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Mustapha said:
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"Saint Patrick" in the Then picture being one of the historic segments of several small narrow streets widened and connected into the present continuous Dundas Street West. So we are looking at the east side of Spadina, north of Dundas, south of Saint Andrew Street.

This Then and Now pair perhaps isn't that meaningful but in looking at both I noticed and was surprised how:

a) In the Then picture the middle house is a semi-detached. All that space in 1864 Toronto and someone built a semi-detached here on the outskirts. I wonder how common it was to do that.

b) In the Now picture there are two houses peeking out over the hustle and bustle that is now Spadina Avenue. I like to see this; the sentinels of the past keeping watch over the present. [Hope this last sentence wasn't too tortured].
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and since you were rating restaurants, Swatow has never let me down!!!
 
Mustapha said:
Try the place at 322 Spadina. You might like it better.
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Oh, Nguyen Huong, yes. That's my regular banh mi place now ever since they closed down Banh Mi & Che Cali next door and replaced it with a silly hipster take on Chinese food. Banh Mi & Che Cali was great: you could choose a bunch of other Vietnamese food and make your own combo, plus they had cold Vietnamese coffee to go.
 
queen looking w from simcoe 1955.jpg


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Koolgreen said:
and since you were rating restaurants, Swatow has never let me down!!!
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Today's Then and Now, with a possible segue into a 'restaurant rating'. :)

Looking NW at the N side of Queen street - the block between Simcoe and Saint Patrick.

In the Now picture only The 'Rex' is still there. The Rex has a small window sign advertising 'all day breakfast'. I must go. Has anybody gone for the breakfast, or any of their regular menu items?

The Rex opens VERY early. When I walk by at 7am they are already open. I suppose that there is a hotel upstairs is the cause of this. Can't leave guests without a food service...
 

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Another view of the Rex -- A boy from the country-side (Scarborough) doesn't know much about places like this.
And the other side of Queen St. is pretty colourful, too!

The Rex Hotel.JPG


225-231 Queen St. West.JPG
 

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Shame to have lost that 4th building from the right (in Mustapha's previous post). Does anyone have any other photos of it?
 
Armour said:
Shame to have lost that 4th building from the right (in Mustapha's previous post). Does anyone have any other photos of it?
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Maybe somewhere in realms like Vintage Toronto on FB (I'm not presently up to searching)--but it did latterly have an illustrious history as George's Bourbon Street, one of Toronto's premier hubs for jazz in the 70s and 80s. (Can't remember if it was demolished *for* the present-day 180 Queen, or some years prior)
 
adma said:
Maybe somewhere in realms like Vintage Toronto on FB (I'm not presently up to searching)--but it did latterly have an illustrious history as George's Bourbon Street, one of Toronto's premier hubs for jazz in the 70s and 80s. (Can't remember if it was demolished *for* the present-day 180 Queen, or some years prior)
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From Wikipedia: Bourbon Street was opened in 1971 by Doug Cole, also the owner of George's Spaghetti House. The club featured a largely American musical lineup that was backed by a local house band. In the fall of 1975 both Jim Hall and Paul Desmond recorded live albums at the club for A&M Records. These albums both feature all-Canadian bands.

Cole sold the club in 1983. Bourbon Street continued to feature music until 1986. The building has since been demolished.


Then there's this: Except for a period in the mid-1960s when US musicians were featured, George's has presented in the main Toronto jazz and studio players. The bands of Moe Koffman, the club's booking agent, performed there regularly until 1990. George's has been the site of CBC broadcasts and of recording sessions by Ed Bickert, Koffman, Doug Riley, and Time Warp.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/georges-jazz-room-emc/

The building existed until at least 1990, I guess?
 
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1970 MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY:
(Queen Street West.)

SIMCOE STREET.

174 Al's Restaurant.
176 Peter's Barber Shop.
..... Colin's Fast Cleaning & Laundry Service.
178 University Restaurant.
180 Chuvalo's, George; Caravan, restaurant and tavern.
..... Chuvalo's Caravan Ltd.
186 Gold's Luggage Shop Ltd. sales and repairs.
188-192 Carpark Management Services Ltd. parking lot.
194-196 Rex Hotel Toronto Ltd

ST PATRICK STREET.

Regards,
J T
 
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"1950 MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY:
(Queen Street West.)

SIMCOE STREET.

174 Lockie Neil, druggist.
176-176 1/2 Mesh's Place, restaurant.
178 Kent Grill.
180 National Shoe Store.
180A Sparton Sportswear Co.
182 Violet Ladies Wear184. Shelietto Tony, fruit and grocery.
184 1/2 Kochen Henry Co, storage.
186 Favourite Gift Shop. Steinberg Cima Mrs.
186 1/2 Kochen Henry Co, sportswear.
188 Cut Rate Dress Stores, clothing.
192 Tool Crib The Hardware. Production Tools, hardware.
194-196 United Clothing Store, men's clothing.

ST PATRICK STREET.
............................
NOTE:
The below is from The Names Section of the above 1950 Might's Directory.

Rex Hotel (Mrs G Hertzman & Murray Abramowitz)
9 St Patrick Street.

Regards,
J T
 
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