[flar]

Downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario
Away from the hotels, casinos and the bright lights of Clifton Hill...

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00008.jpg
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You'd feel cheated if there wasn't a shot of the falls:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/bestof/niagarapano.jpghttp://aas.ath.cx/threads/niagaradowntown.jpg

[daniel_t]

Amazing shots. This is sad to see. I had no clue Niagara Falls, ON looked like that. I've never actually been but my mom has. You would think that it being a popular destination (the falls anyway) that the city would be somewhat nicer. I always thought the city was nice but i'm obviously wrong. Great shots though. Thanks for sharing.

Daniel

[Sekkle]

Love your photos, man. You are the grit king! :worship: I always look forward to your threads. Keep up the good work.

[flar]

Amazing shots. This is sad to see. I had no clue Niagara Falls, ON looked like that. I've never actually been but my mom has. You would think that it being a popular destination (the falls anyway) that the city would be somewhat nicer. I always thought the city was nice but i'm obviously wrong. Great shots though. Thanks for sharing.

Daniel

This part of Niagara Falls is practically abandoned. All the action moved south, closer to the falls. Tourists stick to Clifton Hill and Marineland, they never really go downtown Niagara Falls, it's a whole different world.

[Thundertubs]

Excellent thread!
I've always found NF to be an interesting pair of cities. I've never seen that area of the Canadian side, it looks almost as dismal as the US side (NF-NY has alot of nasty industry). On the Ontario side, even the touristy part around Lundy's Lane is pretty sleazy. I always liked the strip of cheezy fleabag motels with different themes.

[Top Of The Park]

Amazing shots of an area in recession.....which might be a look some American cities begin to take on.

[LSyd]

charming...at least it was, once. "it's cleaner on the canadian" side they always say...thanks for disproving that myth. great pics and thread.

this artillery piece needs help.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00163.jpg

-

[pip]

and the Canadian side is the 'good side' of Niagara Falls

[softee]

Amazing shots of an area in recession.....which might be a look some American cities begin to take on.

I wouldn't say that Niagara Falls is an area in recession though, it's just the old downtown that has fallen by the wayside. The rest of the city is doing fine, and the tourist area near the falls is booming with new high-rise hotel construction.

[James2390]

That area reminds me of Silent Hill.

[softee]

^ That would be downtown Brantford! haha

[Pinion]

Amazing shots of an area in recession.....which might be a look some American cities begin to take on.

Are you saying that seriously? My reaction was "wow, a Canadian town that looks as run-down as all those countless American cities."

[flar]

Brantford and Niagara Falls are the most depressed downtowns I've seen in Canada. Wallaceburg and Sarnia are pretty bad too.

As was mentioned, the touristy areas of Niagara Falls are nothing like this. You wouldn't see this if you went to Niagara Falls, you'd be staying in a highrise hotel going to the casino and eating at the Hard Rock Cafe. I've been to Niagara Falls at least 20 times and this is the first time I've been downtown, it's tucked away off the main roads and actually a bit difficult to find.

[giallo]

Great tour, flar. Honestly, this part of the city looks more appealing to me than the tourist trap that sits at the edge of the falls. That whole area felt like a bad acid trip.

[pj3000]

awesome shots, flar. i ventured to the downtown for the first time a couple summers ago after going to the falls. i was amazed at the level of abandonment. granted, it was early evening on a sunday, but with the booming areas so close, it seems that some spinoff would create a livlier scene. very cool tour.

[DetroitSky]

I've been wondering what the real downtown looked like for a while. Nice shots.

[Ducov]

Brantford and Niagara Falls are the most depressed downtowns I've seen in Canada. Wallaceburg and Sarnia are pretty bad too.

As was mentioned, the touristy areas of Niagara Falls are nothing like this. You wouldn't see this if you went to Niagara Falls, you'd be staying in a highrise hotel going to the casino and eating at the Hard Rock Cafe. I've been to Niagara Falls at least 20 times and this is the first time I've been downtown, it's tucked away off the main roads and actually a bit difficult to find.

Yeah, that tends to be the folly of Tourism based growth in most places. The only real economic benefits rarely spread beyond the immediate area of tourist interest.

Great pictures though, they capture the atmosphere of the place well.

