Livin' in by Regent Park and how to Dodge Bullets
Capital of Nasty Electronic Magazine
Monday, February 11, 2002 (519/184)
ISSN 1482-0471
By Rolo
For those who do not know what Regent Park is, allow me to explain. Regent Park is an area of project housing on the east fringe of downtown. Meant to be low rent housing, it is forever synonymous with crack whores, drug dealers and gangs. A forever and infinitely poor district.
I use to live on the other side of the Don River, in the much more civil and middle class Riverdale Area. For those of you who watched the soap opera "Riverdale", this is the real thing. I always figured I'd never live or have to deal with Regent Park. Now I live right beside it.
My home, is a good neighbourhood, the Co-op itself is excellent. Moving in several months ago was a harrowing experience. The first week I slept with my martial arts weapons and machete in easy reach. I knew I was initiated and welcomed into the neighbourhood when I walked right through a drug deal in front of my Co-ops entrance.
A fat wad of cash is exchanged with a baggy, and here I come, walking right through it with an "excuse me." Less than a week later I was up late playing Counter-Strike Online when my girlfriend remarked, "Did you just hear that? That sounded like gunshots."
I barely turned away from my game at hand.
"Hmm. Nah..." Was my only reply.
Back I went to shooting virtual online Counter-Terrorists with my AK-47. Nummy.
Three-Thirty in the morning, cops are all around the Co-op. Sure enough, the local drug dealer, who I had walked by only a week before, was dead. I found the following week hilarious. A miniature shrine was set up where he was shot.
Flowers and everything littered the area. "We'll Miss you." plastered all over it. Regent park seemed to weep for the loss of its outstanding denizens. I inwardly laughed, then restarted the Safety and Security Committee.
Ah the fun I've had. Its the classical situation, everyone bitches, yet no one is willing to help. Hey I don't mind. I get some satisfaction for at least trying. I once attended a meeting for Community and Police Relations and it was quite remarkable. I was surrounded by the upper middle class who wanted the poor to be cleaned up and out of the way.
One of the highlights was that they wanted the poor to stop "public urination." They even managed to shut up the local Salvation Army Captain when he remarked that "these crack whores and addicts are people too." After all, he did freely allow them to use his meeting room in HIS Salvation Army building. It’s ironic, really.
Regent Park is a way of living. Living beside it, I have learned to have little pity for those who dwell in it. My reasoning? Simply because they choose to live there. Choice is one of the things we all have. Some, if not all of the people around me have made choices that lead them to be in the sump area of Toronto. I’m just lucky enough to be beside it, not in it.
That drug dealer who impetuously was dealing in the open, got his ass shot off. That idea makes me smile. Life ain’t that bad now. But if you consider every little decision, being Fated to a life doesn’t seem so true. Life is what we make of it.
The culture down here is alien. It is a counter-culture. Frankly I wish the went ahead with the plan to bulldoze the area. Put up a bunch of townhouses, since they seem to be springing up everywhere in the city. At least it would evenly spread the crack whores and poor across the city. That way everyone would see it, instead of it simply swept under the municipal rug.
Besides, it would give the city a nice equal feeling to it. You cannot eliminate the concept of poor or poor people. They will exist and survive. It’s human nature. It is also human nature to care only oneself. The extent of caring only extends to a person when it directly affects them.
I find myself in a happy medium between them. Middle class and poor. It’s kinda like a cheesy episode of those cop shows. The cops move in, the druggies, and drug dealers hide. When the cops go, everyone comes out of hiding. I am lucky enough to get front row seating to Regent Park. For some odd reason my Co-op is an untouched jewel.
So when you actually see a poor person begging for change, do yourself and society a favour look at them carefully. Are they just obnoxious little teens doing it for fun? Because if they are, give them the friggin’ boot to the head for wasting your time. Being poor doesn’t mean they deserve your pity. Even pity is a commodity these days.
Comments
44 comments found
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you are a fucking asshole. what about children who are born in "regent park"? oh yes, they chose to live there right? or people who were brought up there and didn't have the money to go to college... hmm i guess they chose that too. climb out of your own ass and realize that people are hurting out there and it's not all their fault jerkoff.
I don't know what is more amusing; the fact that after the year and half (is that right leo?) someone finally, and actually had a comment on that article, or perhaps it is that the comment barely has a hint of a point intermeshed with unintelligible trash. Please do not waste my time.
