Edinburgh City Centre is becoming a dump

maggiesoup1

Harsh words I know but I've just come back from holiday in Malaga where the streets were absolutely spotless. We noticed that they had cleaners out night & day and they actually looked like they took pride in their work.

I have spoken to lots of friends and work colleagues who work in the city centre and we all feel that our once beautiful city is becoming an eye sore. Apart from the litter, there's graffiti everywhere and bins that clearly haven't been emptied in weeks.

Rather than complaining to Edinburgh Council it runs in my mind that if someone can get X amount of names on a petition then it has to be brought up at First Minister's Question Time. Can anyone give me any advice on how I can get anything done?

I'm not on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks.

pogofish

You only just noticed this...?

Edinburgh stopped being a good place to visit some time ago - for me, around 2004.

Since then I've only visited when I absolutely had to. Which is a shame as I'd enjoyed being there many times before.

I think the council are fully aware and in some ways part of the problem - OK, I know they have to juggle the interests of residents and visitors but it often seems to me that neither have been served well for a long time now.

maggiesoup1

You're probably correct about the Council but why in heaven's name do they keep doing vanity projects when the city centre is falling apart. Someone needs to get back to basics.

My heart used to swell when I told visitors staying with me how proud I was of this historic city but now I'm just embarrassed with the drunkenness, the filth and tartan trash souvenir shops on Princes Street.

Voyager2002

maggiesoup1 wrote: »

You're probably correct about the Council but why in heaven's name do they keep doing vanity projects when the city centre is falling apart. Someone needs to get back to basics.

My heart used to swell when I told visitors staying with me how proud I was of this historic city but now I'm just embarrassed with the drunkenness, the filth and tartan trash souvenir shops on Princes Street.

Never mind all that... don't the trams make you proud?

pogofish

Only when they finish the project and make it into a proper network..!

maggiesoup1

Not worth the pain of the city being torn apart for years and built on a route to the airport which was being perfectly well serviced with the wonderful airport bus

dekaspace

I have noticed this and not even from Edinburgh, theres the rich/poor divide like any city and ethnic.foreign areas I was shocked when I even saw student lets, unfurnished, no bills included like £600 a month per room!


Then of course the extortionate rates at tourist traps.


So not much worse than any city was impressed with it pre 2001 when I didnt go for about 6 years.

batg

Been to Edinburgh twice in the last 4 months and was astounded at the lack of Scottish accents. I could have been in any city in the world, and I did not like it.
And you are right, the tat they sell on Princes Street is horrible. Not a single Scottish person working in any of those shops either.

missile

You could make the same observations in many cities.

batg

indeed you could.
But I spent lots of time in Scotland and went to Edinburgh five or six times before these last two when younger.
I went these last 2 times because it was a nice Scottish city. My eyes were well and truly opened. It was no longer "scottish" in my opinion and I was very disappointed.

fewcloudy

Born and bred here, love it! I mean, I really love it and proud of it, wouldn't stay anywhere else. Not remotely interested in whether someone living here has a Scottish accent or not, really?
Most capital cities of the world would be the same; exactly what you'd expect in a cosmopolitan metropolis