Welcome to "The Faded Glory of Historic Downtown Niagara Falls".
In these digital explorations, we'll explore some sites in Downtown Niagara Falls that were popular during the area's heyday, and see how they have changed and evolved over the years.
Like many mid-sized North American cities, Niagara Falls has struggled with the challenges of urban decline and renewal. Once a premier destination for citizens and celebrities alike, the historic downtown streets were lined with high-end stores, upscale restaurants, and expensive hotels, as well as trusted and long-standing retail establishments that served the population of the city for decades.
With the combined impacts of decentralized auto-focused suburban living, changes in shopping habits, new patterns and preferences in tourism, and the inevitable aging of buildings and urban infrastructure, caused the character of downtown Niagara Falls has changed markedly over the years.
Recent municipal and private sector initiatives have breathed new life into some parts of the city's traditional downtown core, while other parts are still undergoing transition.
This tour, which focuses on the Queen Street corridor, will introduce you to some of the changes that have occurred already, and initiate a conversation about what can be done to build momentum and help the area recapture its previous brilliance.
Your tour begins in front of Paris Crepes Cafe, one of the few remaining successful businesses in the Historic Downtown Area.
Downtown Niagara Falls. 2022. Our History | Downtown Niagara, Retrieved from: https://downtownniagarafalls.com/our-history/
Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years.
Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by
Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.
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Copyright for all content remains with original creators.
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