Monastery Lane concrete road section

[cptstubing]

Does anyone know when and why a section of this street was made with concrete and not regular asphalt?

It's in horrible shape now, considerably worse than it was last year. There are so many frost heaves and alligator cracks all around, maybe due to the ineffective drainage observed around the city this winter.

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by cptstubing

Does anyone know when and why a section of this street was made with concrete and not regular asphalt?

It's in horrible shape now, considerably worse than it was last year. There are so many frost heaves and alligator cracks all around, maybe due to the ineffective drainage observed around the city this winter.

I had to look at the area from above on google, I didn't even know this existed. My best guess would be looking at where it starts and stops, and given how old it looks... I would expect it has something to do with the Quinpool Tower Shopping Plaza development.

[Keith P.]

That section was rebuilt at the time of Quinpool Center's original construction in the late 1970s. The idea was to manage traffic by blocking off the previously-connected Yukon and Yale streets that terminated at Monastery and to install an island on the west exit of the Quinpool Center parking lot that would force traffic exiting to turn left towards Quinpool rather than right towards Allan St. That last tactic failed and soon a chunk of the island was removed, either intentionally or by accident with a snowplow. Truthfully, the whole thing should be re-thought with the experience of 35 years.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That section was rebuilt at the time of Quinpool Center's original construction in the late 1970s. The idea was to manage traffic by blocking off the previously-connected Yukon and Yale streets that terminated at Monastery

Keith, do you remember when they blocked the Monastery access to Yukon and Yale? I seem to remember a time post-Quinpool Centre that you could still access those streets from Monastery. Methinks the residents raised Cain and lobbied council to have these roads barricaded. One of those poorly thought-out "traffic calming" exercises, not unlike those ridiculous chicanes on Romans behind HSC.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

Keith, do you remember when they blocked the Monastery access to Yukon and Yale? I seem to remember a time post-Quinpool Centre that you could still access those streets from Monastery. Methinks the residents raised Cain and lobbied council to have these roads barricaded. One of those poorly thought-out "traffic calming" exercises, not unlike those ridiculous chicanes on Romans behind HSC.

I thought it was simultaneous with construction but I'm not sure. I know that the development was hugely contentious at the time (what a surprise) and there were a lot of people in the immediate area fighting it tooth and nail. The thinking seemed to be this would be a hugely busy shopping mall, which it never really became. Big concerns about traffic, which led to the island to prevent right turns out of the parking lot to go up to Allan St., which everyone just drove over/around anyway, these street blockades, and the inability to go straight through onto Vernon St. at the other end, forcing traffic to turn left or right only onto Quinpool.

Qunipool Center was a disappointment on many levels, not just the commercial space, but the residential units also. The tower units are not a very appealing location now. One thing I will give them credit for is the recent reclad of the townhouse units from their 1970s dark stained wood to a white and neutral clapboard, which has really updated their look quite nicely.

[terrynorthend]

Well, maybe they were barricaded at the time of construction. I would have been pretty young then, and lived in Dartmouth, so didn't have much of a sense of the "pulse" of Halifax. (have much clearer memories of developments around Mic Mac, Penhorn, and Woodlawn areas)

It amazes me that they thought it would become a busy shopping centre. I mean, the potential, in 1970's planning at least, to have taken a large area like that entire parcel including the tower, parking lot and low-rise apartments and condos behind and developing an indoor Eaton-Centre-esque mall probably existed, but lets be realistic. What did they put there? A Canadian Tire and a grocery store linked by a half-dozen small services like dry-cleaners and a bank and some professional offices. Who was ever coming in droves for that?

[Waye Mason]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Qunipool Center was a disappointment on many levels, not just the commercial space, but the residential units also. The tower units are not a very appealing location now. One thing I will give them credit for is the recent reclad of the townhouse units from their 1970s dark stained wood to a white and neutral clapboard, which has really updated their look quite nicely.

I think the reclad townhouses are condos, but I did notice that Killam appears to be recladding the tower, maybe new windows, hard to tell at a distance. That is on the south end or Quinpool end of the west facing units on the tower you can see from the parking lot.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I personally think Quinpool centre is exactly what its area in Halifax needs... residential, goes out to the street with parking in behind, and is very busy and lively during peak hours. I usually walk over when I'm home, to grab beer or to get some groceries... its one of the only true urban format grocery stores in Halifax.

I grew up a few streets over and have not found a similar (or superior) setup in many smaller Canadian cities that tend to have more Bayers Lake arrangements, where you are basically a nobody without a car... or parking out front, which screws over the main street they are on.

I think the new development on Young will fix a few of its problems, but the parking lots out front will always ruin that section of the streetlife.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

It amazes me that they thought it would become a busy shopping centre. I mean, the potential, in 1970's planning at least, to have taken a large area like that entire parcel including the tower, parking lot and low-rise apartments and condos behind and developing an indoor Eaton-Centre-esque mall probably existed, but lets be realistic. What did they put there? A Canadian Tire and a grocery store linked by a half-dozen small services like dry-cleaners and a bank and some professional offices. Who was ever coming in droves for that?

It is busy every time I'm there... sure, there were a few years where they didn't have the right businesses, but now with the expanded NSLC, its always teeming with walking and car traffic.

[ILoveHalifax]

Such a shame that all these people who like to walk so much just can't walk across a parking lot.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Such a shame that all these people who like to walk so much just can't walk across a parking lot.

I'm not sure what you mean by that? Quinpool is a better street because most parking lots are behind the street facing development. It is much easier to approach Quinpool Centre than it is anything on Young street because of this. There are also wind factors... a narrow street of buildings is much better than huge swaths of parking lots out front and the winds that can whip across them. This is what the heritage crazies don't get and I'd take narrow street "wind tunnels" over this any day of the week... the wind can only come from one direction.

