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[Vijay19]

I think 9 pm is optimistic - doesn't City Centre close earlier than that? Yes, little downtown is open late but that goes beyond the bank to "safety issues" or maybe perceptions.

Somehow lots of other cities manage to keep retail stores open in the evening, but apparently downtown is too scary for Edmontonians to venture into after dark.

There are some legitimate issues, but we also need to get a grip on things and quit falling prey to fear.

You lead the way. Other than Rice Howard Way, 104 St and right around the arena you wouldn't catch me walking around downtown by myself after 10:00. Nope nope nope the crazies love the dark, dingy downtown too much for me to risk it, and believe me I am not a person who lives in fear, just your average dude exercising common sense.

 

[David A]

I work downtown and often work late, I have walked around downtown after 9pm a number of times and survived it. Yes, there are some scary looking people around, but for the most part if you don't get too close to them you will probably be fine.

I am a person that isn't easily fearful, but I find with some people, pften perception and fear are exagerated.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Well I do agree that one should keep an eye out when walking in the downtown late at night but with that said I often have to walk from Rogers Place to 107ave or to Churchill square or even once and awhile to north of the Epcor tower, Or northwards from the Convention Center to 95 St or wherever I have to park in the Quarters and have never encountered any issues.

 

[God]

Ya I was out drinking on Thursday and me and my buddies were out until 2 am and there were a solid amount of people walking out and about. Plenty of singles and couples. Only encountered one shady guy but that’s it, he was just shady.

 

[Vijay19]

My buddy was walking by himself after some drinks at about midnight and got robbed and assaulted by a couple vagrants just west of Home and Away Bar. You take your chances I guess.

 

[Clearshades]

Drunk and alone is not the wises decision to make. The hazard occurred because there was no pre assessments for danger.

 

[David A]

My buddy was walking by himself after some drinks at about midnight and got robbed and assaulted by a couple vagrants just west of Home and Away Bar. You take your chances I guess.

As if downtown is the only place something bad ever happened to someone stumbling out of a bar. Whyte Ave is full of such stories too.

More than a few murders have happened on Whyte Ave, yet somehow everyone still goes there and its considered relatively safe.

 

[Vijay19]

As if downtown is the only place something bad ever happened to someone stumbling out of a bar. Whyte Ave is full of such stories too.

More than a few murders have happened on Whyte Ave, yet somehow everyone still goes there and its considered relatively safe.

You are the one who started providing anecdotal accounts of it being safe to walk around downtown, so I provided an anecdotal example of that not necessarily being accurate. Of course there is risk no matter where you go of violence occurring if alcohol is involved, that goes without saying. However, with the high number of homeless people downtown with significant substance abuse and mental health problems, I think the risk is more significant than your average community. One just has to walk around downtown during the day, let alone at night, and see the number of homeless people yelling at themselves or other people because they are either in a drug induced psychosis or have severe mental health problems, or both. Those are not the people I want to encounter at night by myself. If you are comfortable doing so have at it, but to suggest people are overreacting with their concern is nonsense.

 

[God]

Sucks that happened to your friend. However, the only way to really prevent things like that happening is by going out. If everyone thinks it’s unsafe and doesn’t go out then it would make it easier for muggers to mug people like that that are just stragglers walking around alone. I go out a lot and over the past 3 years I’ve seen lots of things change. When covid first hit, people were at home and no one was going out to bars for drinks. When bars first started opening up again last year, people were just starting to ease to it and there weren’t a crazy amount of people out and about. Which made shady people way more noticeable, and those shady people had they had shady intentions wouldn’t have many eyes to worry about. Things right now have gotten way better over the summer. Edmonton last year felt like a small town compared to now. Plenty of people walking out and about at night and that’s what you need in a city. More people outside makes people feel safe compared to everyone in hiding at home complaining about safety. Sucks what happened to your friend really. I promise you the same thing would’ve happened to him in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary tho.

 

[Vijay19]

Sucks that happened to your friend. However, the only way to really prevent things like that happening is by going out. If everyone thinks it’s unsafe and doesn’t go out then it would make it easier for muggers to mug people like that that are just stragglers walking around alone. I go out a lot and over the past 3 years I’ve seen lots of things change. When covid first hit, people were at home and no one was going out to bars for drinks. When bars first started opening up again last year, people were just starting to ease to it and there weren’t a crazy amount of people out and about. Which made shady people way more noticeable, and those shady people had they had shady intentions wouldn’t have many eyes to worry about. Things right now have gotten way better over the summer. Edmonton last year felt like a small town compared to now. Plenty of people walking out and about at night and that’s what you need in a city. More people outside makes people feel safe compared to everyone in hiding at home complaining about safety. Sucks what happened to your friend really. I promise you the same thing would’ve happened to him in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary tho.

Haha fret not, I still go out downtown, just don’t walk around by myself when it’s late. I think more people being downtown will partially work towards resolving peoples concerns about safety. Unfortunately, I don’t think people are going to venture into other parts of downtown other than 104 St, Ice District and Rice Howard Way outside of the weekend until there is significant improvements to the infrastructure so it feels much more walkable and safe. Good news is it’s miles ahead where it was five years ago.

 

[God]

Yeah I agree. I was out walking on 102 Ave yesterday on the western incomplete side and it’s really exciting knowing it’ll be a completely different feel in 5 years.

 

[EdmTrekker]

Ya I was out drinking on Thursday and me and my buddies were out until 2 am and there were a solid amount of people walking out and about. Plenty of singles and couples. Only encountered one shady guy but that’s it, he was just shady.

Out where and the street?

 

[God]

Warehouse district then made our way down 107 st near the legislature then headed to the left down east and took the staircase in the valley down.

 

[David A]

You are the one who started providing anecdotal accounts of it being safe to walk around downtown, so I provided an anecdotal example of that not necessarily being accurate. Of course there is risk no matter where you go of violence occurring if alcohol is involved, that goes without saying. However, with the high number of homeless people downtown with significant substance abuse and mental health problems, I think the risk is more significant than your average community. One just has to walk around downtown during the day, let alone at night, and see the number of homeless people yelling at themselves or other people because they are either in a drug induced psychosis or have severe mental health problems, or both. Those are not the people I want to encounter at night by myself. If you are comfortable doing so have at it, but to suggest people are overreacting with their concern is nonsense.

Well it seems to be a draw then. To some degree it is nonsense. Some people are just easily frightened or buy into hysteria particularly when the anecdotes fit their preconceptions or stereotypes.

I lived two blocks from Whyte Ave, when a very well publicized murder occurred there years ago. I didn't move because of and interestingly, people didn't seem to avoid the area after at all.

I am still alive and so are the other people who didn't avoid the area because of one terrible random thing. Yes, there sketchy people downtown, but unless you get right in their face or try to antagonize them you will probably be fine.

But, live in fear if you want.

 

[JNO1]

The construction crew was hard at work yesterday on the big pit on 103 Ave. I asked one of the guys when they were going to be done and he said the were “hoping” for mid October. Here’s hoping they hit that.
In other news a crew was applying vinyl window covering to the second floor over the Oilers store. Just the second floor, nothing on the main floor windows.