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Not to nitpick, but I'd say Withrow Park itself is the heart... and the houses fronting it, and the streets leading from it. It's a lovely park at any rate and I find it difficult to think of Riverdale without conjuring up a picture of that park - or, perhaps, the westward view of the city from Broadview between Gerrard and the Danforth - to me that too is quintessential Riverdale.
 
Did anyone else notice that Zorba's on the Danforth has closed? The sign is unclear or whether or not it will open again...
 
levs said:
Did anyone else notice that Zorba's on the Danforth has closed? The sign is unclear or whether or not it will open again...
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The Zorba's website is down, but the cached version simply says "Zorbas will be closed as of Sunday, July 27, 2014. We would like to thank all our valued customers for years of continued patronage. Please stay connected via facebook for future updates. www.facebook.com/pages/Zorbas "

Nothing additional on the Facebook page. (ETA: the owners' daughter did write a "eulogy" on Facebook, in which she speculates that her parents might some day re-open at a new location, suggesting that they are done at the Pape and Danforth location.)
 
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Skeezix said:
The Zorba's website is down, but the cached version simply says "Zorbas will be closed as of Sunday, July 27, 2014. We would like to thank all our valued customers for years of continued patronage. Please stay connected via facebook for future updates. www.facebook.com/pages/Zorbas "

Nothing additional on the Facebook page. (ETA: the owners' daughter did write a "eulogy" on Facebook, in which she speculates that her parents might some day re-open at a new location, suggesting that they are done at the Pape and Danforth location.)
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I'll be around there tomorrow so I will have a peek. That would make it the last of the traditional Greek places. Now it's all souvlaki and saganaki.

I always assumed they owned the building so it was not as if the rent was an issue. But maybe taxes were. Maybe they got an offer they couldn't refuse (and I mean that in the original sense, as well as the commonly-accepted one) from the local "business association." Maybe it was just too big, which it was. Hard to keep clean. Maybe it needed a renovation they couldn't afford?

Anyway, for those who like that kind of open kitchen cuisine, the Greek Grill on Pape at O'Connor is highly recommended. I had a chicken breast stuffed with veg and cheese last week for dying.
 
Great location for a mid-rise or tower. The south-west views of the city skyline are great from the pedestrian overpass over the rail corridor. Been wondering how long that building supply place was going to last. The immediate area could use all the help it can get.
 
Lenser said:
Great location for a mid-rise or tower. The south-west views of the city skyline are great from the pedestrian overpass over the rail corridor. Been wondering how long that building supply place was going to last. The immediate area could use all the help it can get.
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Personally, I wouldn't want to live right on top of the tracks but I agree the upper floors would have great views. Maybe this will mean an improvement in the scuzzy stores on Pape just south of this project? Gerrard Square has picked up -- although I still miss Zeller's --- over the years but it has some ways to go. The strip mall on the west side of the tracks could also use some investment.
 
Hey, I wouldn't want to live right over the tracks, either - or the Gardiner, for that matter - but plenty of people have no problem with it. I think I'd rather deal with trains than a relentless stream of cars, actually.

The scuzzy commercial strip on Pape, just north of Gerrard, is indeed in need of help. Although I can't say I notice much of a difference in Gerrard Square - the place still depresses me and I generally avoid it (with the exception of quick stops at Tropical Joe's for a quite decent roti). As for the strip mall on the other side of the tracks, that too is ripe for redevelopment - big time.
 
I think this is an encouraging development for this area. That is a corner lot that could get away with no revitalization but instead a higher-than-expected design proposal pops up. I hope it is that catalyst for some more cleaning up on Pape / Gerrard / Carlaw area. Ideally, they should connect this property via rear lane to the LCBO bunker/parking lot.
 
The Court Jester is moving into the Zorba's space. My understanding is that they will be opening both a pub and a deli but I'm not sure if those plans are immediate. The Jester opened on the Danforth just as I moved into the area in Nov 1995 so it's been at that same location for almost 19 years!
 
Bernoulli said:
The Court Jester is moving into the Zorba's space. My understanding is that they will be opening both a pub and a deli but I'm not sure if those plans are immediate. The Jester opened on the Danforth just as I moved into the area in Nov 1995 so it's been at that same location for almost 19 years!
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We used to go there all the time when we lived in Riverdale. I think what I liked best about the place was not so much the food, which was mostly pretty run-of-the-mill pub grub, but the music. Great playlists. The Zorba's location is huge but, unless there's a surprise out back, no patio. Even though the CJ could only squeeze in a few tables, it was better than nothing and, indeed, could have been out favourite for people watching.
 
Thought of Ex-Montreal Girl yesterday. A woman, who I don't think I have ever met, stopped me on Carlaw, just north of Danforth, to ask "what's with all the handicapped permits?" I started to indicate that I thought that the cars with disabled permits all seemed to be associated with Ice/Kahlua/Gencor lounge, when she launched into a speech about how she was well aware of who the perpetrators were, how they abused the system, how the City does nothing and directs people who complain to the Province. She said it was also a problem on Gough, where the church parishioners run to see "Dr. Permit". She was going to follow up with Tabuns. Then she suggested that the people abusing the permits were possibly affiliated with the "thugs who run the BIA". She was quite insensced, not unjustly given the situation. The thugs comment made me think of Ex-Montreal Girl. What exactly is the situation with the BIA?
 
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