Your city's best-looking suburbs - Page 2

theman23 · #21 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

That seems rather arbitrary.

Neither here nor there, but I was at the Albright-Knox in Buffalo last week and drove around the surrounding neighbourhood a bit. Laid out by Olmstead, apparently, with homes that would put many in Westmount and Rosedale to shame. I had no idea. And I have no idea who in Buffalo would inhabit such homes (it was a fairly substantial neighbourhood).

Did you manage to drive through the Elmwod village? If so, what was your opinion?

kwoldtimer · #22 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:08 AM**

To tell you the truth, I was driving around a bit lost but I think I was on the edge of it (Soldiers Circle and Bidwell Pkwy?). In any event, what I did see was a beautiful collection of homes.

leftimage · #23 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:26 AM**

Montreal's 'best-looking' suburb after the more city-ish Westmount & Outremont would probably be Senneville..

The equivalent in Laval is 'Laval sur le Lac'

matthew6 · #24 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:36 AM**

Ugh those buildings look terrible.

Docere · #25 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:47 AM**

Re: Buffalo. It doesn't really have any very wealthy early 20th century suburbs at all. North of Delaware Park wasn't that developed at the turn of the century. So while the rich at that time were already moving out to places like Westchester County NY, Chicago's North Shore, the eastern streetcar suburbs of Cleveland, Grosse Pointe outside Detroit or Philadelphia's Main Line, this is Buffalo's old money district. Buffalo also has the wealthy "nouveau riche" outer suburb of Clarence.

In other words, it's basically Buffalo's Rosedale.

MTLskyline · #26 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:50 AM**

Senneville and Laval-sur-Lac.... seriously? They are rich and all, but definitely not the best looking. They are more-or-less semi-rural areas dotted with Mega McMansions on huge lots... As the pictures show.

MTLskyline · #27 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 4:12 AM**

Vieux-Longueuil:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longue...euil)_2014.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ngueuil_03.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...Germain_04.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...Robidas_01.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...boillez_04.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...Poirier_08.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ermette_02.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...urocher_07.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ngueuil_03.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...n-Brais_08.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F..._Longueuil.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ngueuil_01.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ngueuil_02.jpg

lio45 · #28 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 4:16 AM**

Vieux Laprairie is very nice as well, but the core is really small (a few blocks tops). Everything else is typical modern suburban stuff.

memememe76 · #29 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 4:36 AM**

For Vancouver suburbs, I would say Steveston, White Rock, and Ambleside. I'm a sucker for waterfront.

For something more traditional as chosen so far, I would choose Edgemont and Fort Langley.

For newer suburban developments, I would choose Newport Village, Morgan Crossing, and Olympic Village.

For all around suburb, I would say Port Moody.

BradFromTO · #30 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 6:32 AM**

I like Burlington quite a bit. More so then Oakville. Oakville is visually nice for sure...but it's just too nice, if that makes sense.

Beedok · #31 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 1:07 PM**

For Ottawa-Gatineau, from what I've been able to see, it's probably Barrhaven. The buildings look about the same, but there seems to be a lot more retail spread around and set up with some thought to pedestrians (still car centred, but still more walkable than many power centres).

For Hamilton, probably Dundas, but Burlington is improving from what I've heard.

For Thunder Bay . . . Well city hall is in the South Core, so I guess the North Core?

Acajack · #32 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 1:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beedok

For Ottawa-Gatineau, from what I've been able to see, it's probably Barrhaven. The buildings look about the same, but there seems to be a lot more retail spread around and set up with some thought to pedestrians (still car centred, but still more walkable than many power centres).

I disagree about Barrhaven. It's basically the same as the two other Ottawa mega-suburbs Orleans and Kanata. All three are "trying" (a bit) in certain areas, but in general they're still building the same old same old.

If I had to pick in the Ottawa-Gatineau area I'd pick Aylmer (now part of Gatineau) and Manotick (now part of Ottawa).

As the trend has gone in this thread these are both former independent towns with decently-preserved main streets.

Both of course are now doing a lot of bad stuff on their outer fringes: newer parts of Aylmer are as cookie-cutter central as anywhere else and outer Manotick is McMansionville, but soon to be cookie-cutter central as well.

