Newbie

Every grass patch around that area is dirty and in poor conditions. Who are all these people pretending to care??

Did they remove the Google logo??????????????????

EDIT: Oops, sorry, that's clearly an old picture. No scaffolding. I just assumed it was new cause most of your pictures are from like tomorrow.

Do you think they want people to start coming to Montreal during early Spring? Montreal in early Spring is dirtier than any Latin American city. Even the Old Port and McGill street (not McGill College) is filthy for like 50 days after snow melts. I always tell people not to come during that time. It's actually bad for tourism because people leave with a terrible image of the city.

April 25

 

From Ste.Catherine QDS

 

Off topic, but I'm glad to see they replaced the old street lamps with the QDS ones on Ste Catherine. I was wondering why they had replaced the dirty lightbulbs everywhere else on Ste Catherine but not there and now I see why. These new lamps look much better with the modern architecture of that area

I'm sorry to insist on this, but having been to many North American and European cities in recent years, I can say the only thing that Montreal needs to become one of the most beautiful and attractive cities in the world is to be cleaner. Litter has to be picked up and graffiti has to be removed at least weekly everywhere, and daily in central areas and parks, even in winter (Destination Centre Ville does it in downtown, so it's not impossible. Elsewhere they could skip days with heavy snow). There should be eyesore spotting brigades like there are in New York City (I lost the source of this).

You cannot say there is no money for this. The government spends many millions of dollars a year building stuff. I do like the new developments, and I understand they are more permanent gifts than cleanliness, but when we delay the solutions to every temporary problem just because it is temporary, that problem becomes urgent, and the city becomes ugly.

...Montreal is sparkling clean compared to almost any city of it's size...

(sorry to continue the wrong discussion, please feel free to paste this into the right thread)

This is wrong. When was the last time you visited a large American city? They really get cleaner and cleaner every year. Even the very dense areas. Just compare similar American neighbourhoods with those of Montreal. Google maps would probably work. Otherwise just visit them! Compare similar-density or similar-rent neighbourhoods and you'll find that the idea that Montreal and Toronto are cleaner than most American cities is just not true anymore.

I don't think Ste Catherine is disgusting, or that the tagging problem is too bad there. Within the downtown core it's a pretty decent street in my opinion. Graffiti is much worse in other places like the south west. And yes, the Main above Price Arthur is horrible, but also because there is so much trash and cigarretts on the ground all the time.

That said, the only solution to the tagging problem is: MONEY! If only the "ambassadeurs du pessimisme" were millioners

Je viens de passer par le square nouvellement aménagé Le Parterre en face de l'OSM. J'ai été stupéfait qu'ils ont mis du DUC TAPE blanc tout le long des marches de granit noir!! Et ce DUC TAPE est en train de s'effriter, c'est tellement d'un cheap à couper le souffle. Aussi, certaines parties du revêtement de granit au sol est déjà en train de se détacher par endroits et même à s'enfoncer, plusieurs dalles sont également craquées. J'espère qu'ils vont remédier à la situation car ce n'est tout simplement pas acceptable pour un square neuf!! Je crois que je devrai appuyer mes dires par des photos, pour montrer l'invraisemblable!

Send an email to Place des Arts. I once sent an email about a graffiti and they erased it within 5 minutes in front of my eyes. They will take your complaint very seriously, and they do fix cracked slabs once in a while.

On the other hand...

Quebec City has lots of sidewalks and streets paved with similar materials. Some are one year old and others are several years old. Everywhere there are cracks and it really doesn't look bad. You probably notice it a lot because you care about it, but most people don't, and almost everyone thinks it's still beautiful. Most of Europe is the same, even in places where it's not that cold. I'm not saying that you should not care or complain about it (if anything your complains will make our city better), but this is not really "pas acceptable pour un square neuf." These details are actually pretty common in really new squares all around the world.

I did not mean to make it sound like this is anyone else's fault but mine and the thief's.