I'm actually very pro car, but I'm from the peninsula. I don't appreciate philistines from off peninsula running me down when I'm walking in my neighbourhood because they are in some apparent hurry. That's probably why they used to charge for parking at Quinpool Centre.

In any event, Quinpool Centre > Young Street > Bayers Lake, for both drivers and pedestrians.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Such a shame that all these people who like to walk so much just can't walk across a parking lot.

Probably the same reason that people who love parking so much can't just park off the peninsula.

The reality is, we shouldn't be talking about walking vs. driving. We should be talking about getting PEOPLE from place to place and in and out of stores and businesses in a healthy and accessible manner.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

I think the reclad townhouses are condos, but I did notice that Killam appears to be recladding the tower, maybe new windows, hard to tell at a distance. That is on the south end or Quinpool end of the west facing units on the tower you can see from the parking lot.

Indeed condos, yes. I used to live there from 1985-89. We rented, but it was from a condo owner who was living in Newfoundland at the time.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

There are also wind factors... a narrow street of buildings is much better than huge swaths of parking lots out front and the winds that can whip across them. This is what the heritage crazies don't get and I'd take narrow street "wind tunnels" over this any day of the week... the wind can only come from one direction.

Heritage crazies? I think most heritage buildings are built up to the street in a "wind tunnel" fashion. Unless we're now considering 1970s buildings to be heritage buildings...

I'm actually very pro car, but I'm from the peninsula. I don't appreciate philistines from off peninsula running me down when I'm walking in my neighbourhood because they are in some apparent hurry.

I actually don't like anybody running me down, even if they are from my own neighborhood.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

The reality is, we shouldn't be talking about walking vs. driving. We should be talking about getting PEOPLE from place to place and in and out of stores and businesses in a healthy and accessible manner.

Agree!

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Heritage crazies? I think most heritage buildings are built up to the street in a "wind tunnel" fashion. Unless we're now considering 1970s buildings to be heritage buildings...

they can and should be where waranted. Age should not be the Defining factor of somethings importance, though sadly it is.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Heritage crazies? I think most heritage buildings are built up to the street in a "wind tunnel" fashion. Unless we're now considering 1970s buildings to be heritage buildings...

I actually don't like anybody running me down, even if they are from my own neighbourhood.

Exactly... I love that heritage structures are built up to the street.

The irony is... their proponents have cited a reason to not build on empty lots downtown because it will create more wind. My argument is that open lots, like parking lots in the more suburban layouts, actually create more wind because it can build up over the flat surface... especially in proximity to the harbour. We agree.

Also, some heritage structures are taller than the 1970s buildings and I will take wind in the possible 2 directions versus all directions. Go stand in the parking lot a Young Street Superstore on a windy day... its much worse than anything downtown or Quinpool road if you are walking on the street side... where the wind will be in front of you or behind you... but not like being in the middle of a twister.

I don't like anybody running me down either... but it seems to often be the type of folks that are not from the neighbourhood doing it. They may live in vinyl clad houses in the burbs and drive SUVs and be cutting through this neighbourhood to get home. I see it all the time.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

they can and should be where waranted. Age should not be the Defining factor of somethings importance, though sadly it is.

True enough. I was generalizing a little as a lot of junk went up around here in the seventies and eighties. Significant buildings from any era should be considered worth keeping.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Exactly... I love that heritage structures are built up to the street.

The irony is... their proponents have cited a reason to not build on empty lots downtown because it will create more wind. My argument is that open lots, like parking lots in the more suburban layouts, actually create more wind because it can build up over the flat surface... especially in proximity to the harbour. We agree.

Also, some heritage structures are taller than the 1970s buildings and I will take wind in the possible 2 directions versus all directions. Go stand in the parking lot a Young Street Superstore on a windy day... its much worse than anything downtown or Quinpool road if you are walking on the street side... where the wind will be in front of you or behind you... but not like being in the middle of a twister.

I see what you meant.

I don't like anybody running me down either... but it seems to often be the type of folks that are not from the neighbourhood doing it. They may live in vinyl clad houses in the burbs and drive SUVs and be cutting through this neighbourhood to get home. I see it all the time.

I was just making a bit of a joke, as when I first read your post it sounded like you were OK if your neighbors ran you down. lol

People cutting through residential neighborhoods to avoid traffic has always been a problem. When I lived in downtown Dartmouth many years ago lots of people driving big, fast cars (not SUVs) would fly through my street to bypass traffic and get home to their aluminum-sided houses (lol). They eventually put up "no left turn between 4 and 6 pm" signs and that cut it down a little. Same reasons they put speed bumps through some of the rich areas of the south end and Bedford. The thing is, if there was a mix of better planning and better transit there would probably not be a need of so many people taking short-cuts.

Now let's talk about all this ice and narrowed streets combined with impatient aggressive drivers who give you the horn because you want to take an extra look around the ice-bank to make sure nobody's coming...

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

The thing is, if there was a mix of better planning and better transit there would probably not be a need of so many people taking short-cuts.

Now let's talk about all this ice and narrowed streets combined with impatient aggressive drivers who give you the horn because you want to take an extra look around the ice-bank to make sure nobody's coming...

Totally right on this first point. To be honest, Allan shouldn't be accessible from Windsor because it creates a huge issue in people zooming down Allan to get to Harvard/Oxford... but then people would probably cut across the QC parking lot to Monastery, then up to Allan. I don't know if you can win with the layout!

Now... the ice situation makes this much worse... especially on a very narrow street like Allan that intersects Monastery. The ones in a hurry don't live in the neighbourhood, I can guarantee that.