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I'm currently in town until this coming Tuesday with my family, currently staying at a hotel in Deerfield.
Today (7/28/13) I decided to go off on my own and just drive through the actual city around 4 PM, and see how things have changed since I left. I was going south on 75 and got off at the Ezzard Charles exit and headed straight for the heart of OTR. My actual intentions were to drive past one of my friend's bars on 12th. On my way, I passed Washington Park and was stopped at the light at 12th and Elm. I (dangerously) parked my car on 12th in front of his bar and decided to have a walk around.
Now please don't bash the hell out of me OTR freaks, but this place seems to be a ****hole when there isn't any events happening in the city. There were homeless people everywhere around the park and I was approached and asked for drugs by an obviously insane man.
What happened? Or has it just always been like that since the major renovations? This place is just scary! And the immediate area around it that I always hear being hyped and positively ranted about was no different.
Anyone want to explain, support, or rage at me about what I saw?
I thought they ran the homeless out of there. Maybe it was more because of the festival downtown. More police were focused on that event. A few years back a policeman ran up onto the grass and killed a homeless woman that was laying on the ground under a cover. The police were never charged.
Im not sure how it is normally without any events downtown.
Um, what the hell are you talking about? I just rode my bike up Elm today and there were hundreds if not thousands of people dressed up and walking to Music Hall for an event. There were so many people there was a traffic jam entering the garage.
They definitely haven't completely eradicated the homeless population from lingering in the area but no, I have not had the same experience as you. I go to that area pretty frequently and haven't had a problem. Some of the side streets near there though are still some time away from what I'd consider "comfortable."
Really? I do believe that you probably saw a bunch of people hanging out at the park, but umm...it's a park and that's a good thing. It's a wonderful mix of people down there. I can't think of anything remotely dangerous about parking down there.
I'm thinking you're looking out a different set of lenses because the park is definitely not going back t how it was. It's getting more and more accessible to everybody daily.
I've not seen much of that, even at night. I've walked from Vine Street to the Washington Park garage without hardly seeing a soul, save a few other couples on a stroll. I have also been there on non-event days and seen families playing with children, with few scary characters in sight. I'm sure that there were some of the homeless around, it's just that they need to behave the same way they do at Fountain Square.
3CDC hired their own special security to make people feel safe in and around the park, and from what I have seen, it is working. Homeless advocates didn't like this approach, because they felt it unfairly targeted the homeless. What they don't seem to realize is that they aren't targeting people, only bad behavior.
Bhiggins -- I'm sorry you got panhandled/pestered. As you know that has always happened in downtown/OTR and will continue probably forever...
Washington park is super awesome, I'm down there all the time with my family and kids. I've never had anyone ask me for drugs. I would find that unsettling.
I'm currently in town until this coming Tuesday with my family, currently staying at a hotel in Deerfield.
Today (7/28/13) I decided to go off on my own and just drive through the actual city around 4 PM, and see how things have changed since I left. I was going south on 75 and got off at the Ezzard Charles exit and headed straight for the heart of OTR. My actual intentions were to drive past one of my friend's bars on 12th. On my way, I passed Washington Park and was stopped at the light at 12th and Elm. I (dangerously) parked my car on 12th in front of his bar and decided to have a walk around.
Now please don't bash the hell out of me OTR freaks, but this place seems to be a ****hole when there isn't any events happening in the city. There were homeless people everywhere around the park and I was approached and asked for drugs by an obviously insane man.
What happened? Or has it just always been like that since the major renovations? This place is just scary! And the immediate area around it that I always hear being hyped and positively ranted about was no different.
Anyone want to explain, support, or rage at me about what I saw?
You need to get around OTR more. I can tell you aren't used to an urban environment, or at least not used to a little urban grit. Washington Park is fine. My kid is there several times a week. I think one of the biggest points of success with Washington Park is that the new set up does not exclude anyone. Well, maybe the drug dealers who aren't there anymore. But, typically, there are a lot of homeless folks from the Drop In Center who hang around on 12 Street. Some of them come into the park and hang on the grass. Honestly, I don't know why you find that a problem, other than you simply aren't a city person. No harm in that. Spend more time in OTR. Get used to being around others who aren't like you, and enjoy the diversity.
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