[W. K. Lis]

It's the large shade trees of the Kingsway area to help to define the area. Not the small, dwarf trees in other parts of Etobicoke, or even the total lack of trees in other areas.
What defeats the establishment of large, shade trees in new developments is the compacting of the ground. While it is good to establish foundations of houses, it stuns the growth of the root system of trees so they stay small.

 

[Edward Skira]

By law or by deed they can't tear these houses down and replace with McMansions. Something to do with the original rules set forth by the developer of this subdivision. Somebody else can probably explain why this is better than me.

 

[Observer Walt]

Taal: I think you are referring to the Mineola neighbourhood of Mississauga, just north of Port Credit and south of the QEW. It has a mix of house ages and styles and is not nearly as "cohesive" in appearance as the Kingsway, although it is undoubtedly a nice area. Houses are newer, and lot sizes tend to be larger, as well.

The Kingsway was originally laid out by builder Home Smith. It's perhaps one of the oldest "suburbs" in Toronto. It's my understanding that restrictive covenants are still in place on many of the properties, as well as a strong residents' association in the area which is resistant to change. It's not NIMBYism, at least not most of the time, it's a determination to maintain the character of the area. That's not a bad thing, IMO.

Stephen Teeple, Shocker?? Perish the thought, and that's not an insult to Teeple by any means. Wow, would he be out of place here.

 

[taal]

Taal: I think you are referring to the Mineola neighbourhood of Mississauga, just north of Port Credit and south of the QEW. It has a mix of house ages and styles and is not nearly as "cohesive" in appearance as the Kingsway, although it is undoubtedly a nice area. Houses are newer, and lot sizes tend to be larger, as well.

The Kingsway was originally laid out by builder Home Smith. It's perhaps one of the oldest "suburbs" in Toronto. It's my understanding that restrictive covenants are still in place on many of the properties, as well as a strong residents' association in the area which is resistant to change. It's not NIMBYism, at least not most of the time, it's a determination to maintain the character of the area. That's not a bad thing, IMO.

Stephen Teeple, Shocker?? Perish the thought, and that's not an insult to Teeple by any means. Wow, would he be out of place here.

Yes that sounds just like the area ... it has giant trees right? : - )
And yea there's a big mix of styles ... new homes demolishing old ones.

 

[Long Island Mike]

The Kingsway-quite a neighborhood!

K74: Good pics and photo tour of the Kingsway neighborhood in Etobicoke-I feel almost like I am in affluent LI towns like Garden City or the Great Neck area.
I like the idea of preserving historic facades instead of allowing plain McMansions to be built. There are some affluent areas of Queens-like Kew Gardens Hills that this area also reminds me of. LI MIKE

 

[junctionist]

The lack of McMansions is very refreshing and the towering trees make the streets lovely. It's not the city's finest residential area by far, but it's still unique and appealing in its own way.

 

[adma]

By law or by deed they can't tear these houses down and replace with McMansions. Something to do with the original rules set forth by the developer of this subdivision. Somebody else can probably explain why this is better than me.

They can, now--indeed, the battle over the (failed) HCD a decade ago was over this issue. But because of the nature of the neighbourhood, we're talking "kinder, gentler" McMansions that're "in keeping"--and of course, a hack travesty of "in keeping". Maybe they *should* be open to a Teeple intervention...

 

[Urban Shocker]

Re: Teeple: Any place is a fine place for good contemporary architecture, Walt. Just look at the alternative in those photos - the Hansel and Gretel home with the ensuite garage.

 

[ganjavih]

Re: Teeple: Any place is a fine place for good contemporary architecture, Walt. Just look at the alternative in those photos - the Hansel and Gretel home with the ensuite garage.

I'm sure most people would prefer the Hansel and Gretel home to contemporary architecture in this neighbourhood... I know I would. And, no, contemporary architecture does not belong in just any place.

 

[adma]

I'm sure most people would prefer the Hansel and Gretel home to contemporary architecture in this neighbourhood... I know I would.

Yes, I'd agree if you're speaking of a "Hansel and Gretel" home built circa 1930.

Now, being built circa 2008 in place of a circa 1930 dwelling is another matter altogether--and I believe it's *that* matter that US is addressing...

 

[junctionist]

On contemporary houses in old neighbourhoods

I've seen countless historic European streetscapes with the random contemporary buildings and nothing was lost in the appeal. There are very few areas were contemporary architecture wouldn't work. The new buildings use contemporary building techniques and contemporary materials, making it easy to tell that they're new, yet they try so hard to blend in.

Does it work? I don't think so. The owners have built a contemporary home masked as something historic. If you're that nostalgic, then build it with the same materials and plans as the originals.

But that's unappealing because of the modernist influences in one's mindset. It would take a long time, but that's not acceptable today. It would cost an incredible amount of money as perhaps even foreign firms would be required. The (upper) middle class individual might not be able to afford it.

 

[adma]

Does it work? I don't think so. The owners have built a contemporary home masked as something historic. If you're that nostalgic, then build it with the same materials and plans as the originals.

Or...keep the original, at least when it comes to its "public face". It's insulting to replace an original with a kitschy "in the spirit of the original"...

 

[Urban Shocker]

The very idea of "restrictive covenants" applied to anything other than good contemporary architecture of any age is pretty scary.

There are vast swaths of self-congratulatory, anal-retentive, bourgeois Tudoresqueness along the Kingsway that could quite easily be taken out in the dead of night by someone driving a huge truck with a wrecking-ball mounted on the back - swinging randomly to right and to left ... BAM!! BOOM!! CRASH!! The world would be a much better place for it. Then, once the clearcutting is done, any number of our good local architects could be set loose to rebuild.

 

[Observer Walt]

Hmmm, an interesting little discussion. But "clearcutting"?? I trust that you jest, Shocker. That went out in the late 1960s, I think just after St. James Town was built.

 

[TrickyRicky]

"There are vast swaths of self-congratulatory, anal-retentive, bourgeois Tudoresqueness along the Kingsway that could quite easily be taken out in the dead of night by someone driving a huge truck with a wrecking-ball mounted on the back - swinging randomly to right and to left ... BAM!! BOOM!! CRASH!! The world would be a much better place for it. Then, once the clearcutting is done, any number of our good local architects could be set loose to rebuild."

Indeed! The utopia of citizens groups is a world that never changes, but the utopia of the architect is to be among the elite of a fascist dictatorship after armageddon.