Ugly Gatineau?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Harley613

The whole thing is ridiculous. Gatineau has a skyline that far exceeds any other city of it's population in Canada (courtesy of the federal government) and it has far less surface parking than the average city of it's size OR per capita. Ile-de-Hull isn't even that run down these days. Sure the housing is of a bygone era with the fake stone and cheesy adornments, but it's fairly well kept on most streets these days and there is some infill beginning. There is constant development going on downtown, with new condos and offices taking up 'dusty parking lot's every year'.

This really is just a silly attack with no foundation.

Well, Eddy going north and for several blocks on either side of it looks pretty damn rough. Though it's not really dangerous. I'd walk alone there at 3 am a hundred times before walking around Bayshore or Heatherington in Ottawa.

That's almost the middle of the Vieux-Hull. I suppose it will be the last part to be revitalized, as the improvements seem to be happening mostly along the edges and moving inwards.

[The Conductor]

Originally Posted by Acajack

OK, so this confirms that it's an attack!

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4216...7i16384!8i8192

[The Conductor]

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4203...7i16384!8i8192

This one might not be as cute as the previous link:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4223...7i16384!8i8192

[The Conductor]

This is a really pretty skyline with another well used empty lot

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4196...7i16384!8i8192

Although it's not as pretty as this particular spot - Tache really has a lot going for it right now...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4216...7i16384!8i8192

[eastcanman]

For what it's worth, I think Gatineau's restaurant scene punches well above what most people in Ottawa give it credit for being. I'll admit I used to have the same negative opinion of the Gatineau wining and dining scene, until I started working on that side of the river and having the opportunity to explore what it has to offer. Yes, Ottawa in total is a better restaurant scene than Gatineau in total, but Gatineau does better than most comparable suburbs, and to expect it to compare favourably to the national capital across the river is a bit far-fetched.

Also, I keep seeing "skylines" brought up, but truth be told, the portions of Downtown/Centretown Ottawa with the most impressive verticality are also the biggest dead-zones; the best restaurant scenes in Centretown are along the low-rise, fine-grained Elgin Street and Bank Street strips. The restaurant scene in the rest of Downtown/Centretown consists mostly of chains, coffee shops and crappy lunch counters.

[eastcanman]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

This is a really pretty skyline with another well used empty lot

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4196...7i16384!8i8192

Although it's not as pretty as this particular spot - Tache really has a lot going for it right now...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4216...7i16384!8i8192

There's actually a really nice little brunch spot in the neighbourhood at the second link called Edgar - the kind of hidden gem that could never afford to open in the ground-floor retail space of a luxury sky-fortress.

[caboose]

Originally Posted by eastcanman

There's actually a really nice little brunch spot in the neighbourhood at the second link called Edgar - the kind of hidden gem that could never afford to open in the ground-floor retail space of a luxury sky-fortress.

I have been to Edgar. In my opinion, it is overpriced and overrated. Pizza Café Taché, though it's in an old Coffee Time donut shop, is pretty good pizza.

There are some nice bars/restaurants in old Hull around Laval Street.

[caboose]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4216...7i16384!8i8192

That is an eyesore.

[caboose]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

This is a really pretty skyline with another well used empty lot

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4196...7i16384!8i8192

Although it's not as pretty as this particular spot - Tache really has a lot going for it right now...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4216...7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an application to build a second low rise similar to the one beside the empty lot.

The hotel parking lot is gross.

[The Conductor]

Originally Posted by caboose

That is an eyesore.

I'll have to check if the hubcap is still laying against the building beside the dirty sidewalk covered in sand

[Harley613]

Here is a VERY quick sketch of empty lots which are not currently being developed, lots that do not have an approved future development, and all surface parking lots of notable size.

I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff but you get the general idea.

I'm having trouble seeing how Gatineau is especially 'filled with dusty parking lots'.

[IMG]Ottawa by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Gatineau by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

[caboose]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Here is a VERY quick sketch of empty lots which are not currently being developed, lots that do not have an approved future development, and all surface parking lots of notable size.

I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff but you get the general idea.

I'm having trouble seeing how Gatineau is especially 'filled with dusty parking lots'.

[IMG]Ottawa by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Gatineau by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

Great maps, but a lot of the Ottawa lots shown are slated for development, including all the Lebreton spaces and the Gladstone Station space, while not confirmed for development, are clearly mandated for development.

The problem with the Gatineau lots are the parking lots, which have no development even thought of.

[Harley613]

Wrong. Most of the large non-institutional lots in Gatineau are 'clearly mandated for development' and have had proposals from Heafey, Brigil, and others.

[The Conductor]

If Gatineau really is a suburb it's time it dump its city council which seems pretty good at NOT promoting development. It's either a city or it's a suburb...

