Another Google Alert led me to a blog where someone mentioned coming to Niagara Falls. There was nothing terribly exciting about her visit, but her closing comments were interesting:
We couldn’t believe that for such a touristy place the town of Niagara is really well ….. a hole! The falls and this crazy street call Clifton Hill that looks something like the gold coast on steroids crossed between an amusement park is the only clean-new looking area.
I wonder if there are a lot of visitors who think this same thing?!
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Ive actually heard that quite a bit. For someone who hasnt been to the area before, if you wander off too far, I can see where you might not feel that secure. The downtown area isnt very inviting, especially late at night. And if you go too far down Lundy’s you might start asking what youve gotten yourself into. Best idea is to stay in Clifton or Fallsview areas. But Ive had a few people say things along these lines to me. Gosh, can you imagine how bad people freak out on the American side? Yikes….Someone walked in and shot himself this past weekend at the casino!
Yeah, I have some friends from the UK coming over this summer and they have been warned about the American side, lets just hope they heed the warning and don’t venture much past the state park. I did tell them to stay on the Canadian side though. Getting lost on the American side of Niagara Falls would be the ultimate vacation nightmare though!
I don’t think casino shootings are anything new, think about how often it probably happens in Vegas! Its a bigger deal for a small community like Niagara Falls though. He was playing blackjack or something, probably lost everything he owned, and then just decided to end his life right there. I do wonder how he was able to get a gun into the casino though as they are supposed to check for these things at the entrance (but anyone who has been to the Casino knows they have a very lax policy about letting people into the casino, they just want as many people to come in as possible because thats more money for them). At least he only shot himself and did not open fire on the casino, that would have been bad. Last summer there was also a guy that jumped off the roof of the parking ramp and killed himself.
I think that a lot of this misconception (I say that because I live here and there is no place in the city where I would not walk by myself)is a result of 2 things. The first is that the ‘downtown’ area, with all the empty stores, is definetely an eyesore that people assume is typical of the rest of the city. The second, and biggest, is that the tourist areas are gradually expanding into residential areas, so you end up with streets like Center St, Stanley Ave., Fallsview Blvd. and Clark St. where new hotels, restaurants, etc. can be right beside houses that are not in the best of shape because the owners know that they will eventually be redeveloped, so aren’t worth repairing.
I don’t think that this is unique to Niagara Falls. In any city, as you get away from the commercial or tourist areas into residential areas where there are fewer people, you get nervous because you are unfamiliar with the area even though it could be perfectly safe.
The only two places Ive ever felt a tad uneasy were the areas near Daily Planet night club (well after 12am) and the area near Super 8…where I saw quite a few “ladies of the night”. Other than that, never been anywhere I felt odd.
Stick to the People-Mover, and you’ll see all the good areas of Niagara Falls.
Niagara-on-the-Lake isn’t TECHNICALLY a part of Niagara Falls, but it’s a part of the Niagara experience, and that’s a gorgeous area during the summer. Parts just a little outside of the Great-Wolf area really need some help… but then again, you’re getting yourself into the residential & down-town area of the city.
Yes, even the Canadian side of the Falls has its bad side… so if you stick to the tourist area, or along the gorge, you’ll always see the good side of Niagara Falls. If you meander beyond there… then you’ll see the same bad side you see in many cities including Vegas, Atlantic City, and even Toronto!
It’s true, Niagara Falls is a gold-encrusted dump. Only certain areas look really nice, yet only a few steps away you get the dumpy feeling.
I have walked in areas of Niagara Falls that are outside of the so called tourist area. Some of them do not look very good. However, I also feel that this is true of pretty much any tourist location. You go to Orlando around Disney World and it is a real nice area but if you go closer to the downtown area you will come upon some not so nice areas. It is true of any area. You cannot ake an entire city look perfect and be free of crime. It would be nice but it isn’t pactical. The Cliston Hil area of Niagara Falls is my families favorite spot. We go pretty much every year and stay at the Quality Inn right in the middle of everything. I love it there and it is what it is suppose to be which is supply entertainment for the entire family.