Where will the next Hintonburg be?

[OTSkyline]

If I were to take a guess I would say the area around Montreal Road, Vanier Parkway & McArthur.

It's a little pocket of a few blocks, served by transit (although not great), is just across the river from Rideau St (so proximity to downtown) and this area is already seeing several proposals go forward or built already.

I wouldn't brush the entire Vanier neighbourhood in the same brush, but these few blocks seem to present the most opportunity and have the most in the pipeline. Let's hope the pedestrian experience & some good/interesting mix of retailers in the podiums.

[Fading Isle]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Yeah I guess that makes sense and yet I hear everyone say you can't get a job in Ottawa without French. I guess I live in a bubble but everyone I know speaks passable French and most send their kids to French Immersion or even French Public system.

I think it differs greatly depending on where in the city you are. Growing up in a west-end inner suburb almost no one spoke French and French immersion was really not very popular. Back then this seemed consistent across all of west and south Ottawa, including the urban west-end. The starkness of the difference between west/south and east has likely changed a bit since I grew up, but it's still my impression that there are relatively few people 30 and over who speak French in west and south Ottawa.

[harls]

Montreal Rd reopening, shiny as it is, will not make it the next Hintonburg.

I am still pulling for St. Joseph in Gatineau.

[harls]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

St-Joseph in Orleans has a lot of potential. So does St-Joseph in Hull, near the RapiBus and currently undergoing a re-build. Should the Aylmer Tramway use a south alignment, Alexandre-Taché could become trendy.

Should have shouted out J.OT13 for stating it first!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by harls

Should have shouted out J.OT13 for stating it first!

Outside of l'Ile de Hull and Aylmer, it's certainly the most urban street on the Quebec side with loads of potential.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by harls

Montreal Rd reopening, shiny as it is, will not make it the next Hintonburg.

No, but the large number of new dwellings on Rideau and Montreal, as well as nearby, is in the process of doing that.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

No, but the large number of new dwellings on Rideau and Montreal, as well as nearby, is in the process of doing that.

I will also note that St. Joseph in Gatineau is also being redone. There is probably not near enough the residents as such a street in Ottawa would have, but still..I gotta pull for my town I guess.

[Kitchissippi]

The new Hintonburg is... Bells Corners

It depends on what you mean; the traditional mainstreet vibe or the cheap rent/funky business incubator atmosphere.

We're running out of ungentrified main streets, so I suspect the new generators of cool commercial areas will be run down industrial areas, like what happened to City Centre. Call me weird but I think the area west of the old Canadian Tire on Clyde Ave N (Campbell/Boyd Ave.) has great potential especially if the trend towards electric cars spells the demise of the traditional car repair mechanics there. There's enough room for patios and rough infill to create a pretty organic market-like ambience.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

We're running out of ungentrified main streets

Barnsdale and Greenbank.

You saw it here first.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by harls

Barnsdale and Greenbank.

You saw it here first.

Nothing like a hookah shop to start off that trend!

[harls]

^

[McKellarDweller]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The new Hintonburg is... Bells Corners

I worked in Bells Corners for a couple of years awhile ago. I made the best of it and walked wherever I could for errands and supported local businesses on a daily basis. ...But the 200:1 motorvehicle to pedestrian ratio regardless of time of day or weather, and vehicles ripping by me over 80km/hr 4' away from the sidewalk was soul crushing.

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by McKellarDweller

I worked in Bells Corners for a couple of years awhile ago. I made the best of it and walked wherever I could for errands and supported local businesses on a daily basis. ...But the 200:1 motorvehicle to pedestrian ratio regardless of time of day or weather, and vehicles ripping by me over 80km/hr 4' away from the sidewalk was soul crushing.

But but but I thought there was a war on cars in Ottawa

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by harls

I will also note that St. Joseph in Gatineau is also being redone. There is probably not near enough the residents as such a street in Ottawa would have, but still..I gotta pull for my town I guess.

If the city elders on both sides of the river have any vision, they will be very nice to, and cultivate sympathetic and sustainable development, amenities, and services in:

- Old Aylmer
- Island of Hull and Wrightville
- Val-Tetreau
- Vanier-Overbrook
- Cyrville
- Tunney's Pasture

I think those are the areas and nodes that have the highest potential to help the cities achieve some of the goals they supposedly have in terms of better develpment, infill, GHG reductions, etc.

If we're especially ambitious, we'd also get cracking on de-stroading some suburban stroads and building up some new older-suburban urban places, like in Orleans, Merivale Road, Carling, etc.

We almost have to, since we keep building new suburban places so terribly.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by McKellarDweller

I worked in Bells Corners for a couple of years awhile ago. I made the best of it and walked wherever I could for errands and supported local businesses on a daily basis. ...But the 200:1 motorvehicle to pedestrian ratio regardless of time of day or weather, and vehicles ripping by me over 80km/hr 4' away from the sidewalk was soul crushing.

I half jokingly said Bells Corners because of SuzyQ Doughnuts. Having said that, BC has a surprising amount of unique offerings like Vera's Burgers and Kichessippi and Conspiracy Theory breweries which both have decent outdoor patios, and other non-chain operations.

While the "stroadiness" of Robertson Road is truly awful, I think if they complete-streeted it with segregated bike tracks, wider sidewalks, nice lamps and a slight road diet (less centre turn lanes), it could be somehow be improved beyond a lipstick-on-a-pig endeavour.