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#1 aastra

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Posted 18 August 2006 - 02:39 PM

Anybody ever gone for a workout at the new and improved Oak Bay Rec Centre? The view from the cardio area is hilarious. Just wall to wall midrise buildings from one end to the other. No break in the view whatsoever. But I suppose Victorians think that's better than a scattering of slimmer, taller buildings.

I'm really liking the Victoria portion of Oak Bay Avenue now. Oak Bay Avenue is very busy during the day. Lots of traffic and lots of pedestrians and cyclists. It's turning into a great city street. Ten years from now, after the remaining lame properties have been dealt with, it should be near perfect.

Anybody been to the Estevan Village recently? Holy cow, what a trendy little strip that is now. Somebody should do a photo tour for us.

I also checked out that Vanilla Bakery/Coffee place on Cadboro Bay Road. It was absolutely packed on a Sunday morning.

I feel like I've really experienced the real Victoria over the past few days. It's hip, even if it's ashamed to admit it. Very west coast.

Also, I can't tell you how many young families I saw during my sightseeing in Oak Bay. Just no end of couples with small children.

#2 Scaper

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Posted 18 August 2006 - 06:49 PM

I have a year membership at Oakbay Rec.

Nice to have you back.....I wondered where you got off too!!!

#3 Holden West

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Posted 18 August 2006 - 09:28 PM

I [url=http://www.showcase.ca/microsites/trailerparkboys/images/residents/main_randy.jpg:59963]often spend time[/url:59963] on the avenue so I see a lot of the changes. Some of the stores have swapped spaces--Ten thousand Villages, Oak Bay Bikes, Dig This, Antique Mystique and a bunch of others have all swapped with each other into larger renovated and redecorated units, resulting in big improvements to the retail spaces.

You're right--the potential for huge improvements on the Avenue is great, especially toward the Victoria side. And the amount of dogs, strollers and baby carriages is amazing!
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#4 gumgum

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 06:40 AM

^^^I agree.
However, generally I'm able to generally ignore power lines, but the fact that on the Oak Bay side of the Avenue they're buried, but not on the Victoria side, irritates me a little. I suppose it's at the bottom of a very long list for the city of Vic to address this - if it's on their list at all.

Aasta, that Esteven area is looking great too. You got to hand to to Oak Bay. As much as I would hate to live there, they're doing a fine job at planning.

#5 FunkyMunky

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 12:30 AM

I'm really liking the Victoria portion of Oak Bay Avenue now. Oak Bay Avenue is very busy during the day. Lots of traffic and lots of pedestrians and cyclists. It's turning into a great city street.


Oak Bay Avenue looks busy during the day but when I walk along the west end of the avenue (the Victoria end between Foul Bay Road and the junction) after 6 PM, it's dead.

The arrival of The Fiori (at Bank Street) has improved the streetscape but I can't imagine that Pomodori's Market is making a go of it. I've never seen anyone in the shop even though its the only shop open on that stretch of the avenue in the evening (It may do more business during the day). And for that matter, does anyone actually live in the Fiori condos? I've never seen anyone on their terraces or balconies; its devoid of life.

The problem seems to be a lack of density; there just aren't enough people in the adjacent Fairfield and Jubilee neighbourhoods to support any street life on the west end of the avenue.

The other problem I see is the dearth of appealing shops open in the evening. Pomodori's Market looks too high end to appeal to the Jubilee residents who probably go over to the Safeway and the Fairfield folks head down the hill to the Thrifty's at Fairfield Plaza (a great spot despite being a strip mall). Perhaps they're just too far ahead of the curve. Someday this will be a great strip but it'll take some time to turnover.

The east end of the avenue (between Foul Bay Road and Monterey) has a pretty decent street life in the evening. This is simply because of the Starbucks and The Penny Farthing Public House. Before these two opened a couple of years ago, it too was dead at night. It also has the library and Monterey Centre which are open some evenings which makes for a reasonably diverse neighbourhood.

I think there's huge potential on the west end of the avenue over the next couple of years. The question is will the Fairfield and Jubilee neighbourhoods support improvements to the avenue?

#6 Scaper

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 01:10 AM

^ Welcome to the site!!! :-D

Wasn't the penny farthing pub quite contentious? If I am correct it was a fight to get it there.

#7 FunkyMunky

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 02:18 AM

Wasn't the penny farthing pub quite contentious? If I am correct it was a fight to get it there.


Exactly. That was the point I was making in the last line of my post.

I think there's huge potential on the west end of the avenue over the next couple of years. The question is will the Fairfield and Jubilee neighbourhoods support improvements to the avenue?

Upping the density on the west end of Oak Bay Avenue and having a busy street life in the evening is, to some degree, at odds with the residential neighbourhoods' desire to be left alone and in peace.

I went to a Victoria council meeting last year about a plan to redevelop one of the old houses on this section of the avenue. The plan was to raise the building and add retail space on the ground floor. The original house above was to be divided into three condos. It all seemed quite reasonable to me.

The neighbour over the fence in the Jubilee neighbourhood, however, was adamant that the three parking spaces at the back of the property (but separated from her fence by a new hedge and a grassy lawn) would destroy the "sanctuary" of her back garden. I don't understand people who live in the city and then complain that its there all around them.