[CBBC]

first off...that last photo is totally crazy sweet! :tup:

I have heard that NF ON was a little run down, but really looks like NF USA in these photos, well maybe we still get a little more gritty but still...it seems like the entire Niagara Falls immediate area is gritz, glamor a grit on the side.

My hopes are with the people of Ontario to recognize this and possibly bring life into downtown, it really could be a great extension of the Clifton/Casino developments.

Great stuff~

[LikeHamilton]

I have a question. What time of the day did you take these pictures? There is no one there. I am guessing about 6:30 on a Sunday morning or was there some kind of air raid drill going on because it is dead. No people. No cars. Very Sad!

[Boris]

I agree on the last shot, fantastic shot.

You always seem to find the interesting parts of towns.

I loved this building:


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

[DC83]

I agree on the last shot, fantastic shot.

You always seem to find the interesting parts of towns.

I loved this building:


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

That was/is the old Customs House, I believe. It's apparently the most haunted bldg in Niagara Falls (the White House of Rock in St Catharines is the most haunted in Niagara Region).

I've spent many days/nights in the Falls as a student in St Catharines. This core has actually gone down hill since I was there last (Nov 06).

And if you can believe it, all this is a mere 2 min drive North of the "Glitz-and-Glam" of the "Strip" or the "Hill".

[flar]

^^it appears some of the businesses have closed fairly recently, many signs still up.

I have a question. What time of the day did you take these pictures? There is no one there. I am guessing about 6:30 on a Sunday morning or was there some kind of air raid drill going on because it is dead. No people. No cars. Very Sad!


I had the whole place to myself! I saw four drunk guys, a young couple and an elderly woman down there. No traffic, maybe one or two cars every 15 minutes. I could stand in the middle of Queen Street and take pictures without thinking about traffic!
It was Monday afternoon and a holiday (Family Day) so the banks were closed. Still, I don't think it would make much difference (on Queen St. at least) because there were barely any businesses other than the two banks that would have been open. Even that newish 6 storey building was empty on the bottom floor. Surprisingly, considering the crappy weather, the tourists were out in full force on Clifton Hill and around the Falls.

[Robert Pence]

Oh, My! I hope someone gives it a decent burial.

I knew a blacksmith who could have made a new wheel for that artillery piece, but he died forty years ago, in his eighties.

[DC83]

I found an old post by Kitchissippi in the Niagara Falls Development Thread.
He points out how using an old rail line through Niagara Falls could potentially reconnect Downtown to the Strip.
It could be a great revival for Downtown NF!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/kitchissippi/NiagaraFTram.jpg
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=113507&page=16

[Serge]

Domi



Impressionnant pour une ville canadienne.

[Sandy]

A bit creepy, It looks like a ghost town :(

[MolsonExport]

Change the name of the thread, and it could be Flint, Michigan.

[PA Pride]

Are you sure those aren't pics from Michigan or some other US town?!?!??

[Western Spaghetti]

Excellent photos!

[Evergrey]

What a shocking and infuriating thread (brilliant pics, of course... and the last one is mind-blowingly gorgeous)

I never knew Niagara Falls, ON was as bad as Niagara Falls, NY... I didn't even know there was a realy city there in the first place. I was only familiar with the tourist trash of Lundy's Lane. What a waste that area is.

[dktshb]

I hope the fake Niagra Falls is better than the real Niagra Falls. I appreciate seeing the real thing though. Looks like countless American cities.

[matt602]

Wow. I thought Hamilton had it bad... damn.

[flar]

Hmm, Brantford and Niagara Falls are both right by Hamilton: the Canadian rust belt! Of course Niagara Falls is right by Buffalo too...

EDIT:
DC83, I noticed that old rail corridor when I was walking around in the residential areas, that would be a cool idea.


I dug up some shots of the "fake" Niagara Falls from last year:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00250.jpg
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[ColDayMan]

Thanks!!!

[James Bond Agent 007]

Interesting. Never seen pics of this part. Pretty gritty.

[cristian244]

I always thought that the Canadian cities was perfect, clean.. and so forth, but after saw this pictures I'm worried. Not even the deep south Italian cities are like this. Just for tell that I wish to visit this country, it is my preferred ! and I also thought to move there, my wife is from Toronto!

[robk1982]

Change the name of the thread, and it could be Flint, Michigan.

