Quote:
Originally Posted by DC83
I don't think I have ever seen South Asians in Gage Park ever!? Maybe for a picnic, but that's about it.
I worked in the Delta for (almost) 4 years and spent almost every lunch hour in the park (whether it be the afternoon lunch or nightime lunch... depending on my schedule). I have never once been accosted, approached or harassed here.
I also have a female friend who lives right down the street from it, and her and I walk thru the park on nice evenings. Never had any problems
I'm sick of people thinking this park is dangerous or ghetto b/c they heard someone was jumped once a couple years ago, or b/c of it's neighbourhood. Spend as much time in the park as possible... then you'll be comfortable enough to manoever it's wonderful trails without worrying about that group of teens at the tree who are probably just smoking pot anyway.
This isn't East LA, this is Hamilton. Crime here is surprisingly low. So don't listen to CHCH/The Spec's neo-con propoganda! Don't fear Gage Park... it's not a scary place AT ALL: Night or Day!!
Lookin' good!!! I wish the entry-way was a little more eye-catching tho! Maybe a Washington Square'esq type of monument:
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Hmmm ... I wonder where you've been hiding. East Hamilton has a sizeable and growing South Asian population, and (to generalize) they do tend to spend a lot of time in public parks, particularly Montgomery and to a slightly lesser extent Gage. Not that this is a relevant consideration at all - the only reason I can think that you would have mentioned your observation at all was to undermine the credibility of my post ... in which case I will say: Good day to you, sir.
No Hamilton is not overly crime-ridden, but it certainly is not crime free either. Gage isn't like Central Park in the 1970s, and I wasn't trying to give that impression at all. Nor was I trying to give cautionary tales of "roving bands of dangerous youth" or anything like that. I had a negative experience in the park. It wasn't anything epic or traumatizing. My sister had an unpleasant experience which was borderline traumatizing. It happens and could have happened anywhere. However, I do believe it was more likely to happen in Gage Park than, say, the park around my parents' house in Dundas.
Without meaning to give offence, I presume part of the fact that you are never accosted or approached in Hamilton has something to do with your age and/or appearance. I am hassled on an almost daily basis by people around my work downtown and so are my colleagues (to such an extent that we now know some of these people who harrass respectable-looking types almost by name). That being said, I am one of the depressingly small number of people in this city who actually has to wear a suit to work on most days, and that clearly is part of the problem. It certainly is more of a problem here in Hamilton, where the proportion of respectable-looking people to hobos (yes, I did just call them hobos) is much more out of whack than in a city like Toronto. Again, location is indeed a relevant consideration.
I like Hamilton because in general there isn't a lot of violent crime. There is quite a lot of theft, vandalism and petty stuff, however, which can be very annoying. Over the years I and members of my immediate family have been victims of a number of small crimes. Aside from the two acts which I mentioned above, I would catalogue them as follows:
- I was violently pushed off my bike in Parkdale Park when I was 11 years old by a bum (yes I did just call him a bum) who then proceeded to pull my hair. This WAS harrowing, particularly since it was completely unprovoked and I didn't see it coming.
- A different bike was stolen outside of the library entrance to Jackson Square, where it had been locked up.
- My father had two cars stolen out of our driveway in Dundas in the same year.
- My father had a lawn mower and some tools stolen out of our garage.
- My mother's car was broken into (windows smashed) in the parking lot of Chedoke Golf Course.
- My parents' front garden was trampled.
- My grandfather's car was broken into on a semi-regular basis parked outside of his house in the Durand.
- My grandfather's house was also broken into once that I know of (a laptop, some cash and jewellery were stolen).
That's all that I can think of that's happened in my lifetime. Not too bad, but not too great either. Hamilton does have crime, but it isn't really in-your-face like crime in Detroit or Baltimore (is reputed to be). Generally speaking, I would say that I felt safer walking alone at night on an empty street in Toronto when I lived there than in I do in Hamilton now, but that when I lived in London I felt more threatened (for whatever that's worth).
Again, part of the problem with Gage park is the proportional demographics. There are tonnes of scruffy people who hang out in London's Hyde Park or New York's Central, but even more respectable-looking people with their kids, jogging, cycling, (and in Hyde Park even riding horses) or just hanging out on benches or the lawn. It makes the place feel safer and more inviting to other respectable-looking people. For a long time Gage Park got a fair amount of bad press in the Hamilton media and I suppose it's never recovered in the eyes of the middle classes. The neighbourhood around it has gone downhill economically and there is little incentive for people to travel from other parts of town to use it.
Hmmm ... what else? Oh yes, the new gates look like shit.