Sens Lounge: "Pleeease won't you be.....my neighbour"

[mysens]

Ah the warhammer store haha.

Got into that shit last year. Being middle aged with disposable income is dangerous for addictive expensive hobbies.

Geez, this sounds like golf...another expensive hobby. I suppose if you walk the course, it could be healthy lol.

 

[Stylizer1]

Those lovely 15 minute cities in Europe are a result of "bottom-up" growth. The cities grew over centuries; they existed before cars existed. That's why the streets are narrow and everything is bunched up. It seems that every time city planners in North America get to make a top-down decision we end up with something ugly and soulless as a result. In Europe it seems that they treasured what they had, and so their downtown cores are still pretty and a tourism attraction. The big ugly megastores exist there too, but they're usually on the outside, out of sight of the tourists.

Also, everything built here post 1980 seem to meet minimum standards as a rule because they can make more profits. I remember watching an episode of Holmes on Homes where he brought it up saying that that is why older homes have such better bones. Setting a minimum standard really hurt the construction business.

Gastown in Vancouver is a perfect example of character with elements of modern construction. Used to be a bunch of 2-3 story buildings until they started revitalizing it in the 70's.

 

[BigRig4]

Anyone have any laptop recommendations? Or specs I should be looking for?

I need just very basic functionality. I prefer Windows OS ideally. I don’t mind spending a bit if it’ll last a long time.

 

[jbeck5]

Those lovely 15 minute cities in Europe are a result of "bottom-up" growth. The cities grew over centuries; they existed before cars existed. That's why the streets are narrow and everything is bunched up. It seems that every time city planners in North America get to make a top-down decision we end up with something ugly and soulless as a result. In Europe it seems that they treasured what they had, and so their downtown cores are still pretty and a tourism attraction. The big ugly megastores exist there too, but they're usually on the outside, out of sight of the tourists.

To be fair they are on the outside here too. You have to go out to the suburbs for the big box stores. No Costco, Walmart, Canadian Tire, home Depot, etc downtown.

 

[DrEasy]

To be fair they are on the outside here too. You have to go out to the suburbs for the big box stores. No Costco, Walmart, Canadian Tire, home Depot, etc downtown.

Oh for sure, my point was that the European cities also have those ugly things.

 

[Stylizer1]

To be fair they are on the outside here too. You have to go out to the suburbs for the big box stores. No Costco, Walmart, Canadian Tire, home Depot, etc downtown.

Depends what you consider downtown vs suburbs. Inside the greenbelt there are all of those things.

I wouldn't consider Beacon hill south nor the Glebe the burbs

 

[Cosmix]

Geez, this sounds like golf...another expensive hobby. I suppose if you walk the course, it could be healthy lol.

Hey, they have fancy golf carts for that!

 

[Micklebot]

Anyone have any laptop recommendations? Or specs I should be looking for?

I need just very basic functionality. I prefer Windows OS ideally. I don’t mind spending a bit if it’ll last a long time.

If you aren't gaming and are just using it as a daily driver for web surfing word processing and such, a used Business laptop is a really solid option, like an HP Elite book or a ThinkPad.

They tend to be more repairable, and have better build quality, not to mention higher quality keyboards, screens and speakers.

keeps e-waste out of the landfill and is just a nicer user experience than a lot of the consumer grade trash out there.

 

[maclean]

Of course! Who hasn't? Great to visit...awful to live in. That's my opinion.

Of course the cities are very different for the reasons mentioned. Population density...surrounding population...city landsize.... All these play a huge roll that has nothing to do with culture and lifestyle and regulations.

I worked in the mall for 16 years. I know for a fact that box stores came to Orleans and the mall still thrived...what killed the mall is online shopping. You can say what you want about anchor tenants, and losing them does have an affect, but nowhere as much as online shopping.

Place dorleans filled their anchor tenants...still had the bay...had GoodLife...had sportchek...still dead..why? Online sales.

The point is quite clear that having a bunch of specialty little stores all within walking distance all reachable by public transit is NOT a winning recipe...or else malls would be thriving.

The tax loopholes from the video are interesting, but not substantiated...we have no evidence that that is actually happening here. Their examples were all a small town getting a Wal Mart...well, what about a city of 2 million getting 6 Wal marts spread out...they didn't really explain that or how it might be good to have options of big box stores and smaller stores...which ones do better and why? What's the solution?

You mention the Glebe as walkable...my gf lived there. It was convenient in some ways, yes, but also a pain in many other ways...

Was nice to wake up and walk to kettlemans bagels and enjoy a breakfast...but was also a pain in the ass to get many things....need supplies at a Canadian Tire/home Depot...well, good luck. Nothing in the downtown core. Wanted some cheap cereal. Wal Mart always has a 3 boxes for $9...but the local store was selling boxes for like $7-8 each...instead of $3.33...said f*** that and didn't get cereal.

They lack a lot of options. Grocery shopping at the metro Glebe is like shopping for groceries at a 7-11...no options...

Walkable cities are trash BECAUSE they lack options, in my opinion.

I would rather be able to own land with a pool and hot tub and patio and have a multi car garage and drive 5 mins down the road in my FUN car to get anything I need...rather than have to live in a tiny place sharing walls with neighbours, have to walk, have to pay more for everything, and lack a lot of options. That sounds fun for a one week trip, but sounds awful for many others.

Like I said, my gf lived right near bank street and she is much happier living in Orleans with a car and able to drive wherever she wants than living in the Glebe without a car having to walk or bus or be out of luck to go somewhere.

It's not even close.

I've visited many people who live in central apartments where you're walking distance from all the store and downtown...cool for a 22 year old...complete nightmare for someone raising a family.

Where I live, I can easily have 10 of my closest couples over for a nice big dinner party. Everyone can get ther easily and park for free...there's space of having many different rooms so you're not claustrophobic in some tiny apartment kitchen or dining room.

People prefer different things, sure, but I live in a European city core with no car and I don't find it a pain in the ass to get anything and don't need to overspend on anything. There's supermarket chains everywhere around me including a giant one in walking distance, plus tiny convenience stores that even have some things cheaper than the big stores. A few bus stops away there's even a big hardware/garden store. My kids grew up in the city walking to school and now they can meet with friends whenever they want, don't need dad to drive them.

 

[jbeck5]

People prefer different things, sure, but I live in a European city core with no car and I don't find it a pain in the ass to get anything and don't need to overspend on anything. There's supermarket chains everywhere around me including a giant one in walking distance, plus tiny convenience stores that even have some things cheaper than the big stores. A few bus stops away there's even a big hardware/garden store. My kids grew up in the city walking to school and now they can meet with friends whenever they want, don't need dad to drive them.

We have that here too...but then we have spread out areas with even bigger box stores and even cheaper items and even more options.

Most people I work with in my office walk to work (right infront of parliament) and don't own a car or drive and they are very happy and loving life.

Doesn't mean some people also don't prefer having bigger space and yards and having even more options and cheaper prices.

When I live downtown, and I go look for cereal, yeah...there's several stores within walking distance for cereal....but they have the same 20 kinds, and they're twice the price of Wal Mart. I go to the giant Wal Mart in the suburbs and there's a whole 100m row with like 120 different kinds of cereal and they're half the price.

That's an example of what I mean. Sure, downtown, there's 5 stores selling food within a 5 minute walk...but they're twice the price and half the options. Wal Mart will have like 40 kinds of frozen French fries...80 kinds of frozen pizzas...and half the price. Chips? A whole wall of every company and every flavour 80 different kinds...$4 or less...then go to the stores downtown...you have these 20 chips to choose from and theyre $7.

If I want fresh produce, I go to farm boy of buy it off the side of the road (fresh picked apples...corn..etc)

 

[Stylizer1]

We have that here too...but then we have spread out areas with even bigger box stores and even cheaper items and even more options.

Most people I work with in my office walk to work (right infront of parliament) and don't own a car or drive and they are very happy and loving life.

Doesn't mean some people also don't prefer having bigger space and yards and having even more options and cheaper prices.

When I live downtown, and I go look for cereal, yeah...there's several stores within walking distance for cereal....but they have the same 20 kinds, and they're twice the price of Wal Mart. I go to the giant Wal Mart in the suburbs and there's a whole 100m row with like 120 different kinds of cereal and they're half the price.

That's an example of what I mean. Sure, downtown, there's 5 stores selling food within a 5 minute walk...but they're twice the price and half the options. Wal Mart will have like 40 kinds of frozen French fries...80 kinds of frozen pizzas...and half the price. Chips? A whole wall of every company and every flavour 80 different kinds...$4 or less...then go to the stores downtown...you have these 20 chips to choose from and theyre $7.

If I want fresh produce, I go to farm boy of buy it off the side of the road (fresh picked apples...corn..etc)

The thing is that we don't have that here. We are talking about cities and not neighborhoods. What Maclean is describing is a symbiotic environment where you have many stores owned by many people within a community. What we have here is a system where you have to drive everywhere even if you live in the city to do shopping because we are not a walkable city. The transit system is terrible, the retail choices are terrible, and the majority of the restaurants are open a can, heat, and serve. European cities have suburbs too but even then they are designed a lot different than here.

This quote you made sums it up:

The point is quite clear that having a bunch of specialty little stores all within walking distance all reachable by public transit is NOT a winning recipe...or else malls would be thriving.

What you are talking about isn't even an ingredient in our recipe.

 

[maclean]

When I live downtown, and I go look for cereal, yeah...there's several stores within walking distance for cereal....but they have the same 20 kinds, and they're twice the price of Wal Mart. I go to the giant Wal Mart in the suburbs and there's a whole 100m row with like 120 different kinds of cereal and they're half the price.

That's an example of what I mean. Sure, downtown, there's 5 stores selling food within a 5 minute walk...but they're twice the price and half the options. Wal Mart will have like 40 kinds of frozen French fries...80 kinds of frozen pizzas...and half the price. Chips? A whole wall of every company and every flavour 80 different kinds...$4 or less...then go to the stores downtown...you have these 20 chips to choose from and theyre $7.

I specifically mention chain supermarkets. Their prices are standardised. The larger one I mention is as big and cheap as you're going to get, there's no magic store with half the price and twice the selection on the outskirts of town. It's not the same thing as what you describe. If anything you're more likely to have to pay more and get less choice outside the city proper.