The Gaslight District | completed

[Acitta]

Gaslight District public square to host grand opening party with weekend-long event

On July 28 to 30 the city's newest public event space will offer a weekend full of free music and family activities.

Mainstream Canadian artists like Big Wreck and Walk off the Earth will be headlining the event, along with over 30 bands and performers running the gamut from Top 40 country to children's entertainers.

[bravado]

Despite the maddening front mirror torture device, the whole area is showing a lot more signs of life lately and I hope this event is a big hit. With this and Main Street being closed to cars and absolutely packed with families last weekend, it makes me sad that suburbanites don’t really get to experience any of this.

[nms]

It wouldn't surprise me if many of the attendees were suburbanites. I live in the suburbs but I still attend events in the downtown parks because that's where the events are held.

[ac3r]

So it appears that when you visit here it's almost as if you've no clipped into the backrooms and you're in a liminal space that is surrounded by these century old buildings in your immediate view, but then in your periphery all you see is a giant barcode that you're unsure what would happen if you were to scan it. First time I've seen this since I have had zero reason to ever go, but wow.

At night, Tyrell Corporation turns on the giant death ray turns on and tries to burn every Burlingtonian who dares to approach us or something.

It has also been a popular place for the terminally online to come film a short reel for Snapchat or The Gram. On a sort of good note, it seems to be popular for wedding photos too...so maybe it's not all that bad? But from what I've seen, 99% of the time the photographers only keep the old stone buildings in frame rather than the hideous buildings HIP creates. There is a brewery that holds events here as well huge screen on the wall also shows sports and events I guess? A good idea and actually weirdly lacking in this region. Like somehow Kitchener city hall doesn't have a huge screen to use for major events that would draw in huge crowds. But whatever. Even so...when you see this place from a distance it's a terrible eye sore.

Hopefully someone else will decide to improve the podium in the future, so that it can actually be a nice space for the public. Right now it's...functional...but not nice. The inner courtyard is pseudo-public space which is okay to have, but it looks like garbage. The towers they build could have been really damn nice and initiated a renewal of the area, perhaps turning in into something like Toronto's Distillery District but they fucked it up soooooooooo hard. I feel bad for the neighbours who look out their bedroom windows and have to see this shit.

[dtkvictim]

I don't actually mind the death ray. But wow, the contrast between old and new is brutal.

[cherrypark]

I remain dumbfounded by how much apparent effect they have made to make that a hip place and incorporate art and design (there are some interesting interactive art installations going in by the same artist as the death ray) and yet they still OK'd that podium. Just casts a pall on the whole rest of the effort

[westwardloo]

I remain dumbfounded by how much apparent effect they have made to make that a hip place and incorporate art and design (there are some interesting interactive art installations going in by the same artist as the death ray) and yet they still OK'd that podium. Just casts a pall on the whole rest of the effort

It is truly a pathetic. The developer with help from the architect (Yes they are to blame) just sucked the soul out of a place that could have been a really unique space in the Region. The only way they could maybe save it is to commision a large mural along the wall. 

I hate that developers in this Region turned me into such a pessimist. I had so much hope for the future of this region just 10 years ago. That is pretty much gone for me now, there are very few development I am excited about.

[bravado]

It looks like the first day of the concerts is starting tonight and there are some properly large crowds downtown. Even Neuron showed up with 10+ scooters all lined up by the theatre nearby. It sounds like all city parking lots are free and some roads are closed too.

[rdaner]

Didn’t know that there is a Laundry rooms Hotel here.

https://thelaundryrooms.ca/location/cambridge/

[bravado]

The Gaslight District has quite a big christmas market going on for the season - I wish I took pictures tonight because they really went all out down there, but here's some stolen ones from facebook:

(it's a shame it took private developers to make the best public space in Cambridge)


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[Acitta]

The Gaslight District has quite a big christmas market going on for the season - I wish I took pictures tonight because they really went all out down there, but here's some stolen ones from facebook:

(it's a shame it took private developers to make the best public space in Cambridge) 

Unfortunately, because the space is closed off from the street, it is too small for large crowds like you might have at festivals in Downtown Kitchener. I was there for the Grand Opening, and I and plenty of other people couldn't get in to see Walk Off the Earth, or even see them from the street. I did get in a few hours earlier that day, but found it uncomfortably crowded, so I left intending to going back in later for WOTE, but that didn't work out.

[bravado]

The grey barcode still exists, but it looks like they're trying to put lipstick on that pig with splashes of florals and colour... Just re-paint it! The rest of the site is actually incredible.


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