General Updates and News

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I think of downtown's northern border as the Cogswell interchange. Everything North of this piece of infrastructure feels VERY different than the downtown to me: block pattern, building massing, relationships between buildings and streets, types of building tenants.

With respect to the armoury - I'd probably consider it central. In my mind, the north end doesn't start until the north side of Cunard St. If you ask others, they'd say the north end's southern border is North St.

This seems to be a perennial debate. My feeling is that the "North End," as commonly understood, has crept south over the years. The North End might have technically begun at North Street or thereabouts in the past, but the interchange created such a stark division between the urban fabric on its north and south sides, that it's no wonder a lot of people, especially younger people with no pre-Cogswell memory, simply refer to everything above Cogswell as the "North End". There may have been a time when Gottingen Street flowed organically out of downtown, transitioning to a lower scale, but that transition zone was destroyed. It feels like a fundamentally different neighbourhood now, and certainly among people I know (under-40) it's colloquially referred to as the North End.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

This seems to be a perennial debate. My feeling is that the "North End," as commonly understood, has crept south over the years. The North End might have technically begun at North Street or thereabouts in the past, but the interchange created such a stark division between the urban fabric on its north and south sides, that it's no wonder a lot of people, especially younger people with no pre-Cogswell memory, simply refer to everything above Cogswell as the "North End". There may have been a time when Gottingen Street flowed organically out of downtown, transitioning to a lower scale, but that transition zone was destroyed. It feels like a fundamentally different neighbourhood now, and certainly among people I know (under-40) it's colloquially referred to as the North End.

I always considered north of North St to be the north end, south of cogswell to be south and and everything in between to be central Halifax. I honestly didn't even know it was debateable what the north end was lol. And for the record I'm 30 so I definately fall into the 40 and under category .

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

I always considered north of North St to be the north end, south of cogswell to be south and and everything in between to be central Halifax. I honestly didn't even know it was debateable what the north end was lol. And for the record I'm 30 so I definately fall into the 40 and under category .

Ha.

Well, fair enough! I think it's also about associating individual places with the North End. Field Guide, the Company House, Edna, the Native Friendship Centre, etc, are all "North End" to me. The whole Gottingen strip feels north end to me.

It's an interesting case study in shifting neighbourhood identities, really. I think the interchange definitely shifted the psychic map of the city. The explosion as well wiped out Richmond, which maybe had a distinctive character?

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

I always considered north of North St to be the north end, south of cogswell to be south and and everything in between to be central Halifax. I honestly didn't even know it was debateable what the north end was lol. And for the record I'm 30 so I definately fall into the 40 and under category .

Shouldn't 'south' be south of South St? I use the two perimeter streets to judge (and, coincidentally, have lived on both), and everything in between is 'central'. Also under 40, fwiw.

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Ha.

Well, fair enough! I think it's also about associating individual places with the North End. Field Guide, the Company House, Edna, the Native Friendship Centre, etc, are all "North End" to me. The whole Gottingen strip feels north end to me.

It's an interesting case study in shifting neighbourhood identities, really. I think the interchange definitely shifted the psychic map of the city. The explosion as well wiped out Richmond, which maybe had a distinctive character?

When I lived on the peninsula I think I would have called the Gottigen strip North End too. And I agree that it's the blockbusting elements downtown like Scotia Square and the Cogswell Interchange that created this sense of separation. But paradoxically, I wouldn't think of anything on the Common as anything but Central even though it's north of the Cogswell. I probably would have called Cunard the last "Central" street.

Now that I have lived out in the burbs for many years what I would refer to as "downtown", at least casually, is broader. The hipster section of Agricola - yeah that's downtown enough I suppose... The eastern end of Quinpool and the residential streets north and south of that? Yeah, downtown enough...

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by portapetey

When I lived on the peninsula I think I would have called the Gottigen strip North End too. And I agree that it's the blockbusting elements downtown like Scotia Square and the Cogswell Interchange that created this sense of separation. But paradoxically, I wouldn't think of anything on the Common as anything but Central even though it's north of the Cogswell. I probably would have called Cunard the last "Central" street.

Now that I have lived out in the burbs for many years what I would refer to as "downtown", at least casually, is broader. The hipster section of Agricola - yeah that's downtown enough I suppose... The eastern end of Quinpool and the residential streets north and south of that? Yeah, downtown enough...

I wonder if in a strange paradoxical way, the interchange--this big-city piece of traffic infrastructure--makes the city feel smaller by shrinking what we perceive as downtown or the central area.

