Don’t get me wrong, Downtown Halifax is awesome as long as you don’t leave Spring Garden. Or, you know, at least try to avoid most of Barrington.
Sunday is the last day of Gingers tavern existence leaving yet another boarded up building front on that block. How many businesses have crumbled there in recent memory? The Doolys space continues to remain empty give the owners refusal to allow small businesses to move in and divide the space. Plus we go Sam’s right across the street, Frozen Ocean, someone thankfully filled in the book store’s closure on the Blowers Street corner. Let’s not forget disgusting cesspool hiding behind the Hollywood style building front next to the Neptune, lord knows the summertime heat will be a reminder of what’s in there.
To top off the general decay now we have several armed robberies in a single week: http://www.halifax.ca/Police/PoliceReports/index.asp
February 16th, GO #09-23434 & February 18th, GO #09-24503
For the cities dependence on tourist money it’s fast turning into a undesirable area for this coming tourist season.
But! But! Roads need widening! Streets need to not get plowed! Money needs to be pissed away on Commonwealth games and trade centre upgrades! I mean we failed in our branding campaign that our denizens were well educated (they all moved away), and that we have an amazing technology sector (that tanked) we’re bound to hit it with one of these attempts right? Why not the city of mismanagement? Gotta set the bar low so we can at least give ourselves a chace.
—Blah Blah Welcome to Halifax
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2009.
I hate seeing Barrington like this. I love our downtown. However, none of the businesses that want to move into those spaces can’t afford it. Rent on those properties is nutters. Big companies/retailers don’t move in because they don’t really move into those spots, and in all honesty, are the only ones who can afford it. Want to put blame on somebody? Blame the property owners. HRM has nothing to do with it, as they already pump a tonne of money into small businesses. I think the only way you’ll see the downtown revitalised is if a large office was opened in one of the open spaces. Last but not least, Ginger’s was a dump. Good riddance.
I didn’t know they were closing. I thought they were ok but that they could’ve stood to be closing their windows in the winter 😛
I’ve stopped walking Barrington altogether. Nothing to see….
and you forgot about the pawn shop and junk and foibles as well. How the sub/pita places survive is beyond me.
The only place I like going on that street now is ‘unselective play’.
Barrington is dirty and smells like pee. I remember back in the 80’s getting Chip&Pepper shirts at Renaissance. Those were good times.
don’t say that ‘hrm has nothing to do with it’. the businesses on barrington are taxed almost 12 times as much as a business of the same size in dartmouth crossing or bayers lake.
we have a mayor and council that doesn’t care about downtown halifax. what do we expect?
My sister was here visiting over Christmas. She went to Dalhousie some 10 years ago and has not been to Halifax for about 4 years since moving away for a job.
We were driving through downtown Halifax and she was rather alarmed at what she saw. She couldn’t believe how much it has deteriorated since she was here last. She took note of how many pan handlers and empty spaces there were.
its kinda like gaining a little bit of weight ever year. The people you see every day hardly notice, but people who have not seen you for years are shocked when they see you.
Its sad because barrington and the downtown in general used to have such a cool vibe.
I love Spring Garden – Barrington not so much. I only go there for the bookstore and the candy place. As for Ginger’s, I don’t care. The guy behind the bar was always an ass to me when I went in. It’s sad to see a business close, but when one of the only faces I see there is an asshole, part of me feels happy.
I was a regular at the old Gingers on Hollis and never liked the New Gingers – it could never recreate the atmosphere or character of its predecessor. Barrington Street used to be such a vital part of Halifax, now it is a dumping ground for bums and their rattling Timmy cups. What makes me ill is that the mayor sits in his fucking office overlooking this area and has yet to do squat about the continuing deterioration. It’s pretty bad when a smelley fucking pithole like Saint John, N.B. can revitalize their downtown while HRM couldn’t organize a piss up in a brewery.
They’re probably waiting long enough that the city will let them turn those spaces into Condos.
That’s not HRM’s fault though. Property taxes are set by property value and have every right to be collected. What would you rather? HRM raise taxes on residential properties and reduce taxes on business? The money’s gotta come from somewhere. HRM in general can’t get it’s act together in terms of proper snow clearing because they’re broke. It’s not mismanagement of money either. Sure, maybe the money that was spent on widening Chebucto wasn’t the best of ideas, but there’s no use in crying over spilled milk. So it’s either way, reduce taxes and further cripple what little ability we have as a city to function, or do the right thing and let large businesses move into the downtown area, and do what they do best, which is becoming core business area. Then again, to do that, we would have to make allowances to have buildings taller than two feet, which is a whole other topic. We can’t have it both ways people; you either want a vibrant downtown, or want small town charm. There was a time that sort of thing worked (20 years ago) but no longer. Do you want a vibrant downtown area, like that of Toronto or Montreal? Well, we need to think about how they do it. I actually think that we’re capable of it, but need to make sacrifices for it.
Ahhh things went downhill ever since Einstein’s CLothesline closed. It was the end of an era.
Damn I hated living in Halifax.
I havent forgotten about Junk and Foibles and the pawn shop :(. My aunts shopped there before I was even a blip on the horizon! And I bough umpteen cds from the pawn shop, the guy with that killer moustache (whos name Im forgetting) was always cheerful and full of fun banter!
With that being said, this was a good post, good comments. Overall a good read, even if it is a depressing subject.
PS: Last time I sat down on a bench in Grand Pre I went back into an office smelling like piss. Lovely I tell you.
The points about taxes and such are valid, but let’s look at the main reason downtown has become what it is, and that’s us, the consumer. It’s not a coincidence that the deterioration of downtown began after Bayers Lake was built. Everyone started swarming to the big box stores like they’d found Mecca. The smaller shops that were the heart of Barrington and surrounding streets couldn’t survive. We’re all so entranced with buying the latest gadget or wearing clothes that are the same monotonous blend-into-the-scenery look, that the little shops that had unique or different stuff for sale took a beating.
Things seem to be starting to shift a little bit and we’re realizing there’s a place for both chain and independent stores, that now we just need to find retailers who can take the chance and instill some life back into Barrington. I, for one, would welcome it. When I think of how great downtown was twenty years ago and look at it now, it makes me sad.
I didn’t know that Ginger’s was closing, I guess because I have moved away. That makes me sad.