The Great Canadian Skyline Thread! II

[MolsonExport]

^beautiful angle of the city.

[Rico Rommheim]

Too bad lapresse didn't take a fresh one! The cranes for Altoria and the St-M are missing.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by urban_planner

Nice! A few more of those glass buildings will really modernize Hamilton's skyline. With the new James St N GO Station that area will be a real hotbed of activity.

You can even see the Royal Connaught condo ad.

[travis3000]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I visited Calgary for the first time last month and have to say I had mixed feelings about it. The residential areas on the outskirts looked very pretty although I didn't drive into any of them. I only saw them from the highway. The skyline was quite good, but coming from Toronto felt small. That's not really fair as Toronto is such a big city; my expectations were unrealistic. I suppose Toronto would feel small to someone from Shanghai.

The new bits are very impressive (the Bow, Eighth Avenue Place) and I loved the old bridge with the lions on it and that pedestrian mall. That said, I found downtown rather uninspired architecturally. The public realm was quite ugly and cold. There was too much hum drum office and so little 'high street'. It was uninviting from a pedestrian point of view. Downtown could do with lots more residential. With that will come more stores, cafes, restaurants on the street, and fewer blank canvasses of concrete.

That said, I did sense that Calgary was rapidly going in the right direction. It's only beginning to blossom and all that money/affluence will start being reflected at street level. Calgary's not there yet, but it might feel like a bona fide big city in 15-20 years if it keeps developing as it is. It's a work in progress. I haven't been to Vancouver, but perhaps I'd feel the same way about that too?

I had the same impression the last 5 times I have been in Calgary. Coming from Toronto, and frequenting Montreal, it's def a more relaxed quiet downtown. But the population is much less and Calgary doesn't have the amount of people flocking downtown as Toronto. It is a work in progress and Calgary is heading in the right direction. Montreal and TO are just more established so their cores are more "alive" and have that soul to them. It's not a contest, it's just an observation.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by franktko

lol. No, I'd say the weather thread is pretty stupid

Nice aerial shot this morning in La Presse...

It's quite remarkable how much this view will have changed in just 3 years, with at least a dozen more towers going up. Montreal's core is rather compact, so the density will be amazing.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Love your Kamloops photos, btw. It's more on my to do list than Vancouver actually. It's possibly my favourite landscape in the country.

Kamloops is actually my favorite as well! The sandstone cliffs around the city and the Thompson Valley are amazing!

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by travis3000

-I was actually pretty shocked how low Montreal was. When you are in the city, you get the idea that it's bigger than it really is. At only 32 structures above 100m, Montreal ranks 17th in North America. It's probably the excellent street layout and urban feel as well as the mixed use of old churches, historical buildings, and skyscrapers that gives the illusion that the city is actually taller than it is.

Even though Montreal doesn't have a lot of really tall buildings, there are very few parking lots in the city. Midrise buildings can create a strong streetwall and dense urban fabric, because if you're standing on a narrow, urban street, it doesn't take more than a handful of floors to block out your view of empty sky.

For example, Motion at the southwest corner of Bay & Dundas is under a 100 metres, but because it blocks out the vast expanse of blue sky that you used to see from this old Street View, it now makes the entire intersection feel like it's still in the heart of downtown Toronto rather than being closer to the periphery.

[craner]

^^^Wow!
A skyline photo posted in the "skyline" thread.

[leftimage]

Originally Posted by urban_planner

Here are a few more from Hamilton!
someone else has posted some from my flickr I might as well post some!

Looks like a mini-Westmount lookout in a mini-Montreal.

annnnnd I just learned Hamilton's highest point is taller than the top of Mont-Royal... I'll see myself out

[Beedok]

I think the bottom of the escarpment is a fair bit higher up though. Hamilton's tallest is a bit taller than the escarpment yet wouldn't be in Montreal's top ten, and non of Montreal's are taller than Mont Royale right?

[leftimage]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I think the bottom of the escarpment is a fair bit higher up though. Hamilton's tallest is a bit taller than the escarpment yet wouldn't be in Montreal's top ten, and non of Montreal's are taller than Mont Royale right?

That would make sense. Montreal's downtown area is just a little bit above sea level, 50 or so meters.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I found downtown Toronto sleepy when I moved here in 2001; and still find it a bit pedestrian. It's likely good advice from my friends not to expect Vancouver to be busy. They do know me well. Flar's threads? They're very good, but they do seem to support what my friends have been telling me. That said, I will take you up on your offer when I make it to Vancouver.

Love your Kamloops photos, btw. It's more on my to do list than Vancouver actually. It's possibly my favourite landscape in the country.