You ever been to Flint? Downtown Flint is a lot better off than downtown NF appears to be.

[hauchyi]

I agree on the last shot, fantastic shot.

You always seem to find the interesting parts of towns.

I loved this building:


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

They need a rezone or flip that house crews to save that treasure..

[Canasian]

WOW! Thanks flar, never even seen DT Niagara Falls!! I always tried to find it, but I never had time!! Great shots!!!

[direfloyd]

Whenever I visit Niagara Falls I make it a point of visiting the real downtown and try to eat somewhere there! What a shame all those awesome old buildings!

Quit the Michigan bashing =) Bash Michigan cities in Michigan treads...

[DC83]

They need a rezone or flip that house crews to save that treasure..
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

It should be saved and paid for by the Feds! The architect of this bldg (Thomas Fuller) was also one of the architects that designed our Parliament House (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Fuller_(architect)). If this alone is not reason for a full, federal government funded restoration I don't know what is!?

I heard some time ago about some developpers wanting to BUY the whole downtown core and redeveloppe it? Does anyone know if this is true? If so, maybe that's why most shops have closed so recently?

[boden]

It certainly looks bad doesn't it?

[JivecitySTL]

Holy shitcakes.

[glowrock]

Wow, just wow...

:(

Aaron (Glowrock)

[miketoronto]

Two words for why Downtown Niagara Falls looks the way it does. "Niagara Square" Mall.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a very very small section of the city. Only a couple blocks long, and it went into total decline thanks to suburban malls.

The rest of the city is not vacant. That being said, Niagara Falls does have a sleazy run down feel to it, even in the nice sections.

Just sad what has happened to the orginial downtown. Although some say the real downtown is the area near the falls.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a great example of what happens when you open a mall in a small city, that really can only support one shopping area.

[salvius]

I always thought that the Canadian cities was perfect, clean.. and so forth, but after saw this pictures I'm worried. Not even the deep south Italian cities are like this. Just for tell that I wish to visit this country, it is my preferred ! and I also thought to move there, my wife is from Toronto!

Actually, it's pretty similar to some deep Italian cities that have witnessed heavy abandonment...

And that is precisely what happened with Downtown Niagara Falls -- it was abandoned for greener pastures. It simply didn't sit close enough to the lake for its status as the Canadian Atlantic City.

Niagara Falls as a whole is a hole. The tourist area is the worst sort of kitsch humanly imaginable, and the rest is either partially abandoned or run down... Such a cruddy city near such a wonderful natural feature. It is such a shame!

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures. As much as I am in the Niagara Region, I have not been to many areas of Niagara Falls, and I have done very few threads (and this includes the tourist areas of Clifton Hill and Fallsview).

[Evergrey]

I prefer Niagara-on-the-Lake

[softee]

As was stated above, the rest of the city is not abandoned or even particularly run down, as it's a fairly typical and intact small Ontario city away from the bright lights of the tourist areas. Despite the condition of the old downtown area, the city of NF ON is still in FAR better shape and is far less crime ridden and depressed than NF NY, there's no comparison really.

I don't know if I would solely blame Niagara Square mall for killing the downtown though, there seem to be enough small cities that can support both a large regional mall and an active downtown core, with my own city being an example.

[DC83]

Two words for why Downtown Niagara Falls looks the way it does. "Niagara Square" Mall.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a very very small section of the city. Only a couple blocks long, and it went into total decline thanks to suburban malls.

The rest of the city is not vacant. That being said, Niagara Falls does have a sleazy run down feel to it, even in the nice sections.

Just sad what has happened to the orginial downtown. Although some say the real downtown is the area near the falls.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a great example of what happens when you open a mall in a small city, that really can only support one shopping area.

One can't blame Niagara Falls' downtown decay on a single mall, Mike. Was that you I saw protesting alone infront of Cadillac Fairview Tower the other day? haha jks

The Falls & Niagara as a WHOLE went bust after Hamilton started to import Niagara's electricity in what? The 1910's? Once Niagara was no longer the only region with an abundance of energy to power it's many, many manufacturing plants it's residents left for better, higher paying jobs in a thriving metropolis (at the time) called Hamilton.

Niagara is complex.

Perhaps if the dowtown was built around the Falls rather than several mins north of it, we wouldn't see such an eyesore. In fact, I can guarantee that the "downtown" would have been almost completely demo'd during the '60s & '70s when "urban renewal" was sweeping the nation.