The police cannot do anything else. I agree with that. They took the serial number and will call me if for any reason my computer ends up being confiscated somewhere. I cannot ask for more, and if I sounded angry at them, it's because I was mad at myself.

As for the security guards, here is what they could do: A guy I know had his laptop stolen the same way (the second way) in a café elsewhere in the city. He and his friend were shown the security video and printed a picture of the thief. The same happened to someone I don't know in a pharmacy. I know she was given the picture because she posted it online. Both of these are places without security guards. The first question I got asked both times by the police was "did they have cameras? did you see the video?" The reason they ask this is because the video provides a description. It might make it slightly easier to catch the guy in the future.

Thinking that security guards are there only to protect and watch against physical harm is beyond ridiculous. Their job includes doing their best against material crime too (search security guard on Google for an idea). Expecting someone to do their job is not being an asshole. I don't care about my laptop anymore, but they seriously need better security which at least is willing to watch a security tape after a theft, and one which does not take fake reports just to get rid of victims.

Update: By the way, in case you were wondering, I was never rude to anyone. I pretty much said "ok" to everything they told me. My comments are all observations and their actions are not responses to my attitude. Maybe my submissive attitude is what leads them to ignore me. In any case I wrote a letter to their customer service detailing both situations and asking them if things were supposed to be that way. They responded nicely that they will look into the case and contact me. If they do contact me and my "complaint" helps to make the Complexe a little bit safer against thefts, then I will have done something good, right? Even if people do not like me for complaining about a theft and not just accepting it as my fault.

Telling about it helps to. Here is my advice: NEVER EVER EVER PUT YOUR BAG, BACKPACK OR SUITCASE BESIDE YOUR CHAIR. ANYWHERE. BE WEIRD AND PUT IT ON YOUR LAP OR ON THE TABLE. OTHERWISE IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE STOLEN.

They opened up a big rectangular hole one the sidewalk and covered with cheap asphalt. I really hope this is temporary.

For the second time in 4 years a macbook was stolen from me at complexe desjardins. The first time I left it unattended for a minute which as stupid. The second time they picked it carefully from my backpack while I was eating with friends, and none of us noticed, though I did see the guy who did it, but not his face. I cannot blame anyone but myself for putting the backpack behind me. But I'd like to say a few things:

1) Be ver careful. The only place in the world where I have had my laptop stolen is Complexe Desjardins.

2) Security guards are very dismissive. They pretend to take a report (in one occasion he wrote on the back of a take out menu) and don't even ask for details. They then tell you they will look at the security video (which they never do) and that they will call you if they identify the suspect. They do not call you. Not that there is much they can do anyway.

3) The police is also very dismissive. They do not ask for details like the serial code. I believe that even if you give it to them, it will not go into any database (like it does in the US) so it is useless.

4) Apple will not help you. In both cases my computers had issues which Apple's tech support solves without charging for anything other than the new pieces (usually less than 20 dollars). This means that there would be a high probability of someone eventually taking it to Apple for support. Apple will not retain any stolen computer and you will never know. The only choice you have is to call them every day and say you left your computer in some apple store and forgot where. They would then locate it with the serial number. And you will go crazy from calling every day.

5) My girlfriend insists there must be some agreement between the thiefs and the security guards because of the dismissive attitude of the latter. I am skeptical of this theory but I'm writing it here anyway.

6) Since it has happened twice in the same place, we believe this is common but could not find any online info about it happening to other people. Any of you have a similar story?

There is a big black graffiti that reads "FUCK THE PIGS" on the side of one of the white things on President Kennedy, looking north. This being Montreal, I bet it will stay there for at least one month...

I don't know if this was mentioned before, but they placed new street lights on Sherbrooke street around the museum. Sorry for the embarrassingly bad quality cellphone-through-dirty-window picture .

They have the same basic shape and dimensions as the black ones, but are a lot more sleek. I like them a lot more!

I have a better idea, install a camera and catch the criminal, making him clean and serve as an example.

