HP's first decent design? Come on, you must be exaggerating. If I had more energy I'd find at least one HP building you've commented positively about. Also, there are far more awful areas to live than this one.

Overall this model is definitely the one to follow for the development of the Yonge St. strip. It increases density and adds architecturally, while properly respecting the existing buildings facing Yonge and on the site overall. I hope to see more like this.
 
urbandreamer said:
I fear it may become just another strip like the Five Thieves in Rosedale--"plastic."
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How can you describe this block of buildings, which has been authentically and beautifully restored to its original condition right down to the smallest detail, as "plastic". Maybe "Five Thieves" seems plastic to you because we have never seen in Toronto commercial buildings of this vintage in their original pristine condition. We are so used to seeing them run down with all their original architectural details hacked off and their brick exterior covered up in layers of paint and ugly signage. The "Five Thieves" stretch is how the rest of Yonge should look like. Hopefully the FIVE Condo restoration will turn out like "Five Thieves".
 
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^The DD comes to mind. It feels fake. They'll carefully select "cleansed" retailers to fit this area, and I'm afraid they'll end up being gentrified, boring retailers--like a Starbucks, dry cleaner etc. Maybe some high end bar for only the select few. We don't want yuppies everywhere, do we?
 
I agree and would be content to see a similar mix (or no change) to what is there now. Shops like Glad Day, internet cafes and cheap eats are part of the fabric of this part of Yonge Street. Too your point above though, the Five Thieves are not chain stores and don't feel 'fake' any time I've been there. While they are, I suppose, select, they are unique and certainly fit the the neighbourhood.
 
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urbandreamer said:
^The DD comes to mind. It feels fake. They'll carefully select "cleansed" retailers to fit this area, and I'm afraid they'll end up being gentrified, boring retailers--like a Starbucks, dry cleaner etc. Maybe some high end bar for only the select few. We don't want yuppies everywhere, do we?
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OK I get it.......

High-end, one-off, unique, retail housed in immaculately restored buildings (5 Thieves or DD) = FAKE = PLASTIC = BORING = GENTRIFIED = UNDESIRABLE

However..........

A pizza chain + A (poor quality) shwarma place + internet lounge housed in a dilapidated block of blighted buildings = AUTHENTIC = DESIRABLE
 
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I'm still not clear about what's happening on the roof. Is that elongated pyramid some some of lantern?
 
urbandreamer said:
^The DD comes to mind. It feels fake. They'll carefully select "cleansed" retailers to fit this area, and I'm afraid they'll end up being gentrified, boring retailers--like a Starbucks, dry cleaner etc. Maybe some high end bar for only the select few. We don't want yuppies everywhere, do we?
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Balzac's Coffee, Brick St Bakery, and Soma Chocolate at the DD are neither boring nor plastic. They're awesome as is the Gibsone Jessop Gallery, the Young Centre, the public art, etc. The Distillery is evolving really nicely and will only get better as more people live there and as it's reconnected to the surrounding city. Just because it isn't Kensington Market or Queen and Ossington doesn't mean it's inauthentic. Back to Five.
 
I feel the authenticity of these buildings will not be enough with just any old high-end stores in them. They should have to be truly authentic period shops from the era.

I expect to see a haberdasher, a ladies corset shop, a humidor, a milliner and a decent place where I can purchase my mustache wax!

If we don't get those, then I am satisfied with this stretch of Yonge NOT becoming another Yorkville. I am tired of Kyle Rae and his father/mother issues, always trying to legitimize his lifestyle and gaining approval by gentrifying any neighbourhood near his own. "Look mommy I am a valid person because I live in a desirable place. People that you like might actually live here now. So now do you love me? Do You ? Do you?"

Sorry for the rant, but in my opinion he sucked the life out of my neighbourhood when he moved in and does it every where he goes. I do love this project and have hopes that fun funky shops can afford to go in the refurbished spaces.

One question that hasn't come up that I have seen: What about the apartments above these old shops? What use will they have when this is completed? Is it just facadism above the shops and all that space is really one large floorspace or are the original shared walls to remain intact?
 
urbandreamer said:
Maybe some high end bar for only the select few.
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If the history of that site is any guide, such a bar wouldn't last -- the second floor of corner of St. Joseph and Yonge has gone through several high-end bars, each lasting at most a few years.
 
True, but this area is gentrifying and the residents of Five (along with Casa, BSN and 1 Bloor) should contribute to the success of higher-end retail along this strip.
 
Traynor said:
I am tired of Kyle Rae and his father/mother issues, always trying to legitimize his lifestyle and gaining approval by gentrifying any neighbourhood near his own. "Look mommy I am a valid person because I live in a desirable place. People that you like might actually live here now. So now do you love me? Do You ? Do you?"

Sorry for the rant, but in my opinion he sucked the life out of my neighbourhood when he moved in and does it every where he goes. I do love this project and have hopes that fun funky shops can afford to go in the refurbished spaces.
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Not to put too fine a point on it, but what the hell is this?

Never mind your shitty pop-psych twaddle. Would you like to explain how Kyle Rae personally went about gentrifying nearby neighbourhoods? How would a ward councillor go about that?

I'm not particularly invested in defending Kyle one way or the other. His style of development has yielded some hits and some misses. But posts like this drive me up the wall, because a) they make no sense, b) they're faintly hateful and c) they remind me of why it's so hard to get good people into public life: because you get deluged with thoughtless nonsense like this.

Worst of the Internet.
 
So there will be a few less junky stores on Yonge Street? And the problem is.....?
 
I agree, some sort of psycho-projection going on here. Kyle Rae as much as anyone has created an environment friendly to development. He's the first public official who aked "what's inherantly wrong with tall buildings?" since that seemed to be the only point of objection.

On another note - its a sad day when these shops are considered authenic:

"Shops like Glad Day, internet cafes and cheap eats are part of the fabric of this part of Yonge Street."

Yonge was originally the major retail stetch and was probably where most of the high-end retail was.
 
buildup said:
Yonge was originally the major retail stetch and was probably where most of the high-end retail was.
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True.

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