Jane and Finch

From Rap Dictionary

Jane and Finch

Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, centred around the intersection of two majour roads, Jane Street and Finch Avenue West. It is home to 75,000 people from over 100 countries around the world. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Keele Street to the east, Sheppard Avenue West to the south, and Shoreham Drive or Steeles Avenue West to the north. The abundance of high-rise apartment towers and rental townhouses in this area make it one of Toronto's most densely populated neighbourhoods, which may arguably contribute to the high crime rate within the area. Jane and Finch has a high percentage of teen mothers, working poor and single-parent families compared to other neighbourhoods in the GTA. Half of the families living within Jane and Finch earn less than $40,376 a year, compared to 11 per cent of families across the city.

The gang activity among youths in the area has reached an epidemic state. At one point, the local gangs in Jane and Finch were united (Police believe that a gang called the "Jane Finch Killaz" or JFK used to control the local drug trade in the early 90's, but residents say no such gang ever existed), but after a few conflicts amongst hardcore members from different factions, that unity was nulled. Now youths from "Up-top" neighbourhoods (Shoreham, Driftwood Ct., Tobermory and Gosford Blvd.) do not venture into complexes in the "down bottom" section of Finch Avenue (Yellowstone, Grandravine, Grassways and Palisades); which are regarded as territory of the Bloods where as complexes north of Finch and along Jane Street claim allegiance to the Crips gang.