That would work too But then others will cry because their street privacy is being violated!

Même pas terminé et déjà graffité !!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2742[/ATTACH]

I hate illegal graffiti! Here is an experiment, since the city clearly has no intention of doing anything about this problem:

1- Buy a condo in Montreal.

2- Almost every day sweep your block to keep it litter-free.

3- Buy graffiti-removal supplies and remove graffiti from your block every week. It will get easier and cheaper with time as the area gets targeted less.

4- The place will instantly become completely different from most of the rest of the city. Thus investment will go up around your block. More nice new buildings will appear and the price of your condo will increase, so that you'll most likely end up profiting!

5- Even better: Divide the costs and the work between, say, 5 condo owners (you can even hire someone if enough people get involved), and everyone wins!

Imagine the results of an effort like this around Duluth street, for example.

This might sound crazy but I'm pretty sure this kind of thing is done all the time in many US cities, with good results for everyone. Canadians (or at least Quebecers) have the dumb idea (also common in Europe) that because taxes are high, we must under no circumstances get involved in improving our communities.

Hi,

 

we're totally for renovating and modifying this building. We simply don't think it needs to be totally torned down for yet another serial condo box.

 

Let's keep the Lachine Canal spirit alive.

 

What parts of the Lachine Canal make it a significant, interesting place to visit and spend the afternoon ?

 

The majestic renovated loft buildings around Des Seigneurs? Or the tacky condo developments west of Atwater Market ? you judge by yourself.

Thanks for your answer! My question was not about this project in particular. It's more about most of Montréal Fred Metro's comments about preserving industrial architecture. I am not sure if you agree with those comments. For example, I don't understand exactly what is wrong with Le Nordelec project in terms of preservation.

Vraiment, très drôle

Such a mature answer. It appears that most of us ignore the reasons behind your apparently irrefutable arguments, and it's not our fault. So let me help out a little by posting some questions.

Concerning what jerry said, were all of these industrial buildings actually meant to be architectural masterpieces to be preserved at all costs? It would be nice to know more about the architects and their motivations. You clearly know something we don't (by "we" I mean at least jerry and I).

Also about jerry's post, is there any other reason besides aesthetics for which a brick industrial building must remain completely unchanged? I do like the bricks but see little historical value on them, and don't see the need to preserve brick facades exactly as they are. Maybe you could change my mind.

Concerning renovations and adding new features to old industrial building. You don't seem to like that at all. Could you give us some examples of revitalization of industrial buildings/neighbourhoods which are done right versus some that are done wrong, so we can compare. It seems most of us don't really know exactly what is right or wrong by your standards. My "wrong" is to let a neighbourhood become a parking lot and garbage depository by stopping development. Yours is clearly a more intelligent one.

So far you have convinced a lot of people that you know a lot more than they do. Now live up to those expectations.

There are some nice pictures of the new beach here:

http://www.claudecormier.com/project/quai-de-l-horloge/

I hope I'm posting in the right thread.

I have 3 OPUS, one registered for myself (came in handy when I lost it and they replaced it with my remaining balance) and 2 others for visitors. I've never been able to do the double metro either but it works as a 2 hour transfer on any combination of bus-metro-bus or metro-bus-bus etc.

 

A good one to buy is the soirée illimitée. It costs 4$ and gives you unlimited travel from 18:00 to 05:00. Buy it from the machines, perfect if you're going out at night.

 

What I do when I don't have a monthly pass is take the metro one way and the bus back- or the reverse. As long as I'm less than 2 hours, it only costs 1 fare!

Good idea the one of having two extra Opus cards for visitors! I didn't know about the soirée illimitée, indeed very useful in some situations, though I usually just get monthly passes.

http://www.stm.info/en-bref/R-105.pdf

 

Sous-section IV - Droit de correspondre et preuve d’acquittement...

Thanks a lot!!! It all makes sense now!!! I will get back to this thread if I find a contradiction .

