[Cooper]

As for streetscape, Queen is basically Queen from Roncesvalles to Neville Park, with the obvious exceptions. More 4-5 storey stuff in the west with much more 2-storey stuff in the East. There is a general density factor in the West on the main E-W streets, though, through St. Clair and even Eglinton. Which obviously accommodates more commercial, residential and pedestrian activity. Also, there's a rent-wall where the Beach(es) begin(s). As a result, the burgeoning of the West is likely a combination of opportunity, cultural momentum and extended stretches where those can be lived out.

As for further West, whenever I take Lakeshore or the Queensway through New Toronto, Mimico out to Long Branch, I see tons of opportunity, streetwise. Haven't thoroughly explored the residential interior, though.

I think you've pretty much nailed it, hper. It's a momentum story, and the momentum went west for many years. In the past decade, it's developed in the east, too, largely due to real estate prices. Of the 10 years I've lived in Toronto (pretty much all at Queen E/Carlaw), it seems to me that the west skews younger. In that same time, my area has blown up, largely due to people in their early to mid-30s heading east due to lower housing prices in neighbourhoods with a decent street life and good access to the city as whole. Condos have followed that migration, and now we're seeing a larger number of the late-20s crowd settling in the area. (I can tell by the difference by the kind of noise I hear after closing time on Saturday nights. It used to be Bukowski-esque freaks and weirdos. Now it's more frat-boyish. The old days were more fun.)

 

[prosperegal]

I think the west side (e.g. Liberty Village and the like) is better if you are child-free, but the east is better if you have kids.

 

[hper]

I think you've pretty much nailed it, hper. It's a momentum story, and the momentum went west for many years. In the past decade, it's developed in the east, too, largely due to real estate prices. Of the 10 years I've lived in Toronto (pretty much all at Queen E/Carlaw), it seems to me that the west skews younger. In that same time, my area has blown up, largely due to people in their early to mid-30s heading east due to lower housing prices in neighbourhoods with a decent street life and good access to the city as whole. Condos have followed that migration, and now we're seeing a larger number of the late-20s crowd settling in the area. (I can tell by the difference by the kind of noise I hear after closing time on Saturday nights. It used to be Bukowski-esque freaks and weirdos. Now it's more frat-boyish. The old days were more fun.)

I like Carlaw. Fond memories of pre-family life and attendant slatternly ways. Years ago there was a cinematic special-effects shop called Laird (run by a guy named Laird. Just Laird.) and every year there was a party in their warehouse space. And it may have been the best fucking party of the year for the production industry. Around this time of year, IIRC (and probably don't. Because Laird party). But that stretch of real estate has too much value now for hootin' n' hollerin'. It's not hard to imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands now that it's about to go off. The housing just east is being snapped up and Queen E. between, say, Broadview and Carlaw is really walkable. It's great (Though the flood plain is a bit of a potential problem). Also, the pho on Gerrard E. is really, really good. Plus, Bill's for fish.

Fun fact: In 1996, a business partner and I looked into buying a three-storey building on Queen, two blocks east of Jilly's. Price? 350K. Kicking ourselves now.

 

[M.R.Victor]

This map from a different UT thread should ad a little bit of extran information regarding the population of the east side vs that of the west side. The map is a bit old, from 2006, but it still paints a pretty accurate picture.

 

[salsa]

Not surprised that I can't recognize Scarborough Centre on the map. It hasn't been as successful compared to NYCC.

 

[Canadian Chocho]

Did not expect northern Scarborough to be that dense, particularly along Finch.

 

[King of Kensington]

That's a very helpful map - there's a big contiguous red area in the core running pretty much from the DVP out to High Park and just some scattered red bits east of the DVP. I don't think it's really evened out that much such 2006.

 

[agoraflaneur]

If anything the west has seen explosive growth in the ED, CityPlace/Fort York, and Queen West triangle compared to the predominantly mid rise development in the east. I'd be surprised if the west isn't denser than the east in 2014 vis a vis 2006. Of course there is Regent Park and the distillery, but those are just now beginning to significantly increase eastern density.

