General Updates and News

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Acadie_1755

Who says young professional couples never go to smokeshops, tattoo shops, sex shops or hell, even all three? Maybe they've started a family and have a respectable line of work now, but liked to blaze it and get some ink in their younger years. Main street is a community, not a monastery.

Your habit of pushing the blame on the planning profession as a whole, especially when other forum users call out the flaws in your arguments, has become quite redundant. Planning is not solely about boutiques, cafes or designer carriages, even if a developer or community group decides to market the neighborhood in that way.

Could have fooled me.

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Could have fooled me.

Brilliant retort. Thanks for your contributions.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Franco401

Brilliant retort. Thanks for your contributions.

Always glad to assist.

The planning profession really does need a shakeup. It continues to push for the One True Way for development even though that does not fit what many people want. The lack of flexibility in thinking really makes many in the profession seem out of touch and rather foolish.

[Jonovision]

Work on the south side of Province House is now in full swing.

20180813_161435 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180813_161444 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jonovision]

Bell Lofts update

20180814_101839 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[HalifaxRetales]

I figure you folks will like to read this
I have a guest post on my blog today about 10-minute Neighbourhoods in HRM

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

I figure you folks will like to read this
I have a guest post on my blog today about 10-minute Neighbourhoods in HRM

Enjoyed that thoroughly.

Thanks

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

I figure you folks will like to read this
I have a guest post on my blog today about 10-minute Neighbourhoods in HRM

I enjoyed the read, and as someone who lives in one of these 10 minute neighborhoods, I agree fully on the concept. The only thing I'm confused on is grocery stores. Both Agricola and Gottingen's closest ones are either Young St, Barrington St, or Pete's on Dresden, unless I'm forgetting something?

[teddifax]

Sobeys at North and Windsor and Superstore on Young St. too...

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by mleblanc

I enjoyed the read, and as someone who lives in one of these 10 minute neighborhoods, I agree fully on the concept. The only thing I'm confused on is grocery stores. Both Agricola and Gottingen's closest ones are either Young St, Barrington St, or Pete's on Dresden, unless I'm forgetting something?

The grocery is cumulative of specialty grocers and corner stores
JJ Mart, Ratinaud, Lf Bakery, Joes, Tomeh's etc ..

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

The grocery is cumulative of specialty grocers and corner stores
JJ Mart, Ratinaud, Lf Bakery, Joes, Tomeh's etc ..

Pretty big stretch with that. Those aren't the kind of places where you will buy toilet paper and cat food.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Pretty big stretch with that. Those aren't the kind of places where you will buy toilet paper and cat food.

I don't think it's quite right to say that there's a choice to be made between frequent shopping or loading up at Costco once a month.

It is nice to be able to shop at a good butcher instead of buying a 30 kilo bag of chicken breasts that sits in your freezer for months. There is no similar advantage to buying artisanal toilet paper or tiny bottles of dish soap every few days.

The boring, standard, nonperishable stuff you want to pick up in a car infrequently. The other stuff (perishable, unpredictable) you want closer to your house so that you can easily buy it when you need it. So actually I think it is true that these neighbourhoods have a good mix of amenities.

I'm not sure what the car sharing situation is in Halifax these days but in a lot of cities a mix of short term car rentals, ride services, and online shopping have made it easy to get buy in walkable neighbourhoods without owning a car that you'd only use once a week or so.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Pretty big stretch with that. Those aren't the kind of places where you will buy toilet paper and cat food.

The pharmacy at Cornwallis and Gottingen will sort you out nicely if that all you need.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by JET

The pharmacy at Cornwallis and Gottingen will sort you out nicely if that all you need.

At an artisinal price, no doubt (BTW are we still allowed to say the word "Cornwallis" in HRM The Good?).

I find this a rather curious exercise, as it is an offshoot of the planning dogma that the only truly acceptable way to get around a city is by walking. I suppose cycling would be an acceptable alternative. Older folks or those with mobility issues I guess are out of luck and unwelcome if they require a vehicle. Perhaps all should be banished to suburbia and let the hipsters take over the core of the city to enjoy their artisinal lattes and food with mysterious, previously unheard of but undoubtedly hip ingredients.

[Hali87]

I live in the "22" zone and both the Young Street Superstore and North/Windsor Sobeys are within a 10 minute walk of my house. I generally buy a week's worth of groceries at a time and carry them home by foot. I realize that this isn't an option for everyone (each trip ends up being maybe 30lbs x 10 min on the way home). These are both open 24/7 except on some holidays. The Shoppers at Robie/Almon also sells some groceries.

There are a bunch of smaller specialty stores along Gottingen, Agricola, and the Robie/Young area (I'm thinking things like Mid East Food Store, Foxhill, Italian Market) and most of the convenience stores in the area do in fact sell toilet paper and cat food. Some of these places are overpriced yuppie type stores but many of them aren't. There's also things like the Tare Shop (bulk foods) opening off Gottingen and Local Source Market etc. on Agricola.

I previously lived near Victoria/Inglis in the South End and that area was about the same (or slightly better - Sobeys and Superstore were each less than a 5 min walk and the Seaport Market was about 10).

I think this exercise is more about "viable places to live if you don't have a car", not "places where people who can't carry 30lb over a kilometre shouldn't be allowed to live". FWIW a lot of units in this neighbourhood don't have space for parking so there will always have to be people living here who don't own motor vehicles (unless we demolish a bunch of housing to create parking)

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by JET

The pharmacy at Cornwallis and Gottingen will sort you out nicely if that all you need.

I've lived in this area for the past 5 years. I visit Ratinaud/LF on special occasions, but no, these little shops do not make up for a grocery store whatsoever. I luckily do own a car, and 90% of the time the only use it gets is to drive to the Barrington St. Superstore. The northern side of downtown desperately needs a small but full grocery store.

[JET]

[QUOTE=Keith P.;8299204]At an artisinal price, no doubt (BTW are we still allowed to say the word "Cornwallis" in HRM The Good?).
QUOTE]

Your reference to artisanal prices reminds me of the Sobeys store on Gottingen Street that always increased their prices near the end of each month. All the bad press they had no doubt resulted in the closure of the store. A Capitol store would have been much better located there.

[Dmajackson]

No details are available but 1874 Brunswick Street is going to Design Review Committee for a preliminary presentation. This is the gray office building located just below The Pearl at Brunswick/Gottingen/Duke.

Anyone have any ideas or insider information?

EDIT: The presenter is an architect based out of St. John's. Fougere Menchenton

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

No details are available but 1874 Brunswick Street is going to Design Review Committee for a preliminary presentation. This is the gray office building located just below The Pearl at Brunswick/Gottingen/Duke.

Anyone have any ideas or insider information?

EDIT: The presenter is an architect based out of St. John's. Fougere Menchenton

Steele Hotels bought that property

[Jonovision]

Another infill for Gottingen.

20180908_143514 by Jonovision23, on Flickr