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Montreal is definitely not boring and you almost never hear people say that it is.
You do hear many people say Ottawa is boring (compared to Montreal and Toronto) but I don't think that is fair either.
For a North American city of its size, Ottawa is certainly not boring.
Ottawa is a nice city for its size and I always enjoy going there, but to say Montreal is boring compared to it certainly begs the question - did the personal suddenly suffer a terrible accident forcing them to lose all senses..
Ottawa is a nice city for its size and I always enjoy going there, but to say Montreal is boring compared to it certainly begs the question - did the personal suddenly suffer a terrible accident forcing them to lose all senses..
Ottawa has close to one million people (city alone), not exactly a small city. It is pretty boring considering its size. Just look at other cities with similar population elsewhere (outside Canamerica of course).
North American cities just tend to be more boring because so many people love to live in their fre8king suburban houses in the middle of nowhere dusting their oven or fixing the roof most of the time. Ottawa's sprawl is probably one of the worst in North America, which is why it is not exactly a fun city. Ottawa's CBD is sterile, with nice office towers yet absolutely no retail except a few coffee houses. The transition from downtown to pure lifeless suburbs is also so sudden. The area that actually has some character and offers something to do is probably 1% of the entire city.
Ottawa has close to one million people (city alone), not exactly a small city. It is pretty boring considering its size. Just look at other cities with similar population elsewhere (outside Canamerica of course).
North American cities just tend to be more boring because so many people love to live in their fre8king suburban houses in the middle of nowhere dusting their oven or fixing the roof most of the time. Ottawa's sprawl is probably one of the worst in North America, which is why it is not exactly a fun city. Ottawa's CBD is sterile, with nice office towers yet absolutely no retail except a few coffee houses. The transition from downtown to pure lifeless suburbs is also so sudden. The area that actually has some character and offers something to do is probably 1% of the entire city.
I factored in that Canamerican cities tend to be more sedated with my Ottawa assessment and I do agree that there is also more of a suburban tendency with us. You also have to consider that in many parts of the world where the street level vibrancy is greater in comparable sized cities, or even cities smaller than ours is that a lot of people are working on the streets trying to make a living. The number of people without office jobs or traditional type of work is greater so to support the family they're a billion food stalls, street vendors and people roaming the streets looking to make a buck.
I'm not saying this is the only reason, but it is certainly a factor, though obviously a lot of it has to do with urban design as well, culture and the idea that the nabe comes together to support one another.. Canamerica is much more of an individualistic society than most others. You can't even blame it on the weather, in Canamerica the most urban and interesting cities imo are not in the southern parts ie. Pheonix, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami etc.
Any place (as buildings) is boring. What people DO in those cities, your own life, makes it un-boring.
How boring is Albuquerque? Yet if you have heard of Breaking Bad, that name is anything but.
Alburquerque is pretty damned boring lol... I've been there 2 times and it was to use the airport as the entry to N.M.. On the other hand, New Mexico itself is brilliant! Beautiful landscapes and wonderful Native and latin cultures but Albuquerque as a city is not very interesting. Sante Fe and even a host of smaller New Mexican cities like Ruidoso and Taos are far more interesting.
Actually interesting you bring up Albuquerque in the context of this thread because its not too much smaller than Ottawa but from what I saw far less urban and far more sprawly than even Ottawa - it would drive Botti crazy lol.. If you want a perfect example of the most suburban looking city around - Albuquerque would be very high on the list.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Originally Posted by fusion2
Alburquerque is pretty damned boring lol... I've been there 2 times and it was to use the airport as the entry to N.M.. On the other hand, New Mexico itself is brilliant! Beautiful landscapes and wonderful Native and latin cultures but Albuquerque as a city is not very interesting. Sante Fe and even a host of smaller New Mexican cities like Ruidoso and Taos are far more interesting.
Actually interesting you bring up Albuquerque in the context of this thread because its not too much smaller than Ottawa but from what I saw far less urban and far more sprawly than even Ottawa - it would drive Botti crazy lol.. If you want a perfect example of the most suburban looking city around - Albuquerque would be very high on the list.
Yes, I can endorse this post as I live in Albuquerque. I like it well enough (for now) because it gives me access to all the spectacular landscapes and natural superlatives of the Southwest, the big skies and horizons, and the weather here is fantastic pretty much year round. Those kind of things are good for the soul. I'm doing well in my career here and its a friendly place so I'm staying a little longer than planned. New Mexico attracts a certain ilk of transplants like myself that want out of the rat race (former Bostonian). But yeah as a city, most of Albuquerque is low rent sprawl, save a few interesting blocks around Old Town and the UNM campus and a few wealthy suburban neighborhoods. But as a city well, there's not much to do here. One must drive 6 hours to Denver for any sort of urban fix.
