ugh, why is halifax such a terminally boring, stagnant shithole of a place??
This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2008.
yawn city
ugh, why is halifax such a terminally boring, stagnant shithole of a place??
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Are you kidding???Did you not notice the thousands of hockey fans that were just here for the Worlds?Or see any runners for the huge Bluenose Marathon this weekend?And if you’re still not impressed….the summer is where it’s at!Jazz Fest, Buskers, Concerts on the Commons, etc.Wake up!!! Halifax is great 🙂
ok, first off, you had to have some serious cash to go to them world championships. Second, watching other people run, might not be fun for many people. Many cities have jazz fest (with far more bands and venues) Concerts on the commons? This city cried so much that Celine Dion cancelled, and what makes you think that everyone wants to see the shit they are booking there this year? Buskers? Great, so after the 3 hours it takes to see the acts that are terrrifc, what else did you propose someone do? People here have to get it through the heads, there is lots of shit to do….. but there is FAR more shit they could be doing, but not enough working together here to get it done. You get lots of people like the editors of the papers in this city, that spend so much time telling everyone what cant be done, that you arent going to have the things that people from other cities want to do when they get here.You have so much trumpeting about wanting to be a world class city, but in the grand scheme of things, the infighting in this city is why the world will exapnd and grow and modernize and halifax will still be the same thing it was on a previous visit. I came here as a kid. I did the citadel tour and the boat tours and so and so…… i move here 20 years later…. not much has changed for a tourist. Still the same things to do.oh, i give it about 1-2 more shows at the commons before the complaints outnumber the cheers. People in the area complained a lot and wont tolerate that shit for too much longer. This city cant get its act together when it comes to the acts for these shows. Here is what you dont know, we bid for the eagles and a few other concerts of aging nostalgia like acts. However, if the people that had been in position to make the calls did the research, we could have had Edgefest and many festivals like it. Multiple bands which could have pleased lots, booths that could have been for local shops to ply thier wares. This good stuff has NO cahnce of coming here as long as people like these editors question EVERY single thing.
Concerts on the Commons, good lord, they’re competing for the space to the extent that we don’t know what to do with them all!!!! Nothing really happens in the summer either, only 2 weeks of entertainment during the Busker’s and back the same old stuff. Bluenose Marathon. Whoa slow down there, i can’t contain the excitement. Difference between World Hockey and the mooseheads, they’re pretty much the same, same skill level and same ugly players! I think of all the posters in here regarding this issue, Homie and I understand where most of these people are coming from. Halifax is seriously lacking and that will never change simply because we have the so called “Historic Society” that will keep halifax back in the drinking age. Honestly, i don’t think halifax was much different from early 1900’s or even 1800’s. It’s still a place for people to come here for food, booze, and women. I don’t think it changed!
you are probably just a terminally boring, stagnant shithole of a person.halifax is what you make of it. if you are a pessimist who expects fun to come to you and beat you about the head, yeah, i imagine it would be quite boring. but if you actually go out and experience the culture and the people and keep an open mind about what is “fun” you’ll have no problem. go to a place like alberta where there is NO live music scene, the only things in bars are VLTs, there are very few festivals or events, and there are no museums or galleries of any kind. maybe edmonton and calgary, but thats quite a drive to experience a fraction of the culture you get in the maritimes.art galleries, bars, restaurants, cafes, MANY museums, jazz festival, the waterfront, buskers, drinking Keiths on an outdoor patio, sports tournaments, beer-leagues for every sport imaginable, singles events, dog walks, concerts, talented musicians at EVERY venue you go to, a wide variety of food from every culture, Acadie Fest, and not to mention a midway fair going on in exhibition park as i type this. if that’s not enough options for you, then you are either drunk right now or a person who will never be happy. what more could any place honestly have to offer? unless you are on your way to amsterdam or some crazy shit like that, i have a feeling you’ll be back soon.
Thank you anony. I too am getting tired of the “there’s nothing to do here” whiners. You’re right – if you can’t find things to do here, there’s something wrong with you. I just spent a fantastic long weekend hanging out with friends, going to the market, taking a trip to the south shore for a mussel festival, watching hockey at a pub, among other things. There’s lots to do here. Just look outside the huge concert/amusement park/professional sporting event box.
