Great Canadian Skyline Thread II - Page 784

Chadillaccc · #**15661** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 7:18 PM**

Those Montreal shots are amazing.

Some shots from the past week or so...

Lightbeams by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Keeping Watch by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Pillars by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Roxboro Cliffs by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pavlov

^ Outstanding (especially the last skyline shot - probably the best recent Calgary skyline photos I've seen).

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Cute puppy Chad.

Thanks guys. Sorry didn't see these before.

Just going through my recent posts to make sure I'm not double posting my work.

The Macallan · #**15662** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 7:26 PM**

Parts of Montreal remind me of Glasgow, Scotland. Both are river cities. The hue of the stone is similar and both prospered in the 19th and early 20th century, resulting in considerable architecture from the same time period. Moreover, many prosperous Montrealers were, in fact, Scots and may have built in a manner that reminded them of home.

Of course, Montreal people are easier to understand than those with a thick Glaswegian accent! Just stay away from Glasgow when the Old Firm matches are on.

someone123 · #**15663** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

IIRC, condos didn't gain anywhere near as much value as detached houses did, right? Had you owned a shitty cookie-cutter bungalow anywhere in Van, you could still trade it for something gorgeous in Montreal, guaranteed.

The gain was relatively modest compared to detached but they're still up around 2x from 10-15 years ago and in most times and places that would qualify as a big gain. Lots of average-ish condos are $600,000-900,000 now. It still seems bonkers to me.

Townhouses followed the condo appreciation curve if I recall correctly but they're almost all strata too in BC, so they're basically condos with condo fees and a ground floor entrance.

Quote:

Montreal values went up sharply lately, as well. The best time to swap Van real estate for Mtl real estate was likely a few years ago. Van has kinda plateaued for the last couple years, I believe. So, unfortunately for you, you wouldn't get as much Westmount bang for your traded-in Vancouver Real Estate buck now as you would have not too long ago.

(On a related note, I believe the Halifax-Vancouver ratio has followed the Montreal-Vancouver ratio, the best time for that sort of swap was earlier, not now.)

Yes, around 2016 or so was the peak. Realistically I don't feel like moving though or maintaining a house in multiple locations. You could get a nice historic Halifax house for the price of a Vancouver condo in 2016 but not late 2020. More and more houses there are $1M+. The mill rate on those will also be much higher. Looks like in Montreal lots of places are $1-2M+ now. I have considered just spending a couple months in the summer in Montreal sometime, renting an apartment for a while and working rather than doing a shorter visit.

(I'm probably too conservative with buying and selling real estate but I appreciate investments that require ~0 work.)

Zeej · #**15664** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 7:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Macallan

Parts of Montreal remind me of Glasgow, Scotland. Both are river cities. The hue of the stone is similar and both prospered in the 19th and early 20th century, resulting in considerable architecture from the same time period. Moreover, many prosperous Montrealers were, in fact, Scots and may have built in a manner that reminded them of home.

Of course, Montreal people are easier to understand than those with a thick Glaswegian accent! Just stay away from Glasgow when the Old Firm matches are on.

It's no coincidence - The builders of 19th century Montreal were largely Scottish expats from the Glasgow area (think the Molson family who founded the Molson Bank - later to become the Bank of Montreal). The city's architectural legacy was heavily influenced by Scottish architecture. In fact, for example, the Royal Victoria Hospital was deliberately designed to look like a Scottish castle.

Pavlov · #**15665** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 8:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

What's visible there isn't as dense as other Montreal neighborhoods, though it would arguably be on average more architecturally interesting than those ones (you decide how much weight you want to assign to that one factor).

Oh yeah, I know (my brother lives in Mile End and we used to visit regularly). Westmount just has a sort of refined urban charm that really speaks to me (reminds of Mordecai Richler and Leonard Cohen novels or something). This is inconsistent with my professed love of asian mega-city chaos, but whatever. I'm a complicated man.

Pavlov · #**15666** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

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Roxboro Cliffs by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Beautiful. Really gives a sense of the "depth" of this part of Calgary's central core (Mission to Beltline to CBD.)

Rico Rommheim · #**15667** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 8:31 PM**

Some pictures I've taken this summer.