Ottawa doesn't have this problem. Granted it is quite low key and small for a national capital. However the core is fairly dense and very walkable, it has a nice public market area, interesting architecture, and a wealth of museums to visit. I haven't been in a long time, but I liked it well enough. I pairs well with a trip to Montreal as a side excursion.
(btw fusion, I'm toying with the idea of taking my first trip to Toronto for a few days next summer).
Ottawa doesn't have this problem. Granted it is quite low key and small for a national capital. However the core is fairly dense and very walkable, it has a nice public market area, interesting architecture, and a wealth of museums to visit.
I agree. I have visited Ottawa many times. A few by car, but once parked at my hotel in the downtown, I had little need of my car--everything was within walking distance. The market is interesting, and I got a lot of interesting things at the used bookstores. I leafed through them at a nearby pub over a few beers. Parliament is always interesting, and I always stop by if Question Period is on.
D'arcy McGee's Pub (Sparks Street at Elgin, if I recall correctly) is a good place to catch Parliamentarians after a day in the Commons; and lawyers arguing at the Supreme Court. At least that's what one of my colleagues (who argues at the Supreme Court) tells me. I've been there, on his recommendation, and found a great selection of beers on tap, and good food too.
Is the Bank Street Cafe still there? An old bank building that had been turned into a pub. Had a great time there with a young lady years ago. Good memories.
Alburquerque is pretty damned boring lol... I've been there 2 times and it was to use the airport as the entry to N.M.. On the other hand, New Mexico itself is brilliant! Beautiful landscapes and wonderful Native and latin cultures but Albuquerque as a city is not very interesting. Sante Fe and even a host of smaller New Mexican cities like Ruidoso and Taos are far more interesting.
Actually interesting you bring up Albuquerque in the context of this thread because its not too much smaller than Ottawa but from what I saw far less urban and far more sprawly than even Ottawa - it would drive Botti crazy lol.. If you want a perfect example of the most suburban looking city around - Albuquerque would be very high on the list.
Albuquerque has plenty of unique charm, beauty, culture and history of its own. New Mexico's blending of Anglo, "latin" (actually Hispanic) and Native culture permeates and defines Albuquerque. And beautiful landscapes abound in this city, so I don't agree with you at all there. As for urbanity, is it the most urban place in the world? No. But it has enough to offer on that front as well.
For culture, it has been home to and produced many artists, writers, etc. yet, because it's a far larger city than Santa Fe and especially Taos and Ruidoso, much of that has gone unnoticed.
Have you ever heard of people like Wilson Hurley, Pablita Velarde, Rudolfo Anaya and Tony Hillerman?
Albuquerque can offer just as much culture and wonder as all those smaller New Mexico cities, plus it offers an actual economy not dependent on tourism where normal people can actually make a decent living and afford to live.
As for Albuquerque being boring, there is plenty to do here. Every night and day there is something going on. There are art openings, live theater, concerts, festivals, etc. always happening. Are most of those things as big, exciting or of the quality of bigger cities? No, but they are things available in this city for those of us who live here to enjoy.
I live in a neighborhood of Albuquerque which has a great little indie art scene going on, Barelas. Every weekend there are shows and art openings on South 4th Street in my neighborhood. Is attending those events akin to going to a Broadway play or the Whitney Museum in New York City? No, but it gives me something to do and enjoy right here in my own neighborhood. Sorry, but to me Albuquerque is anything but boring.
As for interesting places those offerings extend beyond what that other poster from here offered up. Those places he mentioned are just the safe, cliched semi-urban and unique places in Albuquerque. There is much more to be found for those not afraid to venture into places outside their comfort zone or which don't fit their preconceived notions.
And as for Albuquerque being among the most suburban-looking cities in North America, I guess since you've only been through our airport you aren't familiar with the many unique residential areas in Albuquerque.
Places like Corrales and the North Valley, with their upscale rustic, pastoral vibe or the South Valley with its Northern New Mexico-esque rural feel which also has a similar rich Hispanic culture to that area of New Mexico.
Even many of the suburban areas of Albuquerque are given a unique New Mexico flavor to save them from being anyplace, suburban North America. I doubt the suburban areas filled with adobe casitas would be found in many places outside of Albuquerque. Well, I guess in Santa Fe, but wouldn't that be a mark against that town in your eyes?
I think that you actually don't know much about Albuquerque outside of our airport.
I pairs well with a trip to Montreal as a side excursion.
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Is it Montreal that's a side excursion from Ottawa, or Ottawa that's a side excursion from Montreal?
Last edited by Acajack; 10-02-2015 at 10:06 AM..
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