I also understand where these “Halifax is boring” people are coming from. But why sit and bitch about it? If Halifax isn’t offering what you need, why stay? As Coyotex keeps insisting: “Halifax costs more and offers less”. So why stay if you don’t like what is being offered? There are more and better opportunities elsewhere in this country.My question is, can’t all the “halifax is boring” people see where those of us who love Halifax are coming from? There are lots of people who enjoy what this city has to offer and instead of being bored by familiar things, they find comfort in it. I like seeing the same band multiple times. Or eating an ice-cream in the public gardens on a saturday. Or running along citadel hill for the view. Different cities have different vibes and different things to do. Halifax is a smaller city and so has fewer choices than some people may be used to, but what do you expect? We don’t have the population to support all of the different festivals and bars and clubs and whatever that you have in Montreal and Toronto and Vancouver. Halifax is different, no better, no worse, just different, so you have to get used to the differences and embrace them, or move on to where you will be happier, or just shut up and grumble to yourself. I’ll be out enjoying the city with the rest of Halifax.
Basically the poster was referring to halifax and not the entire maritimes. Halifax being the largest city in the maritimes should offer more what moncton does and it doesn’t.”MANY museums”, I had no idea the museum of natural history was the compilation of many museums.art galleries: I didn’t know that The Art Gallery of NS was referred to as art Galleries, not to mention that over the last 2 years of so, they’ve had the same displays. been there twice within a span of a year.Jazz Fest, buskers and Keith on an outdoor patio: guaranteed in every other city.sports tournaments: I am still in Halifax?beer-leagues for every sport imaginable, talented musicians at EVERY venue you go to: Now i know I’m not in halifax.Acadie Fest: I had no idea this existed. Last i checked it’s all in Shediac NB!midway fair going on in exhibition park as i type this: I just checked the exhibition park website and they have it listed for last weekend. Which just ended. It also goes back to the poor advertising they put. I haven’t seen or heard of any of this going on for the weekend!The same thing happened for this festival of free flight. That would have been neat to go see except i had no idea it was here until monday morning, when it was all done! They tend to advertise or write about stuff here after the fact and not before it begins!
What about the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic? Does that not count? The Pier 21 Immigration Museum? The Dartmouth Heritage Museum? The Cole Harbour Farm Museum? Fultz House Museum in Lower Sackville?As for art galleries, what about the Anna Leonowens gallery? Argyle Fine Art Gallery? Zwickers Gallery? Studio 21 Fine Art? Do these galleries not count?See what I mean about thinking outside the box? Just because it’s not the main museum or gallery doesn’t mean it’s not still great and absolutely worth a visit. Open your mind, just a little.
Coyotex your ignorance proves you have never actually tried to do any of the wonderful things this city has to offer.
Halfax is a way better place to live than Moncton. Sure it may have Magnetic hill and full-contact strippers….but you think those things wouldn’t get as boring as buskerfest and citadel hill? You can do everything there is to do in Moncton in much less time than Halifax.
Not every room that someone puts a bunch of useless stuff inside counts as a gallery or a museum. I do recognize the maritime museum of the atlantic, I forgot about that one.Fred, the hair salon space on North street classifies itself as an art gallery. Do you? I certainly don’t.You haven’t really seen real museums and art galleries.No offence to anyone, but seriously I wish i could take you all and show you what I’ve seen from museums to large scale amusement parks to art galleries to you name it, even just normal parks. You think point pleasant park is the it park. We’re talking huge museums. Much larger than any in NS. I love museums. I’ve been to the both here, except for pier 21, I’ve seen it’s profile and not really interested because it really has nothing special to see! The museum of natural history has more entertainment. It’s really hard to explain why we say what we say. We don’t just say it, We’ve experienced it.Everytime i want to go bowling, since i’m using to bowling the large bowls, they’re always broken and they never fix them.It would be really nice to have an amusement park. Lots a space and money for it. It will not harm to put one in this province. Make it indoors. Operate it all year around and used geothermal or solar heating, or even both to split the load. Do we have such thinking minds in NS, no we don’t, because when you have such an idea, they dismiss it as imaginary. What’s wrong with having a nice large fun amusement park?!
Yes i’m sure Jennie. That’s exactly what it is, unlike you, i’ve never been to BC, ON, NB, AB and QC. Not to mention Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Florida, Dubai and Kuwait. It’s amazing that Halifax has more to offer. according to you, you know more about what other places have to offer. I’m sure you’re sensing the sarcasm by now!
