Neighborhoods: Harris Green

Some of the other trees they brutally cut back on Yates are starting to get their fern type leaves back and look almost bizarrely tropical.  Hopefully those on the 1000 block also recover.  My pic:

 

The City is going to explore adjusting some of its neighbourhood boundaries. This includes:

-A substantial increase in the size of the downtown boundaries to include all of Harris Green, Rock Bay as far north as Bay Street, and all of the 800 blocks of Fairfield between Fort and Academy Close (St. Ann's Academy). This would mean the border between Fairfield and Downtown would be Quadra instead of Blanshard.
-North and South Jubilee would be unified into one Jubilee neighbourhood. They would also give the very skinny panhandle at the north end of North Jubilee to Oaklands.
-Shifting the border between Oaklands and Fernwood to Bay Street instead of Haultain.

This would mean we would have 12 official neighbourhoods instead of 14. All of these changes make a lot of sense to me. I doubt anyone who lives in the Escher building thinks of themselves as a Fairfield resident, and I would think most people who live in Harris Green simply say they live Downtown. Even in the 1008 Pandora building in North Park, I usually tell people I live Downtown when they ask me. The North/South Jubilee distinction never made any sense to me. I've always felt like Bay Street makes a more sensible Fernwood/Oaklands border as most of the north-south streets in the area don't align properly across Bay Street and the street really segregates the two areas. Plus, that makes Haultain Corners entirely in one neighbourhood, rather than being a small village centre split between two.

Stretching Downtown north to Bay Street makes sense with the City's plans for that area of Rock Bay. Burnside-Gorge is such a bizarrely shaped and disjointed neighbourhood as it is. Places like Phillip's Brewery feel like a part of Downtown and it's weird that it is considered to be the same neighbourhood as Mayfair Mall. I think this area will feel more "Downtown" as the years go by and hopefully this means increased height limits on buildings in this area. I recently learned that the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has been considering a move to this area of Rock Bay.

Here is the document:
https://pub-victoria...3GAo9YtYI7iUNJc

I would think most people who live in Harris Green simply say they live Downtown. Even in the 1008 Pandora building in North Park, I usually tell people I live Downtown when they ask me. 

 

Yes, at one time in the 2000s I think it was, there was a Harris Green residents' association, that was Alex Ronay and he was responsible for the "mock Tudor-ing" of the neighbourhood. His goal was to transform Harris Green into a Bavarian village but his efforts fizzled out and eventually the Downtown Residents Association became the area's official representation. 

 

But yes, this is a long time coming and just common sense. The corner of Quadra and Fort has no business being Fairfield's domain. 

...Alex Ronay...was responsible for the "mock Tudor-ing" of the neighbourhood. His goal was to transform Harris Green into a Bavarian village but his efforts fizzled out... 

Ack! Glad to know this concept died a quick death.

...Stretching Downtown north to Bay Street makes sense with the City's plans for that area of Rock Bay...

So North Park would essentially be cradled in the bosom of downtown.

Yes! And North Park would also be Victoria's smallest neighbourhood.

Ack! Glad to know this concept died a quick death.

I dunno Downtowner, if only the plan included a giant beer hall..

Or should I say “The Forumer Formerly Known and NParker”? Hmm, if you were to leave VV and start posting at Lovely Langford you would gain the more prestigious title of “The Former Forumer Formerly Known and NParker”.

So North Park would essentially be cradled in the bosom of downtown.

Ok, never mind.. you’re clearly happy where you live and are never changing your username.

Not to mention I assumed North Park was being eliminated, I guess not. Necessary in order to respect the great Mason Street Farm Revolt.

Edited by zoomer, 05 February 2021 - 07:17 PM.

why not aT THE SAME TIME REDUCE THE POWER OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN LAND USE PLANNING.  

 

WHOOPS CAPS.

 

still give them their beatification and festival grants etc. but they have too much sway on rezoning considering their very limited people participation on those issues.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 February 2021 - 07:16 PM.

I also sometimes think the Gonzales neighbourhood is unnecessary. Most people who don't really think of neighbourhood boundaries don't even realize it exists, and think of it as either Fairfield, Rockland, or Jubilee. It doesn't really have its own village centre (I suppose it technically includes the commercial properties on the south side of Oak Bay Ave, but I think this should just be part of Jubilee), and there's nothing really to distinguish the rest of it from Fairfield or Rockland. 

My former roommate who previously lived for many years at the corner of Fairfield and Foul Bay was surprised when I told him this was Gonzales, not Fairfield. 

My former coworker once told me she lived in Fairfield. I asked her whereabouts and she said "about a block south of Red Barn".

I ran into another former coworker the other day who told me she was moving out of Fairfield (her house was actually on Bank Street in Gonzales), and was moving into the Cook Street Village neighbourhood!

Plus, Fairfield and Gonzales share a Community Association. Why do we make this Gonzales distinction?

...I assumed North Park was being eliminated, I guess not...

Even if my 'hood went the way of the dinosaur, I am guessing my street name would remain, so Nparker I am and Nparker shall I be.

Edited by Nparker, 05 February 2021 - 07:23 PM.

...And North Park would also be Victoria's smallest neighbourhood.

I'd be fine with North Park being absorbed into "Downtown".

Even if my 'hood went the way of dinosaur, I am guessing my street name would remain, so Nparker I am and Nparker shall I be.

I’m hearing rumours that city council is looking at recognizing outstanding contributions by local politicians prior to their passing - otherwise it’s hardly an honour is it? One option is renaming neighbourhoods or streets after living mayors or councillors who have served with distinction and made a measurable impact on the city. First up would be the neighbourhood currently named after a 300 pound white male mayor from the colonial era (oh wait.. I don’t think that’s over yet). Ben Isitt Green has a ring to it.. Off the record some are suggesting North Park Street could become Helps Street.

I'm certain NParker would gladly change his username to Helpser. 

I'm certain NParker would gladly change his username to Helpser. 

I'll drink a cup of hemlock before that ever happens.

...Ben Isitt Green has a ring to it...

Perhaps the good comrade will make a deal with a local grocer to form Ben Isitt's Red Barn Markets.

 

still give them their beatification and festival grants etc.

 

 

I’m hearing rumours that city council is looking at recognizing outstanding contributions by local politicians prior to their passing

 

Saints alive, are you guys serious about this?

 

you would gain the more prestigious title of “The Former Forumer Formerly Known as NParker”.

 

You're saying he's a prince among men? Let's not go crazy.

Edited by aastra, 06 February 2021 - 01:21 PM.

/\ The best part of this post - you corrected my ‘and known’ to ‘as known’ as if I never even made that typo. For that, long may you rain Aastra - your kindness is enough to make doves cry.

I correct a typo and you want to throw a party, man? Are you delirious? I suppose spellcheck would seem like a revolution to you?