Housing the Proles of Leslieville, or
Joe & Ian Do South Riverdale
Architectural critiques of South Riverdale social-housing developments
Middle-class residents of Leslieville, many of them arrivistes and parvenus, complain about all the social housing in the neighbourhood. Joe Clark bikes around the hood in the freezing cold photographing each development, and he and Ian Beanlands critique the architecture.
Available reviews
- 66 Walpole
Our first real ghetto! (ADDED 2006.08.30)
- 1070 Queen
Six weeks in the making, we finally review the block-long leviathan. And we got an inside tour! (ADDED 2006.07.18)
- 791 Queen
Run by the nuns and situated at the intersection of five streets. Quite a successful site, all told. (ADDED 2006.03.25)
- 123 & 131 Coxwell
Tudor and stucco, together at last. And finally we’ve got some architectural background to cite. (ADDED 2006.05.08)
(Using the bigger thumbnail photos now)
- 502 Eastern
Four postmodern pods two doors down from the Hell’s Angels. The worst block to live on in the entire city. (ADDED 2006.03.27)
- 802 Eastern
An ugly, sagging building smack dab on a dangerous corner. (ADDED 2006.03.14)
- 137 Sears & 29 Louvain
Two buildings I thought were clones.
Worst. Critique. Ever. (ADDED 2006.03.02)
- 1167 Queen
The wall of the parking lot is the nicest thing about it. (ADDED 2006.02.20)
- 1187 Queen
A warehouse. Given its occupants, how could that be a good idea? (ADDED 2006.02.13)
- The Woodfield: 1480 Queen
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Another postmodern development in primary colours. But, as with the Maddy Harper Lodge, we quite like it. And is it really a deaf building? (ADDED 2006.02.06)
- Maddy Harper Lodge, 86 Jones above Queen
Postmodern housing for Indians. Does that make any sense at all? (ADDED 2006.01.30)
- 1555 & 1575 Queen and 1080 Eastern
Three buildings in two complexes. Two of them are the wrong way to do social housing and the other is a less-wrong way. (ADDED 2006.01.23)
- 126 Coxwell Ave. north of Dundas
A near-clone of 970 Eastern. That’s a bad sign right there. (ADDED 2006.01.16)
- 970 Eastern Ave. at Woodfield
Subterranean entrance and a fortress-like atmosphere. And it’s on Eastern, a street unfit for human habitation. (ADDED 2006.01.09)
- 55 Pape Ave., south of Queen
Officially known as 43 Pape, and with a satellite building behind it on 17 Renwick. By far the most successful buildings in all of Leslieville. (ADDED 2006.01.09)
Schedule
New critiques used to be added roughly once a week until we’re done. Now we’re committing only to a couple a month.