The Great Canadian Skyline Thread! II

[harls]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Round and round we go! People that have never been to Calgary talking about it like they know something, versus people who have lived in/at least been to Ottawa...

I've been to Calgary (you directing this at me?) I'm not knocking the city, but I'll call out Allan on his weird claims that everyone from Ottawa goes shopping in Montreal and Toronto because there's nothing here, because his select group of friends prefers Yorkville or the Ste-Catherine strip to buy the same pair of shoes they could find at Winners on Merivale.

[Calgarian]

Never been to Ottawa, but will be there in April and am very much looking forward to it, heard great things about that city. Haven't been in eastern Canada in 20 years lol.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by harls

I've been to Calgary (you directing this at me?) I'm not knocking the city, but I'll call out Allan on his weird claims that everyone from Ottawa goes shopping in Montreal and Toronto because there's nothing here, because his select group of friends prefers Yorkville or the Ste-Catherine strip to buy the same pair of shoes they could find at Winners on Merivale.

No no, I haven't read any of it this morning, and I hope not to. I just read more of what was said over the weekend and just sighed. Mostly the claims by Beedok, who posted in another thread that he's only been to/lived in Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Kitchener... thereby displaying his complete lack of knowledge on the subject that he's talking about in such a matter-of-fact way. I just don't understand, I never make claims about Montreal, Quebec City, or Halifax... because I've never been. Why is Calgary such a whipping boy for ignorance?

[The_Architect]

And once again nobody can criticise Calgary (even accompanied by a compliment!) without it being taken personally and them being jumped on...


Calgary is best city. Zero faults. Nothing negative. Move along.

[Beedok]

For shopping trips, people in Toronto go to Buffalo for shopping all the time, does that make it less big city?

[The_Architect]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Why is Calgary such a whipping boy for ignorance?

It's literally comments based on looking at a picture and remarking on that picture.

I wouldn't look at this picture and argue that it's not flat outside of the main centre:



That's everything that's going on here.

[flar]

In Ottawa, if people want to travel somewhere to go shopping, they go to Watertown, New York.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Why is Calgary such a whipping boy for ignorance?

Pal - everyone is ignorant on this here site. This is why we must edjumacate!

[harls]

Originally Posted by flar

In Ottawa, if people want to travel somewhere to go shopping, they go to Watertown, New York.

NO.

(but they have a greasy Applebee's)

Last year I bought my snow tires off tirerack.com and had them delivered to Ogdensburg. Apparently they have a plethora of customers from Ottawa that order them and store them at the UPS store there. Makes sense, because I saved 500 bucks. Winter tires are a rip off here (eg - Canadian Tire - "You can't leave our garage without paying 1000 dollars in "unavoidable maintenance". Fuck you.)

[kw5150]

The areas labelled as "flat" are littered with tonnes of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 storey buidlings. You just dont notice them because the skyline is huge.

Try again.....here are pictures of the areas that you have labelled as "flat"

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

Exactly.

Lets just point it out with pictures :



I love both cities, hence it's just the true reality. In Ottawa you will find mid/highrises more far away of the downtown core.
Could it change in the future ? ... sure, I'm sure Calgary is working on that way. But I think it will take years to reach Ottawa.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by The_Architect

It's literally comments based on looking at a picture and remarking on that picture.

I wouldn't look at this picture and argue that it's not flat outside of the main centre:


That's everything that's going on here.

I understand, but the two pictures were completely different. The Ottawa one looked to have been taken only about 5 km from the city core on a horizontal view, whereas the Calgary photo was a airplane aerial/birds eye view taken from 10+ km from the city core, and completely missing the surrounding suburban highrise clusters like SAIT, Uni Cal, Brentwood, etc. At least if they were going to be unequal photo viewpoints, the one of Calgary could have been at least as flattering as Ottawa's was. I understand that Ottawa has way more short buildings than Calgary, but our level of intensification is far faster.

If we're going to be in such a pissing match again, let's at least state facts. We not only have just a few dozen less 35+ meter towers than Ottawa, but our tallest building is over twice as tall and we have over 13x as many 100+ meter towers completed/UC than the entire Ottawa metro area. I like height, and even with our extravagant amount of height for a city our size, we still do veryyy well in urbanity (in my view).

Originally Posted by harls

Pal - everyone is ignorant on this here site. This is why we must edjumatate!

This is true!

[Boris2k7]

I think this one comes down to expectations of what we would define as "urban." What exactly is the lower threshold when it comes to this?

For example, I would bet you that 90% of people who have grown up in Alberta would identify the following street (in Bankview) as "urban" and "innercity" (they would also likely say that this is too dense for a neighbourhood they would want to live in). This is in one of those areas that Franks labelled as "flat" on his picture.



Would a person from Montreal identify this same street as having an urban character? From Toronto? Maybe not. Expectations are very different depending on your prior experiences.

Obviously, the presence of highrises is part of Chad's definition of what "urban" looks like.

EDIT: I also want to say that I adore Ottawa and look forward to every visit.

[harls]

Franks' MS paint is too scientific for all of you Calgariansis to understand.

[kw5150]

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by harls

Franks' MS paint is too scientific for all of you Calgariansis to understand.

The Ottawanians just took it too close to heart haha jk.

I think we all get that Franks' original post was meant in earnest and not to be offensive. It is the ensuing conversation that has got people riled up.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by Boris2k7

I think this one comes down to expectations of what we would define as "urban." What exactly is the lower threshold when it comes to this?

For example, I would bet you that 90% of people who have grown up in Alberta would identify the following street (in Bankview) as "urban" and "innercity" (they would also likely say that this is too dense for a neighbourhood they would want to live in). This is in one of those areas that Franks labelled as "flat" on his picture.



Would a person from Montreal identify this same street as having an urban character? From Toronto? Maybe not. Expectations are very different depending on your prior experiences.

Obviously, the presence of highrises is part of Chad's definition of what "urban" looks like.

EDIT: I also want to say that I adore Ottawa and look forward to every visit.

That is one depressing street. Yuk.

[YOWflier]

Originally Posted by harls

I've been to Calgary (you directing this at me?) I'm not knocking the city, but I'll call out Allan on his weird claims that everyone from Ottawa goes shopping in Montreal and Toronto because there's nothing here, because his select group of friends prefers Yorkville or the Ste-Catherine strip to buy the same pair of shoes they could find at Winners on Merivale.

For half the price. BTW, my monitor hates you for the coffee I just spewed onto it. That was hilarious.

I went to Calgary a year ago (September) for a buddy's wedding. I must admit that my experience was discrepant with the overwhelming fanfare it receives.

That's not to be mistaken for a knock. I had a nice time there, but based on everything I had read/heard about it, I had imagined something other than what I saw.

Hype's a bi*ch.

[Surrealplaces]

Sorry to keep this debate still going, but just wanted to add in one minor correction. Calgary is larger than Ottawa if going by statcan's population estimates, which are actually more accurate than the census results. Either way very close in population. Again sorry to carry on the debate, just wanted to clarify that.

Originally Posted by Razor

That's great!, but not sure if Calgary is larger..Not according to the latest census anyways...Doesn't matter though, Calgary is really finding it's groove like you said..Ottawa is in a bit of a funk, so I'm sure by next census Calgary will over-take Ottawa..Same with Edmonton.I just shake my head though, when people make these population estimate and comparison assumptions without any real figure..For all we know Montreal can be well over 4.2 million. I know because somebody told me so.

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

That is one depressing street. Yuk.

Kinda reminds me of East Hamilton or Stoney Creek.

[Surrealplaces]

Now.....back to Skylines


Vancouver cityscape by Surrealplaces, on Flickr