Quote:
Originally Posted by delboy
I agree with WBC...vancouver has a fair bit of street life for the size of the city. It's easy to forget that we have a small population base. We are not Europe. And WBC is right, our focal points are spread out, be it Kits, Commercial Drive, SOMA, Denman etc....we don't just focus everyone downtown. And we are and always will be defined by our proximity to the great outdoors. This is hardly a revelation and has been written about before.
As for the article, it lost my attention when Calgary, Deadmonton and Winterpeg were described as more vibrant. I have spent a lot of time in both Edmonton and Calgary...their downtowns are amongst the most void of life when the sun goes down. As for underground walkways etc to escape the rain.....that's what brollys are for. We have the Pacifc Centre which has done a very good job at reducing street level activity.
The only part I really agree with is the fact that our waterfronts are not used to their full potential. We have plenty of park space on the front, but more areas to have a beer etc would be a big plus.
there's room for improvement but we are getting there.
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What the fuck? I'm sorry the hicky Prairie Towns don't have anything for the West Coast Elitist such as yourself. But bringing in stereotypical slogans doesn't give you the whole picture. You think this forum is only read by Lower Mainlanders and thus, you can piss all over the other Canadian cities?
Vancouver's downtown is nice. It's pretty lively for it being just over 2 million in the metro and being a young, North American city. It is definitely the most vibrant downtown west of Toronto. Like most cities, the areas outside Downtown are generally busier (Commercial, South Granville, Granville Island, et al). True for Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, too. But all three of these cities have seen a great renaissance in their respective downtowns. When was the last time you were on Stephen Avenue during a warm, summers day? That street can get packed. Edmonton? Well, more hit and miss. During the spring and summer, there are many festivals that bring out hoards of people. 104 Street and Jasper Ave around it bustle in the summer and fall with the farmers market on. Winnipeg's downtown is also revitalizing nicely, with Portage Ave getting better and better and the Exchange District continuing to get fixed up for the better.
Winnipeg isn't just about winter. They have some pretty nice summers there, in case you didn't know and decided to hop on a plane during January. Edmonton certainly isn't dead. Go to Whyte Ave, the Downtown Arts District, West Edmonton Mall, the festivals and see what I mean.