What is so good about Sheffield City Centre?

[melthebell 863]

With a museum that is STILL closed on Saturday.

its open on sundays tho

[Mister M 1,625]

Docfest!

 

Cliffhanger!

 

Tramlines!

 

Pint of Science!

 

and that's just off the top of my head. and i don't pay much attention to the world outside my own head. You'd have to be (even more) deliberately and consistently un-engaged not to have heard of any of these.

 

And yes, joking aside, one of the great things about sheffield city centre is that it's relatively easy to escape... plenty of gorgeous green spaces within an hours walk of the centre. (15mins by bike)

 

 

 

 

i grew up a country bumpkin, i don't really feel 'at home' in a city centre. so, yes, i think i understand.

 

but, cities are where the jobs are. The countryside has been quite effectively annexed by the rich. but that's a different discussion.

 

(in principle, i could live somewhere like Grindleford, and pretend that i 'lived in the country', but i'd be commuting for 4 hours a day, and simply sleeping in the country. No thanks)

 

Well-paid jobs and affordable housing, mean living in a city. i've chosen Sheffield, it's far from perfect, but while i wait for perfect there's plenty to keep me entertained and busy.

 

i do wonder which city the OP is using as his/her benchmark, it must be an amazing place to live!

 

Lots of people use cities centres like Leeds or Manchester as a benchmark when complaining about Sheffield.

I think both those city centres are fine as places to for shopping for a day....Though I wouldn't want to live permanently in either

[jon&emma 13]

I know I’m banging on about the homeless/beggars but I was disappointed regarding the amount of them we have laying and sitting around town.

I walked from pondsforge to the bottom of the moor and back again and counted 18 beggars.

I offerd to buy two homeless guys a sandwich but they both refuse and asked if I’d got any money instead.

As I walked back past the boots on fargate it dawned on me why they were asking for money and not food as the two guys I’d just offered food too were buying drugs off another guy.

All this under the nose of a police officer riding a bike ..

[paula4sheff 10]

I know I’m banging on about the homeless/beggars but I was disappointed regarding the amount of them we have laying and sitting around town.

I walked from pondsforge to the bottom of the moor and back again and counted 18 beggars.

I offerd to buy two homeless guys a sandwich but they both refuse and asked if I’d got any money instead.

As I walked back past the boots on fargate it dawned on me why they were asking for money and not food as the two guys I’d just offered food too were buying drugs off another guy.

All this under the nose of a police officer riding a bike ..

 

I was shocked by the state of the centre on Sunday. Witnessed two people openly dealing drugs, in the middle of Fargate, without a care in the world. Got asked for money 15 times, and the whole place was intimidating and unpleasant, with gangs of people openly using drugs and drinking sitting around benches.

 

Why would anyone bother shopping there? I'd never take kids to witness drug dealing like that - so openly and brazenly. The city centre needs sorting out pretty quickly - it's no wonder businesses are struggling,. It's a horrible environment to be in.

[Guest makapaka]

I was down town at the weekend - fargate, pinstone street, division street, the moor - all were perfectly fine.

[paula4sheff 10]

I was down town at the weekend - fargate, pinstone street, division street, the moor - all were perfectly fine.

 

So you don't believe that myself, or any of the many other people, witnessed that behaviour then?

 

The city centre is a dreadful state - anyone with eyes sees this.

[Guest makapaka]

So you don't believe that myself, or any of the many other people, witnessed that behaviour then?

 

The city centre is a dreadful state - anyone with eyes sees this.

 

I don't know who these many other people are?

 

I don't disbelieve that you saw these things or that they go on - however your own perception of the city centre and the emotions you feel when there doesn't dictate reality though.

 

You feel intimidated and are shocked by what you see - you therefore consider it an unpleasant and a horrible environment.

 

I didn't feel intimidated or see anything particularly shocking - i had my 9 year old and her friend with me - they weren't intimidated or saw anything shocking either. We had a nice time.

[nikki-red 308]

Please don’t turn this into another thread about begging, we already have a very recent current one.

 

Thank you.

[paula4sheff 10]

I don't know who these many other people are?

 

I don't disbelieve that you saw these things or that they go on - however your own perception of the city centre and the emotions you feel when there doesn't dictate reality though.

 

You feel intimidated and are shocked by what you see - you therefore consider it an unpleasant and a horrible environment.

 

I didn't feel intimidated or see anything particularly shocking - i had my 9 year old and her friend with me - they weren't intimidated or saw anything shocking either. We had a nice time.

 

Glad you had a nice time.

 

Please respect that myself, and many others (who post here and in other threads), have different views to you, and don't see the city centre as a particularly pleasant place, hence why it is struggling to attract people to visit it from within Sheffield, let alone further afield.

 

Speak to anyone involved with BID, they can perhaps enlighten you as to the many, many complaints they receive about the state of the city centre, from visitors and residents. That's why trying to do something about it being an unpleasant environment has become a priority. Please don't suggest that because YOU don't have a problem with it, no one else does, or should.

