Quote from: formosan on May 14, 2025, 11:31:51 AMI didn't see the same social cohesion when I was in Toronto the last time......in all fairness, I was only there for two days.

It has not been Toronto the good for a very long time.

Quote from: DKG on May 13, 2025, 11:54:06 PMI have driven through Richmond on 95 to Florida. Not much to see really.

I heard Roanoke was not as slummy. It is a village compared to Toronto.

I wish I could of at least visited Richmond before all the statues got tore down. I've never been there.

Roanoke is up and down, lately its been bad, as far as bums and Black violence after a certain time in the heart of downtown. Outside of that its great. Its grown too much in a way to me. I remember long ago when the population was much lower.

Quote from: Blazor on May 15, 2025, 02:38:57 AMI wish I could of at least visited Richmond before all the statues got tore down. I've never been there.

Roanoke is up and down, lately its been bad, as far as bums and Black violence after a certain time in the heart of downtown. Outside of that its great. Its grown too much in a way to me. I remember long ago when the population was much lower.

Is Roanoke growing due to immigration or internal migration?

What is the attraction? Economic opportunities? Affordable housing?

No wonder I don't like them....

7 Reasons Why Your Smartphone is Bilbo's Ring

1) You randomly worry that you don't have it, check your pocket, your heart rate quickens, you check your other pocket, find it, and then slowly calm back down again.

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3) You think sometimes of getting rid of your phone, but every time you get ready to throw it away, you step back from the edge and change your mind.

4) To the observer at a distance, for hours on end each day, you look at it, make faces at it, touch it and stroke it and talk to it.

5) Your phone, as studies suggest, through the course of months and years, slowly changes you into a different version of yourself.

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Author: Fr. John Hollowell

    

Quote from: DKG on May 15, 2025, 10:35:54 AMIs Roanoke growing due to immigration or internal migration?

What is the attraction? Economic opportunities? Affordable housing?

More internal migration. I honestly haven't seen many immigrants, if any.

I don't think I ever seen homeless here, til the past 20 years or so, and they jus keep growing. We have shelters, but they don't like to stay in them, because then they cant do their drugs.

Blacks have become emboldened since Saint Floyd. They pretty much take over downtown after about 10pm, especially on the weekend. And with that, we've had way more violence down there. Like cars being lit on fire. I use to like to go down there and walk around and people watch, but not anymore.

Well, lots of things bring folks here. I know we got an influx when the Greenway was created for walkers and bicyclists, thirty some miles. We also got an influx during the Pandemic, folks fleeing NY and such. Plus housing was affordable here, til lately. Now its gotten insane. Its exploded in the past several years.

The thing I love about Roanoke, is there is so many things to do outdoors-wise. Trails and waterfalls and such. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail cut through here. We are also very heavy into the music scene here, which I love.


Perhaps Garraty_47 could chime in some of his input lol.

About homelessness, it has become a big problem in Regina and Saskatoon. The majority are Chugs but a lot of homeless White folks too.

    

Quote from: Blazor on May 15, 2025, 11:12:26 PMMore internal migration. I honestly haven't seen many immigrants, if any.

I don't think I ever seen homeless here, til the past 20 years or so, and they jus keep growing. We have shelters, but they don't like to stay in them, because then they cant do their drugs.

Blacks have become emboldened since Saint Floyd. They pretty much take over downtown after about 10pm, especially on the weekend. And with that, we've had way more violence down there. Like cars being lit on fire. I use to like to go down there and walk around and people watch, but not anymore.

Well, lots of things bring folks here. I know we got an influx when the Greenway was created for walkers and bicyclists, thirty some miles. We also got an influx during the Pandemic, folks fleeing NY and such. Plus housing was affordable here, til lately. Now its gotten insane. Its exploded in the past several years.

The thing I love about Roanoke, is there is so many things to do outdoors-wise. Trails and waterfalls and such. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail cut through here. We are also very heavy into the music scene here, which I love.


Perhaps Garraty_47 could chime in some of his input lol.

There were no homeless people in the city I live in until Trudeau became pm and quadrupled the number of immigrants admitted each year with no place for them to live.

Quote from: Blazor on May 15, 2025, 02:38:57 AMI wish I could of at least visited Richmond before all the statues got tore down. I've never been there.

I haven't been there since 1984; the processing center (MEPS?) was located there when I enlisted in the USAF.

I spent the night in a motel and got bored, decided to walk around. A hooker approached me and when I politely declined she suggested I get my ass back to the motel before something bad happened to me. I reckon it wasn't the best neighborhood. LoL

Quote from: Blazor on May 15, 2025, 11:12:26 PMPerhaps Garraty_47 could chime in some of his input lol.

Roanoke is definitely more populated now.
Even the traffic has gotten more stupid... back in the day it was unusual to see anyone run a red light. Now even after my light turns green I often have to wait for one or two cross-traffic cars to sail past the intersection before I can move on.

The Berglund Center (used to be called the Roanoke Civic Center and that's still how I think of it) recently outsourced their housekeeping department and I don't know about citizenship statuses but most/all of the new folk seem to speak Spanish as a first language. I also don't claim to know how prevalent that is, but it's a change from when I was growing up here for sure.

More panhandlers: check
Sometimes there's one on each corner of an intersection in busier districts.

But like Blazor said you can't beat the outdooring possibilities here, not to mention it's maybe a 5 hour drive to the coast and Virginia Beach. A little farther south and there are other popular areas like Nag's Head and Myrtle Beach. Or if the weather's cooler you can head north and go to a ski resort like Wintergreen.

Roanoke isn't a bad place at all, really. No matter where I've been I always look forward to coming back and plan to be here for the foreseeable future.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on May 16, 2025, 11:24:49 AMI haven't been there since 1984; the processing center (MEPS?) was located there when I enlisted in the USAF.

I spent the night in a motel and got bored, decided to walk around. A hooker approached me and when I politely declined she suggested I get my ass back to the motel before something bad happened to me. I reckon it wasn't the best neighborhood. LoL

Oh my Garraty_47.....that is not what the city council would want known about Roanoke.

Quote from: formosan on May 16, 2025, 11:44:00 AMOh my Garraty_47.....that is not what the city council would want known about Roanoke.

No no no!
That was in Richmond, the Virginia state capitol.

Sorry about the confusion.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on May 16, 2025, 11:43:03 AMRoanoke is definitely more populated now.
Even the traffic has gotten more stupid... back in the day it was unusual to see anyone run a red light. Now even after my light turns green I often have to wait for one or two cross-traffic cars to sail past the intersection before I can move on.

The Berglund Center (used to be called the Roanoke Civic Center and that's still how I think of it) recently outsourced their housekeeping department and I don't know about citizenship statuses but most/all of the new folk seem to speak Spanish as a first language. I also don't claim to know how prevalent that is, but it's a change from when I was growing up here for sure.

More panhandlers: check
Sometimes there's one on each corner of an intersection in busier districts.

But like Blazor said you can't beat the outdooring possibilities here, not to mention it's maybe a 5 hour drive to the coast and Virginia Beach. A little farther south and there are other popular areas like Nag's Head and Myrtle Beach. Or if the weather's cooler you can head north and go to a ski resort like Wintergreen.

Roanoke isn't a bad place at all, really. No matter where I've been I always look forward to coming back and plan to be here for the foreseeable future.

Every city in Canada has seen a considerable increase in panhandling, poverty, homelessness and violent crime.