Haha, thank you! I love the Kamloops area and it actually has quite an interesting history (largely due to being a major river / railroad junction during the fur trade days and then the gold rush). While I enjoy Kelowna, Kamloops honestly feels more like a community with depth to me. Kelowna is more like Canada's version of a sunbelt city (although like anywhere it does have a few really nice attributes). When you go to Kamloops ask me about some good trails through the desert Love the landscape there, but be sure to go there in the summer! Today and tomorrow are once again forecast to be 35.

And since people are complaining about a lack of skylines, here are a couple shots of downtown Kamloops:











Pics are my own: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30634635@N03/

[Beedok]

It looks like a little Chilean or Argentinan city.

[kw5150]

No offense taken at all. I only hate when people say "yeah, but the downtown core is dead at night" when really, it isnt like it was 5-10 years ago. I think people just parrot that statement because that is what they hear all the time. Anyway, the most interesting density is starting to happen in areas surrounding the downtown with lots of low and midrise stuff with good retail being constructed. Pretty exciting.

You should really visit again in 5 years when the core and surrounding area will be substantially filled. I am curious to how it will all come together and how dense and busy it will feel. Most new developments contain retain on the ground floors.

Originally Posted by travis3000

I had the same impression the last 5 times I have been in Calgary. Coming from Toronto, and frequenting Montreal, it's def a more relaxed quiet downtown. But the population is much less and Calgary doesn't have the amount of people flocking downtown as Toronto. It is a work in progress and Calgary is heading in the right direction. Montreal and TO are just more established so their cores are more "alive" and have that soul to them. It's not a contest, it's just an observation.

[ciudad_del_norte]

Folk fest last night. (yes, there may be a few half-people)

Folk fest. by el_natan, on Flickr

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by travis3000

It's not a contest, it's just an observation.

That's the important part right there.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Kamloops is actually my favorite as well! The sandstone cliffs around the city and the Thompson Valley are amazing!

It's gorgeous. Btw, I didn't make it to see hoodoos as I ran out of time but did go to Waterton Lakes National Park. Loved the landscape around Lethbridge as well. Next trip: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Drumheller, Banff, and hopefully Edmonton.

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Haha, thank you! I love the Kamloops area and it actually has quite an interesting history (largely due to being a major river / railroad junction during the fur trade days and then the gold rush). While I enjoy Kelowna, Kamloops honestly feels more like a community with depth to me. Kelowna is more like Canada's version of a sunbelt city (although like anywhere it does have a few really nice attributes). When you go to Kamloops ask me about some good trails through the desert Love the landscape there, but be sure to go there in the summer! Today and tomorrow are once again forecast to be 35.

I love 30+ weather in the summer so it's right up my alley. The landscape is out of sight and it's a surprise to people inside Canada and out that it exists within our borders. I might just have to buy a little house there. Time to save.

[ZeDgE]

Originally Posted by isaidso

But I walked from the Ramada all the way to Centre Street, checked out most of the surrounding streets, then walked north to the river (Chinatown). Isn't that the CBD? Granted these are only first impressions from a one day trip to Calgary, but I was pretty sure I covered a good swath of the CBD on foot.

I did go to the Core Mall and that pedestrian mall close by which were both very nice, but expected the whole area between the belt line and the river to be equally appealing. I suppose it will be one day.

Outside the core would have more activity to be honest. Especially when it comes to restaurants etc. Its too bad you did not venture down to 17th ave, or Kensington. Alot more residential in those areas unlike the CBD. Although it still would not compare to a much larger city.

[ssiguy]

Kamloops is a very pretty little city and I FAR prefer it to Kelowna which has no character and is just one big long strip mall.

I love the Montreal skyline and it often reminds me of San Fransisco's. Lots of density, lots of variety of structures, well spaced buildings, and not great height. They both look like mature skylines.

[travis3000]

Originally Posted by kw5150

No offense taken at all. I only hate when people say "yeah, but the downtown core is dead at night" when really, it isnt like it was 5-10 years ago. I think people just parrot that statement because that is what they hear all the time. Anyway, the most interesting density is starting to happen in areas surrounding the downtown with lots of low and midrise stuff with good retail being constructed. Pretty exciting.

You should really visit again in 5 years when the core and surrounding area will be substantially filled. I am curious to how it will all come together and how dense and busy it will feel. Most new developments contain retain on the ground floors.

I plan on visiting again in 2018 when Telus, and Brookfields largest tower are complete, and I imagine by that time a few other residential and commercial projects (Manulife building) will be complete as well. I am actually really excited to see it all evolve.