So go Downtown, where all the lights are bright

One evening last week we left the cove and sampled downtown. It was time. Here are a couple of snapshots of what we saw.

A destination was the new, floating Sea Bridge that provides a route around the big Queen’s Marque construction site. Think Moses and the Red Sea.

It is longer than I imagined and provided some interesting new views of the waterfront. Imagine a world where all pedestrian walkways around construction sites brought some joy.

The Sea Bridge demonstrates that infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycles can be built lightly and  sometimes quickly. I was reminded of waterfront structures we saw in Copenhagen last fall.

 

The whole waterfront was incredibly lively and the patios were jammed. We have just been in Quebec City and Portland, Maine, and Halifax felt just as vibrant. Lots of photos were being taken with the clever, white and pink Canada 150 (I’m still not fond of that maple leaf logo).

As we walked back uptown, I paused to admire beautiful Province House in golden light, framed by a parking lot and a building the Province would happily turn into more parking lot. I suspect no other province can boast of such a view.

Argyle Street, dug up for a better future, felt slightly less dreary than I anticipated. Still you must feel for the poor businesses trying to weather this storm. Do what you can.

Made me remember how the street had been transformed almost instantly several years ago.  And the new Argyle will look even better than this.

Our ramble ended  with some tasty chips which we took up to the new Library and ate out front while sitting on the high stools.  A perfect evening.

Postscript

And so the city continues to evolve. Take a look at my photos of the waterfront c1980 in this blog.

 

About the author

Stephen Archibald

It’s Stephen Archibald doing the noticing. I’m a huge fan of Nova Scotia’s material culture and cultural landscapes. Twitter (@Cove17 ) made me realize I could share what attracted my attention (perfect for my very short attention) and I’m gratified when folks enjoy my content. Pleased to meet you on the internet.

Twitter