Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse
^ Yeah that's the impression that I got, but it's kind of surprising considering the size and density of the city. Although it was apparently only in the last census that it's started growing again after decades of slow population loss.
During my short visit I was extremely impressed with the city and would even say i fell in love with it. I kind of knew what to expect in the sense that it's an industrial harbour city with lots of historic building stock, and I was even knew about the brick and stone buildings in the south end. But I expected it to seem more run and and "ghetto" with graffiti, litter, abandoned buildings, and bastardization like vinyl and aluminum siding. In reality, although I can tell that the city is a bit run down, it feels more like a rich, graceful patina that one might find in a characterful part of Europe more so than rough parts of North America.
The main tell tale sign of the population loss seems to be empty lots where houses were torn down for some reason and not replaced. But these lots also have a sort of gracefulness to them, often with greenery and wildfowers rather than asphalt and broken glass. There are glimpses here and there of Halifax, but in a purer, more ambiance-drenched form. There are no highrises poking up in the residential areas, few modern buildings, few houses converted to offices or shops. I can imagine at times that these streets are timeless and have existed as they are forever. And the fact that it's so quiet is conducive to such mind-wandering.
Strangely, this year has seen my view of NB completely upended. I grew up near the border and always viewed NB as being a functional yet unremarkable place, playing the role to the Maritimes that San Jose plays to the Bay area. A drive-by, fly-over province as I've heard others call it. But when i drove through this spring on my way to Ontario, I was impressed by it's charm and beauty. I fell in love with Edmunston despite making only two brief stops there. And now having fallen in love with Saint John, I realise my previous view was simply due to my failure to explore beyond Greater Moncton. Overall, NB is just as interesting and character-filled as NS and PEI which makes me feel like I've made an exciting discovery!
I noticed a page or two back there were a few people discussing their frustrations with SJ and thinking of moving. Yet in my brief visit, I imagined it as a soul-enriching place to live. Of course, it's certainly MUCH quieter than Hfx, and the personality of the two cities is completely different. Halifax seems to be set on appearing quirky and bohemian, and the hipster aesthetic is pervasive. SJ seems to have no such ambitions. The ambiance is industrial, urban, working class, and gracious, but any artistic sensibility seems strictly retro or traditional. I can imagine it as the place you return to after traveling the world seeking fortune and adventure, and sinking into it like your favourite duvet. Or a large, close-knit, salt of the earth family who warmly welcomes visitors to its table that is always adorned with a vase of freshly picked flowers but who value the sound of laughter over perfect table manners.
Halifax yearns to be one of those places where people come to seek fortune and adventure rather than a place to return to afterward. And of course for some it is. But Halifax seems to harbour the same mild melancholy when it doesn't attract all the outsiders it wishes that SJ seems to experience when its locals leave. The goals are different, but the inability to fulfillment them is frustrating just the same.
Overall, I find the historic aspects of the city equally impressive as Halifax, and while there are far fewer highrises and modern buildings in SJ, their absence isn't apparent when immersed in the actual context. The place feels appropriate in its scale and composition. The quietness feels like a chance to soak up the richness of the setting rather than to resent anything that's missing. The land feels as though it was perfectly designed for the place as if by someone playing sim city. Whether this is all just infatuation only time will tell. But I envy the people who know it well and I really want to return.
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