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Why are there depressed driveways (i.e. where the driveway slopes from the street level to where the garage is) in many newer Montreal neighbourhoods more than in their counterparts in other North American cities? Or more to the point, why are the garages at not only the lower level but often at the basement level?
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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There are so many reasons for a driveway to be sad -- they get run over all the time.
Seriously, though, I'm guessing that it's because there's not that much land available. With the garage being underground, you have living space above it. If it were at the main level, that's space that you're losing for another room.
There are so many reasons for a driveway to be sad -- they get run over all the time.
Seriously, though, I'm guessing that it's because there's not that much land available. With the garage being underground, you have living space above it. If it were at the main level, that's space that you're losing for another room.
This. If you look, most homes (the typical rows in Montreal) have winding stairs outside for the upper units for the exact same reason. Having the stairs outside in that fashion saves tons of space as opposed to having extra hallways inside. A lot of Montreal has very limited space, and considering it is mainly built at street level rather than upward like Toronto or Manhattan, compromises have to be made.
Seriously, though, I'm guessing that it's because there's not that much land available. With the garage being underground, you have living space above it. If it were at the main level, that's space that you're losing for another room.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcenal352
This. If you look, most homes (the typical rows in Montreal) have winding stairs outside for the upper units for the exact same reason. Having the stairs outside in that fashion saves tons of space as opposed to having extra hallways inside. A lot of Montreal has very limited space, and considering it is mainly built at street level rather than upward like Toronto or Manhattan, compromises have to be made.
I guess that this lack of much available land is at least partly because of Montreal being an island, as well as the presence of Mount Royal right next to downtown?
I guess that this lack of much available land is at least partly because of Montreal being an island, as well as the presence of Mount Royal right next to downtown?
Pretty much. The urban core is practically fully developed. There is very little space available, and the city largely refuses to build up like other urban centers. Thus, you have rows upon rows of two/three story street walls jammed along narrow roadways throughout. Unless they build up or begin to urbanize the West Island (which will never happen) the only real solution for growth is to expand the suburbs, which can be seen in areas like Brossard, Terrebonne and Repentigny.
Why are there depressed driveways (i.e. where the driveway slopes from the street level to where the garage is) in many newer Montreal neighbourhoods more than in their counterparts in other North American cities? Or more to the point, why are the garages at not only the lower level but often at the basement level?
I grew up in LaSalle with one of these driveways. It was convenient when you washed your car and all the water went straight into the sewer at the bottom of the driveway. This was a long time ago, but I'm embarrassed to say that when my father used to do his yearly radiator flush he would empty it all into that sewer. If I remember correctly, that sewer led to house's main drain pipe before heading off into the city sewer.
I grew up in LaSalle with one of these driveways. It was convenient when you washed your car and all the water went straight into the sewer at the bottom of the driveway. This was a long time ago, but I'm embarrassed to say that when my father used to do his yearly radiator flush he would empty it all into that sewer. If I remember correctly, that sewer led to house's main drain pipe before heading off into the city sewer.
DH and I lived in LaSalle for many years before we bought our house on the south shore, and I well remember those driveways.
While living in our last rental in LaSalle, I remember the neighbour who lived across the street would pour all sorts of car slop into the sewer...your father isn't the only one who did it.
We lived near LaSalle City Hall and the pollution from the train tracks behind our building, cars on the street, and the smell from Fleischmann's across the tracks was awful. No matter what time of day or night it was, there was an audible humming noise that came from City Hall.
I once read that LaSalle City Hall used to belong to a large pharmaceutical company that operated its business there but I'm not sure if it's true or not.
Before we lived there, we lived on Behrens, just across the street from Labatt's plant. We love our beer, but the noise and the stench!
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