random theft, domestic violence, murder, etc. of Canada. Okay, it might be trailing in overdose deaths to some neighbourhoods, but Regina had 111 overdose deaths last year and more than 1000 overdose calls.

[JHikka]

Ottawa is almost certainly either the Glebe or, like, Barrhaven.

Toronto is probably Yorkville, or maybe Liberty Village depending on how I feel that day.

[SignalHillHiker]

It’s hard to choose.

Traditionally, the obvious choices are Buckmaster’s Circle, Mundy Pond, and Shea Heights. But Buckmaster’s Circle is largely new immigrants today and they’ve completely turned it around, Shea Heights still has that rural prairie feel (cars in back yard, random unmatched extensions on homes) but there are new subdivisions up there too now, and Mundy Pond is still hideous but safe.

These days it’s probably a toss-up between Rabbittown, my old working class rowhouse neighbourhood, and Kenmount Terrace, the most heavily-drugged, car-dependent neighbourhood in the city. Streets like airport runways and a surprising amount of crime.

For me, personally, the worst is everything outside Empire Avenue, with a particular emphasis on Cowan Heights (hideous duplexes) and Little Canada (me in sfd on Yellowknife Street is a nightmare).

[shreddog]

For Vancouver I nominate Fairview, where I live.

When I went out to the dumpster this morning I found that last night two people shat in the alcove where our recycling bins are. Pretty shitty.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by shreddog

For Vancouver I nominate Fairview, where I live.

When I went out to the dumpster this morning I found that last night two people shat in the alcove where our recycling bins are. Pretty shitty.

Sorry I couldn't hold it.

DTES in Vancouver for sure. Should be retired into the hall of fame.

[Innsertnamehere]

For Toronto, tough one. The absolute most crappy? Probably Jane and Finch area. For an actual urban location? probably the Rogers Road area, or Dundas/Parliament. From a 'not run down but generally bad' perspective, probably Liberty Village or Lansdowne and Dupont. Danforth between Main and Vic Park is pretty terrible too.

For Hamilton - you've got a lot of options! Barton St wins though to me, or Cannon in the east downtown area.

[Harrison]

For Edmonton, I nominate a part of the McCauley neighbourhood between 105 Avenue, 102 Street, 107A Avenue and 95 Street, except for Chinatown along 97 Street.

[esquire]

I came to my answer by determining the place in Winnipeg that I'd be least thrilled about living in. For me, that place would have to be the Centennial/Central area north of downtown, not to be confused with the North End itself. Crime, drugs and bleak surroundings.


source: ctvnews.ca

The other two finalists, i.e. the Spence area of the West End and the William Whyte part of the North End have crime and drugs but at least the neighbourhoods are physically attractive with some nice-looking streets... conversely, Centennial is lots of run down 100+ year old houses next to industrial sites.

[TimB09]

Originally Posted by Harrison

For Edmonton, I nominate a part of the McCauley neighbourhood between 105 Avenue, 102 Street, 107A Avenue and 95 Street, except for Chinatown along 97 Street.

This is what I came to say for Edmonton. 100% this area.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Ottawa is almost certainly either the Glebe or, like, Barrhaven.

Toronto is probably Yorkville, or maybe Liberty Village depending on how I feel that day.

I thought the glebe was one of Ottawa’s better neighbourhoods.

These neighbourhoods being mentioned do not even come close to the dtes. Really though, the dtes is a conglomeration of people from across the country, so every province should have their flag planted there.

Maybe Whalley is more in line with the rest of the country

And Fairview is a good neighbourhood.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by logan5

I thought the glebe was Ottawa’s better neighbourhoods.

Depends on your definition of shitty.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Depends on your definition of shitty.

Definition being the last neighbourhood you would choose to be in. By other definitions, I would call Metrotown one of the shittiest neighbourhoods. At least there are decent bars and restaurants in the dtes ( believe it or not).

Bars and restaurants really love the historic buildings, and the dtes has a large concentration of those.

[le calmar]

^ If shitty = overpriced, then yes. Otherwise I would nominate Heron Gate and parts of Vanier.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Sorry I couldn't hold it.

[MolsonExport]

I used to live in Fairview (10th and Hemlock). It seemed like a good hood back then (early 90s)

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by shreddog

For Vancouver I nominate Fairview, where I live.

When I went out to the dumpster this morning I found that last night two people shat in the alcove where our recycling bins are. Pretty shitty.

That's a bit harsh. Fairview is no worse than many downtown and downtown-adjacent neighbourhoods. The DTES is whole other level of scary.

[jigglysquishy]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Hard to pick, hard to pick. ummm.. North Central which is pretty much the MacLean's poster child of poverty, overdose, random arson, random theft, domestic violence, murder, etc. of Canada. Okay, it might be trailing in overdose deaths to some neighbourhoods, but Regina had 111 overdose deaths last year and more than 1000 overdose calls.

North Central is really the only answer for Regina.

A completely unique category for crime, where it regularly makes up 50-90% of the homicides in the city. Every gang in Regina is stationed there. Highest level of B&E, violent crime, domestic crime, overdose, and poverty in Regina.

Dilapidated housing stock and some of the lowest quality roads, sidewalks, and parks.

It's a food desert with no actual local restaurants. The only options for food are McDonalds and KFC. The only locally owned stores are pawn shops and pharmacies. Basically no employment options outside retail.

The lanes are riddled with needles and garbage.

Bordered to the south by a busy hospital, football stadium, army barracks, parking lots, and the CP main line. Bordered to the west by a wide and busy freeway. So it's not even really walkable to downtown or other employment lands.

The second most dangerous neighbourhood in Regina, Heritage, has a crime rate less than half of North Central. It has much better housing stock, you can walk downtown and to Wascana Lake, and is just a generally cleaner area. Additionally, 11th Avenue that runs through its heart is filled with local restaurants including the best Korean restaurant, best fried chicken, the best Asian bakery, the best butcher shop, and about a dozen Chinese restaurants.

[O-tacular]

In Calgary it’s Forest Lawn. The entire Northeast quadrant of the city is also referred to as the ghetto. It has similar demographics to Surrey (heavily south asian).

Also historically neighbourhoods such as Ogden and Bowness which were originally small towns that were absorbed by the city. Lots of biker activity there in the past.