I fear that the Market will never really progress unless they do something about the hideous King Edward which divides the downtown and get rid of all the homeless shelters that are littered throughout the Market.
Ottawa in a nice city, but really not fun.
The Market's doing fine. More than fine. King Edward is well east of the Market. And they just re-did King Edward to the same geometry as it was before, which was a massively wasted opportunity.
Montreal definitively but Quebec city barely has a downtown... During the low tourist months, it's hard to feel that you are in the center of a city it is so quiet.
In the sense of a CBD you are right, but I think that all of the other stuff central Quebec City has more than makes up for this.
I think a few relatively small improvements could make it a lot better
a) Better infrastructure (paving, lighting and street furniture are worse than most commercial areas of the city and the stalls look like they were rejected by a refugee camp
I too have noticed that the stalls look very shabby but I have never paid attention in other cities (like Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal) look better, the same or worse.
I too have noticed that the stalls look very shabby but I have never paid attention in other cities (like Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal) look better, the same or worse.
I don't think Jean-Talon has stalls so much. They mostly have a few tables set up under a roof or a big tent thing that allows for a lot more room to show their wares and feels more open. Ottawa's are small and cramped.
I like Jean-Talon a lot more than anything in Ottawa. I miss it.
Last edited by Urbanarchit; Mar 29, 2014 at 4:58 AM.
Montreal definitively but Quebec city barely has a downtown... During the low tourist months, it's hard to feel that you are in the center of a city it is so quiet. Nicer yes, as in it is much older and has more history. Ottawa has much more of a real downtown. But when it comes to the old city, Quebec obviously and easily eclipses the market.
In Quebec City, no real downtown. Saint-Roch is the up and coming neighborhood, dense with 4 941 hab./km2. Good vibe,
Sure it does... I lived next to it for a year. They don't look as beaten as the one on the market because Jean Talon is now sheltered for the winter. The ones on Byward have to endure real full winters; give it a break.
Beautiful, walkable, quaint and lots of lovely boutiques for tourists. You're proving my point. There's no or little traffic... No real issues at rush hours. In QC, I feel like i could bike from downtown to Mont St Anne with my snowboard on my back and be there in 10 minutes no problem. I know it's just an impression, but Qc communicates the big village feel... It's a great thing. I love Quebec city but you cannot compare its downtown with Ottawa's, even if it has little to boast about.
It's a great thing. I love Quebec city but you cannot compare its downtown with Ottawa's, even if it has little to boast about.
I wasn't comparing the two cities. Quebec doesn't have a big downtown, but it still has ''23.1 million square feet of office space, 15.8 million square feet of it in rental form. Office space is spread out across three main areas of the city: the downtown area, Sainte-Foy, and the northwest.'' http://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en/gens_affaires/ousinstaller/bureaux.aspx
The bridges at rush hour resemble those of Mtl, congested.
As I said before I really like the Market, but it's not usually a place that makes visitors go wow (unless they're from Moosonee and have never been to a real city before). Reactions to the Market from visitors are more like "hey, this is really nice! I like it!"
Meanwhile, this year's Bluesfest lineup sucks all kinds of nads.
I dunno, Queens of the Stone Age and The Killers are on there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
As I said before I really like the Market, but it's not usually a place that makes visitors go wow (unless they're from Moosonee and have never been to a real city before). Reactions to the Market from visitors are more like "hey, this is really nice! I like it!"
Yeah, it's nice, but it's not "oh wow".
__________________ Franky: Ajldub, name calling is what they do when good arguments can't be found - don't sink to their level. Claiming the thread is "boring" is also a way to try to discredit a thread that doesn't match their particular bias.
Meanwhile, this year's Bluesfest lineup sucks all kinds of nads.
I agree. Last year's was amazing and I went almost every day (full festival wristband was the best investment ever) but this year I'm not going at all. Sad because this year is the last year I'm young enough to get the youth deal.
Whether you like her or not, Lady Gaga is a MASSIVE score for Bluesfest. It's the only festival she's doing this year I think. I saw her at Lolla in Chicago in 2010 and it was incredible.
Whether you like her or not, Lady Gaga is a MASSIVE score for Bluesfest. It's the only festival she's doing this year I think. I saw her at Lolla in Chicago in 2010 and it was incredible.
Agreed. Her presence there and "sucky lineup" for Bluesfest should not be in the same sentence.
If anything it shows how major a festival it has become. (Compromising of the original "blues" theme notwithstanding, but that seems to be fairly common these days... look at Jazz in Montreal.)
We lost against Halifax in 2004 (for the 2014 games), but then Halifax bailed in 2007, giving Glasgow the win for this year's event.
Not sure if Ottawa actually submitted a bid for the 2022 games, but I'm somewhat pissed that Edmonton won the right to bid for Canada as they have already had them in 1978.
We should try to get the 2026 games (if not the 2026 Winter Olympics ), the 200th anniversary of the founding of Bytown and start of construction of the Rideau Canal.
As a building that can only perform a portion of its duties, yes, it doesn't function very well. But as an architectural piece, no it isn't a failure nor not deserving of any praise. It is still a great-looking building architecturally that has made itself and the museum an international landmark that draws thousands (millions?) of people to it - TV and film crews have even used it as a set.
Look at Frank Lloyd Wright's MOMA. It's a famous, striking building that has made MOMA famous, and yet it apparently wasn't very well designed for displaying art pieces and has been criticized for failing to perform perfectly. To say it deserves no praise and is a failure is harsh considering you're main judgement is on whether it functions 100%, and then whether the building is pleasing to your eyes.
If we're so caught up on function - which there used to be a big architectural movement in the '50s, '60s - we'll end up with dull square or cuboid buildings, because at least with those we know they'll function well. But when talking about architectural innovation, sometimes it's a good idea to sacrifice something to make a provocative piece.
You are thinking of the Guggenheim. That was Wright. MOMA is a collection of buildings by different architects. I agree with McC on this, that buildings are not purely art but craft. I don't like the ROM for some of the reasons stated, it puts form first while ignoring many other things. I don't believe Ottawa needs flashy starchitecture like that to make it more legit or interesting. Dense, urban, vibrant and walkable street's, neighbourhoods, etc... would be a good start I think.
Prev
Channelling your inner Joseph Stalin I see.
), the 200th anniversary of the founding of Bytown and start of construction of the Rideau Canal.
Linear Mode