I agree with you,as for what the other person said about the poor not being able to go to college,then why don't they take out a bloody loan.They are a bunch of lazy asses who just want money the easy way and don't want to work for it.Even when they go to jail for selling drugs instead of changing, they go right back to it.I also agree about the bulldozer, get the so called poor mixed in and around the city so that all kinds of people can feel a little bit better of themselfes when they see them, isn't that what there here for anyways.Boy do I like to drive around that stinkin area when I'm feeling down,it makes me feel better right away.
If u diss fucking anyone else that lives in regent park i will fuckin boot ur ass. My best friend is from regent park
Fuck you bitch,learn to speak english you fuckin uneducated little peice of shit.Of course you're best friend lives in Regent Park because only someone from that hood would even give a little piece of shit like you the time of day, mother fucker.
yo man, Shut the fuck nigga. Because im straight from the park and i know people that got killed for talking like that.And even though theres a lot of drug dealers and hoes, theres a lot of good shit that goes on in the park and you just dont see it, because u dont want to see it. And the reason why we cant go anywhere in life is because you rich folks look at all of us as low lifes, for example i went for a job interfiew, and as soon as i told thee man i was from Regent, i got kicked the fuck out. Anyways my message is know what your saying before you say it
werd up?
I find it funny that after a REALLY long time people are finally starting to read that article. I'm glad that such an "inflammatory" article generates some thought.
I also find it amusing that some individuals get offended and miss the point of the article. (I think there was a point to it, I could be wrong)
Anyhow, I guess I should keep with the theme.
To all my homies on the East side.. Props to you. I ain't Dissin' U yo, nor yer brothas. I'm raisin' a point yo. Aight? Peace out.
I'm sure you couldn't get the ebonics out of your system when you went for your job interview,and that's probally why you weren't hired.It wasn't the Regent Park it was the fact that nobody flat out is going to hire somebody that speaks with all that slang.
I read your article and I can see the humor in it. I'm sorry that other people can't.
I'm starting to think that all the tight asses in the world have learned of the internet and found this site. Truely sad... sad indeed.
Geez man, some guys gotta get themselves a sense of humour.
Yo B, I'm fum the burbs Yo. I be listeninin to my eminem cd on my cd playa, reeeally loud, you know how we b. and I totaly be getin hated on by the tight ass white folks. I jus dont unda stand. I can totaly relate with the guy who went for the interfiew. I went foir a job as a caddie at the local golf club and they dissed me bad. They said I was wearin my threads to low. they also ddin like the werds I be spitin when I rap my life story.
Anyway, I gotta bounce. MY dad needs me to drive the bmw to the carwash. hes such a playa hata
it's sad that you have to use the term "middle class" as your security blanket
it seems too many people are scared of the truth but I'm happy that there are people like you who aren't afraid to tell it . . . And I feel bad that there is obviously enough hate in Regent park to stimulate some of the violent responses you've received . . . oh well, I guess they're helping to prove your point!
I Lived in Regent Park for 13 years. It was the scariest moment of my life. As a child I had witnessed the apartment catch fire, dead bodies coming out of the elevators, people begging for their life outside our wooden door, knives being thrown by other children and gang members blocking every entrance from the old Lord Dufferin School. We were poor, begging the Scots Mission and the Salvation army to feed us, Every man Mom met down there abused her, raped her. Homeless people on the streets, cops pacing the streets on the half hour. Druggies dealing next to the school. Regent Park has a lot of stories to be told. That's because most people don't understand the life from the outside. You must live it from the inside. Residents try to break free, some manage to overcome it, some don't. I learnt alot about Regent Park. I survived and if anything I am strong willed.
Yo-yo, props to you Crunch Masta Smitty Bwoy.
(Translation)
Thanks Smitty I appreciate it. All hail Cap'n Crunch!
yo i live in regent and it is not fun now it is starting to become better but cops need to come in regent more often what are the afred of they never want to come here like how are you going to get the naberhood beter then it is last week my friend got shot and alot of people wher saying how they want ther kids to move out and you see prostits on the road and mans picking theme up and next the get killed like my friends sister
im out peace
Thank you for your input.
In fact you'll be happy to know that the corporation that own's the Regent Park Housing is planning to open it up with roads and redevelopement. Hopefully this will follow through.
It is amazing what a few roads can do to increase police, and emergency access. With the development of the new 52 Division station on Parliament it is hopeful that this will make a difference. The question remains is escaping a better option than helping make place better? The solution also doesnt't remain solely in the hands of the police. The problem lies in the fact that Regent Park has always been intended as a dumping ground for those who don't have enough dough. The entire area needs to be bulldozed and redeveloped into a real community. Not a closed up housing project thats inaccessable.
