Madrid!

I came to Madrid to attend a Lambda Alpha Honorary Urban Land Economics society weekend. It was an indulgence, especially since I had been to Madrid in 2011 following a house exchange in Valencia with Sally. I’ll never forget that visit, not just because it’s a magnificent city, but also because I caught a young girl in the act of pickpocketing Sally. We also ate a memorable dinner at Sobrino de Botin…. the oldest continually operating restaurant in the world.

Before the conference I spent a day wandering around the neighbourhoods near our hotel, the Gran Melia Fenix. By the way, it is a very nice hotel, in a wonderful location.

Near the hotel was a fascinating development that appeared to be a converted theater. It featured three levels of restaurants which I discovered when I entered through a very elegant food store

 

 

Walking around the streets one didn't get the impression that this was a country with 25% unemployment that increased to 40% amongst the youth. But then again, I was in a fancy part of Madrid. Nonetheless, the array of expensive shops and goods was overwhelming.

I was very saddened to come across this carbuncle that intruded into a streetscape. It turned out to be a relatively new sports centre. Not a pretty site.

One of the things I did like was how at certain intersections the corners of all four buildings are cut-off. It's a subtle device to create a more attractive intersection. I first saw this in L'Example in Barcelona.

I want to see these wonderful ornate facades to come back in style!

East Village: London's Olympic Village

In the Paddington train station I came across a marketing display for London’s athletes village and decided to take a visit since the sign said it was not that far away. I had seen it under construction in 2011 and wondered how the finished product turned out. En route I came across a number of new developments including Westfield Shopping Centre that had been built because the Olympics were coming. While most were quite mundane, a couple, including Icona, this multi-coloured condo were quite interesting.

Just look at the entrance to this home. What were they thinking?

The presentation centre tells the story of the community. I was surprised by the rather mundane model.

I was disappointed with the Olympic Village. While it is not yet fully occupied, it has a sterility about it that was most unsettling, especially since it had been designed by the best of 500 architects from around the world who had responded to an international competition, according to the marketing materials.

One thing that I noticed is that the architects don’t seem to be aware that it rains in London. There was very little weather protection for outdoor seating areas or building entrances.

While the street was called Celebration Ave, perhaps inspired by Celebration Florida, the new town built by Disney, I did not think there was a lot to celebrate, at least not yet. I will return in a few years to see if it changes with more residents.

Grosvenor's London

Before leaving Vancouver for Europe I attended a workshop with a bright young lady who works for Grosvenor. When I mentioned I was heading off to London, she suggested I see Michael Mortenson in their London office and kindly sent him a note.

Michael generously arranged to for me to have a tour of the Grosvenor offices, and after a pint in his  local pub, (we were celebrating my birthday) we set of to see some of their nearby holdings. As most people know, Grosvenor owns a sizable portion of many of London’s best neighbourhoods, including Mayfair.

This public art installation features a photographer shooting Twiggy. Remember Twiggy?

New paving in Mayfair

I was particularly interested in some of the street improvements being carried out to make the roads more pedestrian friendly.

According to Wikipedia,  Grosvenor’s history began with the marriage of Mary Davies and Sir Thomas Grosvenor in 1677. Mary had inherited the manor of Ebury, 500 acres of land north of the Thames to the west of the City of London, which remained largely untouched by the Grosvenors until the 1720s, when they developed the northern part - now known as Mayfair – around Grosvenor Square. A few generations later, in the 1820s, their focus moved south - to what is now Belgravia - developing Eaton Square, Chester Square and other famous addresses. Later in the 19th century, the area of Pimlico was developed; this was sold in 1953.

Nearly all of the worlds finest retailers can be found in the area

Today the company is involved in a wide variety of activities, developing commercial and residential properties on its own, or in partnership with others. It is active not only in London and Vancouver, but around the world. I've always been impressed with the caliber of people and the projects with which it has become involved. 

Although it has made mistakes....the design and planning process for their current West Vancouver project is one example, the company acts with integrity appropriate to its history and pedigree.

 

Those who know Michael Mortensen know that he is a good fit with the company. After working with CMHC and the City of Vancouver, he left the public sector for a private developer before joining Grosvenor in Vancouver. While he appears to be having a wonderful experience in London, riding his bike in from Richmond each day, I expect to see him back in Vancouver in a few years. I’ll be interested to see what ideas he brings back from the UK.

Meanwhile, no visit to local real estate companies will ever be quite the same. After all, it's hard for most real estate operations to stay in business for over 330 years. And few are headed by a Duke! 

As Michael observed, not everything in Mayfair is in good taste

Where to stay in London UK after a long flight:The London Paddington Hilton

Over the years I have stayed in a lot of London hotels, with mixed success. However, I had such a good experience at the London Paddington Hilton I decided to share it with anyone who, like me, may want a hotel that’s easy to reach after a long flight to London.

The reason this one is so good is that it is attached to Paddington Station which is the terminus for the Heathrow Express. Moreover, the hotel has a wonderful 1930s quality about it…the sort of place you would expect Hercule Poirot to be found in the lobby. That may be because it was built….

I found it particularly exciting to walk out of the lobby, day and night, directly into the busy train station.

It’s not cheap, (around $350 cdn) but then none of the London hotels are cheap, especially compared to most other cities around the world. But it was a great place to stay after a long flight. I will do it again!

Some final observations from Santiago

During my week in Santiago I came across a number of things that intrigued me and pleased me. I wrote about some of them in my Courier column, and previous blogs. But before leaving Santiago for Europe, here are a few final observations!

Maria Elena and Elke, the two very dedicated and lovely ladies who made my week in Santiago so very special...Thank you!

I liked the fact that architects were much more celebrated...and always put their name on their buildings

I was surprised to see that diesel fuel was significantly less expensive than regular gas...this is not a typical situation

Many of the roads are privately built and managed, and this is how they are paid for...

I'm sure a lot of people would hate this....but I didn't

Shoe shine stands are everywhere...and at less than a dollar to have your shoes shined...

People take a lot of pride in having their shoes shined

Here's an idea for the Flag Shop!

As I began to think that just about everything we wore was made in China, I came across this sign in a department store

In many parts of the city, the sidewalk is a market. I couldn't figure out what was legal and what wasn't but it certainly resulted in much livelier streets

There is a lot of creativity in the city...just look at this automotive garage

There is a very high standard of design and construction evident in many of the new buildings