I used to think it would be fun to drive a sidewalk plow, especially when cars blocked a sidewalk I could just ram bam slam into them, crushing them out of the way. Somerset Street shows a different reality. Life has its challenges for us all. Continue reading Parking meter pinch
For several years Chinatown has been struggling. The arrival of big-box asian-food supermarkets in the suburbs, and the shift of Asian families to suburban living, has resulted in a number of vacancies along Somerset Street. The construction of the Chinatown Royal Arch is the first step in rejuvenating the area. The second step is the construction, in 2011, of new streetscaping from Preston up the hill to Booth. This will include new, wider brick sidewalks, lots more trees and plantings, new ped-scale lighting, benches and other street furniture. This has made a major improvement to Preston; similar but unique streetscaping should boost Chinatown’s … Continue reading Planning Exercise (v): Chinatown lives
Somerset Street will be reconstructed from Preston up to Booth next year (city budget permitting). After the underground utilities are replaced, the street gets repaved and new sidewalks, ped lights, trees, benches, garbage cans, the whole shebang gets set up for the next decades. Many of those streetscaping decisions are being made right now, and it is fun being on the committee debating the colour palette of the paving blocks, the crosswalk designs, selecting the benches, etc. So … what Chinatown should look like is much on my mind. It is rather ironic therefore that the Southern Cross restaurant, which serves tex-mex food from its … Continue reading Tex-Mex with a touch of China
There is another Chinatown in Ottawa, one less visited than Somerset Street. These photos are of the “Other Chinatown”: above: The entrance gateway is much more modest than the Somerset one. But then, the dead lead quieter lives. Pavillion with red posts, green roof tiles. The vocabulary of the construction is similar to the Somerset royal arch. The lane in the background goes out to the St Laurent Blvd entrance to Beechwood Cemetery. The Chinese interment grounds are close to St Laurent. In Chinese tradition, Dragon had nine sons. Chiwen likes high places, and is usually found on the roof ridge … Continue reading Chinatown Dead
There is a brief bit of European shabby chic right now on Somerset, where Kelly’s funeral home is getting a refit. Continue reading European shabby chic on Somerset
A case study of motorists being lemmings down on Somerset Street. Continue reading Somerset Lemmings Spotted (common or vulgaris sp.)
The huge Chinatown Royal Arch on Somerset Street is being decorated with real gold foil by Chinese artisans. The finished results are stunning, and the process itself is well worth a look. Continue reading Chinatown Arch being foiled …
The City is reusing about 12% of its retireing parking meter posts as bike posts Continue reading Bike Post on Somerset
Transportation Committee approved construction of the Otrain corridor bike path for 2011-12. The path runs from the Ottawa River at the Prince of Wales bridge, south to Carling Avenue and Dows Lake. Continue reading Transportation Committee approves Otrain corridor bike path
Raw Sugar coffee and tea house on Somerset at Cambridge is totally decorated in chrome tables and chairs, 60’s fake leather, there are the appropriate figurines and a Hammond organ. Yesterday, it was in my aunt’s house, today it’s a museum display. But the brownies still taste good. Continue reading Raw 60’s
Raw Sugar coffee and tea house on Somerset at Cambridge is totally decorated in chrome tables and chairs, 60’s fake leather, there are the appropriate figurines and a Hammond organ. Yesterday, it was in my aunt’s house, today it’s a museum display. But the brownies still taste good. Continue reading Raw 60’s
A little while ago I posted this picture of the “loop” wires that were to be installed at the Preston intersection with Somerset. The street was also scheduled to be dug up … would the street diggers remove the street before the wires got burried, or would the wire people install the wires only to see them dug up the next week … The diggers won. Bell and Enbridge are busy doing their infrastructure stuff before the sewer work is done later this month. So the traffic people won’t find a street there to put their loop into. Unless … … Continue reading The race is won …
A little while ago I posted this picture of the “loop” wires that were to be installed at the Preston intersection with Somerset. The street was also scheduled to be dug up … would the street diggers remove the street before the wires got burried, or would the wire people install the wires only to see them dug up the next week … The diggers won. Bell and Enbridge are busy doing their infrastructure stuff before the sewer work is done later this month. So the traffic people won’t find a street there to put their loop into. Unless … … Continue reading The race is won …
On July 29 Somerset Street was reopened under the new Chinatown Royal Arch, after a two month closure to vehicles. The No 2 bus route resumed passage through Chinatown. The sidewalks have been relaid and provide a more comfortable and direct route for pedestrians again. The scaffolding remains around the Arch for the use of the painters coming from China who will apply 17 coats of paint to the make the arch more colourful. Meanwhile, just a few blocks further west on Somerset, construction has started for the new utilities and streetscaping. Major work will be completed this fall, but … Continue reading No 2 resumes passage, further blockage expected
