Way to be be, Winnipeg

[CorporateWhore]

I just got back from spending a few days in the Peg, and I have to say, what a great little city you guys have there. Great history in the Exchange, a good vibe in Osborne, and a very nice gathering place in the Forks.

I went on a couple of Exchange tours, and the history and beauty of the area is pretty amazing (I also learned to rue the day the Panama Canal was built). The potential for an amazing inner city is already there with the walkable streets, character buildings, and great style. It just needs some form of city-led boost....subsidizing grocery stores would help.

Things might not be the most exciting economically, but honestly, from an architectural/urbanity standpoint, it's slow down has ensured that the city has done things with both patience and quality that is unmatched anywhere else on the prairies. Calgary and Edmonton sure could use a lesson in quality control from you guys. It's very easy to see that buildings in Winnipeg are built with care and the long-term future in mind (atleast when it comes to important public buildings, not the shit-ass polo park developments that equal the crap you get everywhere else). Outside of possibly Encana's new tower, the Manitoba Hydro building is head and shoulder's above in terms of quality than anything built in Alberta in the last 30 years. I guess when you only get a tower every few years, you better make sure it's done right.

I think what I loved the most however is that you don't built historicist crap that you get in Calgary and Edmonton. With the Red River College, you respected the old architecture, but instead try to incorporate a new contemporary idea into it's revival. It's very nice to hear that the college itself is expanding, or atleast plans to soon enough. Can't wait.

[Donovanf]

Yes the exchange is a real food desert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert

[CorporateWhore]

If the city was smart, they would offer some massive tax incentive for anyone willing to open a grocery store in the area. It really is important if they want to support the stream of people moving there. And i don't mean some fancy pants gourmet store....it has to be the equivalent of a sobey's or a safeway.

[LilZebra]

Just read your gleaming review of Winnipeg.

I've lived here all my life and have seen my city's downtown from a bustling Portage Ave. in the 1970s to an largely ignored one now (did you see any aboriginal panhandlers while you were here?).

You probably missed seeing one of Winnipeg's nicer architectural buildings, because it was torn down by 2003. The MTS Centre (arena) is where the Eaton's building used to sit.

While downtown Portage Ave. has gone to waste, the revitalization of of the Exchange District has been an amazing one to watch, especially since around the turn of this century.

I like the design of the new Manitoba Hydro Tower too. It was designed by someone in Toronto, so it has some similarity to tower design there.

What we need here in this city is an easier way to get around. Back in 1959 there was a subway plan that was never acted on. Almost 5 years ago I transcribed the report onto the Internet and now the young people are saying "Wow, I didn't know there was a subway planned for Winnipeg."

So since 2005 some Winnipeggers have joined together to help this subway plan get built... Our website is at:


http://truwinnipeg.org

Hope you come again to Winnipeg.

[LilZebra]

I disagree with the idea to subsidize grocery stores for the Exchange District, since what is really needed is more area residents, not more socialism.

[1ajs]

what about a nieborhood corner store?

[1ajs]

hey cw glad to see you injoy this city as i have growing up here




where yea up here for work or plsure or both?

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

I disagree with the idea to subsidize grocery stores for the Exchange District, since what is really needed is more area residents, not more socialism.

Well the problem is that residents need places to buy groceries and places to do daily chores, and having to get in your car and drive out of the inner city sort of goes against urban ideals no? Inner city living is not just about going to some cafe or art performance. Make it easy for Winnipegers to live there on a basic level, and the positives of living downtown will be self evident.

I would insititute tax breaks for anyone willing to take the first step. I don't mean give them money, I mean let them save money on their somewhat risky investment. Reward good behavior, and in the end you will have many other businesses coming into the neighborhood, increasing your tax gains in the long-term.

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

What we need here in this city is an easier way to get around. Back in 1959 there was a subway plan that was never acted on. Almost 5 years ago I transcribed the report onto the Internet and now the young people are saying "Wow, I didn't know there was a subway planned for Winnipeg."

Yep, a subway/LRT seems like it would help. Even just an inner city circle line would help spur a little more action.

And yes, I did see a lot of panhandlers while i was there. Basically was approached every few blocks....not the nicest part of my experience, that's for sure.

1ajs, was here to visit my brother who recently moved to the city. Im sure I'll come back at some point again...well as long as you promise to dispose of the 3 foot long horse flies.

[Andy6]

As one who more or less qualifies as an outsider after over 20 years away, I also think that Winnipeg's downtown isn't doing all that badly and (most importantly) has a huge upside potential due to the existence of a very large area of character buildings that give the city the possibility of a substantial downtown district with the historic charm that one otherwise finds only in older eastern cities. You can't manufacture that -- you either have it or you don't and Winnipeg does. I also get tired of the whining about city council and the politicians, who on the whole have done a fairly good job at downtown redevelopment since the Forks was created 25 years ago. I wish they would try a little harder to preserve the older buildings in more peripheral parts of downtown but in some cases it is understandable that other priorities prevail. Redevelopment is bound to be a slow process in a slow-growth city, but the building blocks are there and there is every reason to think that things will continue to improve.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

Yep, a subway/LRT seems like it would help. Even just an inner city circle line would help spur a little more action.

