waterfront
I really have mixed feelings about the Olympic Village/Millenium Waterfront set of condos which are really not that far from where I live.
It's by far the most agreeable bike ride from my backyard to somewhere interesting, without having to go on any stretches of major traffic. Since getting a bike not long ago, I have gone biking along false creek and past the still-fenced-in development a number of times. It was generally deserted except for security guards and a few contractors when I first started, but as the weather has warmed up, it's generally more and more crowded with strollers, joggers, and cyclists.
Not too long ago, I got a glossy pamphlet & foldout map in the mail telling me to consider getting in early and buying one of the condos. It looked a little like this:
I realize that these were probably mailed to everyone everywhere, but I still thought it was kind of tacky to get one in my fairly dismal apartment building with cracking walls where no one would ever be able to afford a condo there.
Combined with the broken promises about making 1/3 of the units social housing, which has dwindled to nothing due to the well-publicized fiasco of financing the condos, which has saddled the city with a huge debt... it leaves more of a sour taste in my mouth.
I find it funny that there was a demonstration called "False Creek, false promises" last saturday on the open house and ribbon cutting of the development. They managed to disrupt both. I kind of wish I had gone, not just in reaction to the broken promises, but because I ended up going shopping with Ind-ind instead which resulted in the accident that broke her glasses.
Basically... nice view, nice buildings, bad future (from a justice perspective), bad location (it's separated from walkable areas by an industrial zone).
It's by far the most agreeable bike ride from my backyard to somewhere interesting, without having to go on any stretches of major traffic. Since getting a bike not long ago, I have gone biking along false creek and past the still-fenced-in development a number of times. It was generally deserted except for security guards and a few contractors when I first started, but as the weather has warmed up, it's generally more and more crowded with strollers, joggers, and cyclists.
Not too long ago, I got a glossy pamphlet & foldout map in the mail telling me to consider getting in early and buying one of the condos. It looked a little like this:
I realize that these were probably mailed to everyone everywhere, but I still thought it was kind of tacky to get one in my fairly dismal apartment building with cracking walls where no one would ever be able to afford a condo there.
Combined with the broken promises about making 1/3 of the units social housing, which has dwindled to nothing due to the well-publicized fiasco of financing the condos, which has saddled the city with a huge debt... it leaves more of a sour taste in my mouth.
I find it funny that there was a demonstration called "False Creek, false promises" last saturday on the open house and ribbon cutting of the development. They managed to disrupt both. I kind of wish I had gone, not just in reaction to the broken promises, but because I ended up going shopping with Ind-ind instead which resulted in the accident that broke her glasses.
Click to viewBasically... nice view, nice buildings, bad future (from a justice perspective), bad location (it's separated from walkable areas by an industrial zone).