Quote:
Originally Posted by lio45
The downtown quickly yields to little SFHs, that's probably what gives that impression.
I had that argument not too long ago with someone on here and I decided to test it for myself by choosing a random spot on a Sunnyside street (right outside the CBD) for a Street View, and to my amazement I ended up on a dirt street/alley (with little houses as expected and little suburban-style lots).
If the guy you're replying to is from Montreal, and he actually is, I am not surprised that he observed how quickly the buildings give way to detached little suburban-style houses. In Montreal (and East Coast cities in general) those are found on the edges of the metro area, not in the core.
If you want to see the glass half-full, you can simply consider that what he said was "wow, that's an overgrown CBD for its footprint!". It's the same thing.
|
He did not say that. He made a comment about the green river, then a jab by saying our DT looked small. There appears to be a recurring theme of misunderstanding here which I'd like to clear up. When talking about the DT I typically am referring to the CBD and Beltline which are the city's core and have a clear skyline. For some reason whenever getting into this discussion with someone from Montreal they seem to define DT as extending to row housing and buildings under 12 stories high. This always leads to an argument that Montreal is way denser blah blah blah blah blah. Well that's obvious. However when said Montrealer says Calgary has a small DT while comparing it to Montreal's, I simply look at the disparity in tall buildings and laugh.
So let's be clear: Montreal beats Calgary in overall density, street life and old world character. Calgary on the other hand beats Montreal in CBD height and overall skyline. That's pretty clear I think.
Also, it has been noted numerous times by outsiders that it is quite a stark contrast between DT Calgary and anything on the north side including Sunnyside. It's true there are SFH's across the river from major high rises (gasp). However this is starting to change as condos are being built along 10th street in Kensington and all throughout Bridgeland. The south side of the core is entirely different as it is not blocked by a bluff and a river and allows for more gradual transition from corporate highrise, to apartment buildings and condos, down to SFH's. Anyone who simply looks at the north side and says there's absolutely nothing outside the corporate towers is either willfully ignorant or has never seen the Beltline, Mission, Mount Royal, Connaught and all the other high density neighbourhoods to the south which are not cut off by the river.
Prev
Linear Mode
