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My point is mainly on the urban continuity of Montreal:
- tightly integrated transit and access to rapid transit that connects all of Montreal's neighborhoods surrounding downtown
- zoning laws that encourage construction of mid-rise, multi-use buildings throughout the city, on every street whether it's commercial or residential (you very rarely see single family homes or duplexes in or around Centre-ville (same cannot be said for Toronto, where high density on Yonge quickly gives way to single family homes - the side streets immediately off Queen, King, Bloor are all low density single family houses without exception - this is wasteful urban planning and interrupts urban continuity)
Without exception? Have you actually walked around those areas? The side streets off Queen, King and Bloor consist of many rowhouses and semis (as well as quite a few old, lowrise apartment buildings) and the density is actually quite high.
These pictures are exactly the confirmation that the only thing that Vancouver has going for it is the natural settings....in terms of architectural appeal is pretty much insignificant....
Exactly...things Vancouver does not have, many of the theoretical wealthy individuals resident in Vancouver just have no interest in the city (and I would say many do not even live in the city)....the hilarious saga of the new art gallery is an example, a sick joke, when reality meets Vancouver ambitions of being a world class city.
It does not value these things...the Vancouver Symphony is a joke and so the above mentioned new art gallery that probably will never be built.
^ I wouldn't say those neighbourhoods are that vibrant. One thing I find very disappointing about Toronto is that outside downtown, all the neighbourhoods look like villages, not part of a big city, namely hundreds of low rise residential houses hugging one somewhat busy commercial street (Queen, Bloor, Danforth, or Yonge), and that's it. All the side streets are dead quiet with nothing. All boring two story houses, let it be Leslieville or Little Italy. I hate this kind of layout because that's essentially a suburban thing, except the streets are narrower and population is denser.
Montreal on the other hand, is unlike that. I remember taking the subway and exiting outside downtown (don't remember which stop exactly) and was impressed by the midrise layout and street vibrancy. You don't have that anywhere outside downtown Toronto. Exiting at Dupont or St Clair west makes one depressed. Additionally, the Latin quarter, with all the patio restaurants and pedestrian only streets, is very lively. Toronto doesn't have anything similar to that kind of joie de vivre. King west or Yorkville simply can't compare. I don't even know why King west is pricy and why people like living there.
In general I would say Montreal and Toronto are comparable in terms of urbanity, and giving the size difference, Montreal is doing much better and Toronto is a bit underwhelming. But Torontonians seem to think outside downtown, just having one retail street in the neighbourhood constitutes urban vibrancy.
Vancouver is far behind. Even its downtown is somewhat sleepy.
You're really exaggerating things here, there are plenty of vibrant urban looking neighbourhoods outside of Downtown Toronto, get off the Subway at Bloor West Station and you have all sorts of vibrant urbanity with busy intersecting commercial streets filled with lots of pedestrians, old pre-war apartment buildings and modern hi-rise apartments. Also, Montreal doesn't have urban nodes outside downtown on the scale of Yonge-Eglinton, Yonge St. Clair, or North York Centre. Get off the subway at Yonge and Eglinton and it looks like you're still downtown! Even Weston is a pretty built-up area far from downtown.
You seem obsessed with the fact that Toronto has houses in its neighbourhoods and is not wall to wall apartment buildings.
...this is just one of the Valencia conservatories of music
...and this is the BC Conservatory of music (and some of the space is for lease).....
...they even attempted to bring well known foreign performers to do some international master classes......renting space from the back of a church...it did not go well...
The owner sold his interest in the adjacent parcel of land for......you guessed right, a condo project.....
...this is just one of the Valencia conservatories of music
...and this is the BC Conservatory of music (and some of the space is for lease).....
...they even attempted to bring well known foreign performers to do some international master classes......renting space from the back of a church...it did not go well...
The owner sold his interest in the adjacent parcel of land for......you guessed right, a condo project.....
Stay on topic. We aren't comparing a city that was founded by the romans centuries ago to a city just over 100 years old....BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE MORONIC.
Stay on topic. We aren't comparing a city that was founded by the romans centuries ago to a city just over 100 years old....BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE MORONIC.
It has nothing to do with when the city was founded....do not make moronic comments....
You should see what was Valencia, let's say, in the early 1980s anyway.....a back water sleepy town surrounded by a mosquito infested swampy river....simply, they invested heavily also in culture not just condo development.
The words "Vancouver" and "world class arts, culture and entertainment" simply should not be put in the same sentence.
Back on topic, Toronto and Montreal have much more of it in spades....but sure, if you like the outdoors, mild weather, beautiful scenery and do not care that much about the dreadful job market, Vancouver and the inner coast of Vancouver Island are pretty much the only game in town in Canada.
Last edited by saturno_v; 08-04-2016 at 03:10 PM..
The only one that needs to see a therapist is you Nat....you and others fellow delusional Vancouverites....it's called "being in denial" I believe.....
Do you know that at every exchange with you I receive quite few reputation comments?? Something to think about.....
It has nothing to do with when the city was founded....do not make moronic comments....
You should see what was Valencia, let's say, in the early 1980s anyway.....a back water sleepy town surrounded by a mosquito infested swampy river....simply, they invested heavily also in culture not just condo development.
The words "Vancouver" and "world class arts, culture and entertainment" simply should not be put in the same sentence.
Back on topic, Toronto and Montreal have much more of it in spades....but sure, if you like the outdoors, mild weather, beautiful scenery and do not care that much about the dreadful job market, Vancouver and the inner coast of Vancouver Island are pretty much the only game in town in Canada.
No one said this.
Your mania about getting every opportunity to slam Vancouver is really getting tiring. Others have commented on it as well, wondering wtf goes on in your life that you do this??
The only one that needs to see a therapist is you Nat....you and others fellow delusional Vancouverites....it's called "being in denial" I believe.....
Do you know that at every exchange with you I receive quite few reputation comments?? Something to think about.....
So do I. I get reps and private messages about you. You misinterpret EVERY positive comment made about Vancouver as if I were saying IT THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
That reaction from you reflects on you, not me.
The fact that you reached all the way to Spain to make a point about Vancouver in a thread about Vancouver and Toronto, shows some wacky urge to try anything to dis Vancouver.
What is a city? Is it just the buildings, or streets, it's foliage? A common saying is that if you were to plunk Vancouver onto the middle of the prairies it wouldn't be much.
I totally disagree. It's setting and climate has had an influence on it's architecture and streets, like any city. Yes there are buildings that could be anywhere but that is true of a lot of modern buildings. A lot of Toronto's new condo's look an awful lot like some in Vancouver.
However there are lots of beautiful buildings in Vancouver and wonderful streets.
When people say as you said, that basically Vancouver is relying on it's setting, I point out that isn't quite accurate. It is what a city DOES with it's setting that counts. Look at Seattle's downtown compared to Vancouver's.
Vancouver has MANY more parks, and has made amazing use of it's waterfront.
So, ya, the city itself is stunningly beautiful as well.
To be honest all of those photos look similar to places in Toronto.. when I saw the 2nd one I actually thought it was Toronto. I have not been to Vancouver ever and not been to Montreal recently, but think each would likely have pros and cons. I am really interested in visiting Montreal again as I keep on regarding a lot of positive things about Montreal from other posters. Vancouver is a tougher sell as if would cost more and take longer to get to. Internal flights in Canada as just way to expensive in my opinion. We need to work on that.
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