On July 29 Somerset Street was reopened under the new Chinatown Royal Arch, after a two month closure to vehicles. The No 2 bus route resumed passage through Chinatown. The sidewalks have been relaid and provide a more comfortable and direct route for pedestrians again. The scaffolding remains around the Arch for the use of the painters coming from China who will apply 17 coats of paint to the make the arch more colourful. Meanwhile, just a few blocks further west on Somerset, construction has started for the new utilities and streetscaping. Major work will be completed this fall, but … Continue reading No 2 resumes passage, further blockage expected
It was raining the other day, and there was this curious milky substance running down the curbside gutter. I followed it back to the source: the road construction sign. The back of the sign is painted white, and in the rain the paint just washes off. I wondered if maybe the sign had anti-graffiti treatment on the back, so the paint would not stick. In the meantime, what does all this while paint do to our sewers? Continue reading Milky rain, milky rain
It was raining the other day, and there was this curious milky substance running down the curbside gutter. I followed it back to the source: the road construction sign. The back of the sign is painted white, and in the rain the paint just washes off. I wondered if maybe the sign had anti-graffiti treatment on the back, so the paint would not stick. In the meantime, what does all this while paint do to our sewers? Continue reading Milky rain, milky rain
Preston reconstruction is almost complete. Final details are going in … like the traffic loops. The loop shown above is going to be installed right outside May’s Chinese Restaurant at the corner of Somerset and Preston. Except … on August 3rd Somerset is going to be dug up big time for the same treatment as Preston got for the last few years: new pipes, utilities, and protected parking bays. Guess what — the spot shown above will be getting a six foot or so wider sidewalk. And four trees. Will the city get the wiring installed in enough time to … Continue reading The race is on …
Preston reconstruction is almost complete. Final details are going in … like the traffic loops. The loop shown above is going to be installed right outside May’s Chinese Restaurant at the corner of Somerset and Preston. Except … on August 3rd Somerset is going to be dug up big time for the same treatment as Preston got for the last few years: new pipes, utilities, and protected parking bays. Guess what — the spot shown above will be getting a six foot or so wider sidewalk. And four trees. Will the city get the wiring installed in enough time to … Continue reading The race is on …
The Ottawa Chinatown Royal Arch has taken a huge step towards its final form with the addition of ceramic roof tiles imported from China. Suddenly, instead of a scaffolding-hidden pile of concrete and forms, the beauty of the future arch is emerging. While crews work on the roofs, other crew members are preparing to lay curbs and new paving for the sidewalk and road under the arch. The arch is significantly ahead of schedule. No 2 bus users may get their Somerset route back before the end of July! There are more details at http://www.ottawachinatownroyalarch.blogspot.com/. Continue reading Chinatown arch takes shape
The Ottawa Chinatown Royal Arch has taken a huge step towards its final form with the addition of ceramic roof tiles imported from China. Suddenly, instead of a scaffolding-hidden pile of concrete and forms, the beauty of the future arch is emerging. While crews work on the roofs, other crew members are preparing to lay curbs and new paving for the sidewalk and road under the arch. The arch is significantly ahead of schedule. No 2 bus users may get their Somerset route back before the end of July! There are more details at http://www.ottawachinatownroyalarch.blogspot.com/. Continue reading Chinatown arch takes shape
The squares above are just two of dozens embedded in the sidewalk piazza near the Chinatown Arch in Boston. Are they fossils? Rock carvings? Chinese characters? The Boston sidewalk squares shown below are definitely Chinese. They were located on the sidewalk leading up to the Chinese arch. The centre portion was scribed granite block, surrounded by ordinary concrete pavers, set in the join of regular poured concrete sidewalk. The Ottawa Chinatown BIA is considering something similar for the reconstruction of part of the Chinatown sidewalks in 2011. Continue reading Square Boston
The squares above are just two of dozens embedded in the sidewalk piazza near the Chinatown Arch in Boston. Are they fossils? Rock carvings? Chinese characters? The Boston sidewalk squares shown below are definitely Chinese. They were located on the sidewalk leading up to the Chinese arch. The centre portion was scribed granite block, surrounded by ordinary concrete pavers, set in the join of regular poured concrete sidewalk. The Ottawa Chinatown BIA is considering something similar for the reconstruction of part of the Chinatown sidewalks in 2011. Continue reading Square Boston