This very large lot is a beauty - It's important that nothing be built in order to protect Gatineau's almost non-existent skyline

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4401...7i13312!8i6656

This beauty is special as well...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4340...7i16384!8i8192

More empty spaces and of course dirty sidewalks covered in sand

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4335...7i16384!8i8192

Another large empty lot with piles of garbage on the sidewalk intersection another classic "character giving" look

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4298...7i13312!8i6656

Another classic spot that is in NEED of development unless of course you want to look like Brandon Manitoba

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i16384!8i8192

A giant sea of empty space except it's not actually a sea it's giant parking lot...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i13312!8i6656

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

If Gatineau really is a suburb it's time it dump its city council which seems pretty good at NOT promoting development. It's either a city or it's a suburb...
]

It's like you are a 13-year-old whose mommy and daddy provide him with a fast unlimited Internet connection. I'd say it's definitely time for school to start!

You know the difference between city and suburb, and the fact that they aren't necessarily mutually exclusive? The first (city) is the legal definition of a municipality's status. The second (suburb) generally refers to the character of a place.

A place that is suburban in character and role can still be a "city". There are tons of cities like this in the Montreal and Toronto areas. Brampton, Vaughan, Laval, Brossard, etc.

This nuance is not something we would normally have to explain to people who are participating on a forum like SSP.

Whether or not Gatineau is actually a suburb of Ottawa is a debate that we can have, but alas I don't think you personally are fully equipped to take part in that discussion if it happens.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4401...7i13312!8i6656

This beauty is special as well...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4340...7i16384!8i8192

More empty spaces and of course dirty sidewalks covered in sand

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4335...7i16384!8i8192

Another large empty lot with piles of garbage on the sidewalk intersection another classic "character giving" look

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4298...7i13312!8i6656

Another classic spot that is in NEED of development unless of course you want to look like Brandon Manitoba

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i16384!8i8192

A giant sea of empty space except it's not actually a sea it's giant parking lot...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i13312!8i6656

It just gets stupider and stupider. I could posts tons of crappy street views of Ottawa from Montreal Rd., Rideau St., Bank St. South, St. Laurent Blvd., Merivale Rd., if I wanted to.

And it's actually the capital of the country, not just a city that sits next to it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

This very large lot is a beauty - It's important that nothing be built in order to protect Gatineau's almost non-existent skyline
]

A skyline is not the be-all end-all of what makes a good city.

Calgary has a way more impressive skyline than Quebec City but it's not a better city urbanistically on the ground.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by The Conductor

If Gatineau really is a suburb it's time it dump its city council which seems pretty good at NOT promoting development. It's either a city or it's a suburb...

This very large lot is a beauty - It's important that nothing be built in order to protect Gatineau's almost non-existent skyline

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4401...7i13312!8i6656

There was a proposal for this lot last year that City Council did support, but it was killed because of the opposition of a handful of residents in the apartment tower across the street. To be clear, this was because of an old City rule that gives way too much power to residents and not because of City Council.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/g...f40ccc75497884

This beauty is special as well...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4340...7i16384!8i8192

I'd protect a chip stand any day.

More empty spaces and of course dirty sidewalks covered in sand

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4335...7i16384!8i8192

Another large empty lot with piles of garbage on the sidewalk intersection another classic "character giving" look

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4298...7i13312!8i6656

Ottawa has a bunch of these along urban streets just outside the core.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4045...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4381...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3978...7i16384!8i8192

Another classic spot that is in NEED of development unless of course you want to look like Brandon Manitoba

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i16384!8i8192

Looks a lot like Montreal Road and St-Laurent. The City of Gatineau is re-building St-Joseph as we speak to promote new development.

A giant sea of empty space except it's not actually a sea it's giant parking lot...

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4513...7i13312!8i6656

Reminds of low-income areas in Ottawa like Overbrook and Rictchie.

We can find this sort of "scenery" in any city, not just Gatineau. Gatineau probably has it a little bit more of it because it's far more affordable than Ottawa, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in the grand scheme of things. Rents in Ottawa are 60% higher than Gatineau (basd on this 2018 article: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...u-need-to-know), and that's not Gatineau City Council's fault, that's Québec's fault with its high taxes and 30 years of separatists politics that kept it behind. Québec and Gatineau have made some great strides over the last 15 years. They are playing catch-up.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Here is a VERY quick sketch of empty lots which are not currently being developed, lots that do not have an approved future development, and all surface parking lots of notable size.

I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff but you get the general idea.

I'm having trouble seeing how Gatineau is especially 'filled with dusty parking lots'.

[IMG]Ottawa by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Gatineau by harley613, on Flickr[/IMG]

These are great Harley! I'll post them on the Great Canadian Parking Lot thread.

[Acajack]

I honestly think we are wasting our time with this person, but for some reason I keep coming back to reply!

(And BTW I am one of the harshest people on Gatineau sometimes.)