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So before fall, I'm looking to leave my hometown of International Falls, Minnesota and come to Niagara Falls, New York. My biggest motivation for heading out there is so I can be close to my good friends and sort-of significant other in Toronto. Unfortunately it's next to impossible for an American to move, work and live permanently in Canada legally unless they have ridiculously high amounts of post-masters education in obscure, high-demand occupations or have billions of dollars and can start their own business that would be able to employ a certain number of Canadians full time. Yet all these people from Somalia, Southeast Asia, other parts of the Middle East and East Africa, where they don't know a lick of English or French, have no ties to Canada (and they're only there because Canada's allowing them, not because they have a love for Canada, it's people and culture), most are so poorly educated their only shot at a job is toilet scrubber or stocking the dollar store. Don't EVEN get me started about the Canadian government doing whatever it can to keep us evil Americans out of their country. So my hopes of living in Canada are pretty much dead.
Anyway, I put on my research hat and did some digging about Niagara Falls, NY. I've been there many, many times, and the only way I'd ever agree to live there is if the pedestrian gate to the Rainbow Bridge was as close as possible to my apartment. I think I found the place, and the manager seems awesome. My only concern is what I saw when I downloaded the app on the Apple Store for the Niagara County Sherrif Office, where you're taken to an inmate roster of everyone who has committed a crime in Niagara County, along with their photo, address, birthdate and what they did to wind up there. For a town like Niagara Falls, which has fewer people than Grand Forks, North Dakota, I was SHOCKED at how many violent felons live there. I am wondering if this is confined to a certain part of the city, because every time I've been there, I've never felt unsafe nor have I gotten a hint that this is some sort of town where felons who don't qualify for anything and can't get a job are just dumped off. One of these guys was even charged with 2nd degree murder which would've happened while I was there. I'm a news junkie and I would've remembered seeing that.
So is my area generally safe (Rainbow Blvd & 3rd St)? Someone was saying there's a new gym being built close by...does anyone know about this or any other new businesses coming to downtown, or will most of my time be spent walking across that bridge to the other Niagara Falls? I'm without a car, so does it make sense for a pedestrian to get one of those EZ cross or trusted traveller things that I see some drivers who cross the border a lot getting?
So before fall, I'm looking to leave my hometown of International Falls, Minnesota and come to Niagara Falls, New York. My biggest motivation for heading out there is so I can be close to my good friends and sort-of significant other in Toronto. Unfortunately it's next to impossible for an American to move, work and live permanently in Canada legally unless they have ridiculously high amounts of post-masters education in obscure, high-demand occupations or have billions of dollars and can start their own business that would be able to employ a certain number of Canadians full time. Yet all these people from Somalia, Southeast Asia, other parts of the Middle East and East Africa, where they don't know a lick of English or French, have no ties to Canada (and they're only there because Canada's allowing them, not because they have a love for Canada, it's people and culture), most are so poorly educated their only shot at a job is toilet scrubber or stocking the dollar store. Don't EVEN get me started about the Canadian government doing whatever it can to keep us evil Americans out of their country. So my hopes of living in Canada are pretty much dead.
Anyway, I put on my research hat and did some digging about Niagara Falls, NY. I've been there many, many times, and the only way I'd ever agree to live there is if the pedestrian gate to the Rainbow Bridge was as close as possible to my apartment. I think I found the place, and the manager seems awesome. My only concern is what I saw when I downloaded the app on the Apple Store for the Niagara County Sherrif Office, where you're taken to an inmate roster of everyone who has committed a crime in Niagara County, along with their photo, address, birthdate and what they did to wind up there. For a town like Niagara Falls, which has fewer people than Grand Forks, North Dakota, I was SHOCKED at how many violent felons live there. I am wondering if this is confined to a certain part of the city, because every time I've been there, I've never felt unsafe nor have I gotten a hint that this is some sort of town where felons who don't qualify for anything and can't get a job are just dumped off. One of these guys was even charged with 2nd degree murder which would've happened while I was there. I'm a news junkie and I would've remembered seeing that.
