One thing I've been thinking a lot about since moving to Toronto is the whole condo rah rah rah.
A lot of amateur class warriors like to hate on them due to the opulence of several complexes, mixed with the greed which is plainly evidenced by the developers at times and the occasional hint at nefarious practices to serve said greed (i.e. pressuring the city to let them bulldoze historical and/or colourful neighborhoods to build more condos). I've also heard some complain about how they have a way of blocking everyone else from the lovely view of Lake Ontario.
My temp job at the moment is with Waterfront Toronto and they are all about the redevelopment of a long stretch of prime real esate. The view from various windows on their floor affords a peek at precisely the tall towers which have some folk grinding their teeth.
I think this is certainly something I want to learn more about. I know that my own life aspirations tend to steer away from living in the suburbs, in a house, raising some kids etc. Generally I want to live in a central, urban location and not have to deal with the multitude of maintenance issues a house involves. This sorta lends itself to my working towards a deposit on a condo instead of a house. Now, I'll have to do pretty well for myself to afford any of the places I'm showing here. Like I said,
opulence.
But there is another angle that appeals to me, the environmental one (surprise!). Surely it's more environmental to stick a few hundred people into one building which covers as much land as any condoplex usually does than to spread them out across several acres of lower density housing? I think this is certainly something worth researching and wouldn't mind if anyone wants to toss in their ten cents on this one. Plus, it's not a commune or anything but I know they generally have communal areas and one could hope for a better shot at getting to know your neighbors that way then what I've witnessed in places like Kanata Lakes or the outer regions of London.
Meanwhile, I continue to work on retyping and rejigging "Tonight We Fall In Love" from top to bottom. It's strange to be doing this, it's somewhere between reading ancient diary entries and chastising your younger self for doing something worse than your present self is able.
A lot of amateur class warriors like to hate on them due to the opulence of several complexes, mixed with the greed which is plainly evidenced by the developers at times and the occasional hint at nefarious practices to serve said greed (i.e. pressuring the city to let them bulldoze historical and/or colourful neighborhoods to build more condos). I've also heard some complain about how they have a way of blocking everyone else from the lovely view of Lake Ontario.
My temp job at the moment is with Waterfront Toronto and they are all about the redevelopment of a long stretch of prime real esate. The view from various windows on their floor affords a peek at precisely the tall towers which have some folk grinding their teeth.
I think this is certainly something I want to learn more about. I know that my own life aspirations tend to steer away from living in the suburbs, in a house, raising some kids etc. Generally I want to live in a central, urban location and not have to deal with the multitude of maintenance issues a house involves. This sorta lends itself to my working towards a deposit on a condo instead of a house. Now, I'll have to do pretty well for myself to afford any of the places I'm showing here. Like I said, opulence.
But there is another angle that appeals to me, the environmental one (surprise!). Surely it's more environmental to stick a few hundred people into one building which covers as much land as any condoplex usually does than to spread them out across several acres of lower density housing? I think this is certainly something worth researching and wouldn't mind if anyone wants to toss in their ten cents on this one. Plus, it's not a commune or anything but I know they generally have communal areas and one could hope for a better shot at getting to know your neighbors that way then what I've witnessed in places like Kanata Lakes or the outer regions of London.
Meanwhile, I continue to work on retyping and rejigging "Tonight We Fall In Love" from top to bottom. It's strange to be doing this, it's somewhere between reading ancient diary entries and chastising your younger self for doing something worse than your present self is able.
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2 comments:
How does this waterfront development compare to what you saw in London, England?
You're entirely right when it comes to suburban sprawl. Look at how the damn neighbourhoods around Ottawa (an old stomping ground of yours, if you will remember) seem to be sucking the lifeblood out of - whatever culture might have once been in or around the downtown core?
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