So let's be thankful that this "core" still exists and has the oportunity to come back to life. It just takes some innitiative & leadership... something the mafiosos running Niagara Falls has none of.

[flar]

While downtown NF, ON is dead, you don't see the residential abandonment of NF, NY there. I wouldn't blame the mall for downtown's demise. The suburbanization/mall phenomenenon is always a factor but is fairly constant across North America, it hasn't affected NF more than anywhere else. The entire Niagara region (except Niagara-on-the-Lake) is classic depressed rustbelt. Look at St. Catharines, Fort Erie, Welland or Port Colbourne. Look at the two nearest cities, Hamilton and Buffalo. Downtown NF is dead because thousands upon thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs are gone and because it's just a little too far away from the falls.

[miketoronto]

I don't think it has anything to do with jobs or people moving out, because Niagara Falls Ontario has had constant population growth, and pretty high family income levels, equal or higher to most of Ontario. They are not poor.

This is in contrast to Niagara Falls New York which has been in a 50 year population decline and is actually being abandoned.

[MolsonExport]

Two words for why Downtown Niagara Falls looks the way it does. "Niagara Square" Mall.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a very very small section of the city. Only a couple blocks long, and it went into total decline thanks to suburban malls.

The rest of the city is not vacant. That being said, Niagara Falls does have a sleazy run down feel to it, even in the nice sections.

Just sad what has happened to the orginial downtown. Although some say the real downtown is the area near the falls.

Downtown Niagara Falls is a great example of what happens when you open a mall in a small city, that really can only support one shopping area.


I thought that it would have something to do with bus routes. ;)

[Cambridgite]

Wow, that's the first time I saw the "real" Niagara Falls. For the longest time, I thought Clifton Hill was its actual downtown, until a NF native told me at school. He said Clifton Hill may be the face of Niagara Falls, but the ACTUAL downtown is a ghetto. I guess he was right...

And Miketoronto...come on. A MALL did this?! You wouldn't possibly say that Clifton Hill had some role to play, could you?

[WIGS]

While downtown NF, ON is dead, you don't see the residential abandonment of NF, NY there. I wouldn't blame the mall for downtown's demise. The suburbanization/mall phenomenenon is always a factor but is fairly constant across North America, it hasn't affected NF more than anywhere else. The entire Niagara region (except Niagara-on-the-Lake) is classic depressed rustbelt. Look at St. Catharines, Fort Erie, Welland or Port Colbourne. Look at the two nearest cities, Hamilton and Buffalo. Downtown NF is dead because thousands upon thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs are gone and because it's just a little too far away from the falls.

it's true, the residential areas surrounding the downtown of NF ON don't look bombed out and like a city in the Third World like residential areas surrounding downtown NF NY. Manufacturing job losses, not being located closer to the tourist areas aka The Falls themselves, the construction of Niagara Square (which is a rather pathetic mall I must say)and due to the fact that Niagara Falls, Ontario is kinda sprawly with dozens of strip malls and plazas surrounding new residential cul de sacs in the north and south ends has meant the future of downtown will stay in this condition unless a huge sum of money is thrown that way to fix it up.

[WIGS]

p.s. thanks for the pictures!

[Tony]

I don't think it has anything to do with jobs or people moving out, because Niagara Falls Ontario has had constant population growth, and pretty high family income levels, equal or higher to most of Ontario. They are not poor.


I'm pretty sure these "facts" are inaccurate.

Jobs definitely had something to do with it, ever since the closure of local industries and the shift to generally lower-paying tourist industry jobs, the area has been in drastic decline.

btw, stop blaming the mall you ALWAYS do this whenever NF downtown comes up (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz). Even the mall is struggling to revitalize now and a few years back was in rough shape.

If you don't know much (or in some cases anything at all) about the community don't make up assumptions just because you can name off the local mall.

[MolsonExport]

^word.

[theman23]

. He said Clifton Hill may be the face of Niagara Falls, but the ACTUAL downtown is a ghetto.


It can't really be a ghetto when no-one's living there...