So is my area generally safe (Rainbow Blvd & 3rd St)? Someone was saying there's a new gym being built close by...does anyone know about this or any other new businesses coming to downtown, or will most of my time be spent walking across that bridge to the other Niagara Falls? I'm without a car, so does it make sense for a pedestrian to get one of those EZ cross or trusted traveller things that I see some drivers who cross the border a lot getting?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks guys!
Jon
One of the main benefits to NEXUS is getting special lanes when driving across and the extra bridge crossing at whirlpool. Don't think whirlpool does pedestrians.. so it may speed up the interview when walking across a bit but they are normally pretty fast anyway...
Once you walk across the bridge once, I have a feeling you won't want to make the return trip. The NY side is depressing, and that goes for essentially the entire city. You're probably pretty safe at that specific intersection, but some of the streets nearby (going up numerically--obviously there's not much room to go down from 3rd, heh) are probably where you'll find a decent number of those violent felons you've discovered
I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you enjoy living in NF more than I would. I like your writing style, BTW.
Before I go running, edit to say that although I'm no great fan of my hometown of Buffalo, I'd definitely recommend looking into the city of Buffalo and environs before I'd recommend the Falls. That said, it would be a longer walk to the border...cross at the Peace Bridge instead and go get some Chinese food in Fort Erie? See how serious your semi-significant other is by making SSO add an extra, IDK, 25 KM to the journey by going all the way to the last exit of the QEW.
In seriousness, though, if I knew I was sentenced to a stint in Niagara Falls NY without a car, I'd honestly be crossing the border every single day (is there some sort of limit on international border crossings?). One can only spend so much time at Seneca Niagara (and work in your case, I presume). I actually like the American side of the falls, but in terms of culture/most forms of recreation, it is nonexistent and minimal on the American side, respectively. And it is not entirely safe, no. I once got lost on foot in the area of the Falls in question (4th street and upwards), and I can't say I enjoyed the experience. Your mileage may vary, but know that the surroundings over there aren't very inviting. The few blocks between you and the border should be ok, though, heh
As I said, best of luck.
Last edited by Matt Marcinkiewicz; 06-08-2014 at 11:28 PM..
The city of Niagara Falls, NY is pretty much a craphole, I'm sorry to say. High crime, high unemployment, lots of boarded up businesses in downtown. However, there are some nice areas to go hiking down in the Niagara Gorge, just get away from the tourist trap of the Falls proper. Whirlpool park is quite nice. And if you head north out of NF, the drive along the river all the way to Fort Niagara is very nice.
The city of Niagara Falls, NY is pretty much a craphole, I'm sorry to say. High crime, high unemployment, lots of boarded up businesses in downtown. However, there are some nice areas to go hiking down in the Niagara Gorge, just get away from the tourist trap of the Falls proper. Whirlpool park is quite nice. And if you head north out of NF, the drive along the river all the way to Fort Niagara is very nice.
Stay away from niagara falls. Look into Lewiston or Youngstown, nice riverside towns with low crime, and just minutes from the border.
It's funny! Everything you all have said was pretty much told to me by local acquaintances who said 'you know, there's a reason why there's nothing happening downtown in Niagara Falls...are you sure you're not just in awe of the novelty of saying you live in Niagara Falls? Because that's going to wear away really fast. Like in December when it's -10 out and you're standing outside looking for a bagel shop only to find everything closed!'. I love my friends in Toronto, but I'm torn. There was something about Niagara Falls that kind of got to me when I first visited. As an American I felt obligated to help in any way to support a place that has a lot of historical meaning to me (my grandma is from there), I love New York, and many things about Niagara Falls reminds me about the northernmost part of Minnesota here (except we have tons of people who link their heritage to Sweden and Norway, and I noticed a lot of Italians in Niagara Falls. And as much as I love Canada, I didn't care much for the attitude of Niagara Falls, Ontario folks who come across as thinking they're better than we are (not all but some). That kind of wants to make me defend Niagara Falls, NY. However, after the shooting on Wednesday I saw online, I don't know how safe I'd feel there. I really loved that apartment building I visited at 250 Rainbow (Jefferson Niagara Apartments) but I've looked at the lack of jobs paired up with the crime level. For a city that has a comparable population or Grand Forks, North Dakota, that have me anxiety...like if I were to find a job in Niagara Falls, NY, would I spend so much time working for a low wage that I'd never be able to see much of Toronto?
