[Tulse]

The Albany Clinic was a dire, depressing place. And the new LCBO will be three times the size of the one across the street, so I figure it's a win all around.

I dunno what's happening with the Fruit King, which has been there seemingly forever. I do wonder if it is being developed together with the restaurant next door (which had been vacant seemingly forever). There's a sign in the restaurant window promising a Yogen Fruz and Jamba Juice, but that space seems far too big for those.

 

[Lenser]

Have you been to the new Albany on Broadview up a block or so from the Danforth? Not an amazing improvement or a prize-winning building but it is much better - more spacious and cheerful and much less, well, "dire."

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

The Albany Clinic was a dire, depressing place. And the new LCBO will be three times the size of the one across the street, so I figure it's a win all around.

I dunno what's happening with the Fruit King, which has been there seemingly forever. I do wonder if it is being developed together with the restaurant next door (which had been vacant seemingly forever). There's a sign in the restaurant window promising a Yogen Fruz and Jamba Juice, but that space seems far too big for those.

Yes, Fruit King is part of the redevelopment that includes the twenty-year tax writeoff next door, according to the signs on Fruit King. It could be they're planning a mini-food court type thing, which would be just dire (IMO).

Fruit King seems to have scooped a lease on the north side, possibly that of one of their competitors that opened.

 

[nfitz]

Sadly, I see that the former Albany Medical Clinic building is no more.

That was one ugly, dysfunctional, windowless hunk of concrete with a cheap brick veneer. It made the whole north-side of the block feel barren. And entering the old clinic felt very disconnected from anything.

Not sure what they are doing with it though - but I can't imagine how it wouldn't be an improvement.

Edit - oh, I see Tulse has beat me to it. The new clinic I find is much better. There's actually daylight inside the building! And much more spacious. You don't have to sit in someone's lap waiting ...

 

[Urban Shocker]

For the time it was built, the old Albany probably worked well at first, but it certainly was overcrowded towards the end. I rather liked the rabbit warren effect. Get to know thy neighbours and catch their diseases by sitting next to them in the waiting room.

The new building has plenty of daylight along the Broadview side, and I like the "view corridors" at the east side of the building, and the small secondary waiting rooms.

 

[Lenser]

The new building is a thousand times better - a breath of fresh air. Cool modern colour scheme, lots of natural light. The old place was claustrophobic and felt archaic.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

Yes, Fruit King is part of the redevelopment that includes the twenty-year tax writeoff next door, according to the signs on Fruit King. It could be they're planning a mini-food court type thing, which would be just dire (IMO).

Fruit King seems to have scooped a lease on the north side, possibly that of one of their competitors that opened.

Fruit King was purchased by a Dentist, who will make it, yes a Dental Office.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Fruit King was purchased by a Dentist, who will make it, yes a Dental Office.

So it's separate from the Jugo Juice mini-food court? Fruit King is being half-demolished right now. If you're correct about the dental office, that'll make at least three storefront dental offices on the south side of Danforth. All those restos must lead to some significant tooth decay in the 'nabe!

 

[GKW]

Not that I mind, but there are quite a few dental offices already in the area..at least its not another restaurant...

 

[whatmeworry]

DVD Rentals

Good Lord where can I rent a DVD? Or preferably Blurays? First to die, a few years ago, was the small 'specialty' movie place near the Music Hall on the Danforth. Then Blockbuster. Then Rogers. Now the one on Broadview just south of the Danforth is shutting down. I cycled up to Pape and Mortimer/Cosburn, which a number of years ago, sported two rental places, now both gone.

Got me a big HDTV, and I don't want to watch compressed downloaded stuff which is OK on a monitor, but sucks on a big screen.

I rent mailed DVDs from ZIP.ca, but sometimes have to wait months for popular newly-released titles.

So it's a real BITCH!!

 

[Lenser]

Can't say I have the same experience as yourself. We have a 42" Panasonic HD panel and we just downloaded through iTunes the 2nd season of a clever British reboot of Sherlock Holmes. Looks so juicy it's ridiculous. Generally we stay with Netflix, content to devour older (and cheaper) content.

But hey... you may have a point about digitally compressed data - it's just that the vast majority doesn't care. Lo-Fi mp3s rule in audioland, and most of us seem to be content with compressed audio-visual data too. In time the pipes will get bigger, the speeds faster, and I can imagine us getting to a point where zero compression will be the norm. Meanwhile, when I look at stuff we're streaming from the net - whether on a 27" iMac or the Panasonic - the appearance is the same: very sharp.

Anyway, writing's on the wall... those businesses on the Danforth and elsewhere are packing it in because they've been haemorrhaging customers.

 

[doug]

But hey... you may have a point about digitally compressed data - it's just that the vast majority doesn't care

Other than a CD, do you know of any source of uncompressed audio or video?

 

[Lenser]

Nope. Compression is the rule of the day. But increases in bandwidth and processing muscle will eventually obviate the need for it.

 

[whatmeworry]

I agree I'm visually fussy. I love the crisp bright clean look delivered by a good Bluray transfer. Some OPPO-upscaled DVDs are very good, even close to a poor Bluray transfer, but download-compressed = muddy to me (although not to others, and some people just don't care).

Those rental places that just recently closed had some customers, surely there are enough of us to support one DVD rental business ... <sigh>.

 

[Lenser]

Yeah, but let's face it - DVD hardware is going the way of the dodo. Those store owners see the end and they're getting out while they can still scrape together a couple of shekels.