Houses_of_Parliament_2020_08_05 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

The West Block, one of my favourite buildings in the country. Does anyone know when this tower was built specifically?

West_Block_BW_2020_08_05 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Capital_Skyline_2020_06_15 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Supreme_Court_2020-08-04 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

J.OT13 · #**15668** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 8:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

The West Block, one of my favourite buildings in the country. Does anyone know when this tower was built specifically?

The West Block was completed in 1865 and the Mackenzie Tower was added in 1878, built under, and named for, Canada's first Liberal Prime Minister, a former stone mason. It was the tallest tower in Ottawa until the completion of the Peace Tower was completed in 1927.

Echoes · #**15669** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 9:24 PM**

Great Ottawa shots!

Rico Rommheim · #**15670** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 9:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The West Block was completed in 1865 and the Mackenzie Tower was added in 1878, built under, and named for, Canada's first Liberal Prime Minister, a former stone mason. It was the tallest tower in Ottawa until the completion of the Peace Tower was completed in 1927.

So the Mackenzie tower is the tall church-looking spire?

davidivivid · #**15671** Posted **Dec 9, 2020, 10:13 PM**

Just a follow up on the picture I posted last week. Here is an aerial of the Saint-Sauveur neighbourghood which is situated to the right of the first pic. If I were to walk from St-Vallier street in Saint-Sauveur and St-Joseph street in St-Roch, all the way to Chateau Frontenac through St-Jean street or St-Louis street or St-Paul street, it would be a 4km walk through uninterupted, very dense urban settings and commercial streets. Old Quebec is indeed beautiful but it is these dense, working class neighbourghoods which are, to me at least, the unknown gems of this city.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidivivid

Not the prettiest shot but it shows the great density of downtown. Such density continues in Montcalm and St-Sauveur to the west and Limoilou to the north.

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020...-gouvernements

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-veT0CdkVF...25281%2529.jpg

Wigs · #**15672** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 12:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

London is so underrated, it isn't even rated on the underrated list!

I'm sure it's suburban areas are on a Moneysense "best places to raise a family" list somewhere

Wortley village does look like my kind of place, tho!

Monolith · #**15673** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 1:07 AM**

Vancouver Sunset by Mark Teasdale, on Flickr

a double rainbow over False Creek, Vancouver by roaming-the-planet, on Flickr

Downtown Vancouver in twilight 2020 by Gord McKenna, on Flickr

Wigs · #**15674** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 3:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pavlov

(Canadian) urban perfection.

Indeed it is. Amazing Montreal photography!

lio45 · #**15675** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 3:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

The gain was relatively modest compared to detached but they're still up around 2x from 10-15 years ago and in most times and places that would qualify as a big gain.

That's totally awful, but as you say in most times and places it would be a decent performance for sure.

Quote:

Yes, around 2016 or so was the peak. Realistically I don't feel like moving though or maintaining a house in multiple locations.

Your call, obviously.

You said before that your social networks were Vancouver-based nowadays, so that's a reason to stay on which we can't really put a price tag. If I were you I'd probably have swapped the condo for a Victorian mansion in your hometown of Halifax whose climate isn't all that different from Vancouver's, but that's me.

Quote:

The mill rate on those will also be much higher.

True, but so is the appreciation potential. Overall, definitely worth it, IMO.

Quote:

I'm probably too conservative with buying and selling real estate

I'm sure you are, but again, that's you and it's ok

csbvan · #**15676** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 6:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monolith

Downtown Vancouver in twilight 2020 by Gord McKenna, on Flickr

Oh boy

ssiguy · #**15677** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 7:24 AM**

That is a fantastic Vancouver shot!

Martin Mtl · #**15678** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 8:35 AM**

The best nightime aerial of Vancouver that I ever seen.

giallo · #**15679** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 10:09 AM**

Beautiful aerial!

J.OT13 · #**15680** Posted **Dec 10, 2020, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

So the Mackenzie tower is the tall church-looking spire?

That's the one. The tallest, dominant tower on the West Block.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Some pictures I've taken this summer.

The West Block, one of my favourite buildings in the country. Does anyone know when this tower was built specifically?

West_Block_BW_2020_08_05 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr