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Ontario's top 10 historic downtowns
- Thread starter King of Kensington
- Start date
paradigm
New Member
Kingston DT is very nice.
junctionist
Senior Member
When you see its old landmarks, Kingston feels like it should be a bigger city than it is. I love its dense Victorian streets. It can remind you of Toronto or Montreal at times.
Hipster Duck
Senior Member
I've spent the last 2 days in Courtenay, BC (population 25,000) which reminds me that architecture is very important in creating a viable downtown - at least as much as pedestrian vibrancy and the quality of stores.
Like most BC communities, Courtenay has a downtown that is more of a central attractor for middle class people than a comparably-sized Ontario community, complete with decent restaurants, coffee shops and upscale grocery stores. Other than Stratford, I can't think of a downtown in Ontario of comparable size that has as much to offer. It also has an attractive riverfront trail and a decent public realm. The problem is that, like most BC communities, it was primarily built after the war with purpose-built 1 storey commercial teardown buildings, so it has almost no redeeming architecture whatsoever. The town could pull what Brantford did and, as long as the stores come back and fulfill their original functions, nobody would realize that anything was missing. So, despite its vibrancy, the place lacks warmth and it feels cold and featureless. It feels weird to eat good food in a hideous building.
Ontarians are lucky that our small town downtowns were built at a time when even small towns had metropolitan architectural aspirations, and when small town architects added so much detail and complexity to their buildings. Main street Woodstock or Port Hope is no different from what people were building on Yonge St. or St. Catherine Street in Montreal at the time. It would be like if developers in Lindsay or St. Thomas hired Teeple, aA or Hariri Pontarini to build modernist condos to line their main streets today.
Like most BC communities, Courtenay has a downtown that is more of a central attractor for middle class people than a comparably-sized Ontario community, complete with decent restaurants, coffee shops and upscale grocery stores. Other than Stratford, I can't think of a downtown in Ontario of comparable size that has as much to offer. It also has an attractive riverfront trail and a decent public realm. The problem is that, like most BC communities, it was primarily built after the war with purpose-built 1 storey commercial teardown buildings, so it has almost no redeeming architecture whatsoever. The town could pull what Brantford did and, as long as the stores come back and fulfill their original functions, nobody would realize that anything was missing. So, despite its vibrancy, the place lacks warmth and it feels cold and featureless. It feels weird to eat good food in a hideous building.
Ontarians are lucky that our small town downtowns were built at a time when even small towns had metropolitan architectural aspirations, and when small town architects added so much detail and complexity to their buildings. Main street Woodstock or Port Hope is no different from what people were building on Yonge St. or St. Catherine Street in Montreal at the time. It would be like if developers in Lindsay or St. Thomas hired Teeple, aA or Hariri Pontarini to build modernist condos to line their main streets today.
junctionist
Senior Member
I hate when people denigrate the 3 storey Victorian mixed-use blocks along major streets in Toronto as 'something you'd see in a small town'--generally to justify demolishing heritage buildings for condos. Those blocks were built as fine urban buildings. Many small towns in the province in the late 19th century were growing and ambitious. They aspired to build what was built in larger cities, and they generally did so at least on one of their streets. All smaller towns and cities provide reflections, however small, of the big city in their built forms.
Today, there are a few small towns and cities in Ontario with new academic and civic buildings by leading Toronto architects that resemble what's built in Toronto. Condos are rare because any residential growth in small towns tends to happen with new suburban communities, but that can change as well. Kitchener-Waterloo and Barrie for instance, have contemporary condos under development.
Today, there are a few small towns and cities in Ontario with new academic and civic buildings by leading Toronto architects that resemble what's built in Toronto. Condos are rare because any residential growth in small towns tends to happen with new suburban communities, but that can change as well. Kitchener-Waterloo and Barrie for instance, have contemporary condos under development.
ParkdalePetunia
Active Member
I have to say I think Brantford's downtown deserves some sort of honourable mention. It has some of the most beautiful buildings, especially around Victoria Park. And the university and other developers have done a great job building and renovating buildings to fit in. I used to live in Brantford, the downtown has come a long way.
ShonTron
Moderator
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Sorry, Petunia.
I won't forgive Brantford for this:
I won't forgive Brantford for this:
ParkdalePetunia
Active Member
The buildings that were torn down would have taken so much to fix in way that kept their historic value. Trust me, it devastated me when it happened. I made a lot of memories on that block, and miss the shadow people that used to haunt the store fronts, but it looks way better.