The North American Moscow

[Doady]

All photos taken on February 22, 2019.

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[Crawford]

Bleak. Suburban Toronto is an alien place, from a U.S. perspective.

[hauntedheadnc]

Nonsense. This is the North American Moscow.

[xzmattzx]

Interesting title. Where is this? Mississauga?

It looks very bleak. But to be fair, the dirty old snow and season of winter makes it worse. You could make these same areas look relatively better at the beginning of May. It would be interesting to see how good you can make those same cookie-cutter apartment buildings look in a better season.

[Doady]

I didn't mean to steal the thunder of Moscow, ID (seems like a nice place, btw), I was just stealing from a quote from a Toronto Star article, "Faulty Towers":

Greater Toronto is home to more slab blocks than any other area on the continent, the majority decentralized throughout the suburbs.

Typically describing itself as a mini-Manhattan, perhaps the city is better characterized as a North American Moscow.

I thought it was funny, so I tried to make photos to fit that description, and I knew I needed cold and snow for sure.

Yes, this is Mississauga, the Cooksville neighbhourhood. This is where I grew up so it was kind of revisiting my childhood. But the photos weren't meant to be about any one place in particular, more about 50s, 60s and 70s suburbia in general. I was actually planning to photograph other neighbourhoods as well like Mississauga Valleys, Jane-Finch, Rexdale, Bramalea, but then I realized there is no point since they are not that much different. Once you've seen one suburb, you've seen them all, right?

[Centropolis]

rad

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Too depressed to breathe just looking at those photos, it definitely has some late Soviet Union vibes.

This pack of photos is one of the best ways to discredit Canada.

[kcexpress69]

Ha!! Not enough Brutalism though!!

[The North One]

ew

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Doady

I didn't mean to steal the thunder of Moscow, ID (seems like a nice place, btw), I was just stealing from a quote from a Toronto Star article, "Faulty Towers":



I thought it was funny, so I tried to make photos to fit that description, and I knew I needed cold and snow for sure.

Yes, this is Mississauga, the Cooksville neighbhourhood. This is where I grew up so it was kind of revisiting my childhood. But the photos weren't meant to be about any one place in particular, more about 50s, 60s and 70s suburbia in general. I was actually planning to photograph other neighbourhoods as well like Mississauga Valleys, Jane-Finch, Rexdale, Bramalea, but then I realized there is no point since they are not that much different. Once you've seen one suburb, you've seen them all, right?

I thought so. By the way, I'm getting why you needed winter to do this. That's what people think of when they think of Moscow. The bleakness alludes to the original Moscow, complimenting the architecture. (Still, I'd like to see you go the other way with your talent and try to make the same area look good in pleasant weather.)

[CastleScott]

^ Cool suburban Canadian grit!

[Zeej]

Originally Posted by Murphy de la Sucre

Too depressed to breathe just looking at those photos, it definitely has some late Soviet Union vibes.

This pack of photos is one of the best ways to discredit Canada.

Discredit Canada in what ways exactly? Poor (sub)urbanism?

Catch your breath and let us know.

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Nonsense. This is the North American Moscow.

Ha! Lived in Moscow for three years and still did a double-take when I saw La Casa Lopez. FWIW, it's almost as bleak in the winter as these pictures of Mississauga.

[202_Cyclist]

Well, not everywhere can be as charming as this idyllic place.

Moscow, Idaho, actually looks kind of nice.

[Nite]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Interesting title. Where is this? Mississauga?

It looks very bleak. But to be fair, the dirty old snow and season of winter makes it worse. You could make these same areas look relatively better at the beginning of May. It would be interesting to see how good you can make those same cookie-cutter apartment buildings look in a better season.

It is Mississauga, but this is what most of the city of Toronto inner suburbs looks like. it looks nicer in the summer though.
Anyone who lives in Toronto will immediately recognize this pictures of being of the Toronto, even if they don't know these specific location, as this dominate the main streets of the city.
About 40% the population of Metro area of Toronto lives in these types of buildings, which can look nice or bad on the inside depending on how they are maintained / renovated.
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-r...016005-eng.cfm

[DetroitSky]

Well, at least a couple of those apartment buildings have some interesting mid century modern details around the entrances.

Doady, I appreciate how you compose your photos. Always makes them more interesting than if you were to present these places straightforwardly.

[dc_denizen]

nice, but I prefer the victorian greystones of Montreal

[Doady]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I thought so. By the way, I'm getting why you needed winter to do this. That's what people think of when they think of Moscow. The bleakness alludes to the original Moscow, complimenting the architecture. (Still, I'd like to see you go the other way with your talent and try to make the same area look good in pleasant weather.)

I've been thinking of doing some street photography in the commercial parts of this neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is centred around to extremely busy bus corridors and it actually has a decent amount of pedestrian activity. The strip malls are unusual too because they are multiple storeys to mimic traditional main street.

As for photographing the towers in summer, maybe I will go another neighbouhood like Rexdale or Jane and Finch. Some of these neighbourhoods have a bad reputation and maybe it is worth to present them in a more positive way.

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

Well, at least a couple of those apartment buildings have some interesting mid century modern details around the entrances.

Doady, I appreciate how you compose your photos. Always makes them more interesting than if you were to present these places straightforwardly.

Thank you, DetroitSky. I was actually kind of surprised how quickly I did these photos. From the first photo to the last photo is 2.5 hour span and 4 or 5 km of walking. Somehow I got 121 photos and 44 of them worth sharing here.

I think it is good to take time to think about composing but not too much time. I want to avoid random snapshots but also avoid being too heavyhanded and calling attention to myself. That's why I try to limit every thread to one day, or even to a couple of hours in this case.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

nice, but I prefer the victorian greystones of Montreal

Believe me, Montreal has its own versions of this too...

- https://goo.gl/maps/1ZJDyTMALbr
- https://goo.gl/maps/cKtKC6TdSZz
- https://goo.gl/maps/twVXXYVDzQ62

[Doady]

I remember working with my dad in Quebec then visiting my aunt in Montreal-Nord a few years ago and feeling quite at home. It reminded me a lot of Toronto. After months away from Toronto, I was no longer as homesick.