[tecturemuse]

The Star has some pictures inside the new Saks. It looks quite nice.

http://www.thestar.com/business/2016/02/16/torontos-saks-fifth-avenue--its-almost-ready.html

 

[salsa]

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Am going to a party there tonight. Will let you know my thoughts later.

 

[Skeezix]

As per Photo 1, I am somewhat appalled that they moved the war memorial to former Simpsons employees who died in the war (wars?). I get why Saks did it, and don't necessarily blame them, and don't even think it was necessarily the wrong thing to do (City Council actually approved it), but somehow it still just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The march of progress favours pretty foyers over dead soldiers. The tribute to our men in uniform is replaced by ... a mannequin in uniform holding up nicely wrapped parcels.

 

[Skeezix]

Am going to a party there tonight. Will let you know my thoughts later.

Ask them if the tile in the concourse is shiny stone or shiny ceramic tiles made to look like stone. That's the major issue.

 

[khris]

I walked past on the Yonge St. side tonight and saw a restaurant that's opening here is called Lena. I think that's what it said.

 

[Kyle Alexander]

I already miss the grates that the rendering showed over the top windows and I know they had flags up and now they are down. So far the exterior branding looks cheap and like some suburban version of whats great in new York. I hope those details along with lighting in the picture will be added.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Ask them if the tile in the concourse is shiny stone or shiny ceramic tiles made to look like stone. That's the major issue.

It was a party about Saks, not about the Bay!

Anyhoo, the store is beautiful. You can scarcely imagine that it was the bay - the LV leathergoods boutique is where that old run down entrance at Queen and Yonge was, for example. They have great product lines, a lot of which I don't previously recall seeing in Toronto, for both men and women. Menswear is on 2. The staff are amazeballs - friendly, helpful, service oriented - quite unheard of in Toronto.

 

[gabe]

The staff are amazeballs - friendly, helpful, service oriented - quite unheard of in Toronto.

That's good to hear! I've always been impressed with the level of service at Saks ( and Nordstrom) in the states. Holt's customer service is atrocious. Last time i was there, the sales people ignored me, so I put my items back and went to Harry Rosen and got what a wanted with extremely helpful, friendly service. Now that we got Saks, Nordstrom and Rosen in one location. i won't have to bother with Holt's anymore. The Eaton Centre area has become a one stop shop for designer goods.

 

[gregv]

I walked past on the Yonge St. side tonight and saw a restaurant that's opening here is called Lena. I think that's what it said.

I saw it today:
leña
by chef Anthony Walsh
Summer 2016

 

[AndreaPalladio]

A few of the boutiques inside are opening until the fall - Dior womens clothes and handbags are the two I recall.

 

[officedweller]

As per Photo 1, I am somewhat appalled that they moved the war memorial to former Simpsons employees who died in the war (wars?). I get why Saks did it, and don't necessarily blame them, and don't even think it was necessarily the wrong thing to do (City Council actually approved it), but somehow it still just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The march of progress favours pretty foyers over dead soldiers. The tribute to our men in uniform is replaced by ... a mannequin in uniform holding up nicely wrapped parcels.

Ahh - I had forgotten about that.
That explains the bizarre ungainly column in the middle of the corridor.
The area looks too generic in the photo.

 

[someMidTowner]

Huge photo dump of hastily edited shots

Part 1:

 

[someMidTowner]

Part 2:

 

[someMidTowner]

Part 3: