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What parts of the GTA do you think are worst in terms of crime, ghettoness, etc.? And what parts do you think are going downhill, and may become worse in the future?
I think right now, in the city of Toronto Jane and Finch, Rexdale, Lawrence Heights ("The Jungle"), and some areas of east Toronto like Regent Park are pretty bad. Also, Malvern and some other areas of Scarborough. According to this map, The Star it looks like the whole area around Weston and Eglinton is pretty bad too, and that is an area I don't hear about as much as a crime spot, compared to others I've mentioned. Outside the city itself, Brampton is probably worst, and I'd rank it as the number one area that is going downhill. There have been at least 2 random murders lately in which a random youth was killed by a bunch of young gang members, in Brampton. Both in relatively affluent parts of Brampton too. I'd say there's a good chance that in the near future, most of Brampton will be perceived as a bad area, except maybe Heart Lake and the really rich part of Castlemore.
Mississauga seems to be going downhill a bit in parts, like Meadowvale, and Malton is already pretty bad. But overall I can't see it becoming like Brampton.
All in all, I would say that Jane and Finch, and small areas like Jamestown Cres. in Rexdale would be the only parts of Toronto that could compare to American ghettos. And even then, they would only compare to regular American ghettos, not the worst of the worst.
What do you all think are the GTA's worst parts?
Last edited by Redrum237; 10-27-2009 at 01:27 PM..
Yeah, it's definitely not as bad as ones in Detroit, southside Chicago, etc. But it could compare to some American ghettos at least, or at very minimum, comes closer than anywhere else in Toronto or perhaps even all of Canada does to being like an American ghetto.
Jane and Finch has cleared up a lot. I'd say some pretty bad areas are:
-Lawrence Heights (Lawrence and Bathurst) which is kind of ironic, since it is next to one of the richest areas in Toronto (Forest Hill/Cedarvale.)
-Regent Park, and Moss Park (Between Queen/Jarvis to Gerrard and River), lots of subsidized housing, low-income families, high crime rate.
-Rexdale (Kipling/Finch) , and anywhere along Commissioners, isolated, lots of homeless people.
-Scarborough has some pretty nasty areas, anywhere along Progress Road. Vic Park turns nice south of Kingston Road, but it's pretty sketchy anywhere else. Malverns also not that great.
-Flemingdon Park, and Thorncliffe Park (pretty much ajacent to eachother, (Eglinton/ Laird to Eglinton/Don Mills) lots of low-income housing.
-St. James Town (Bloor/Jarvis) isn't that nice.
-Also, parts of East York can be a little ghetto.
Jane and Finch has cleared up a lot. I'd say some pretty bad areas are:
-Lawrence Heights (Lawrence and Bathurst) which is kind of ironic, since it is next to one of the richest areas in Toronto (Forest Hill/Cedarvale.)
-Regent Park, and Moss Park (Between Queen/Jarvis to Gerrard and River), lots of subsidized housing, low-income families, high crime rate.
-Rexdale (Kipling/Finch) , and anywhere along Commissioners, isolated, lots of homeless people.
-Scarborough has some pretty nasty areas, anywhere along Progress Road. Vic Park turns nice south of Kingston Road, but it's pretty sketchy anywhere else. Malverns also not that great.
-Flemingdon Park, and Thorncliffe Park (pretty much ajacent to eachother, (Eglinton/ Laird to Eglinton/Don Mills) lots of low-income housing.
-St. James Town (Bloor/Jarvis) isn't that nice.
-Also, parts of East York can be a little ghetto.
Yeah, that seems like a fairly good list of the ones in the city of Toronto. I'd still say JnF is probably worst though (I mean the general larger area...there may be small isolated pockets that are worse, but the JnF neighborhood is pretty large).
I'd say as far as suburbs go, there are comparitively bad parts of Brampton and Mississauga (well, at least Malton). Brampton in general unfortunately seems to be going downhill. For instance in late years, there've been two instances in which a random youth was attacked and killed by a mob of other youths who were strangers to him. Both happened in relatively affluent, or at least middle class, parts of town. I haven't heard too much of such occurences taking place in the city of Toronto.
My 88 year old grandmother still travels to Jane and Finch to see her doctor that she had 40 years ago when it used to be a nicer area. Granted it's probably different during the daytime than it is at night.
I spend a fair bit of time around Thorncliffe Park which is a low-income/high-density/public housing community. I've always felt perfectly safe there.
All of the problems that I had a late-night clubgoer were always near Regent Park/Queen Street East. The core area of Regent Park is now supposedly being really fixed up.
My 88 year old grandmother still travels to Jane and Finch to see her doctor that she had 40 years ago when it used to be a nicer area. Granted it's probably different during the daytime than it is at night.
I spend a fair bit of time around Thorncliffe Park which is a low-income/high-density/public housing community. I've always felt perfectly safe there.
All of the problems that I had a late-night clubgoer were always near Regent Park/Queen Street East. The core area of Regent Park is now supposedly being really fixed up.
Regent Park actually looks a LOT nicer now than it did before it was renovated. Still, looks can be deceiving, so I wouldn't wager that the crime has gone away just because of a spiffy new appearance.
All that's happening in Regent Park is the slum is being substituted with a new median, building brand new spiffy condo's won't solve anything in regards to poverty and isolation from the rest of the working world.
All that's happening in Regent Park is the slum is being substituted with a new median, building brand new spiffy condo's won't solve anything in regards to poverty and isolation from the rest of the working world.
This is true- adding middle class to the mix of people in Regent Park isn't necessarily making the poor people any more welathy
I lived most of my life in forest hill and for the last five years i been living in the jane and finch area and for sure there more low income and immigrant families at jane and finch and a lot of ontario housing but other than that i see no difference in crime.Iin forest hill there was more thefts, house invasions and auto thefts and the drugs are there believe me. jane and finch does not compare to american ghettos where the murder rate is three or four times higher and gangs bother anyone that doesnt live there, try living in harlem Newyork or east L.A and you will realize that jane and finch is safe compare to those places. the crime rate in Toronto is really low in any area of the city: if you want hardcore go to Mexico city or Medellin colombia. j and F or regent park is heaven compare to those places.
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