On top of that more community involvement would be wonderful. Less stuffy rich people running community/police liason committees to dictate how a neighbour they don't live, on in should be policed...
I could go on, but I'm just an idealist blowing smoke. (puff, puff)
yo pussie dotn watch regent iight it sound like your tryi to say that we are stupied walk up in ther you would be shoot
so shut the fuck up bitch fo my niggaz have to shoot your ass pussie
Food for thought, here's what its like to live in Regent
Brought to you by CBC One:
http://www.cbc.ca/webone/regentpark/
The only way to ensure the Regent redevelopment is done right is to have neighbourhood participation.
yo u faggots talk alot of stories.....but till u walk in the park n say ur shit and then walk out alive then u be a man.
dont speak what u havn't been through faggot Rolo!
This is to Cory and all the haters including the dumb ass motherfucker who started this topic: suck my dick.
You see, you guys dont understand nothing about Regent Park becuase you motherfuekers were born with a silver spoon in your mouths. Its not like that for everyone. Some people grew up with out parents they had hard time in school because they had no one to guide them show them the right way. they had to hustle and put food on the table. No one gives them hugs and kissis, tells them i love you or tucks them in bed at night when they were kids. You cant blame these people for being cold and for hustling and not having education.
You see, i know alot of people in toronto from different areas. People who grow up in regent are different then most of the other people. they are more seoreos about life at a younger age. they know wat hunger, poverty and racism means plus they respect each other. cuz in the hood, death is always close by. well cory n the people who think like you, i just wish you can go to the park and say that in public you racist ass motherfukers.
Shut the fuck up to all you dumbasses who do not agree with the article. Regent should be cleaned up immediatley. It affectts everyone who lives around there because of all you illiterate assholes, who make nothing of themselves but drug dealers. Don't complain that they are uneducated because they don't have the privilledge to go to school because school (K-12) is free. If they had any sense at all they would go on their own fucking time and educate themsleves, not grow up a "Thug Life" and start shooting and robbing other just to be "GANGSTUH". It is time for you assholes to stop wasting other peoples time with your bullshit and do someything to help yourselves, so stop depending as well as complaining about whites.
listen rolo......i think if u were a smart person...u would keep ur dirty mouth shut....u dont know regent park....iv been downtown all my life....born and raised in regent park....and untill u ever lived there...u have no room for judgment.....u fool....
Yo, if your from regent park yo add me if u have msn messenger dk40k@hotmail.com
Ive been living at regent practically all my life. It's fun when you get to know everyone, play ball nd stuff. RP 4eva
ayo you kno nun bout tha park man. u said urself u live on tha utha side... u juss an outsider. so dont front on us wen u dont kno shit. cuzz believe me, born and raised rp, and i aint choose to be in herre at all. my ma friggen is single and had to bring up me and my 4 brothers. on fukn welfare. we cant choose where we live but we can choose how we live life. i do wat i do cuzz i need tha money. plain and simple. Brrrlaaat
WHAZZ WIT DA SHIT U SPIITIN DAWG, WE BE IN DA HOOD 24/7. HOLLA AT CHA BOI MUTHA FAWKA, TALKIN SHIT BOUT MY HOOD
BLOOOOOOOOODZ
You may want to get your head looked at. I mean after all...bashing it repeatedly against the keyboard isn't healthy and hasn't improved your linguistic skills.
Good attempt at articulating yourself. I'd almost give you points for trying, but then again, the junk you just created by lolling your head around on that thing with letters (yes in front of you) makes me think otherwise.
yal think regent is bad huh, fuck all yal come down dixon niggas an talk that ish see wut the fuck gwans there. regent is soft !!!!!!!!!!!!! like 2 mandems die ther an bitchs make big deal bout it, roll down in west end niggas an yal see the tru murderas , yal jus soft bitchs suck my dick pussos
nigga Geezy i duno bout u but us niggas B from west end 2 an we holdin it down nigga we got u , fuck regent its bitch ass block fuck all ya'l jus like wut Gzy said , jamestown west end holla at ya boy.