And yes, I did see a lot of panhandlers while i was there. Basically was approached every few blocks....not the nicest part of my experience, that's for sure.

1ajs, was here to visit my brother who recently moved to the city. Im sure I'll come back at some point again...well as long as you promise to dispose of the 3 foot long horse flies.

the pan handlers are an issue but "you run into that in most cities in the world" or so i have observed on my travels around the world.................

glad yea injoy the place as for the bugs wana keep them away find one of the many local vietmise restraunts get a nice big boul of hot and sour soup and you should be set for the day or bug spray note the bugs atm are the worst i have seen them in recent memory city is curently foging so hopefuly that helps though it does kill all the dragon flys they release

[pegcityboy]

I am glad you enjoyed your visit corporate whore and hope you come back but believe me you didnt miss nothing with the old eatons building MTS Centre is a great success story , top 20 busiest arenas in North America. BTW eatons was a blight to the downtown after it sat empty for several years with no one coming forward to develop it !!!!

[1ajs]

true and mts center has helped tremendously and the area around it is started to come back alive with hydro 2 blocks over it should help

[drew]

Glad you had a good time taking in the sites of Winnipeg.

This is certainly a city that requires diving a little deeper into the urban fabric to really get a feel for the place. It often gets a bad rap amoungst ignorant ex-pats and current citizens alike.

That being said, I have yet to meet anyone, who are introduced to this fair city by someone who actually respects the place, that have anything but truly positive experiences here.

Generally speaking people are pleasantly surprised.

[drew]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Just read your gleaming review of Winnipeg.

I've lived here all my life and have seen my city's downtown from a bustling Portage Ave. in the 1970s to an largely ignored one now (did you see any aboriginal panhandlers while you were here?).

Here is a prime example of a typical Winnipegger's response to anything positive mentioned about the city by someone not from here.

Why is it that we can't just take a compliment and move on?

How about, "thanks, glad you enjoyed your visit."

Instead we drum up the seedier aspects of our city, that truth be told, occur in every larger community around the country and around the world.

Panhandlers.
Old buildings geting knocked over.
Developmentally challenged core areas.

Really, this stuff just happens here? I must have been dreaming in all those other cities I saw the exact same things.

jimj_wpg, you really need to take a vacation and open up your eyes. Or if nothing else, learn how to take a compliment.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by drew

Here is a prime example of a typical Winnipegger's response to anything positive mentioned about the city by someone not from here.

...

jimj_wpg, you really need to take a vacation and open up your eyes. Or if nothing else, learn how to take a compliment.

I can take a compliment about our city. It does have the good, and the bad. Lots of other visitors to Winnipeg do complain about our mosquitos and pannies tho. Our horseflys aren't THAT big, eh?

McDermot Ave. is the greatest shopping area in Winnipeg now. Portage what to do about it? But maybe when Hydro opens later this year.... Well, what if the Hydro employees just stay inside the building instead of going to Portage Pl.?

But I've also been to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Minneapolis, and Chicago. And Toronto is by far the safest city of those. Just stay away from Jane & Finch and Scarborough and you'll do just fine.

Of course, if you're travelling alone, the it's probably best to see New York as part of a tour group just to be on the safe side. If I had my passport by now (haven't applied yet) I would have gone this August. But alas, I'll have to settle for Vancouver.

[ssiguy]

Winnipeg is a very under rated city but as Manitoba continues to do well and the city's population is finally growing at a healthy clip I think that image may change.
One thing for sure though is that Winnipeg has a renound reputation for it's mosquitos and that hurts.

BTW, where the hell is McDermott?

[rgalston]

Thanks for the nice words. I'm glad you had a good time, and glad you discovered the Exchange District--certainly among the finer places in this city.

Myself, I don't rue the day the Panama Canal opened as much as I rue the day that the whole city went on strike in 1919. Economics is not a zero-sum game, and Winnipeg could have quite easily resumed growing impressively after the Great War had the general strike not scared away investments through the '20s.

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Of course, if you're travelling alone, the it's probably best to see New York as part of a tour group just to be on the safe side. If I had my passport by now (haven't applied yet) I would have gone this August. But alas, I'll have to settle for Vancouver.

Ha, well, that is not very accurate about NY. The place is always packed with people (atleast Manhattan) and feels, and IS, extremely safe. No need for a tour group whatsoever, unless you're into that. I feel much safer walking around Manhattan at 3am than I would in downtown Calgary, Edmonton, and most likely, Winnipeg.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by rgalston

Thanks for the nice words. I'm glad you had a good time, and glad you discovered the Exchange District--certainly among the finer places in this city.

Myself, I don't rue the day the Panama Canal opened as much as I rue the day that the whole city went on strike in 1919. Economics is not a zero-sum game, and Winnipeg could have quite easily resumed growing impressively after the Great War had the general strike not scared away investments through the '20s.

Yes, I definitely agree.

Being the first city in N.America to have a communist uprising certainly didn't help to bring confidence back to the busines community.