Canadian Urban Canyons

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by Betelgeuse2855

How DARE someone question that Toronto has the best urban canyons in Canada?! Toronto is the pinnacle of human civilization!

This thread just didn't feel complete without a Toronto hater.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by flar

Richmond St. in London

Wow, that photo is a few years old now. Club Phoenix, the black building with the disco ball on the right, is long gone and is now a Moxie's. I'm guessing February 2006 for this shot.

London's closest example to an urban canyon is Richmond between York and Dundas. I unfortunately don't have any photos, but here's a shot from Google Streetview...

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...38.98,,1,-2.32

[Betelgeuse2855]

Originally Posted by Ramako

This thread just didn't feel complete without a Toronto hater.

I don't hate Toronto at all. It's a fine city and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 years I spent there. What I do have issue with is blind boosterism. Contrary to what some residents of the GTA may believe, there are other wonderful cities out there, some of which are even in Canada!

That aside, I would have to say Ottawa and Calgary are in the lead for this argument. As previously stated, the Toronto streetscape just doesn't really project that canyon effect well right now. Too many gaps and quite a few buildings with setbacks. Ditto on the setbacks with Vancouver. Does that mean they are bad cities? Far from it.

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by Betelgeuse2855

That aside, I would have to say Ottawa and Calgary are in the lead for this argument. As previously stated, the Toronto streetscape just doesn't really project that canyon effect well right now. Too many gaps and quite a few buildings with setbacks. Ditto on the setbacks with Vancouver. Does that mean they are bad cities? Far from it.

What are you doing making reasoned arguments on merit alone, like everyone else in this thread had been doing? Just go back to making snide comments about Torontonians. It's much less constructive and thus more fun that way.

[caltrane74]

Well if we're gonna get subjective and make this into a contest, Ill say Toronto is in the lead due to the lenght and hieght of canyons disregarding gaps unless Betelguese is will to provide statistical measurements to back up his remarks..

By the way we need set backs on towers downtown Toronto and wider sidewalks due to heavy pedestrian foot traffic on our downtown streets....hell even our suburban streets have heavy foot traffic.. If thats the trade off Id say its a trade off well worth it in terms of the impact on the city landscape.

Ill video tap the Bay Street wall tomorrow Traynor can give commentary on the gaps that are there... and for every gap there is on Bay street, Ill show you a 187 meter tower going up on Bay, or a 282 meter Tower going up and so on and so on. From Queen to the lake there are no gaps in the canyon. My videos will have special shout outs to my boys Traynor and Betelguisie. AH-HELL!

[-Harlington-]

some from halifax, if you wanna call them canyons:

Bedford Row:



Hollis St:



And kinda one, Alderney dr. in Dartmouth:

[caltrane74]

ok boys and girls...

It's time for the games to begin..

These videos are for Traynor and Betelgusese ...

I'm playing a game.. Its called FIND THE GAP

Come with me as we look for GAPS and inconsistancies in the Toronto Streetwall...

Lots of Fun.. yay!! - gave up afterwork chickenwings for this.. but it's ok. Partner got a job as an AM in Bermuda, so I jumped outta that so I could come downtown and video cam the canyons ... for you guys...

Had enough fun boy..

and honies like whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

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Got lots more of these videos for Traynor and Betetguise !!

yay.. I give you guys proper respect in all my videos man...

fa real.

Betelguise - I didn't find a gap, But I found out where they vault your money...

Bay and King

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proper shout out to my boys....

Traynor and Betetguise!! - You guys were right...

tonnes of gaps in the streetwall..

And then the Mouth of the Canyon... Just like if you were in Arizona heading to the Grand Canyon...

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Is this OTTAWA?? or is it CANYONIZED YORKVILLE STREETWALL???

here ya go!!

no gaps.. unless you count feeder streets..

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More Honies on Yonge Street..

I'm talking bout the Canyons.. not the girls..

silly rabbits.. Trix are for kids!!

ha

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[softee]

I've spent a lot of time in both Toronto and Ottawa, and despite its much smaller size and shorter buildings, the streets of downtown Ottawa just struck me as more canyon-like than those in Toronto. It seems like every street in Ottawa's CBD is a solid wall of 20 storey buildings.

[Traynor]

^LMFAO

Cal did you blaze a dube before you came up with some of that commentary????

LOL

I can't believe you missed the killer opportunity to film the GAP store at Bay and Bloor and taunt me with how you found a Gap on Bloor!!!!

And sorry to say... King and Bay is one giant gap. The banking pavilion for TD, the lowrise BMO podium and the Commerce Court setback. The only one that meets the street is the old Bank of Nova Scotia.

Keep in mind Cal, I grew up on that corner. When I was Steveve's age I would go downtown every Saturday to explore the city. I watched as they tore down the Star building and I was there for every step of the construction of The First Canadian Place, the CN Tower and any number of buildings.

I know my city and I just think that section of Bay, from Front to Queen is too haphazard to be what I call a canyon. The heights are all over the map. The way the buildings meet the street just doesn't do it for me.

Now, as I said once before, that piece of Wellington West from Bay comes much closer in my opinion.

