I haven't seen it up close either, but judging by the photos - and the area - I probably never will
 
I drove by it multitudinous times this summer for work. It does look better in person, albeit a bit busy. Don't mind the area, either.
 
LB is quite lively at night...especially on the weekends. Brasenhead pub is a really nice pub. There are some other bars/lounges in the area that bring in a nice crowd.
 
Automation Gallery said:
Ahh come on, dont let the trash-talk get to you.... its a great area and sure beats out hanging out at the Distillery District
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Gotta disagree, at least based on my having visited the area two months back. That wall of new stuff rising looked pretty Soviet bloc to my eyes, although the real test is when it's all clad and built out. But the dismal similarity in heights made it look like some dubious compound. As for the people scene, it's crowded alright but it looked to me like an experiment in monoculture civilization. It's great if you're a twenty or thirty something yuppie, I'll give you that. Otherwise it's peculiar in its barren feel and it could easily stand in for a set in a dystopian SF flick. It's a synthetic new neighbourhood and it's yet to stand the test of time.

As for the Distillery, that has a greater variety in terms of roofline and height mixes.... and its potential is probably greater. It's going to be a destination neighbourhood faster than the Liberty zone. Liberty feels like it's just jerry-rigged housing for the brave new world's unsuspecting worker-bots.
 
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Automation Gallery said:
Ahh come on, dont let the trash-talk get to you.... its a great area and sure beats out hanging out at the Distillery District
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Yea to be honest for me it isnt about the people that live there. Im not one of those anti-hipster types at all, but I dislike the liberty village area. There simply arent many reasons to venture there unless you live there. The distillery district is a destination in itself and to me is one of the highlights of downtown. Liberty village is more cut off from the city than cityplace. I would much rather go spend the day at the distillery district buying chocolate, drinking fresh organic mill street beer, walking the pedestrian only roads..etc, than having to cross train tracks at grade, all to visit an area with very little to offer.
 
Right but if you are approaching from the east like I would have to, the only way in is Strachan unless you go west to Atlantic. All I am trying to say is that the area doesnt have many (if any) destinations that draw in people from other areas - and that being situated between 2 rail lines and with limited access to pedestrians, its not a place i want to take my afternoon walk.
 
someMidTowner said:
Right but if you are approaching from the east like I would have to, the only way in is Strachan unless you go west to Atlantic. All I am trying to say is that the area doesnt have many (if any) destinations that draw in people from other areas - and that being situated between 2 rail lines and with limited access to pedestrians, its not a place i want to take my afternoon walk.
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Yeah between two rail lines, youre right...but then again you are close-by King/Queen-West which is a lot more than the Distillery District area has to offer..Drawing people will happen with the future development of LV-West. remember LV is a fairly new hood and aprox 5 years behind DD
 
Not to mention over the next year they are building the overpass for the tracks. Then they are lowering the tracks at strachan to put the rail lines below street level. After that they are building a pedestrian bridge at Duoro street. So being 'stuck between 2 rail lines' isn't going to be an issue in a couple of years. By then the area will be almost completely finished with all the condo development. It's going to mature very nicely when they tree-line the streets and take down all the green fencing. I think a lot of people's opinions of the area will change then.

I agree that unless you live there, you don't really have much reason to visit the area. When these condo's are all occupied, the area will do just fine from within LV.
 
I'm not doubting it will be a vibrant pedestrian friendly neighbourhood by the end of the decade. The point of my post was that in the here and now - It isn't. I genuinely don't think the problem can be solved in "a couple of years". It will take at least 5-8 years worth of infrastructure work before the community is seamlessly integrated. Besides having some of the worst architecture in the city, LV is still a good neighbourhood in the making
 
yesterday

img2012091100318.jpg

Shot at 2012-09-11
 
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