The Slater | 66.6 m | 22 fl | Completed

[canabiz]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

Condos are great in retirement. But I choose not to pay the prices to be downtown. Instead, I have a condo townhouse in the east end. The place is well looked after well, I have no complaints--yet the condo fees are relatively modest. I have a swimming pool in summer , a back yard garden, a garage and convenience shopping five minutes walk away (Metro, SDM, dollarama, mac's, a library branch). I keep my interior well maintained.

Off peak hours it takes 12 minutes from my driveway to the Nicholas street off ramp. But to avoid traffic and parking hassles downtown on week days, I have the 94 bus three minutes walk from my condo. It drops me off at the Rideau Center in 24 minutes. Senior fares-- free on Wednesday.

No problem getting downtown from here for a senior with tons of free time.

Condos can be great for retirees, and they do not necessarily have to be downtown.

I agree, you don't have to be downtown if you don't need to and that is why I gave J.OTT some ideas to expand his horizon, given his financial limitations.

We have been proud to call Barrhaven (Farrhaven or B-B-Q-Haven, depending on whom you ask for the past 8 years and we no longer need to go downtown for anything. We chose to live here for several reasons and we respect the choices other folks make. At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you and your family.

[cr872190]

Originally Posted by defishel

There's actually no written rule that in order to raise children you have to be in a house. All around the world and in Canada even we have lived mostly in apartments and raised kids there, with no problems regarding the child's development. My sister and I grew up in a 1 bedroom + den condo until out early teen years and had no problems. It's really just a poor excuse for continued suburban sprawl.

The idea that you have to raise children in a house is outdated, and was created by the American government to encourage suburbanization (for population dispersal, to boost the economy by convincing people to buy land, cars and everything to fill it). It caught on culturally in Canada, and most major cities (Montreal especially) realized how living downtown and in apartments is not a problem. Children that grow up in apartments turn out just the same as kids in houses. For outdoor spaces you have parks nearby where they can meet other kids and plan.

I guess it's all up to personal choice but our family lived abroad for a year in Europe in a two bedroom apartment. We were constantly in each others space and it made for a very tense year. It might work for some people but I'm not sure I buy the government conspiracy.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by canabiz

We have been proud to call Barrhaven (Farrhaven or B-B-Q-Haven, depending on whom you ask for the past 8 years and we no longer need to go downtown for anything.

I'm always interested when I hear this type of statement. Do you mean your day-to-day living, or do you really mean that you don't go downtown for anything at all?

It just seems to me that whatever you are into, there has to be something to draw you downtown, whether it be the choice of restaurants, shopping, cultural attractions like the NAC or the gallery, the canal, football or soccer games, or basically all of the major festivals and events. A big number of the things that make Ottawa Ottawa are downtown.

As you say, everyone makes their own choices. I just can't imagine living in a city where I didn't go downtown at all.

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by cr872190

I guess it's all up to personal choice but our family lived abroad for a year in Europe in a two bedroom apartment. We were constantly in each others space and it made for a very tense year. It might work for some people but I'm not sure I buy the government conspiracy.

I always wonder why no company has considered building "house condos", for lack of a better word. If you are building a 20 storey building, why not target families who want some space and a downtown lifestyle. Put 1-2 units on each floor, instead of packing them in. Instead of making unaffordable penthouse units the only large size ones, this could be a potential solution for slowing sprawl.

[canabiz]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm always interested when I hear this type of statement. Do you mean your day-to-day living, or do you really mean that you don't go downtown for anything at all?

It just seems to me that whatever you are into, there has to be something to draw you downtown, whether it be the choice of restaurants, shopping, cultural attractions like the NAC or the gallery, the canal, football or soccer games, or basically all of the major festivals and events. A big number of the things that make Ottawa Ottawa are downtown.

As you say, everyone makes their own choices. I just can't imagine living in a city where I didn't go downtown at all.

I am glad you asked the questions Phil because there have been a lot of misconceptions that people need to be in or around downtown to enjoy what this city has to offer. We do not need to go downtown because well Barrhaven has (almost) everything downtown has to offer

- Plenty of restaurants here, both mainstream and ethnic. We cook most of the time and bring lunch to work so this is a moot point but we do enjoy the occasional nite out and there is no shortage of excellent restaurants here, heck even the Heart & Crown just opened a location in the 'Haven!

- Shopping:There is certainly no shortage of that here! everything from big-box stores to mom and pop shops. For malls, we go to Bayshore (free parking) and the Tanger outlet. We only go to the Rideau Centre to check out the new stores (Nordstrom as an example)

- Recreation: We frequently visit the newly-opened Minto Sports Complex for exercises and social networking. There are loads of biking and hiking trails in the area as well.

- Entertainment: We watch movies and shows at home but there is a movie theatre in Barrhaven and a bigger one in Bayshore/Kanata Centrum. I am a sports fan but I don't cheer for any particular team and may catch a RedBlack or Fury game in the summer but it is certainly not high on my priority list.

I can go on and on but you get the ideas. Sure we will go to the canal for skating or NAC for shows but those occasions do not outweight the benefit of living in the 'burbs for us.