You're going to blow a fuse but, I think your videos show wonderful streetwall but not a lot of canyons.

[Betelgeuse2855]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Well if we're gonna get subjective and make this into a contest, Ill say Toronto is in the lead due to the lenght and hieght of canyons disregarding gaps unless Betelguese is will to provide statistical measurements to back up his remarks..

By the way we need set backs on towers downtown Toronto and wider sidewalks due to heavy pedestrian foot traffic on our downtown streets....hell even our suburban streets have heavy foot traffic.. If thats the trade off Id say its a trade off well worth it in terms of the impact on the city landscape.

Ill video tap the Bay Street wall tomorrow Traynor can give commentary on the gaps that are there... and for every gap there is on Bay street, Ill show you a 187 meter tower going up on Bay, or a 282 meter Tower going up and so on and so on. From Queen to the lake there are no gaps in the canyon. My videos will have special shout outs to my boys Traynor and Betelguisie. AH-HELL!

Thanks for the vids, looks oddly familiar to what I saw when I was there last month.

So, what type of "statistical measurements" do I need to provide? Shall I walk down various streets in each city, and measure the amount of sunlight that penetrates the "rim" of each canyon, lol? This is a totally arbitrary subject, to which I stated my opinion.

In regards to the setback issue, that is great. I like setbacks on large buildings and I am not disagreeing that it helps at street level. However, setbacks greatly detract from the canyon effect. Vancouver and Toronto are easily my two favorite Canadian cities, but they do not have the best urban canyons in my opinion. You are pretty much playing out the reason for my sarcastic first post after reading through this thread, and I truly hope you are joking around. No need to "bring the pain" because I don't think Toronto wins this particular category.

[caltrane74]

I just wanna videocam girls butts in Yorkville, I cant win with you guys....

[Traynor]

Awwww Poor BooBoo. Sorry Cal. You're doing a great job. I love all the videos and your commentary is off the hook! LOL

And each post is getting you ever closer to the big 10K

[Betelgeuse2855]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

I just wanna videocam girls butts in Yorkville, I cant win with you guys....

Ahaha. In that case, you need to provide more evidence for this discussion.

[caltrane74]

i was just on bay at cumberland and i video taped a girls butt, in lululemon spandex, and i videocammed a rolls royce phantom about 3 mins ago. That is going on YOUTUBE!

[caltrane74]

Here is my new series on the Yorkville Canyon Wall... love it's CHI CHI POO POONESS OF IT!!

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Gotta get the girly girl buts walking the canyons too

That's what I'm talking about!!!


_

Yorkville Mini Canyon.. and pozers

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[SpongeG]

the accent slays me

[caltrane74]

gooodloard........ my accent!!

ha!

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More of my eastern accent forya here then...

Traynor, sorry for my swearing at you on this video... just getting all excited at U Condo filling the Gap in the Bay Streetwall......



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[niwell]

Originally Posted by softee

I've spent a lot of time in both Toronto and Ottawa, and despite its much smaller size and shorter buildings, the streets of downtown Ottawa just struck me as more canyon-like than those in Toronto. It seems like every street in Ottawa's CBD is a solid wall of 20 storey buildings.

I would agree with this. Based on 6 years living in Ottawa and 3 in Toronto (plus yearly visits pretty much every one of the previous 20 years). Ottawa just feels more canyon-like due to the uniformity of buildings downtown and strict linear grid pattern.

Toronto's downtown is incredibly dense but the layout doesn't really lend itself to visual canyons. The buildings in the financial district are much taller than anything else in the inner city and tend to overshadow the multitude of midrises that would form canyons in other cities. Plus the street layout, which while on a grid pattern is somewhat haphazard, leading to many dead ends and small side streets. Both Ottawa and Calgary have long straight streets lined with highrises in a similar way to Manhattan (but obviously on a much smaller scale). Even though Toronto clearly packs more tall buildings in a small area they just aren't arranged in a way to create the same sort of visual canyons. Montreal is the same way for what it's worth.

Toronto's downtown does feel considerably larger than any other city in Canada, so I wouldn't feel too bad about the lack of canyons.

[Traynor]

Well put niwell. But what are you trying to do? Give Caltrane an aneurism? You put forth a convincing argument but it's going to make Cal have a meltdown!

And Cal, regarding your latest video, I don't mind the swearing nearly as much as I mind that gap! LOL

You can't keep telling us what WILL be a canyon. A canyon exists right now or it doesn't exist at all.

And even when U Condos are built, like most of that section of Bay street, the buildings are too far apart to evoke the feeling of a canyon. Way too much sun poking through the west side from Charles down to College.

Just keeping it real.

[caltrane74]

FEEL MY WRATH

Where are these Ottawa forumers and their supporters to provide some evidence of these massive and linar Canyons that Traynor speaks of? I wish to see for myself, as I have created hundreds of canyon videos which I have yet to upload. Im waiting for when they'll be needed to provide counter evidence against the claims of Ottawas greatness...

Where are these Ottawa forumers and supporters come forth and show us these mighty Canyons Traynor speaks of or is it all an illision?