The Small Houses of Montreal

Montreal is dotted with many small quirky old houses that go against the grain of the surrounding architecture that's made up of mostly duplexes and triplexes. They are always fun to find and I've been collecting a bunch of photos of such houses and I will be posting them from time to time. I took these two yesterday in Verdun. These houses are quickly disappearing (see the following post below) and are being replaced with condos/apartments building as these houses have larger than usual lawns and entrances, which makes it just right for new projects looking for much sought-after land on the island.

Before & After - Small house vs condos on Joseph - Verdun

One of those small quirky old houses you see here and there around Montreal was demolished for condos. It's on Joseph street in Verdun.

The before images were taken from google streetview (link) vs the photos I took yesterday.

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Before & After - Porte et Fenetre Verdun - Verdun

A screengrab taken from google streetview vs photo taken yesterday.

I posted about this a few months ago.

St. Raphael the Archangel Church - Outremont

According to this article from The Gazette, the St. Raphael the Archangel Church in Outremont, which closed in 2008, will be converted into a Palliative Care residence if fundraising gathers enough money for renovations and startup budget. Cool idea.

images: google streetview

Le Seville condominiums

The Seville condominium project is slowly being built. It's seems it's been ongoing for some time now. Unlike the Hôtel Marriott Courtyard construction site, the workers at the Seville chantier didn't mind being photographed. That part of the neighborhood on Ste-Catherine is still pretty much rundown. Hopefully, this belated condo project will reinvigorate the area.

I already posted a some photos about this one year ago. Click here to see it.

Altitude condominiums + O'Hara's pub

The new Altitude condo complex is going up where yet another parking used to be. They also had to destroy the pizza restaurant and O'Hara's pub next to it for the latest in the many condominium projects going on in Montreal. Parking lots are an endangered species. The sales office for the Altitude condos is situated just a few steps away at the former Classy building (see the next post below).

The two top photos were taken with 35mm camera + fujifilm. The other photos are all digital. I love the first photo. It really came out good. 

After & Before: the building that housed the pizza restaurant and O'Hara's pub was demolished to make way for the Altitude condo building project.

 

 images: google streeview

Classy Billboard + Parking lot

The Classy shop & billboard, the famous Montreal landmark which featured a handsome man in a tuxedo and was a familiar presence for some 90 years, is history on rue Square-Phillips and it's now the temporary sales office for the Altitude condo project that's going up nearby. The adjoining parking lot will destroyed for a new office project. Here's an interesting article on the famous company.

images: google streetview

Rare view - Ste-Catherine & Bleury

The one good thing about the demolition of the buildings on Ste-Catherine and Bleury (see post below)  is this rare view. Very cool. I've never noticed the buildings in the background or never seen the impressive and unique Eglise du Gesù in the wide open like this. This view will disappear when they finally decide to build something there so enjoy it while it last.

Condemned buildings - St-Henri

Four condemned building in St-Henri. The notice above was made in Nov 2009 and I took this photo in late November 2010. The notice was posted on the red brick triplex in the photo below but the small corner house is also part of that notice and it too will be destroyed.

The house with the blue doors/railings had no notice but my source told me it was also set to be demolished. It looked abandoned when I took the photos. And the business in the two last photos is obviously dilapidated beyond repair and will be brought down. The brick structure at the back was being held by wooden beams to keep it from falling into the neighbors backyard. According to my source all 4 buildings are owned and managed by the same person, who simply let the buildings fall apart.

Google streetview

google streetview

google streetview

 

The triplex with the blue doors/railings is in blue; the two buildings at the corner are in yellow and the crumbling business is in red. Image: google maps.

Lofts on St-Remi - St-Henri

This old building, situated almost in the middle of nowhere, which used to be for a tobacco company and converted into lofts, will soon be destroyed. The people living there were given notice to vacate (via montrealitesurbaines.com) the place as it will be demolished for the massive Turcot interchange project.

I took these photos back in late November 2010 when my "source" told about its future. My source told me the owner of the building kept the renters in the dark about the fate of their homes. When I took these photos, it was a very, very cold and windy day so I didn't hang around for too long and didn't take photos of its entrance. I might get new photos soon.

My source told me that the building will be demolished not because of the highway itself but because the train tracks nearby will have to be deviated and moved up to make way for of the Turcot Interchange project and the building was simply in the way. I don't know if this is accurate but the building will be demolished eventually in a year or so.

image: google maps