Architecturally, my favourite residential street in Vancouver is West 7th between Birch and Ash streets. I asked some of my planner and architect friends this same question one night, and many of them agreed.
I'd go so far as to say that it is the best residential street in Canada that was primarily built in the last 40 years. I live nearby and go down there to take walks to clear my head.
It's a collection of townhomes and apartment condo complexes from the 1970s-present that spill down the hill. They're creatively arranged to take maximum advantage of the land use restrictions on them and they're filled with little laneways and openings that invite exploration.
You can go on Streetview and check it out, but the photos don't really do it justice.
I really like all the narrow, secretive little streets and laneways scattered around. Some of which can be quite hidden, often haphazardly built, or even pedestrian only.
Bright St. is probably the cutest:
Or just a good ol' leafy Victorian:
Or in a completely different and more specific way, maybe Avenue Rd. north & south of St. Clair, with its grand pre-war apartments and elegant mid-century towers on a hill leading down into the core:
De Lormier all the way from Ontario to about Beaubien.
Honorable mention to Drolet. A consistently cute and narrow Montreal street that runs the length of the Plateau - continues through Mile Ex- skips a bit before continuing through Little Italy - and then on through the whole length of Villeray.
Architecturally, my favourite residential street in Vancouver is West 7th between Birch and Ash streets. I asked some of my planner and architect friends this same question one night, and many of them agreed.
I'd go so far as to say that it is the best residential street in Canada that was primarily built in the last 40 years. I live nearby and go down there to take walks to clear my head.
It's a collection of townhomes and apartment condo complexes from the 1970s-present that spill down the hill. They're creatively arranged to take maximum advantage of the land use restrictions on them and they're filled with little laneways and openings that invite exploration.
You can go on Streetview and check it out, but the photos don't really do it justice.
I know that area and why you chose it, but to most Canadians it might be a head scratcher, they just wouldn't get it at all, which is a real shame. Although architects and urbanists should instantly understand why it's good, most people would have to live here for awhile to appreciate it.
I'm also attracted to intimately scaled residential streets. My favourite in Toronto would be Draper. Beautiful street - though it's a bit of an oasis amid a pretty crappy area:
__________________
"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish
^ I'd also give mention to Victoria Promenade, 84/85/89 Ave in Garneau, 111 St south of 98 Ave, 110 St in Grandin, 125/126/127 St in Westmount, Rowland Road in Forest Heights, Valleyview Dr in Crestwood, 95/96/98 St in McCauley, Ada Blvd in the Highlands...
Ultra wealthy mega-homes set out in suburban fashion like that always confuse me. That one seems an extreme example, given the prices cited. If I had that kind of money, I'd buy a country estate and helicopter into town. Or at least buy up a couple of neighbouring properties to make a decent estate.
It reminds me of people who buy Rolls-Royces and then drive them themselves. One can only ask "why?".
__________________
"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish
Belmont is an incredible location, stunning actually.
__________________
"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish
^ I'd also give mention to Victoria Promenade, 84/85/89 Ave in Garneau, 111 St south of 98 Ave, 110 St in Grandin, 125/126/127 St in Westmount, Rowland Road in Forest Heights, Valleyview Dr in Crestwood, 95/96/98 St in McCauley, Ada Blvd in the Highlands...
Those are some nice ones, though where exactly in McCauley? Unless there's some hidden areas I don't know about, I find those areas, and the street you mention, interesting (home of Chinatown and Little Italy) but pretty rundown from a residential point of view. Unlike the others, I'd never want to live there. Here's street views of a few that you mention:
In Montreal, I have always been partial to Rue Laval in the Plateau, although there are many similar streets – St-Hubert and De Lorimier in particular. Laval is the most consistent, though:
In Copenhagen, the gap between good central streets and bad ones is smaller, but I am partial to Østerbro here, which mixes this sort of thing (Sankt Jakobs Plads):
Prev
They're often under-priced, obviously, but still deeper into the core than where I am now.
Linear Mode