I’m not going to list every single country I’ve been to, Coyotex, but let’s just say I too am well traveled. I’ve visited several continents, and many major metropolitan centres. I appreciate big cities for what they can offer, but I also enjoy smaller areas (like Halifax) for what they have too, although they’re not always as glamorous or impressive.
im going to go with coyotex and miles about the lack of things to do. Naming all the things that you might like to visit might not interest everyone. They are also the kinda places that you visit once every couple of years and hope things there have changed. You could do all the musuems and galleries in this city at the rate of one a day, but after a month, you dont have anything to do. Combine that with the many bars which are mirrors of each other in many cases downtown. As i explained to my friends that were here for the black tournament, this is a great place to slow down to. However, i also explained that all the people that want to have progress and build and get things a little more hopping here, shoot everything down. Progress is minimal here. Regardless of what the locals think, the little stuff that this place gets is not really much compared to many cities of its size in this country. The alluding to Moncton getting more and moving ahead quicker is bang on the money. There, the vision is to the future, here, the preservation of the past seems to be paramount. Unfortunately, those that want to move forward at a decent rate are outnumbered by those that like the historical side of things here.
im going to go with coyotex and miles about the lack of things to do. Naming all the things that you might like to visit might not interest everyone. They are also the kinda places that you visit once every couple of years and hope things there have changed. You could do all the musuems and galleries in this city at the rate of one a day, but after a month, you dont have anything to do. Combine that with the many bars which are mirrors of each other in many cases downtown. As i explained to my friends that were here for the black tournament, this is a great place to slow down to. However, i also explained that all the people that want to have progress and build and get things a little more hopping here, shoot everything down. Progress is minimal here. Regardless of what the locals think, the little stuff that this place gets is not really much compared to many cities of its size in this country. The alluding to Moncton getting more and moving ahead quicker is bang on the money. There, the vision is to the future, here, the preservation of the past seems to be paramount. Unfortunately, those that want to move forward at a decent rate are outnumbered by those that like the historical side of things here.
im going to go with coyotex and miles about the lack of things to do. Naming all the things that you might like to visit might not interest everyone. They are also the kinda places that you visit once every couple of years and hope things there have changed. You could do all the musuems and galleries in this city at the rate of one a day, but after a month, you dont have anything to do. Combine that with the many bars which are mirrors of each other in many cases downtown. As i explained to my friends that were here for the black tournament, this is a great place to slow down to. However, i also explained that all the people that want to have progress and build and get things a little more hopping here, shoot everything down. Progress is minimal here. Regardless of what the locals think, the little stuff that this place gets is not really much compared to many cities of its size in this country. The alluding to Moncton getting more and moving ahead quicker is bang on the money. There, the vision is to the future, here, the preservation of the past seems to be paramount. Unfortunately, those that want to move forward at a decent rate are outnumbered by those that like the historical side of things here.
Awesome Jennie, i supposed you travelled to non-listed countries? Is that why you find halifax more appealing than any other country you visited. Ok Jennie, don’t list a country, but be honest, do you really think that whatever museum you visited wasn’t much larger and more fun than the ones we have put together?
I have been to “real museums” and “real art galleries”. I know what you are talking about, but those great museums were all in cities at least 3 times the size of Halifax. You need people to go to the museums in order for them to stay open. We have an amusement park (Upper Clements). It’s not a huge park, because we can’t support a huge park. If there was money to be made, there would be someone to take up the opportunity. Halifax has what it can support. It’s not a large city…so naturally it doesn’t have all the amenities some people might be used to. But just because we don’t have “such and such” doesn’t make this place a shithole. It’s insulting to suggest we like it because we don’t know any better. We like it for what it is and manage to entertain ourselves with the resources we have at our disposal. Coyotex, you have been here 15 years and still wish you were somewhere else it seems. How will you ever be happy here, if you keep focusing on what Halifax does not offer? Try embracing the things it has going for it instead of comparing it to the other places you have lived or experienced.
“Not every room that someone puts a bunch of useless stuff inside counts as a gallery or a museum.”LOL @ that…. i agree. Some of the “galleries” where this stuff is called art, are suspect at best. Mind you big cities have these waste of times as well. What up with me triple banging on that last post?
entertain me Halifax!!! I hate you so much and never think anything positive about you as a city or the people who live here. But I’m board so entertain me. Fuck!
Ok Coyotex, I’ll play your silly little game. I’ve been to big galleries/museums. I’ve been to the MET in NYC, the Tate in London, the Louvre in Paris, etc. Yes, they’re wonderful. No, Halifax doesn’t have places of that caibre here. But that doesn’t mean what we do have is crap. Why does smaller/less famous have to equal bad?Honestly, you sound like such a miserable person.