[Ex-Ithacan]

Entertaining (if gritty gruesome) set of pics. NF ON downtown = NF NY downtown. I didn't realize that. Thanks for the tour flar. And now I know where to go to learn Hold Em Poker. :D

[KevinFromTexas]

Great pics. Something that stood out for me with these is that a lot of the buildings have signs. :haha: Some of those buildings reminded me of Waco, Texas, the brick ones. But I noticed the downtown looks to be occupied pretty well. A lot of small Texas cities and towns have great old buildings, but a good number of them are vacant. So no signs. So seeing a downtown of similar size and character with a lot of signs is kind of strange.

This building looks like a castle and a country home got together for a fling.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00063.jpg

[BUFFALOVE!!]

NF on both sides of the border is in shambles with no sigh of hope in the future.

[softee]

^ Yet somehow Niagara Falls Ontario still manages to be a growing city.

[niwell]

Great pictures! I'd always heard about downtown NF being in a bad way, but have never seen it myself.

As for my take on downtown abandonment: the mall may play a factor, but I'd imagine the primary reason is simply one of location. The Clifton Hill area a couple km to the south is just simply too strong of a retail draw in a city the size of NF. This is coupled with the fact that the city's transportation grid seems geared towards getting people towards that area and the border crossings. If downtown had been located across from the falls instead of downriver I'd imagine things would be a bit different.

[J. Will]

I drove through this area be accident a number of years ago. Prior to that I didn't even know NF had a "traditional downtown".

[Chelsea Spy]

cool thread flar! very intresting pics

[Hozay]

A shocking expose!

[antinimby]

This building appeared in the 1953 movie, Niagara.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

[the dude]

i couldn't have located downtown niagara falls if you'd paid me. learn something new everyday. cool tour.

[yarabundi]

How sad !! And it is so true that this decayed part of the city is just few street corners from the fake tourists area.
Think of it : the real town core is dying and the fake city is flourishing. What does it say of Niagara Falls ?

[harls]

Atrocious... but someday I believe it can be saved. Thanks for the tour.

[Downtown Bolivar]

I found an old post by Kitchissippi in the Niagara Falls Development Thread.
He points out how using an old rail line through Niagara Falls could potentially reconnect Downtown to the Strip.
It could be a great revival for Downtown NF!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/kitchissippi/NiagaraFTram.jpg
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=113507&page=16
The old rail line was purchased by the city from CP for a people mover to circulate tourists. Then there was no funding for it so now its just an abandoned strip of grass and gravel. It had trains running on it not that long ago. I remember being on Clifton Hill one night around midnight and seeing a huge CP intermodal train rumble through. The best part was the shocked look on the faces of tourists.

As a former res of NFNY we used to love coming across the border to go to the city cafe to drink as 19 year olds. A buddy of mine even pissed off the Rainbow Bridge. Yeah...good times. NFNY and NFON--brothers 4 life!

[shovel_ready]

NFON's downtown is merely a victim of a bad geographic location. It's stuck in a weird corner (hemmed in by the gorge and rail tracks) away from the actual Falls and not central to the entire city as a whole. And like so many smaller cities, the residential fabric is low density and most residents drive their own cars, therefore they shop at stripmalls/places more convenient for their cars.

I dunno, maybe a full-fledged red-light district might be the only thing that can save the downtown...linked by a cutsey trolley on that abandoned rail bed which connects to Clifton Hill/Fallsview; would make it work well.

[DC83]

The old rail line was purchased by the city from CP for a people mover to circulate tourists. Then there was no funding for it so now its just an abandoned strip of grass and gravel. It had trains running on it not that long ago. I remember being on Clifton Hill one night around midnight and seeing a huge CP intermodal train rumble through. The best part was the shocked look on the faces of tourists.

As a former res of NFNY we used to love coming across the border to go to the city cafe to drink as 19 year olds. A buddy of mine even pissed off the Rainbow Bridge. Yeah...good times. NFNY and NFON--brothers 4 life!

Wow. That sux. Thanks for the info tho.

I can seriously see this "people mover" idea coming back to life especially with development happening closer to downtown (Great Wolf Lodge). It'd be great for patrons of the GWL to be able to jump on a small-scale LRT train from their lodge to maybe Downtown and over to the Strip and Falls. Give tourists options besides dirving or taking cabs... it's always nice to explore a city while taking public transit or walking. You don't get the full effect of being a tourist if you're driving everywhere!