In any case, yeah, it makes sense for the lower stretches of Agricola and Gottingen and certainly the Commons to be in the central area. Maybe they'll reclaim that role in the years following the Cogswell re-do.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

This seems to be a perennial debate. My feeling is that the "North End," as commonly understood, has crept south over the years. The North End might have technically begun at North Street or thereabouts in the past, but the interchange created such a stark division between the urban fabric on its north and south sides, that it's no wonder a lot of people, especially younger people with no pre-Cogswell memory, simply refer to everything above Cogswell as the "North End". There may have been a time when Gottingen Street flowed organically out of downtown, transitioning to a lower scale, but that transition zone was destroyed. It feels like a fundamentally different neighbourhood now, and certainly among people I know (under-40) it's colloquially referred to as the North End.

If I'm talking about the area between North Street and Cogswell I tend to call it the Old North End while north of North Street is just North End. Not exactly precise, but North End feels too big and calling that area Downtown doesn't fit either. Maybe in a few generations after Cogswell is redeveloped the distinction will disappear again.

[teddifax]

I believe north of North St. is the north end, south of South St. is the south end. (Anything on Gottingen St. in the old shopping area, is still central.) In between South and North streets is Central Halifax period, whether or not you call it the CBD or whatever. This would in my estimation continue up to Robie St. Once you get up onto Quinpool Road, then you are getting into the West End, up to the rotary.

[Colin May]

There is an old joke in Britain : "The North begins at Potters Bar".
The joke was meant as a slight on those who lived in London and who believed London was the centre of the universe and anything beyond was a place where a person should be wary of venturing to.
My great uncle 'emigrated ' from Newcastle to London as a young man and eventually settled in Potters Bar - 13 miles north of London.
As far as us northerners were concerned London was 'the big smoke' and a place of ill repute. Potters Bar was on the east coast main line where the express train to Newcastle and Edinburgh was at full speed when it rattled through on its way to good clean air and real ale.
For those with an interest in other notions of place I can offer the oft used phrase 'Wogs begin at Dover'; wogs being foreigners and Dover being the location of the cross channel ferry to France.

[DT Hfx]

There is a small excavator inside the Green Lantern Building at 1585 Barrington demolishing the inside.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by DT Hfx

There is a small excavator inside the Green Lantern Building at 1585 Barrington demolishing the inside.

That is great news, the Granville Street facade is such an eye sore. There is a thread for this project at this link - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=218265

[Hali87]

Not sure if this has been posted already but the new storefronts that had been sitting vacant on Brunswick Street south of Cogswell have started to fill in. I wasn't paying close attention but there seems to be a sushi place, a clothing store, and surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly) another new brewery:


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Hali87

Not sure if this has been posted already but the new storefronts that had been sitting vacant on Brunswick Street south of Cogswell have started to fill in. I wasn't paying close attention but there seems to be a sushi place, a clothing store, and surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly) another new brewery:

That is good news. Maybe with the new hotels and apartment buildings, it will start getting some significant pedestrian traffic.

[Keith P.]

I have to think we are close to reaching peak brewery status but what do I know? I cannot imagine a startup having pockets deep enough to afford the kind of rent that is likely to be charged here but time will tell.

[musicman]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I have to think we are close to reaching peak brewery status but what do I know? I cannot imagine a startup having pockets deep enough to afford the kind of rent that is likely to be charged here but time will tell.

With the gear that is in that brewery i'm guessing that there are some very deep pockets involved with this new one.

[fenwick16]

I wonder if the brewery will be both a working brewery and bar? They might be hoping to benefit from the Scotiabank Centre and convention centre traffic (plus all the tourists in the hotels).

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I wonder if the brewery will be both a working brewery and bar? They might be hoping to benefit from the Scotiabank Centre and convention centre traffic (plus all the tourists in the hotels).

I peered in the windows when they were setting up a few weeks ago. Appears that they have a storefront with beer and gear, and the brewery. Didn't see much of a bar. Reminded me of Garrison.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

I peered in the windows when they were setting up a few weeks ago. Appears that they have a storefront with beer and gear, and the brewery. Didn't see much of a bar. Reminded me of Garrison.

This might be a good location for them. It would be great to see that part of Halifax become more vibrant with pedestrian traffic.

[Drybrain]

I got a can of their IPA from Rockhead last night. Pretty good. Really high alcohol content though, even for an IPA. Over 7. Had to switch to something less boozy afterwards.

[eastcoastal]

Very happy to see this area filling in.

I do wonder, as Keith puts it, if we've hit peak brewery yet. I must say though, visiting Copenhagen, Berlin and Prague this summer, that our craft brewery scene is pretty healthy, by comparison, and provides stellar product in general. I think, as long as the market is there for it, it's a great economic sector - good for agriculture (some farms are able to start growing hops now), benefits the local food scene, and benefits my summers-in-the-backyard.