somerset street prototype

691 Somerset has a mural

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This mural is on the north side of the street where Cambridge street intersects. It is a commission sponsored by the Somerset Street Business Improvement Association (BIA) and the Ottawa Police that was made by Cairn Cunnane.

702 Somerset was the New Great Wall

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Phone Cards are becoming obsolete

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Once a common item in convenience store windows,  advertisements for prepaid long distance telephone cards are becoming less commonly seen. The demand for this type of cheap international calling has fallen off as cell phone rates drop.

775 Somerset Street West is the Mamphong Grocery

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Chu Shing restaurant is at 691

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The Chu Shing is upstairs in this new building. The restaurant is directly across the street from the Yangtze Restaurant ,taken together the two restaurants are a signifigant tourist stop. There are dedicated parking meters for tour buses at this corner. See the opposite side of the street here.

The stone garden at Cambridge street

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The three stones in the radial pavement design do not have an explanatory plaque with them. The stones are intriguing and  look as if they are intended to operate as art, but, if that is not the case; the correct cultural context is certainly needed to understand them properly. 

I went on line to try and research this and found very little to explain what is there now but it is obvious that this site has been hotly debated in the recent past. There is a link to an article about this from the Centretown News here.

775 Somerset Street is the Dalhousie community center

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This stone building is on the corner of Empress Avenue . This building was one of a number of church properties associated with the Dominican Monstery which can be seen in the distance.

The Catholic church properties influenced the street a great deal in years past, the community center which now occupies one of those buildings today also exerts a large influence here.

The Chinese Christian Church of Ottawa

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This institution can be seen from Somerset street, but it is actually at 116 Empress Avenue.

762 and 764 Somerset - the Serson Clarke apartments and Video Latino

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The large building in the foreground is the Serson Clarke non profit housing co-operative which is a city of Ottawa assisted entity. On the ground floor  of that building  is a  small  city run parking lot and  a "Mercado Latino" which sells grocereies and rents spanish language  videos.

675 and 671 Somerset Street West

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These businesses are located on the northwest corner of Bronson Avenue which is an important crossroads for the communities who use this street, The pizzeria occupies the place that the "La Roma" Italian restaurant was about 25 years ago . It was a very popular restaurant that is still missed by many long time residents in the neighbourhood.