Canadian Urban Canyons - Page 74

Rico Rommheim · #**1461** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 3:52 PM**

Nobody would ever accuse you of being wrong if you declared Rene-Levesque Boulevard to be a bit drab. Certainly, nobody would ever believe you if you told them you'd go out on a walk down the boulevard just to check it out.

But I did.

The R-L canyon has come a long way in the past few years. It's no longer a swiss cheese mix of towers and parking lots. And the remaining holes in the street's fabric are about to be all filled in. The streetscape leaves a lot to be desired though. It's most definitely not one of Montreal's prettiest streets. It is though one of it's most unique.

PART I.

Square_Children's_2020_10_13 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Dorchesters_2020_10_13 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Rene_is_a_Mess_Lately_2020_10_08 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_17 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_16 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_15 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_18 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_19 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_14 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_13 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_12 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_11 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Two_Friends_2020_10_08 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_10 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_09 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_08 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_07 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_06 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Four_Sisters_2020_05_01 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

PVM_2020_05_01 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Refletor_2020_06_01 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_04 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

In_it_2020_10_08 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Six_Sisters_2020_06_01 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Morning_Skyline_2020_08-01 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Looking east.

RL_2020_10_13_05 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

This empty lot is about to host a 156m tower.

RL_2020_10_13_03 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

After Chinatown (St-Laurent boulevard), Rene-Levesque's scale shrinks drastically. It transects a series of old working-class neighbourhoods, the vestiges of which are still there. The height of the building drastically reduces.

RL_2020_10_13_02 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

begratto · #**1462** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 5:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

The streetscape leaves a lot to be desired though. It's most definitely not one of Montreal's prettiest streets.

So true... My hope is that they are waiting for the east branch of the REM to be built before improving the streetscape. Although we do not know exactly where it is going to be built, René-Levesque blvd is a good candidate.

Great pics, though!

MolsonExport · #**1463** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 5:15 PM**

No doubt Boul. Rene Levesque is the most canyon-like of the broad/long streets in downtown Montreal. Height sustained for the longest stretch and on both sides.

Acajack · #**1464** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 5:22 PM**

I was going to say that René-Lévesque might be the least Montrealish looking main street in Montreal.

shappy · #**1465** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 5:50 PM**

Looks a lot like a more extensive Bay St (north of, say, Gerrard) but with University Ave's width.

https://goo.gl/maps/VGLBMcRQnEx36SHU8

TorontoDrew · #**1466** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 8:11 PM**

Quiet Evening On Yonge Street ( May 13 2020 7:08pm ) by A Great Capture, on Flickr

Rico Rommheim · #**1467** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 10:19 PM**

Great shot of Younge Street

Rico Rommheim · #**1468** Posted **Oct 19, 2020, 11:59 PM**

Part I of the Rene-Levesque Boulevard post showed you the business district / condo-land western section of the terminal.

RL_2020_10_13_30 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Part II is you're fired.

Part III shows the eastern section. Far removed from the hyper-capitalist west, the eastern boulevard is the institutional sector, filled with hospitals, rehab clinics, homeless shelters, working-class slum remains, public broadcaster HQs, shabby apartment buildings and low-rent, low-rise attempts at competing with its western sector.

RL_2020_10_13_33 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_26 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_34 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_29 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_35 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Looking west.

RL_2020_10_13_28 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_31 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_32 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_25 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Looking west.

RL_2020_10_13_24 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_37 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_27 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_36 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_23 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_22 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

RL_2020_10_13_21 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Looking west. At this point the jury is out if you're in downtown or not. You're still technically in Ville-Marie, you're not in HoMa or the Plateau. Who the fuck knows where you are at this point. R-L and Papineau, that's as far as I went. The rest is yawnsville.

RL_2020_10_13_20 by Foofoo MacShoe, on Flickr

Pavlov · #**1469** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 12:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Quiet Evening On Yonge Street ( May 13 2020 7:08pm ) by A Great Capture, on Flickr

I've always hated those Yonge signs.

yaletown_fella · #**1470** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 12:35 AM**

I hate those red poles mounting the traffic lights even more. Has a 90s Burger King aesthetic.
As if the Ontario traffic light standard isnt ugly enough as it is, with those big ugly oversized shields behind the lights. These new brunswick ones are far preferable. https://janetims.com/tag/traffic-lights/

hipster duck · #**1471** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 12:52 AM**

^Hopefully they bite the dust when the Queen-College stretch of Yonge is completely rebuilt in 3 years’ time.

someone123 · #**1472** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 1:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

^Hopefully they bite the dust when the Queen-College stretch of Yonge is completely rebuilt in 3 years’ time.

Is there an example of decorations like that that have ever worked out well? I think of them as something business improvement districts come up with when they're struggling to find ways to improve an area, or maybe show that they are doing something.