Someone brought up living downtown in Buffalo and walking over to Fort Erie - thank you for that input and I'm looking into that. Without a car, I really need to centrally located so I can walk to where I go. And I like Buffalo. As long as there's a gym like the 'Y' or JCC downtown I'm happy. Is it me or are a lot of former NYC residents coming to Buffalo (NYC is still on my list of places to see).
On another note, please keep in mind...I collect patches from places in the USA and a Niagara Falls is the last on my list. As long as the patch somehow indicates Niagara Falls NY or Niagara Falls USA I'd be interested in talking to you more. I saw a cool patch of Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls, USA. Just send me a note.
I guess I don't understand why you need to be close to the Rainbow Bridge to be able to walk across it to Canada if your friends and significant other live in Toronto. The other side of the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls Ontario is really not a representation of Canada. It would be like saying Las Vegas is what the U.S is all about. As several posters have pointed out, downtown Niagara Falls except for the area immediately adjacent to the state park and the stretch of Falls St. between the park and the casino is pretty bleak and kind of spooky due to the lack of people especially in the non summer months. I am a native of NF NY and I sincerely wish it were different but it isn't. I love Canada too and I can see why you want to live close by but living in NF NY may not be your best choice.
I tend to agree with the other posters here. Niagara Falls, NY has a lot of potential, but very little actually going on. It keeps losing population to the point of it having less than 50,000 people now, and most of that population is the poor and unemployed. If you want to be a pioneer and fight for the city, that city desperately needs champions, and it has an awesome, dedicated mayor that would be happy to have you. But, really, all that said, given your life situation, it sounds like a bad idea.
First of all, you say you don't have a car. NF NY has very little public transportation. It also is pretty sparse on the necessities like grocery stores that you would need if you lived there. Also - I don't necessarily see how it's useful to be to be able to get across the bridge quite so easy if your SO lives in the Toronto area. Niagara Falls, Canada is way nicer than NF NY, but it's not a particularly prosperous city either - and the part near the Rainbow Bridge is similar to a corny, old school version of Las Vegas. And it doesn't matter anyway, because you couldn't find work there as an American.
I live within a couple blocks of downtown Buffalo and I don't own a car. My ex-roommate, who also didn't own a car, moved to Buffalo from Chicago in a similar situation to you. He was dating a girl that lives in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto) and wanted to be closer to her. Whenever he wanted to go to Canada, he would walk the few blocks to the bus station and take Megabus or Greyhound Canada, which costs about $20-25 each way. He moved there full-time last August by going back to school (using an educational visa) and they are planning to get married sometime next year, which will allow him to get on track for citizenship. Downtown Buffalo isn't the most vibrant downtown there is and the whole city of Buffalo definitely has its problems, but compared to NF NY, it's hopping and prosperous. Downtown, there are many restaurants and small businesses where you could find work and it's central to a pretty good and vast public transportation system that could take you to other employment locations and shopping areas. Downtown does have a couple of gyms, such as the Buffalo Athletic Center downtown branch (you mentioned that in a previous post). All in all, given your situation, I would recommend living in downtown Buffalo or one of the neighborhoods walkable to downtown, like Allentown or the Lower West Side.
For a town like Niagara Falls, which has fewer people than Grand Forks, North Dakota, I was SHOCKED at how many violent felons live there. I am wondering if this is confined to a certain part of the city, because every time I've been there, I've never felt unsafe nor have I gotten a hint that this is some sort of town where felons who don't qualify for anything and can't get a job are just dumped off. One of these guys was even charged with 2nd degree murder which would've happened while I was there. I'm a news junkie and I would've remembered seeing that.
Welcome to NF, don't feel bad or feel surprised, they've been covering up violent crime in the Falls for over a decade. It's not coincidence you don't hear about what happens here. They are afraid that reporting on violent crime is gonna scare away tourists... Not when the tourists get robbed at gunpoint. Lol no it's the "media" making it "look bad" not the masked up goons with guns lol
Last edited by Streetnews; 10-23-2014 at 04:10 AM..
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