[dfane]

bet that area was booming in the 70's

[Buckeye Native 001]

Grit-tastic :tup:

[flar]

Thanks everyone!

Little known places like this are like hidden treasure to me.

[FALLSVIEW]

Although I didn't grow up here! I can tell you that living here now, this place is "not" in a total decline at all. As a matter of fact if you eliminated the falls the downtown and the tourist area, the dreaded suburban lifestyle is the exact same, and is growing at the same rate as many other smaller North American cities. I live in a subdivision near the Mall, and it in the last couple of years it has added a Future Shop, a Winners, Linens and Things, Petcetera "some" new stores inside, and is adding a huge addition the the mall which will soon add a Mandarin, Michaels, JYSK, Additon Elle and AppleJacks restaraunt plus other stores. In the mall parking lot will be a large Canadian Tire, across the street will soon be a Sobey's, Rona Building Center and talk of a Walmart Supercenter across from the QEW.

Two years ago in the same area they built the Macbain Community center with a YMCA, a Library, skateboard park and a nice outdoor park with a soon to be added splash park. NF is in the process of building a 2000 seat 4 pad arena complex closer to the downtown which we replace the other decaying arenas in the city and will help to spur the area with development. Decaying buildings will be torn down in that area soon and will be replaced with more greenery as well as a new road off of Thorold Stone Road to access the new arena.

Lundy's Lane although still a bit seedy has actually seen quite a few of it's stores either re-done or rebuilt over the last couple of years as well. A new Shoppers Drug Mart is the latest new store coming to replace the old one down the road.

The Downtown is a mess and unless you are going to the Great Wolf Lodge or out to N.O.T.L nobody that lives here ever bothers to go to that part of the city, everywhere I have ever traveled has slums and this is ours. However Arron Lightman came along with big plans of a 100 million dollars worth of retail redevelopment but the city could not commit 35 million in parks and road repairs without proof that Mr. Lightman would truly come through with the investors...it is a dead deal now! Now a group of artists are starting to filter into the area hoping to revive the DT with affordable galleries for young starving but eager artists, fingers are crossed.

More to do with the tourist side of the city is a 52 story Hilton under construction, soon to be started is a 30 story Marriott, a 30 story Hampton Inn, a 26 story Westin a huge expansion to the Fallsview Plaza, the Brock Plaza becoming a Crowne Plaza, a new Convention Center and a 300 million dollar expansion to the Greg Norman designed Grand Niagara Golf Resort including a Hilton Hotel, and far to many other things to list.

I know some people hate this city and think it is just a big seedy cash grab, but it's actually quite a normal city to live in if you take away the tourist district and the area surrounding the Downtown. With all that said good pictures of a slummy area!!

[olga]

Fascinating tour, flar, and great pics of course.

I visited Niagara Falls (the tourist side) in 1995. I was quite shocked actually - I went to see a wonder of nature and ended up in some kind of Las Vegas...

[holladay]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/niagaradowntown/00081.jpg

now that is a building!

[fastcarsfreedom]

Interesting shots--for the Canadians posting here (or anyone familiar with the CBC)--Rosberg's--the abandoned department store on Queen Street in NF is significant is was owned by the parents of famed CBC journalist Barbara Frum (nee Rosberg)--I believe it lasted into the early 80s before closing.

This area of Niagara Falls has been unloved for many years--it once thrived--in fact Marilyn Monroe shopped on the street during filming of Niagara! in the 50s. Alas, it shares a distinction with Brantford.

Do you really find Wallaceburg and Sarnia that bad? Sarnia has improved--has some great condo developments going on--and Wallaceburg isn't bad at all if you ignore one or two vacant spots.

[flar]

Downtown Sarnia is no longer that bad, actually it looks decent, but just a few years ago it was in dire straits. Definitely not in NF/Brantford's company anymore as I discovered on a recent visit. Wallaceburg, well there's almost nothing left from when I was young, not just downtown, but across the entire town.

[highwater]

Wow. I thought Hamilton had it bad... damn.

At least they have a via station, that's more than Hamilton's got.

[denveraztec]

Very interesting!

[innov8]

Well done flar... the weather sure takes a toll on the bridges.

That last shot makes me go WOW :worship:

[Ayreonaut]

:stunned: Wow, totally not what I expected, but damn man you make grit look good.