"Welcome to downtown" signs are also up there for uselessness. Usually comically placed in an obviously downtown setting or they look sad in an underdeveloped area or car-oriented wasteland. I guess they sort of made sense in metro areas with a lot of different parts where people could get lost before smartphones/GPS.

ssiguy · #**1473** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 1:34 AM**

R-L has always struck me as a really crappy attempt to become Toronto's University Avenue. It's the classic 3 trying to dress up as a 9 but looking like a 2.

Rico Rommheim · #**1474** Posted **Oct 20, 2020, 1:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

R-L has always struck me as a really crappy attempt to become Toronto's University Avenue. It's the classic 3 trying to dress up as a 9 but looking like a 2.

The thing with R-L is that it was the first attempt to try to replicate a Manhattan Canyon. But they (the powers that be), just never really committed to it fully.

To this day, the most prestigious business-centric street is McGill College. But it's 4 blocks long and is hardly a street. And soon enough it'll be pedestrianized and will be literally no longer a street.

R-L is early-modern Canada's first attempt at a modern NYC style business district canyon.

R-L was also the battleground for Canada's two business solitudes: the western half represented Canada's Anglo elite (Sun Life, RBC, CIBC, BMO (via their unofficial HQ in the CIL building, The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, The Windsor, etc) and the upstart franco elite (Desjardins and public institutions).

shappy · #**1475** Posted **Oct 21, 2020, 5:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Is there an example of decorations like that that have ever worked out well? I think of them as something business improvement districts come up with when they're struggling to find ways to improve an area, or maybe show that they are doing something.

"Welcome to downtown" signs are also up there for uselessness. Usually comically placed in an obviously downtown setting or they look sad in an underdeveloped area or car-oriented wasteland. I guess they sort of made sense in metro areas with a lot of different parts where people could get lost before smartphones/GPS.

I agree, it's very redundant. And the brand is "Downtown Yonge" - it's not even something like "Little Italy" or "Greektown"... you're on Yonge street and you're clearly downtown. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

R-L has always struck me as a really crappy attempt to become Toronto's University Avenue. It's the classic 3 trying to dress up as a 9 but looking like a 2.

University Ave is not a pretty street. It has its moments but it's very disjointed and patchy looking. The hospitals are usually bunker-like slabs with generous setbacks, etc.

shappy · #**1476** Posted **Oct 21, 2020, 5:52 AM**

No pics but here are some street views.

Bay St.:https://goo.gl/maps/VM9yWFfNPFoFj3S99

Yonge St.:https://goo.gl/maps/5Aqe1hkR4TRUDM7SA

King St.:https://goo.gl/maps/Binkkyrw58fRzegx6

Victoria St.:https://goo.gl/maps/CZvXrbhZU9VvYY4F7

Adelaide St.:https://goo.gl/maps/3yJ24mU83EYfndwm6

University Ave.:https://goo.gl/maps/MGwKjbmFgSp5Hxug7

Carlton St.:https://goo.gl/maps/EePx62rrBTKUL3JCA

A couple short but intense ones:
https://goo.gl/maps/ahp79hCRNMwU6FtG7

https://goo.gl/maps/NjDCatcX3szr7yaS8

And the latest addition (watch out, Dubai)...
https://goo.gl/maps/oQ1ptarPT89jRamP7

kool maudit · #**1477** Posted **Oct 21, 2020, 11:44 AM**

For some reason I have never been able to find a good street view of R-L when it was still Dorchester, pre-widening.

The exception is a line drawing I once saw of the area around Beaver Hall Hill and the (demolished) Architects Building.

Sadly, it was impossibly gracious and layered.

MolsonExport · #**1478** Posted **Oct 21, 2020, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

R-L has always struck me as a really crappy attempt to become Toronto's University Avenue. It's the classic 3 trying to dress up as a 9 but looking like a 2.

?
I am pretty sure that R-L's canyon was the first of its kind in Canada. Montreal had, by some measures, the second tallest skyline in North America in the early 1960s. And no doubt whatsoever, it had the tallest in Canada at that time.

really crappy? Ok you are entitled to your opinion, but come on. several of the buildings in the financial district are some of the finest skyscrapers in Canada (PVM, CIBC, Sun Life, 1250 Boul R-L).

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4979...7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4992...7i16384!8i8192

TorontoDrew · #**1479** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 5:18 AM**

Above University Ave. by Greg David, on Flickr

Lockdown City, Toronto by Peter LeDoux, on Flickr

University Avenue South by Jimmy Wu, on Flickr

Martin Mtl · #**1480** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 11:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

?
I am pretty sure that R-L's canyon was the first of its kind in Canada. Montreal had, by some measures, the second tallest skyline in North America in the early 1960s. And no doubt whatsoever, it had the tallest in Canada at that time.

really crappy? Ok you are entitled to your opinion, but come on. several of the buildings in the financial district are some of the finest skyscrapers in Canada (PVM, CIBC, Sun Life, 1250 Boul R-L).

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4979...7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4992...7i16384!8i8192

René-Lévesque just need a little love to really be the grand boulevard it’s meant to be.