Manitock Main Street

Aylmer

kwoldtimer · #33 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 1:38 PM**

I have to say, I've never heard a kind word said inside the Greenbelt about "Barfhaven", as it seems universally known.

Beedok · #34 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I disagree about Barrhaven. It's basically the same as the two other Ottawa mega-suburbs Orleans and Kanata. All three are "trying" (a bit) in certain areas, but in general they're still building the same old same old.

If I had to pick in the Ottawa-Gatineau area I'd pick Aylmer (now part of Gatineau) and Manotick (now part of Ottawa).

As the trend has gone in this thread these are both former independent towns with decently-preserved main streets.

Both of course are now doing a lot of bad stuff on their outer fringes: newer parts of Aylmer are as cookie-cutter central as anywhere else and outer Manotick is McMansionville, but soon to be cookie-cutter central as well.

Manitock Main Street

Aylmer

I was limiting to places I've actually been. Kanata's best set up is hidden behind closed walls and a see of parking. Orleans is confusing endless loops. Barrhaven isn't amazing, but it seems a bit better than the other two. It also has more convenience stores than most of post-war but within greenbelt Ottawa that I've seen.

There's probably some other ones I've seen that are in the greenbelt that are better, but I'm less certain of their boundaries.

(Elmvale area seemed okay for instance, but there was a lot of very low quality stuff that might have been within the limit.)

Acajack · #35 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beedok

I was limiting to places I've actually been. Kanata's best set up is hidden behind closed walls and a see of parking. Orleans is confusing endless loops. Barrhaven isn't amazing, but it seems a bit better than the other two. It also has more convenience stores than most of post-war but within greenbelt Ottawa that I've seen.

There's probably some other ones I've seen that are in the greenbelt that are better, but I'm less certain of their boundaries.

(Elmvale area seemed okay for instance, but there was a lot of very low quality stuff that might have been within the limit.)

Orleans is trying with this area here (spin around the view):

http://goo.gl/maps/TtzLm

This is more of a traditional downtown setup than anywhere in Barrhaven IMO.

It also has something of a traditional village main street, even though it's been badly damaged and is suffering:

http://goo.gl/maps/Q7Khr

SkahHigh · #36 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

Senneville and Laval-sur-Lac.... seriously? They are rich and all, but definitely not the best looking. They are more-or-less semi-rural areas dotted with Mega McMansions on huge lots... As the pictures show.

There are some much better looking suburbs than these, although Senneville has some charm.

Tunstall Avenue in Senneville:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Se...e7b496f9464139

Outside of Montreal it would be Saint-Lambert, Rosemere and Lorraine.

Beedok · #37 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Orleans is trying with this area here (spin around the view):

http://goo.gl/maps/TtzLm

This is more of a traditional downtown setup than anywhere in Barrhaven IMO.

It also has something of a traditional village main street, even though it's been badly damaged and is suffering:

http://goo.gl/maps/Q7Khr

Good on them, and I don't doubt they'll pass Barrhaven soon enough (I saw a fair bit of construction the handful of times I was out there), it's just that Barrhaven's half power centre/half street . . . things are much busier than the more downtown bits of Orlean's area by the highway.

That main street I never actually got a chance to see, though it looks a little too small town to give an urban impression from streetview.

flar · #38 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I have to say, I've never heard a kind word said inside the Greenbelt about "Barfhaven", as it seems universally known.

I believe the correct term is " Farrhaven"

Search for the YouTube classic, "Having a party in Barrhaven"

kwoldtimer · #39 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

I believe the correct term is " Farrhaven"

Search for the YouTube classic, "Having a party in Barrhaven"

I suspect I run with a bitchier crowd!

Acajack · #40 Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beedok

Good on them, and I don't doubt they'll pass Barrhaven soon enough (I saw a fair bit of construction the handful of times I was out there), it's just that Barrhaven's half power centre/half street . . . things are much busier than the more downtown bits of Orlean's area by the highway.

That main street I never actually got a chance to see, though it looks a little too small town to give an urban impression from streetview.

Of Ottawa's three major suburbs, Orleans is the only one that was really a pre-existing community before it began to grow explosively.

Kanata and Barrhaven were more built and planned from scratch as suburbs.