On the east end, the Penny Farthing Public House has had complaints from the neighbours but it certainy has added much needed life to the street in the evening.

#8 Jarrod

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 06:30 AM

I'm really liking the Victoria portion of Oak Bay Avenue now. Oak Bay Avenue is very busy during the day. Lots of traffic and lots of pedestrians and cyclists. It's turning into a great city street.



The arrival of The Fiori (at Bank Street) has improved the streetscape but I can't imagine that Pomodori's Market is making a go of it. I've never seen anyone in the shop even though its the only shop open on that stretch of the avenue in the evening (It may do more business during the day). And for that matter, does anyone actually live in the Fiori condos? I've never seen anyone on their terraces or balconies; its devoid of life.

The other problem I see is the dearth of appealing shops open in the evening. Pomodori's Market looks too high end to appeal to the Jubilee residents who probably go over to the Safeway and the Fairfield folks head down the hill to the Thrifty's at Fairfield Plaza (a great spot despite being a strip mall). Perhaps they're just too far ahead of the curve. Someday this will be a great strip but it'll take some time to turnover.


The problem with Pomodori's is that it has a lack of products that the area needs/want. I go there for vegetables because Safeway is less to be desired and I live just off Oak Bay on Richmond. But you're right, there is hardly anyone in there.

Once you get past the Junction of Foul Bay and Oak Bay and you get into the village, it usually has some people there until about 10:30 because of Starbucks.

#9 G-Man

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 06:47 AM

Welcome to the site!

I was wondering how that little grocery was doing. I remember walking that stretch a few months ago and isn't there some sort or cement step in front of the Fiori I thought that it made the sidewalk quite cramped. They also may get a little competition from Fairways at the far end of the avenue and the little grocery in Stadacona Centre.

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#10 Holden West

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 07:30 AM

Yeah, there's some sort of planter in front of Fiori that makes it incredibly cramped--considering the amount of strollers, electric scooters (and Pomodori's shopping carts). Funny, because a block to the east, there's that 1970s condo/retail strip (where the Barking Lot Groomers used to be) that has a huge setback and wide sidewalk (unused except for the cafe).

I mentioned above some of the nice new shops but actually many of them have relocated just over the border in Victoria. The Fiori is getting a new high-end furniture store. Applicants are being told to go to a Herald St. address so it might be associated with one of the designers in Rock Bay.

There's a huge amount of potential further east along the Avenue. One of the antique stores relocated to the freshly renovated former location of Oak Bay Books across from the Shell Station even though the old one storey building was zoned for three storey condos.

There are still a few stores along the O.B. side of the Avenue that are still housed in cinder block boxes with parking out front--as ugly as anything Surrey or Langford ever produced in their darkest days.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#11 FunkyMunky

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 01:36 PM

I remember walking that stretch a few months ago and isn't there some sort or cement step in front of the Fiori I thought that it made the sidewalk quite cramped.


I don't know what the deal is with sidewalks. The cities complain about all the cars and yet they make the sidewalks so difficult to use. The south side of Oak Bay Avenue in Victoria is just silly. You have to weave all over the place to get anywhere. Apparently, the engineers and planners must be anti-Euclidians.

#12 Scaper

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 07:14 PM

OakBay also likes to spend as little money as possible on anything.

#13 Galvanized

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 11:19 PM

My biggest beef with Oak Bay is the sidewalks (this goes for Saanich too). They have very little curb cuts. When I go out I walk with a baby stroller and I use Foul Bay Rd quite a bit. Thank god it has large wheels to go over all the curbs. I'm glad I don't need a wheelchair or scooter because I'd never get anywhere. I've never had a problem with this in Victoria.
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#14 Oxford Sutherland

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Posted 17 September 2006 - 09:30 PM

Is it just me, or has this BMO in Oak Bay been boarded up for a long time now? What are they doing there?



#15 Holden West

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Posted 17 September 2006 - 10:13 PM

Hopefully just renovating, as I think banks are a good neighbourhood business.

BTW, the strip of stores to the right has the most insanely narrow sidewalk. The Avenue is pretty wide--no reason why they can't do a little sidewalk extension. It's not like they're short on tax income.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#16 Scaper

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Posted 17 September 2006 - 10:58 PM

^ the narrow sidewalks are called pedestrian calming. It makes the city look busier by cramming all the people together in a tight walking space. It's really effective. :-D

#17 Holden West

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Posted 17 September 2006 - 11:07 PM

Ha ha! I need lots of sidewalk space to dodge those speeding scooters.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#18 gumgum

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Posted 18 September 2006 - 06:27 AM

You think it's bad there. Try James Bay on for size.

#19 Mike K.

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Posted 18 September 2006 - 10:25 AM

Is it just me, or has this BMO in Oak Bay been boarded up for a long time now? What are they doing there?



That's interesting. The BMO in Esquimalt (at Admirals) has also been closed for a while and a Muslim association just picked up the building to use as a mosque.

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#20 Scaper

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Posted 18 September 2006 - 12:32 PM

those boards would be a good place for a Mural.

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