 

Other city centres offer far more, in an environment that isn't intimidating or unpleasant, hence why they are thriving, when Sheffield isn't.

 

The following article from last week, illustrates exactly why the problems are very real, and being taken seriously, with a number of christmas market stall owners already stating they will not be returning this year, due to the state of the centre. Vast improvement is clearly needed, fast.

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/council-very-disappointed-by-six-month-delay-to-4-6m-flats-on-sheffield-s-main-shopping-street-1-9187457

Edited June 11, 2018 by paula4sheff

[Padders 2,866]

City centres are doomed, look at the news, shops closing left right and centre, and its only going to get worse, most of my family shop online now, city centres are now a magnet for all kind of undesirables.

[Guest makapaka]

Glad you had a nice time.

 

Please respect that myself, and many others (who post here and in other threads), have different views to you, and don't see the city centre as a particularly pleasant place, hence why it is struggling to attract people to visit it from within Sheffield, let alone further afield.

 

Speak to anyone involved with BID, they can perhaps enlighten you as to the many, many complaints they receive about the state of the city centre, from visitors and residents. That's why trying to do something about it being an unpleasant environment has become a priority. Please don't suggest that because YOU don't have a problem with it, no one else does, or should.

 

Other city centres offer far more, in an environment that isn't intimidating or unpleasant, hence why they are thriving, when Sheffield isn't.

 

The following article from last week, illustrates exactly why the problems are very real, and being taken seriously, with a number of christmas market stall owners already stating they will not be returning this year, due to the state of the centre. Vast improvement is clearly needed, fast.

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/council-very-disappointed-by-six-month-delay-to-4-6m-flats-on-sheffield-s-main-shopping-street-1-9187457

 

I'm not saying there aren't issues in the town centre - there are in every city centre. There will be things that can be improved also.

 

That doesn't mean you have to portray it as some kind of Wild West hell-hole when it clearly isn't.

 

You've again said that you are intimidated by the City Centre - do you not think this is skewing your perception slightly?

 

The link you have posted relates to delays by a private developer and whilst I agree this needs to be resolved - it's hardly shocking, intimidating, horrible and unpleasant is it?

 

If you google delayed building projects in Manchester City Centre you will find many - if you walk out of Piccadilly and into Manchester City Centre you will see more homeless people and street beggars on that stretch of road than you will ever see in the whole of Sheffield City Centre.

 

I'd welcome some improvements to Sheffield, you don't have to pretend it's hell on earth to make that point though.

[paula4sheff 10]

City centres are doomed, look at the news, shops closing left right and centre, and its only going to get worse, most of my family shop online now, city centres are now a magnet for all kind of undesirables.

 

Plenty are still thriving though - but they need to offer something: a relaxing, pleasant environment, where people WANT to go, rather than want to avoid. The ones that manage that will always be OK.

 

Sheffield is failing hugely at that at present, and a large part of that is that people don't want to feel intimidated, witness drug selling and use, and feel unsafe. Why bother going there if that's the case? Online is only a small bit of the problem, as the majority of retail is still actually conducted in shops.

 

But if it's a choice between having to deal with constant antisocial behaviour, and ordering online? Most people are going to choose the online option, and stay the heck away from the shops!

 

---------- Post added 11-06-2018 at 14:22 ----------

 

I'm not saying there aren't issues in the town centre - there are in every city centre. There will be things that can be improved also.

 

That doesn't mean you have to portray it as some kind of Wild West hell-hole when it clearly isn't.

 

You've again said that you are intimidated by the City Centre - do you not think this is skewing your perception slightly?

 

The link you have posted relates to delays by a private developer and whilst I agree this needs to be resolved - it's hardly shocking, intimidating, horrible and unpleasant is it?

 

If you google delayed building projects in Manchester City Centre you will find many - if you walk out of Piccadilly and into Manchester City Centre you will see more homeless people and street beggars on that stretch of road than you will ever see in the whole of Sheffield City Centre.

 

I'd welcome some improvements to Sheffield, you don't have to pretend it's hell on earth to make that point though.

 

Presume you didn't read the article then?

 

"On top of the issues of a downturn in business we are also seriously suffering with antisocial behaviour. The number of instances of shoplifting has soared and, daily, people are passed out in the enclosed doorways on Spice."

 

Why are you so ready to discount others opinions, because it differs from yours?

 

Many people feel intimidated and threatened by the city centre. You don't. Good for you - but again, please respect that a lot of people don't feel the same as you.

 

Saying something is 'intimating' isn't 'skewing perception' at all. The perception comes from the fact it's intimidating.

 

Anyway - glad you think it's a great place. Personally, I think it's in a terrible state, as do lots of others. And they're voting with their feet and not going there.

 

Please respect others views and opinions without telling them they're wrong to feel as they do.

Edited June 11, 2018 by paula4sheff