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

If anything the west has seen explosive growth in the ED, CityPlace/Fort York, and Queen West triangle compared to the predominantly mid rise development in the east. I'd be surprised if the west isn't denser than the east in 2014 vis a vis 2006. Of course there is Regent Park and the distillery, but those are just now beginning to significantly increase eastern density.

Regent Park was already pretty high density, and Distillery is still on the west side of the Don.

At one time in the mid-1970s, the area roughly between Jones and Coxwell up to Danforth had some of the lowest population density in the old city, or so we were told by the local councillor of the day. Between the TTC subway yard at Greenwood, streetcar yard on Queen, bus garage at Coxwell, the old brick yard lands and City works yard on the east side of Greenwood at the CNR, the industrial properties along the CNR line around Coxwell, and the land south of Eastern Ave. there was a lot of non-inhabited space. Development of the brick yard land, redevelopment of the industrial land east of Coxwell at the CNR and various in-fill developments (e.g. Lydia Court, Queen & Kent, Queen & Connaught, Rhodes Ave., Walpole Ave., the old Robertson Motors lot) have definitely boosted the density since then but it's still probably lower than Riverdale.

 

[ehlow]

Did not expect northern Scarborough to be that dense, particularly along Finch.

Interesting eh? In our city the suburbs do have clusters of density. If you check satellite images on Google Maps, you'll see that these are typically clusters of apartment buildings with a ring road around it.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I just took a look at my location history on my iPhone. 'Twas interesting.

About a third of my destinations were on Yonge Street. The remaining two thirds were west of Yonge. Zero destinations were east of Yonge

Looking at previous months, again about a third of my destinations were on Yonge. A little less than two thirds were west of Yonge. A handful of destinations (less than 5) were east of Yonge and most of them were immediately east.

For reference, I live about a 10 minute walk west of Yonge. So this means that the location of my home shouldn't lend to too much of a westerly bias.

So my travel patters seem to indicate that, at least for myself, the western side of the city is more prominent. Perhaps a few of you could share your travel patterns.

 

[WislaHD]

Saw this interesting map:

 

[ksun]

Can I make a minor suggestion that the spelling mistake in the title to be corrected? It is fine in the threads, but it is embarrassing to show "more .. then..." in the title of an entire thread, isn't it?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I think youre the only one who finds this embarrassing. It's an inconsequential grammar error. Who cares?

 

[Cooper]

I just took a look at my location history on my iPhone. 'Twas interesting.

About a third of my destinations were on Yonge Street. The remaining two thirds were west of Yonge. Zero destinations were east of Yonge

Looking at previous months, again about a third of my destinations were on Yonge. A little less than two thirds were west of Yonge. A handful of destinations (less than 5) were east of Yonge and most of them were immediately east.

For reference, I live about a 10 minute walk west of Yonge. So this means that the location of my home shouldn't lend to too much of a westerly bias.

So my travel patters seem to indicate that, at least for myself, the western side of the city is more prominent. Perhaps a few of you could share your travel patterns.

I live about three kms east of Yonge along Queen St. My locations would be opposite to yours. Queen East is pretty busy once you get past the Don. There's no real need to leave, unless it's for something specific. For me, that's mainly socializing with various friends who live west of the downtown. To be honest, I don't have much need to even venture off my block — there's a variety of bars/restos, groceries (mass market and specialty), coffee, doctors, dentists, vet, clothing, smokes, newspapers, transit etc. It's all there before you hit a traffic light. The main thing we're missing — thankfully —*is a clubby, nightlife venue. But they are starting to crop up a couple of blocks away.

As for the original question of the thread — is west more prominent — the short answer is: yes. It's been popular for much longer and has more momentum. From what I can tell, the east Toronto story (by that, I mean the old city) is really only 10 or 15 years old. It has a ways to go to catch up — assuming that's even a desirable goal — but it is filling in/renewing rapidly. I just hope its neighbourhoods maintain independent identities.