I am trying to figure out how the STM one-trip tickets work. Maybe you can help me figure it out, or point out some source which explains it. Here are my observations about the way it works:

- You cannot take the metro twice in a row.

- Sometimes I am able to take the metro twice by taking a bus in between the two trips. Sometimes this does not work. When it hasn't worked, I have been told it is impossible to take the metro twice at all (Not true, given the first sentence).

- I have never had trouble taking the bus many times in a row (before the ticket expires). However my girlfriend just took a bus in one direction, did a quick errand, and could not take it in the other direction. She was told it was not possible to take the same bus in opposite directions (Not true, as I have done exactly the same thing several times without problem, except my errands were probably a bit longer).

Here are my observations about the STM workers:

- They don't seem to know exactly how it works either.

- When presented with a strange situation concerning the ticket's functionality, they just let you go in.

I'm looking for New year's eve recommendations. My fiancée and I are both in our mid-twenties (not that I believe it's relevant for the question, but just in case). We are both very far away from our families and are looking for something fun to do on new year's eve in Montreal (going out of the city is not an option for now). I won't be very specific on our tastes to make this a general thread on new year's eve in Montreal. Thanks in advance!

I thought this was interesting:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/ikea-is-assembling-its-own-london-neighborhood.html

IKEA is Assembling its Own London Neighborhood

IKEA is going into the business of selling walls, floors and roofs, in addition to furniture, housewares and rugs.

Inter IKEA Holding Services, the intellectual property owners of the home-goods retail monolith, recently announced plans to build an entire neighborhood in Stratford, East London, just south of the Olympic Park, where the 2012 Olympics will take place.

The new district, Strand East, will include 1,200 homes, of which about 40 percent will have three or more bedrooms. Strand East will also have a 350-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel, 480,000 square feet of offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, a school, a nursery, and a health-care facility, allowing residents to accomplish daily errands and needs without having to drive.

The 26-acre neighborhood-in-progress is being designed to include car-free pedestrian zones, courtyards and landscaped grounds, while the planned underground parking means vehicles will be stowed tidily out of sight. The parcel is bordered on two of three sides by waterways, so the community might take on a Venice-like feel, with a water taxi service, a floating cocktail bar, and moorings that will be available for residents’ use

Strand East will be constructed by Landprop, a unit of Inter IKEA. Harald Müller, the managing director for LandProp and the business development manager for Inter IKEA, emphasizes that while IKEA values such as family safety and smart design will be represented, this project is completely separate from the retail branch — so don't expect the apartments to come fully furnished with IKEA catalog items.

Müller isn't saying exactly how much the land cost, but the amount was higher than the speculated £25 million (about $39 million) cited in The Daily Mail. It was obtained at "a very interesting low price, but not this price," he said.

Of the total land buy, Müller says that two big parcels were foreclosures. One foreclosure was bought from a bank, and the other was from the Olympic Legacy Company. Inter IKEA had the advantage of making an equity-financed purchase, which has allowed it to create similar developments in Poland, the Baltics and Romania.

Demolition has begun in what was once an abandoned industrial area of Stratford, dating from the 15th or 16th century.

Gin was distilled in the area during the last century until the war, but in the intervening time it became "completely empty and rubbish and ugly," says Müller.

Although some planning approvals are pending, construction is planned to begin in 2013 — after the Olympics — and is expected to take about five years. However, one section, Dane’s Yard (pictured at top) has been approved. It will feature a 40-meter-high (131-foot) illuminated sculpture in its public square, and a Grayson’s restaurant that will focus on ethically and locally sourced foods. It will also retain renovated versions of some of the historic buildings.

"We will turn it around for sure," says Müller. "Not being arrogant, but for sure it will be a new hotspot in London."

... Chaque proprio devrait être obligé de nettoyer la devanture et le pourtour de sa bâtisse, Ramasser toutes les cochonneries (s'il y a déjà un tel règlement, il n'est pas du tout appliqué!)...