Coyotex has unrealistic expectations for Halifax, and will always be disappointed. Halifax does well considering its size and somewhat isolated location (i.e. not on the way to anything). And the real value of Halifax is not in the touristy things to do like museums and whatnot, it is in the lifestyle, the proximity to nature, the things that makes it NOT a big city. Many people find that refreshing, some find it frustrating. Not much you can do for the latter group. If you are not happy in Halifax, then Halifax may not be for you.
Jesus, Coyotex, I am so fucking sick of you. You hate this city and everything about it. According to a previous post you made, you can’t even make a decent living here. Nothing to do, no decent jobs, and everybody’s an asshole. Anything worth doing is too expensive, the streets are filthy, the city is full of racists. WHY ARE YOU HERE? Can you please answer that for us? If there is absolutely nothing in Halifax that makes you happy, then for the love of whatever god you pray to, take your miserable dissatisfied ass back to Toronto or London or Dubai where things are Big and Loud and Shiny. I lived in Alberta for a while. I hated it. I hated everything about it. I was making more money than I could make here doing the same thing, but that didn’t make up for the pervasive unhappiness and dissatisfaction I felt with everything that was the great City of Edmonton. So you know what I did? I FUCKING LEFT.
THANK YOU MIRANDA!!!!!! i did my stint in old Alberta as well, and like you, instead of bitching to anyone who would listen about how shitty their town was, i fucking LEFT!!!!!!! i think it’s so indicative of coyotex’s personality type that when provided with dozens of ideas of things to do, and it has been pointed out to him that his facts are wrong, it’s simply not big or grand enough. if you want to see famous paintings from past centuries, go the fuck to europe. personally i LIKE looking at art done by people who really have a passion. if you walk on the waterfront on any given day, you will meet at least 3 or 4 of these artists and they are more than happy to sit and chat with you about their lives and why they do what they do. NSCAD hold exhibits for their artists/students. just because your ignorant ass has never heard of something doesnt make it a room full of useless stuff. maybe if you peeled away from your screen for a moment and stopped looking on the freaking INTERNET for things to do, you’d be more successful. and some of us really like that the larger amusement parks and attractions are a bit of a drive away because who in the fuck doesnt like road trips?! Ever been to the Evolve festival? and sorry that the city didnt clear it through you first, coyotex, but yes, Acadie Festival happens here despite what your trusty internet tells you because ive WORKED AT IT. so unless they took me to new brunswick without me realizing it, you’re just an idiot who thinks “fun” is always a point and click away. the fact that you were under the impression that we have one museum speaks VOLUMES about why you are having trouble. pretty sure the amount of museums within an hour or two drive of the city is in the double digits. possibly even just in the HRM
I’ve done most of the museums and galleries some of the posters listed, and I agree they are a good way to spend a couple of days – nothing wrong with them at all. Halifax is in it’s way a fairly cosmopolitan place for such a small town. There are lots of things to do if you can dig through the sparse listings to find them. (It is very true, though, that thing s are very poorly advertised. Like, who knew that Queens of the Stone Age were coming to town? I try to stay on top of the music scene, but i didn’t know about this until it was over. Why do we only ever hear any hype about the dinosaur bands?)My problem is that nearly all of the “cultural” venues / events are concentrated in one small area of this small city, and if you don’t feel like bothering with cars in the “downtown” you don’t have many options. The complete separation of the residential from the commercial and entertainment areas, coupled with the total lack of useful, fast public transportation (do not tell me it’s reasonable to have to take the #2 from Clayton Park West as it spends 50 minutes wandering all over hell’s half acre) make Halifax a very pedestrian-unfriendly town, unless you live right on the Peninsula in an area that has a few amenities.My other problem is with the filth, garbage, “tags”, and lack of landscaping / maintenance / etc. on properties both public and private. Soooooo much litter – natural and manmade – compared to other cities big and small, dirt and mud and crud in all the gutters, crumbling sidewalks and public squares, crappy, lazy wannabe “grafitti” everywhere, salt-caked sidewalks (in late May!), unmowed grass and out of control weeds everywhere, outdated, worn, unpainted aluminum siding on public buildings, broken fences, etc. etc.. And it’s all over the city, even in the tourist areas.The city is incredibly shabby and dingy – it is so depressing seeing this when returning from other cities, including those big cities with a reputation for being dirty. Why does no one take care of their properties (public or private)?? Why is so rare to see even the major streets cleaned or public land properly mowed and groomed??
hahaha, it is your own choice if you’re bored. there is soo much shit to do and it’s your choice ot say “i’m bored” get off your ass and go cross the bridge and have a walk or something stop sitting on your couch watching the simpsons