ultrarunner

Oshawa gets a bad rap....isn't that the case for downtown anywhere though, you think downtown NY, Chicago, LA, Peterborough ON, Trenton Napanee, Belleville is any different?

dbd33

NY and Chicago are nothing like Oshawa. LA is nothing like Oshawa and famously doesn't have a downtown. These comparisons are just bizarre. In what way would you say Manhattan resembles Oshawa?

ultrarunner

You missed the whole point, and yes LA does have a downtown

dbd33

Do please spell out the point for me. In what way does the, rather rough, centre of Oshawa, compare to Fifth Avenue?

Boy d

that sums up my view of To too. It's older and has a lot more older victorian hoods. Vancouver went directly to a inner suburb desgin with most living in detached homes downtown as land was plenty and cheap (seems laughable today), think the west side of vancouver or Strathcona.

Downtown was over-built by the late 50's with all the detached houses, no row houses and few apartments which could not be greater than 5 floors in height.

When the city started to expand into the 70's, it was apparent that the houses had to go. Many had become rundown boarding houses to meet the demands of the growing population and there were plans to level entire areas of the city (which happened downtown) , due to the efforts of locals, strathcona and the west side largely was spared the wrecking ball.

As for the sprawl in Toronto, it's way worse than greater vancouver.

Boy d

i had this view but now having spent time around the campbell valley area, i've revised my outlook. Lovely, semi rurual area.

Boy d

Form over function. After teh second world war there was a need for mass produced housing, factories and offices. Skilled labour was in short demand, such as stone masons, and money was scarce....many see this as the end of creativity. Not to mention, higher standards, babyboom, higher wages, increasing land values, etc

Also with the move to more people living in apartments, creative buidling shapes became inpractical, as max use of floor space was needed, outside balconies were in high demand which created busy building designs. Office buildings actually gave the designer more scope.

The rise of cooperate america gave rise to standard buiidling designs for varius outlet stores which were/are mass produced.

Sure there were pockets such as contemporary modernism and a bit of a re-birth of the art deco movement in the 50's but the 70's through now were largely appalling. look at the west end...typical 70's.

I do think there is a trend starting to better design. Look at some of the newer buildings being built, with creative twists etc.

Boy d

no point arguing with him, he takes things out of context, spins them around, and wont conceede anything.....I know what you were saying, and so does he.....

THEBOLD

Hello, have returned to the UK after struggling to find anywhere we liked in vancouver and where we could afford. We are so glad to be back in the UK in the home counties.

We stayed in kitsilano which was really nice but unaffordable. I also used to live in toronto and quite liked streetsville in mississauga although it has now doubled in size since i lived there.

We travelled through alberta to bc. Every town was flat box, boring and homogenous. If i had to live in vancouver it would be kitsilano renting. Buy a home in the suburbs and rent it out and then live where you want. Everyone is now buying as far out as chilliwack which is a lovely place but once again boring as hell. Langley was pretty also. However nothing to do except outdoor stuff.

If you move to vancouver then live in vancouver not the suburbs you may as well be anywhere with the distance you have to travel.

We ended up hating the place in the end. We went mad with the boredom.

Hope this helps

cinelight

No problem in Ajax or Pickering, Oshawa has been badly hit by closure of GM

Are you enjoying being the only English speaker in Richmond Hill ?...

foreigngirl

So where are the nice places in Vancouver?

el_richo

Where I live now

Coal harbour is also nice in a fairly boring sterile way

foreigngirl

So where do you live?
Coal Harbour should be ok for 6 months, shouldn't it?

el_richo

I live on the sea wall on false creek.

Coal harbour will be fine. Not my top choice but it'll be nice.

foreigngirl

False Creek is on our list too, but probably after the initial 6 months.
I really need to feel safe. I don't go out at night on my own, but really need to feel safe in the daytime.