[Just Build It]

Definitely not the Niagara Falls I've seen on postcards :) Nice job!

[Nicko999]

Just just need to watch the last picture to forget about the old buildings.:D

[whatsthepoint13]

wow! never been to that part of Niagara!
at least it's historic...

[jonjj]

Great journal. I had no idea the Canadian side had that type of decay. It looks like most of the area needing a lift is the commercial areas. Your pictures of most of the homes looked like they were in better shape.

[Millstone]

I was born and raised in Niagara Falls. Thankfully, there have been many changes on Queen St since these photos.

[Waterlooson]

Photographs don't lie... but they certainly can mislead. I saw a photo tour of of downtown Brantford on this forum a few years back... it was very dilapidated so I figured that Brantford must be a depressed city down on its luck in a major way. In fact, when I visited Brantford shortly thereafter, the city was growing nicely and had the air of vitality.... exactly the opposite of what the photos led me to think. I went downtown and laughed because although it was very run down it was only a tiny area. It couldn't have comprised anymore than 1 % of the entire city.

When we only can see a set of photos of one area in a city, we have absolutely no perspective of what is really going on in that city as a whole. I feel the same is true with this photo tour of Niagara Falls, ON. I have visited many times... and have never been able to even locate the "real" downtown. No wonder people don't shop there... it's a terrible location, and unless you really know the city... good luck trying to find it!

[flar]

Photographs don't lie... but they certainly can mislead. I saw a photo tour of of downtown Brantford on this forum a few years back... it was very dilapidated so I figured that Brantford must be a depressed city down on its luck in a major way. In fact, when I visited Brantford shortly thereafter, the city was growing nicely and had the air of vitality.... exactly the opposite of what the photos led me to think. I went downtown and laughed because although it was very run down it was only a tiny area. It couldn't have comprised anymore than 1 % of the entire city.

When we only can see a set of photos of one area in a city, we have absolutely no perspective of what is really going on in that city as a whole. I feel the same is true with this photo tour of Niagara Falls, ON. I have visited many times... and have never been able to even locate the "real" downtown. No wonder people don't shop there... it's a terrible location, and unless you really know the city... good luck trying to find it!

I don't think this tour is misleading, if you were to visit downtown Niagara Falls tomorrow, this is exactly what you would see (if you can find it, it really is tucked away). Virtually every building in downtown Niagara Falls is featured in this tour. That was probably my tour of Brantford that you saw as well. That tour also shows nearly every building in downtown Brantford. Unfortunately, downtown Brantford has little vitality and is largely unloved by its citizens. All my photo tours are comprehensive. I will say unequivocally that Niagara Falls and Brantford have the most decayed and abandoned downtowns that I have ever seen in Canada.

That is no comment on theses cities as a whole, just their downtowns. Brantford has a thriving power center in its north end and Niagara Falls has a thriving tourist area at Fallsview and Clifton Hill, but their downtowns really are that bad. I sincerely hope that both cities can turn things around in their downtown cores.

[Waterlooson]

I don't think this tour is misleading, if you were to visit downtown Niagara Falls tomorrow, this is exactly what you would see (if you can find it, it really is tucked away). Virtually every building in downtown Niagara Falls is featured in this tour. That was probably my tour of Brantford that you saw as well. That tour also shows nearly every building in downtown Brantford. Unfortunately, downtown Brantford has little vitality and is largely unloved by its citizens. All my photo tours are comprehensive. I will say unequivocally that Niagara Falls and Brantford have the most decayed and abandoned downtowns that I have ever seen in Canada.

That is no comment on theses cities as a whole, just their downtowns. Brantford has a thriving power center in its north end and Niagara Falls has a thriving tourist area at Fallsview and Clifton Hill, but their downtowns really are that bad. I sincerely hope that both cities can turn things around in their downtown cores.

With comments such as "I never knew Niagara Falls, ON was as bad as Niagara Falls, NY" as a result of seeing this thread titled "The REAL Niagara Falls", it obviously is extremely misleading. Even though downtown NF, ON is very depressed, Niagara Falls, ON is nowhere near as dilapidated as its counterpart in NY. After checking Google Earth, I would estimate the what you have called "the REAL Niagara Falls" actually comprises no more than about 3% (in area) of the city of Niagara Falls, ON... I just wanted to put things in perspective here.