I don't want to derail this thread too much and I am glad we can all agree everyone makes their own choices.

[Urbanarchit]

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[Urbanarchit]

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[silvergate]

Originally Posted by defishel

Do you mean 2-storey units in condos that mimic a house, or have as much room as a house?

In Toronto, a fairly expensive condo called the One St. Thomas in Yorkville has two-storey "maisonettes" that are spacious, two-storey units.



If you mean units with enough rooms for families Toronto also had proposed the redevelopment for Hoenst Ed's that includes around 200 units that are 3-4 bedrooms.

Basically as much space as a house. I'm thinking the Honest Ed's redevelopment is probably a better example of this.

[rocketphish]

Sounds like we need a separate thread for "Condo Life in Ottawa" or something similar.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by canabiz

I can go on and on but you get the ideas. Sure we will go to the canal for skating or NAC for shows but those occasions do not outweight the benefit of living in the 'burbs for us.

I don't want to derail this thread too much and I am glad we can all agree everyone makes their own choices.

Thanks for the response. I'm one of those people who grew up in the suburbs and can't imagine going back, but it is good to have these converstaions as a reminder that different people have different desires and motivations when thinking about urban issues.

For me, it's the uniqueness, walkabilty and general sense of place that the suburbs can't provide, but I think it is safe to say that not everyone values those things to the extent I do.

Agreed we should derail this thread any more, so I'll leave it at that.

[Mikeed]

Originally Posted by defishel

Do you mean 2-storey units in condos that mimic a house, or have as much room as a house?

In Toronto, a fairly expensive condo called the One St. Thomas in Yorkville has two-storey "maisonettes" that are spacious, two-storey units.

I'm just jumping in to say- damn that's a sexy building. Add this to Architecture for Ottawa- we need more pointed buildings in the core to move away from the boxey-ness of it all.

ok, continue...

[teej1984]

Originally Posted by Mikeed

I'm just jumping in to say- damn that's a sexy building. Add this to Architecture for Ottawa- we need more pointed buildings in the core to move away from the boxey-ness of it all.

ok, continue...

It kinda looks like the Merit, wouldn't you say?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by teej1984

It kinda looks like the Merit, wouldn't you say?

The Merit is actually much nicer. That Toronto building is quite guady in real life, and the cladding is really bland. It looks weirdly cheap for a high end building.

Agreed that Ottawa needs some more tapered buildings on the skyline.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

The Merit is actually much nicer. That Toronto building is quite guady in real life, and the cladding is really bland. It looks weirdly cheap for a high end building.

Agreed that Ottawa needs some more tapered buildings on the skyline.

Street presence of the TO building looks awful!

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Street presence of the TO building looks awful!

Yep, they tacked on a few townhouses on one side, but otherwise it is mostly blank wall along a heavily-used pedestrian street.

[bobcage]

Originally Posted by phil235

The Merit is actually much nicer. That Toronto building is quite guady in real life, and the cladding is really bland. It looks weirdly cheap for a high end building.

Agreed that Ottawa needs some more tapered buildings on the skyline.

The Merit would be iconic at that height ....

[bobcage]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm always interested when I hear this type of statement. Do you mean your day-to-day living, or do you really mean that you don't go downtown for anything at all?

It just seems to me that whatever you are into, there has to be something to draw you downtown, whether it be the choice of restaurants, shopping, cultural attractions like the NAC or the gallery, the canal, football or soccer games, or basically all of the major festivals and events. A big number of the things that make Ottawa Ottawa are downtown.

As you say, everyone makes their own choices. I just can't imagine living in a city where I didn't go downtown at all.

i'm not original from Ottawa but I've been living downtown for about 10yrs.I go to all parts of the city all the time (west end, Barhaven,Kanata Orleans ect) I know people born in Ottawa living in Ottawa all their lives and they NEVER go downtown. One of my co worker who lives in the west end told me the other day he hasn't gone downtown in almost 10 years!! I just can't imaging that... really weird!

[1overcosc]

From my experience with Ottawans, never going downtown is somewhat of a Kanata thing, not so much for other areas.

[Mr.Flintstone]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

From my experience with Ottawans, never going downtown is somewhat of a Kanata thing, not so much for other areas.

I think it's just a suburb thing. What does downtown offer, that suburb don't. You have access to everything if not more in suburbs Although I do see this happening more often with people from the west end. If it wasn't for work more people from Orleans wouldn't go downtown as well.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by bobcage

i'm not original from Ottawa but I've been living downtown for about 10yrs.I go to all parts of the city all the time (west end, Barhaven,Kanata Orleans ect) I know people born in Ottawa living in Ottawa all their lives and they NEVER go downtown. One of my co worker who lives in the west end told me the other day he hasn't gone downtown in almost 10 years!! I just can't imaging that... really weird!

It can work both ways. I've lived in Ottawa off and on for almost 35 years and have never been to Kanata, Barrhaven or Orleans, unless it was driving by on my way somewhere else. When I think about it, I'm not sure I've ever been outside the Greenbelt, as a destination.