FUCK REGENT YA HERD ME FUCK ALL OF DOWNTOWN, PUSSY AS BLOCK COME TO MALVERN NIGGA THAZ WUT U FUCKN CALL GRIMMY AS BLOCK,Gzy DUNO WHO THE FUCK U ARE, BUT I GOT U 2 , FUCK REGENT!!!!
i have a cusin that lives in regent park he never choose to live there, so how is it his fault? his parents never new about regent they just came from etheopia. like how can u say stupid shit like u smiled when u heard the drug dealer die, like wut kind of a person are u? seriously though its rich ppl like u that are fuckn life up u ppl treat everyone else like trash an think u all are just kings. al im sayn is ur nothin but a lil punk who hides behind his computer an cusses regent out, id like to see u go there an say that pussy.
I just wanted to say wow you girls and boys have a lot of passion damn!!! and if the ppl from Regent Park are so poor when why do you have computers and the INTERNET and have the time out of your busy day of going to interviews and drug deals!!??!!! can you say multi-tasking! I think it is funny how the article is talking about R.P. and how crapy it is yet the comments start to get mixed up and ppl from the "west" are saying they have a harder life hahaha did you read the article???? You should be defending your brothers!! LOL
ur a dumbass who ever wrote this article aand fuk all u comment on this excpet for me
this place suks and u suk and regent park is a slum with hoes
"FUCK REGENT YA HERD ME FUCK ALL OF DOWNTOWN, PUSSY AS BLOCK COME TO MALVERN NIGGA THAZ WUT U FUCKN CALL GRIMMY AS BLOCK,Gzy DUNO WHO THE FUCK U ARE, BUT I GOT U 2 , FUCK REGENT!!!!"
Ummm does this quote actually give me the desire to leave Regent and visit Malvern? Ask yourself this...where did the Malvern Crew get their 9's?
I've lived in Regent Park for more than 20 years and have seen the history that gave it its name. The death's in Regent Park have dropped considerably due to the parture of most of the members of RP4Life and SinkSink. Though the level of drug trafficing has risen due to the demand for coke... the violence is still dramatically lower than it used to be.
In terms of this artical... your looking to get fucking shot in the face dude shit lol I learned a to keep shit to myself. I was help up at gun point when i was 12 because i dissed (stated what i thought to be the facts based on the media) another neighbourhood...
I was shot at last year simply because I interrupted the weed traffic from BC. But do i mock the quote "I Dodged a Bullet" fuck no
You guys sound like how i used to sound when i was younger... all my buddies got killed for acting the ways you guys are here. Just because you hold a 9mm it doesn't mean your better than anyone... living in poverty doesn't mean you gotta put yourself to your lowest possible level.
Violence is nothing to shine about nor is something to hold a passion for. Keep that for the music... sing it...don't live it...
~Peace~
RIP, Doughy, Mousey, JD et Criss
Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts on Regent T-bone. Unlike many of the comments thus far, yours has been insightful and intelligent, and I greatly appeciate that.
Rolo
soft sh*t on the realz, you kno ppl who suck d*ck for coke??
All ima say is do wut u gotta do fo the dough. i dun care bout what block is grimyyr then wut or who dies by what. only person that u can count on in the long run is yourself ppl will fuck u over especialy if u reliy on em or trus em. even though this article is wack i realy jus wanna write dis fo ma street niggas who in the strugle n feeln lik theyrs no hope.
keep ya head up nigga and get the chetter.
So yeah, how to dodge bullets...u duck real quick or dont open yur door, at all even to a friend. "That person u think is your friend, really ain't your friend" little ol skewl ghetto boys...
Man dont hate on people juss cauz we make are money different, drug dealing juss like any other job u work for the money. And to all yall think regent goin soft FUCK ALL YALL BITCHESSSS...hear this REGENT PARK never go soft we grow up nigga we not like those fuckin dumb asses shootin guns off da air for fun we down for da cash...
n rolo man you live arcoss da fuckin brige from da hood stop talkin about niggas hood like your fuckin in it..for all i know its.. aint shit happens in ur area and if your so scared and hate da park why dont you juss stop coming to the hood so you wont get ur ass poped...fucking retard
NorthSiders RP$4Life River St.
regent park owns all your bitch ass hood
fuck PO fuck rexdale fuck MALVERN fuck G-way n fuck all ya'll haterz all there get a fuckin life dont hate cauz we got money!!!!!
I posted my opinion in several comments a few years back. I had quite a back and forth with the author. I find it interesting that these comments are no longer here. It seems the opinions of intelligent former residents of Regent Park have disappeared....
It is plausible that some comments have gone missing.
During the move to the new server and the transition from management systems, some data may have been lost. You're welcome to repost your views and comments about your experiences.
My apologies for this and thank you for your continued patronage over the years.