Commie-block (slabsville) capital of Canada

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Hence why I set Vasily’s story in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Moscow has changed a lot since then.

—-

Despite the setback, Vasily had been somewhat interested to go, if just to see the so-called ‘free world’. His unaccented English was excellent, his French so-so, but passable.

His introduction to the free world’s automotive landscape had not gone well. A Dodge Aspen had been arranged for him. Such a hateful automobile. The air cleaner and car body sported the many dents of his unbridled rage at the Chrysler Corporation. It gave him ample practice of his English (and rather confusing French Canadian) profanity. He had to work not to slip back into Russian when under its hood. Nor did this vehicle respond to his bashing the same way his Lada had. When fear of wrench was put into Lada, it worked. When wrench was put to Dodge, bits broke off in rusty chunks. Capitalism, bah, he thought. If this was what capitalism produced, they could have it.

His superiors had given him marching orders: Get into the highest role possible at External Affairs and get the inside line on the government’s foreign policy. What he had observed had appalled him. He had expected a similar version of Switzerland or West Germany’s foreign affairs departments: A crew of competent diplomats with an eye to realpolitik. Reality had proved somewhat more disappointing. The Peter Principle run amok, and they drank swill called ‘coffee’ that had reminded him of the black stuff they had served him during his mandatory military service.

This is exactly what SSP needs: a serial drama. Don't stop.

[MolsonExport]

We are still building commie blocks in Canada. Are they still building them in Moscow?

[MolsonExport]

Marseille, where I used to spend a lot of time in, is no slouch in the commie block department. Some are very well maintained (like those gargantuan walls featured below). Others are no-man's land hellholes (e.g., La Savine).

[MonkeyRonin]

Some (mostly historic) Torornto commieblock goodness:





https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/229503/highrise-ghetto


https://www.canadianarchitect.com/high-rise-habitats-55-years-later/


https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/his...city/your-home-our-city-highrise-living/


https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/229503/highrise-ghetto

https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/229503/highrise-ghetto

Agincourt 8 by Sean Marshall, on Flickr


http://towerrenewal.com/bathurst-and-steeles/

[O-tacular]

I was watching Catching Killers on Netflix and there was an episode on Bruce McArthur in Toronto. He lived in a similar looking commie block. Cops had to take the elevator which stopped at every second floor for residents and barely arrived in time to prevent him from killing his latest victim. I had no idea. Serial Killers operating in apartment highrises seems a rarity. Luka Magnota was in an apartment complex too I think though not a highrise commie block.

[MolsonExport]

Man, that post by Monkeyronin has a ton of soul sucking going on.


Looks like a shot of Yakutsk, or Kharkiv.




Ok, maybe not as bad.

[MolsonExport]

Luka Magnotta's apartment (adjacent Decarie Expressway, Montreal, Snowdon district):

mtlblog


reuters

[ssiguy]

Vancouver seemed to have escaped the "commie block" urban design. I think a lot of that has to do with how thin the towers/apts had to be to protect the view corridors. In fact I really can't think of any real commie blocks in BC.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Vancouver seemed to have escaped the "commie block" urban design. I think a lot of that has to do with how thin the towers/apts had to be to protect the view corridors. In fact I really can't think of any real commie blocks in BC.

Definitely less in BC but don't let the West End hear you talking about it that way.

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2883918,...f6f40Vj-NLiliLAyYRmQQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This thing in North Van is also pretty communistic.

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.3240486,...1fiUZSpLG_TXetNNt45pg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[TorontoDrew]

Is this the tallest Commie Block in Canada?

The San Romanoway Apartments

33 floors
93m
source: photos1.blogger.com

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I was watching Catching Killers on Netflix and there was an episode on Bruce McArthur in Toronto. He lived in a similar looking commie block. Cops had to take the elevator which stopped at every second floor for residents and barely arrived in time to prevent him from killing his latest victim. I had no idea. Serial Killers operating in apartment highrises seems a rarity. Luka Magnota was in an apartment complex too I think though not a highrise commie block.

Is it? I can think of at least one other major 20th century serial killer that operated out of an apartment.. it's not that rare.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Is it? I can think of at least one other major 20th century serial killer that operated out of an apartment.. it's not that rare.

It is kind of like the link between the video game Doom (and the like) and school shootings in that era. Yes, the kids who committed those horrible acts had played those games, but so did just about every other teen with a computer.

Lots of people live in apartment blocks. Most of them are just ordinary people.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Is this the tallest Commie Block in Canada?

The San Romanoway Apartments

33 floors
93m
source: photos1.blogger.com

At Jane/Finch, no less.

Looks even more dystopian from the street: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7574983,...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

cockroaches: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/07/19/crack_down_on_slum_landlords_critics_urge.html

[TorontoDrew]

Perhaps it's not the tallest but in it's location it's a monster.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Is this the tallest Commie Block in Canada?

The San Romanoway Apartments

33 floors
93m
source: photos1.blogger.com

The tallest Commie Blocks in Canada are the Leaside Towers in Toronto
44 Floors
129 Metres

Edit: This is also where Bruce McArthur lived

[TorontoDrew]

I don't consider those commie blocks, but Toronto's tallest Brutalist towers and I like them.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I don't consider those commie blocks, but Toronto's tallest Brutalist towers and I like them.

agreed. I never thought of them as commie blocks.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Man, that post by Monkeyronin has a ton of soul sucking going on.

When my family immigrated here from London we lived near hear. At the top of that strange Road is Peanut Plaza, named after the shape of the road lol. I had my first Jamaican Patty there when I was in grade 1.


source:shared-s3.property.ca

We lived in this strange condo for 2 years. I'm not even sure how to describe it's style lol. Each unit had 2 floors though and I learned how to swim in it's indoor pool. I also burned down the playground with a friend when we found a pack of matches and started playing with them. On a plus side they replaced it with a much better playground so I was kind of a hero.

[softee]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Is this the tallest Commie Block in Canada?

The San Romanoway Apartments

33 floors
93m
source: photos1.blogger.com

This one in Crescent Town is 36 storeys.
https://goo.gl/maps/tkYUhR6JQ9XyE2Li9

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I don't consider those commie blocks, but Toronto's tallest Brutalist towers and I like them.

I consider them commie blocks but they definitely look better than average for their era and style.

Edit: The lack of balconies gives them a clean look and the vertical band windows on the crowns give them a little more style than your average commie block in my opinion.