I'll be straight with you as someone born and raised just outside downtown proper. It was definitely a lot less exciting 15 years ago. I used to hang out there a lot because of summer school and while it had it's little nooks and crannies of fun, the filler for the most part was very boring. It was not as built as it is now, and there were definitely less people hanging around. It's come a long way, but its reputation hasn't worn off yet.