Canada's Greatest Neighbourhoods

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by rousseau

except for on a Saturday night when a part of St. Laurent looks like the Entertainment District in Toronto.

In my opinion the section between Sherbrooke and Pins is the worst of the Plateau.

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Architecturally nothing beats Montreal (or Quebec City, for that matter). The monolithic nature of the blocks in terms of how they front the street is very appealing.

But otherwise I don't see how anything in Canada can rival the list of hoods given above in Toronto (save for Liberty Village). I absolutely adore the Plateau, don't get me wrong, but those neighbourhoods in Ramako's post are centered around distinctive commercial districts that are utterly grounded in their sense of place and identity unlike anywhere else. The Plateau is great, but it's a bit samey-samey all over.

Samey-samey in terms of architecture? Or in terms of street life? If it's the former I'd have to disagree.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by someone123

I lived in Kits for a year or so. I enjoyed my time there and liked being able to go to little shops and restaurants and it is very bike-friendly. The downside is that it is not a very busy area and closes down early. It's also very expensive and is experiencing the same shift toward yuppie monoculture that has engulfed much of the city. I'm not sure if Vancouver is going to age and become a more varied city or if it's just going to become a cluster of Whole Foods/Lululemon colonies. It seems like it could go either way at this point.

From a lifestyle perspective I agree that a lot of parts of Canada are great, but parts of Montreal have a character you can't find elsewhere in this country. The same thing goes for parts of Toronto. Kits is maybe 30% like that.

I'm sure Montreal has some amazing areas. But we can't just talk about one city here, and I wanted to get a couple things straight with regards to population and neighbourhood age.

Also, people talk of yuppies as if they are a bad thing. Young people with well paying jobs, who spend money on things... ok? Kits apparently has a lot people living in low income housing, if that's what people are into...

[Ramako]

With respect to the bustling street life in Toronto, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Geographically Toronto is no bigger than any other major Canadian city, yet has many more times the people. In absolute terms, there are just more people wherever you go.

On top of that, whereas the downtown had previously been dominated by offices, this recent condo boom has created a massive influx of residents into the downtown area. If the weather's decent, you can expect to find downtown Toronto flooded with people. You could also chalk some of that activity up to festivals, marches, etc., but those are not really uncommon as there's always a handful of events happening around the city at any given time.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by matthew6

In my opinion the section between Sherbrooke and Pins is the worst of the Plateau.

Could you elaborate? Because the section in question would be the McGill ghetto, then Laval street the Square St-Louis, etc. which is full of life, full of ravishing victorian grey stones, etc. How could it be the worst of anything ???

[kool maudit]

bad douche bars on st. laurent though

[le calmar]

^ I think that's what he meant and I would tend to agree.

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Could you elaborate? Because the section in question would be the McGill ghetto, then Laval street the Square St-Louis, etc. which is full of life, full of ravishing victorian grey stones, etc. How could it be the worst of anything ???

That sounds like you are going east to west. I was referring to the strip of clubs that begins on Sherbrooke going north.

If we are talking east/west we have

-Prince Arthur street which is filled with mediocre restaurants, but yes it does lead into Square St Louis.

Pins - which is quite uninteresting and operates as a highway to get from St Laurant to St Denis

Duluth - which like Prince Arthur is lined with restaurants (which are generally of a better quality) and more attractive architecture.

Napolean - which dead ends into a particulary nice stretch of tree lined Laval. Worth nothing because it contains Chileneta, which has some of the best empanadas in Montreal.

Rachel - Kind of a mix of Prince Arthur and Pins...or something like that.

Marie Anne - Actually one of my favourite streets in Montreal. Gorgeously preserved architecture heading east from St Denis. Not so nice heading west.

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

bad douche bars on st. laurent though

Yes precisely.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by someone123

From a lifestyle perspective I agree that a lot of parts of Canada are great, but parts of Montreal have a character you can't find elsewhere in this country. The same thing goes for parts of Toronto. Kits is maybe 30% like that.

I don't know Toronto all that well, but i can easily explore it through Google Earth. Kits is not my favorite neighborhood in Vancouver, but consider Mt Pleasant (of course) the best neighborhood in Vancouver. Just curious what neighborhoods in Toronto make VanCity neighborhoods look "30%". Not trying to start a war, but just more interested to compare.

[flar]

Random great neighbourhood:

Corktown (Hamilton)













full tour: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=186922

[Vaillant]

For Montréal I would like to add Outremont, there is some nice spot in that area around Bernard and VanHorne

[flar]

Another random great neighbourhood:

Cabbagetown (Toronto)











full tour: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=161612

[Darkoshvilli]

Originally Posted by Vaillant

For Montréal I would like to add Outremont, there is some nice spot in that area around Bernard and VanHorne

Some pics I took in Outremont 2 years ago

























Mile-End:

[north 42]

Originally Posted by flar

Random great neighbourhood:

Corktown (Hamilton)













full tour: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=186922

This neighbourhood looks a lot like Old Walkerville here in Windsor, looks great.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by flar

Another random great neighbourhood:

Cabbagetown (Toronto)











full tour: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=161612

I love Cabagetown, I used to live there in the early 80s. It's been a long time since I have walked through the area, I should try to visit there next time I'm in TO.

[Ramako]

My favourite neighbourhood in Toronto (and possibly anywhere), the Annex:

(All pictures and comments are by flar from this thread.)

Toronto Tours:

Too much Toronto • Major League Skyscrapers
The Annex • Chinatown • Cabbagetown




"The Annex" is a desirable Victorian neighbourhood in Toronto. I wanted to look at some Toronto
housing so these pictures focus on the residential areas, but there are a few pics from the commercial
area on Bloor. I found the neighbourhood to have good density, elegant streetscapes and a very wide
variety of great housing.



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[le calmar]

I didn't know the Annex looked like this. This reminds me of the Glebe in Ottawa.

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I didn't know the Annex looked like this. This reminds me of the Glebe in Ottawa.

It looks really beautiful in the summer as the green foliage contrasts very nicely with all the red brick.

Looking at the photos again, I notice that there are a few frats/sororities among the houses. This area is right next door to U of T, so there are a lot of students and academics in the neighbourhood.

[flar]

The Glebe (Ottawa):