There is NO such regulation and there CAN'T be! When the city tries to impose anything similar (or even politely ask the citizens to clean up after themselves), the unions of cleanliness workers protest because the government is not allowed to do anything that would make the city cleaner, other than hire more cleanliness workers. In fact I believe that by fining litterbugs, the city would violate their agreement with such unions.

If you go to some relatively clean areas of downtown, you will see workers cleaning up almost every day. These are not city workers. They work for a nonprofit private organization called "Destination Centre-Ville." Unfortunately, they are restricted to what they call "Centre-Ville," which ends at St-Urbain. It seems that this is the only solution for the litter problem: private organizations. At least until the city stops being bullied by unions, which I doubt will ever happen.

If I had enough money, I would happily donate to Destination Centre-Ville for them to extend their "Centre-Ville" towards the east. I am pretty sure the problem is that one cannot write off donations to organizations like this one. If you are, then please don't tell the unions.

I'm going to revive this thread with a correction! I only moved to Caracas in 2002 and stupidly assumed this building was much newer than it actually was, without doing any research (actually I just believed what random people told me). Anyway, the building is vacant/unfinished since 1993, but some of the glass is much newer (the building was sold to a bank after 2000), which is what made some people, including me, believe the building was actually under construction since recently. There was no construction when people started moving in. Then as I said, the government had to pay the value of the building to the owners at the moment of the occupation. Here is an interesting piece from New York Magazine on this site:

Emergency Architecture: Occupy Caracas

 

The Torre de David was meant to be a gleaming office tower. Now it’s a sky-high squat site. With no elevators.

 

By Justin Davidson. Published Oct 9, 2011

 

Caracas slides into the valley from the ring of slum-covered slopes where half its population of more than 3 million lives. At the low-lying center of the business district, a hulking skeleton in a battered glass mantle thrusts into the skyline. This is the Centro Financiero Confinanzas, conceived in 1990 as a gleaming hub for Venezuela’s financial class, who would one day vault over the street-level misery and land on the rooftop helipad, 600 feet in the air. It didn’t work out that way. David Brillembourg, the investor who gave the skyscraper its nickname, Torre de David, died in 1993. The following year, Venezuela’s banks collapsed, leaving the half-built skyscraper standing as an accidental monument to financial disaster.

 

The complex stood vacant until 2007, when a group of families led by the convict turned preacher Alexander Daza staged an orderly move-in and founded an instant vertical community. Residents policed themselves, assigned the elderly and disabled to the lower floors, and formed a cooperative to collect dues and manage the space. Today, about 625 families inhabit 28 of the tower’s 45 stories, trudging up unfinished staircases and hoping children stay away from empty elevator shafts and balconies that lack walls. Despite the dangers, the building provides a relatively safe haven in a city where, according to the U.S. State Department, travelers risk being kidnapped as soon as theyleave the airport.

 

“It doesn’t look good, but it has the seed of a very interesting dream ofhow to organize life,” says Alfredo Brillembourg, an architect and relativeof the man who launched the construction. A co-founder of the firm Urban–Think Tank, Brillembourg sees the settlement as a font of lessons on how to adapt broken cities to the millions who flock to them. The tower’s residents managed to obtain electricity legally and rig up toilets to a rudimentary plumbing system. Motorbikes ply the parking structure’s spiral ramps, ferrying supplies up to a distribution center on the tenth floor. Urban Sherpas carry goods from there, hauling them up to tiny bodegas, where prices rise with altitude. Some residents have gradually marked off their quarters with finished walls.

 

“Compared to housing in many other neighborhoods, we have a pretty good quality of life,” says Gladys Flores, the secretary of the residents’ cooperative. “But we still need elevators.”

 

For all its improvisatory resourcefulness, the settlement represents a massive failure of civic society. After all, the government could choose at any time to make the building habitable and safe. Meanwhile, the skyscraper is a modern ruin buzzing with life, a postapocalyptic mockery of an oil-rich nation’s aspirations.