Calgary Construction XXVI

[milomilo]

I've noticed that in Canmore (which is entirely suburban sprawl) the residential areas are immaculate - nice gardens, houses made out of nice materials etc. People there care about the place they live, so I shouldn't just blame Canadians. It is possible to have a nice suburb, but we in Calgary make no effort to make it so.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I've noticed that in Canmore (which is entirely suburban sprawl) the residential areas are immaculate - nice gardens, houses made out of nice materials etc. People there care about the place they live, so I shouldn't just blame Canadians. It is possible to have a nice suburb, but we in Calgary make no effort to make it so.

You haven't seen all of Canmore then.

[milomilo]

Probably not, where is bad?

[speedog]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Probably not, where is bad?

A lot of the older stuff is no different than Calgary.

[BlaineN]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I've noticed that in Canmore (which is entirely suburban sprawl) the residential areas are immaculate - nice gardens, houses made out of nice materials etc. People there care about the place they live, so I shouldn't just blame Canadians. It is possible to have a nice suburb, but we in Calgary make no effort to make it so.

Canmore's not a good example. They can get away with it because it's a small touristy town that attracts people with money. Most houses in places that attract people with money, like Carmel, Whistler, or Santa Barbara, etc.. are beautiful with nice materials and beautiful landscaping. Take another city like Olds or Sundre that are of similar size. Not the same story.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by BlaineN

Canmore's not a good example. They can get away with it because it's a small touristy town that attracts people with money. Most houses in places that attract people with money, like Carmel, Whistler, or Santa Barbara, etc.. are beautiful with nice materials and beautiful landscaping. Take another city like Olds or Sundre that are of similar size. Not the same story.

The aversge home price in Canmore is also over $1M.

Canmore has plenty of areas thst look like Calgary suburbs, mainly that along Cougar Creek on the north side of the highway.

[Bad Grizzly]

Seriously? Out of the thousands of newly developed subdivisions in North America, you choose Canmore as an example for your argument ? Not all of us belong on an episode of Lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Originally Posted by milomilo

I've noticed that in Canmore (which is entirely suburban sprawl) the residential areas are immaculate - nice gardens, houses made out of nice materials etc. People there care about the place they live, so I shouldn't just blame Canadians. It is possible to have a nice suburb, but we in Calgary make no effort to make it so.

[topdog]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I've noticed that in Canmore (which is entirely suburban sprawl) the residential areas are immaculate - nice gardens, houses made out of nice materials etc. People there care about the place they live, so I shouldn't just blame Canadians. It is possible to have a nice suburb, but we in Calgary make no effort to make it so.

Gotta agree with Grizzly and Doug. Using Canmore as an example is completely out to lunch. Have you ever actually looked at the price of a house in Canmore? Not many people have that kind of coin.

Those who think that homes should be built using some sort of higher-quality exterior finish like brick or real stone are free to do so whenever they want, but not everyone wants to dump tons of money into the exterior of their home just to please other people.

[milomilo]

Don't get too hung up on the comparison, I'm just pointing out that it is possible to have a nice suburb here, we just choose not too. It's not just the materials, people actually care about what the place looks like. No unidriveways.

You guys might have lived here your whole life or a long time and think that what our suburbs look like is normal and should be accepted, but it is not. It's not hyperbole to say that the suburbs here are the most ugly of any wealthy city I have ever been to by a wide margin, they are an embarrassing eyesore. We should expect a little better than a sea of plastic boxes which maybe have a single tree each, but that will likely be torn up to fit a unidriveway on.

[Bad Grizzly]

It’s also possible to drive a nicer car if you want spend more money. The point is some people, and others who do have the money would rather spend it on something more important, um like their wife and kids.

Originally Posted by milomilo

Don't get too hung up on the comparison, I'm just pointing out that it is possible to have a nice suburb here, we just choose not too. It's not just the materials, people actually care about what the place looks like. No unidriveways.

You guys might have lived here your whole life or a long time and think that what our suburbs look like is normal and should be accepted, but it is not. It's not hyperbole to say that the suburbs here are the most ugly of any wealthy city I have ever been to by a wide margin, they are an embarrassing eyesore. We should expect a little better than a sea of plastic boxes which maybe have a single tree each, but that will likely be torn up to fit a unidriveway on.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Bad Grizzly

Who cares about the other three sides? it’s not like you can see much of them anyway.

If it is a choice between stone on all facades of a house and steel framing, I'd choose going with steel beam construction any day. Whether it is stone or stucco covering, it is just lipstick on the actual meat and potatoes of the house - the frame.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by speedog

If you're buyin a new home, you certainly can pay the extra to have all four sides finished in the same material -problem is most people don't want to pay for those extras.

That's completely true. Taken to the extreme, people even buy row houses and condos, avoiding putting up even cheap material on the sides! But I don't care - each to their own. Why bother with what other people choose?

[DizzyEdge]

To be fair about the tree-less stark new housing developments, even the century old ones looked like that when they were built.

[Northern]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

My peeve are 'stone' houses which have a layer of fake stone on the front and 3 sides of stucco.

One of my peeves is people wishing other people would do what suits their tastes. Those wanting everyone else to pony up the extra cost for materials they like, can easily foot the bill themselves at any time. Nobody’s stopping you.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Northern

One of my peeves is people wishing other people would do what suits their tastes. Those wanting everyone else to pony up the extra cost for materials they like, can easily foot the bill themselves at any time. Nobody’s stopping you.

I gave an opinion of a style I dislike, simple as that. Your response could apply to every opinion ever posted on here.

[jc_yyc_ca]

The suburbs are an eyesore? Oh please. Talk about hyperbolic exaggeration.

Originally Posted by milomilo

Don't get too hung up on the comparison, I'm just pointing out that it is possible to have a nice suburb here, we just choose not too. It's not just the materials, people actually care about what the place looks like. No unidriveways.

You guys might have lived here your whole life or a long time and think that what our suburbs look like is normal and should be accepted, but it is not. It's not hyperbole to say that the suburbs here are the most ugly of any wealthy city I have ever been to by a wide margin, they are an embarrassing eyesore. We should expect a little better than a sea of plastic boxes which maybe have a single tree each, but that will likely be torn up to fit a unidriveway on.

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by Northern

One of my peeves is people wishing other people would do what suits their tastes. Those wanting everyone else to pony up the extra cost for materials they like, can easily foot the bill themselves at any time. Nobody’s stopping you.

If only everyone had the money to please everyone else, life would be so perfect.

[Fishthebow]

FFS. Have you actually been to another city? All suburbs in all NA cities look the same. Also did you ever consider the fact that trees take time to grow, they don't grow overnight.

Originally Posted by milomilo

Don't get too hung up on the comparison, I'm just pointing out that it is possible to have a nice suburb here, we just choose not too. It's not just the materials, people actually care about what the place looks like. No unidriveways.

You guys might have lived here your whole life or a long time and think that what our suburbs look like is normal and should be accepted, but it is not. It's not hyperbole to say that the suburbs here are the most ugly of any wealthy city I have ever been to by a wide margin, they are an embarrassing eyesore. We should expect a little better than a sea of plastic boxes which maybe have a single tree each, but that will likely be torn up to fit a unidriveway on.

[DizzyEdge]

MacKenzie Towne is a good example of a new suburb where they decided to create boulevards and plant trees seemingly every 25 ft on every road in the entire community.

15 years later and it could give many streets decades or even a century older a run for its money:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.9107594,-...rANs8wg48YcCase0KADTw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I think architecture and cladding aside, just planting a lot of tiny trees can completely transform a new suburban development into a beautiful community just a decade or two down the road.

[Tobyoby]

Fantastic!

Originally Posted by Daemon