someMidTowner
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Is this meant to be inflammatory or are people actually capable of such opinions?????
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Dandy Horse
Active Member
So we're all going to the community meeting, right? when is it?
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Heritage addressed, what do you define as a trashy looking junk shop? What's exactly is wrong with a couple of strip clubs?
ProjectEnd
Superstar
greenleaf is entirely correct - removing 13 individual storefronts and replacing them with two doors and vast expanses of glass is a pitiful response from a firm which usually gets these sorts of things right. If vertical cities like Hong Kong and New York have lessons to teach younger burgs like Toronto, it's that there is a palpable cadence to small, repeated storefronts and that if designed properly, one can place thousands (yep, thousands) of units above streets which retain the look and feel of something much more intimate. I see no problem with 50+ stories here if the damn thing meets the street properly. As it stands however, this proposal is a sad reminder of a bygone era where assembling smaller properties into something much larger was seen as a progressive and desirable thing to do. But I guess it did work in Hamilton...
But it seems that this clear-cutting is the sort of thing which gets urban-ignoramuses like Hanalansboy all drippy-drooly at the mouth so treat the troll accordingly.
But it seems that this clear-cutting is the sort of thing which gets urban-ignoramuses like Hanalansboy all drippy-drooly at the mouth so treat the troll accordingly.
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Hanlansboy
Active Member
I just knew someone would whine about my comment, what's wrong with trashy looking junk shops and strip bars? Are you for real? The entire point is to beautify our city, especially a street with such infamy as Yonge. Strip bars, like The Brass Rail and Zanzabar, just look cheap, keep them near the airport with the rest of them. The junk shops look as I said, trashy. I'd think a site dedicated to building new structures could appreciate what I'm saying, but, as I've noticed, not everyone agrees, and that fine. But seriously, wouldn't you rather see a refurbished, beautiful heritage building, as opposed to a run down building that is falling apart? My only interest is making our city shine, and a symbol of wealth and strength. I love my city, and I realize there are limits, but why not hope for the best. As I said, if you disagree, fine, but then what do you suggest? Leave it as is? I wish we could preserve these building and develope an equatable balance between the modern, and the old, that would be wonderful. Seems we're loosing so much of our history with each old building demolish. Leaving just the facade isn't the same, guess that's the trade off in a city with so much on going construction. And by the way, when I post, I NEVER do so to provoke anyone, I'm, like most here, am simply expressing my thoughts on he issue at hand, please don't confuse honesty for provocation, thanks.
Joe R.
Banned
They're sleezy.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Re-read my questions, please don't misquote me. I admire your love and passion for this city, that's why many of us are here. Debating and agreeing to disagree is fine, we all have valid points of view and more often than not no one person is right about anything when discussing subjective issues so it's good to read and discuss varying points of view.
I do agree with you on some of your points Hanlansboy. Yes, I agree that The Brass Rail and Zanzibar have really tacky exteriors, most wouldn't even notice Remington's as they pass by it. Their gaudy signs, kitchen floor tiles on the exterior of the buildings, aluminum siding etc. have probably destroyed what lies beneath decades ago but I don't agree that adult clubs belong at the airport, that sounds a little prudish. There are a half dozen, perhaps a dozen bargain stores on Yonge between Bloor & Dundas Sts. that have large displays of merchandise out on the sidewalk which do look a little messy but to me, that's part of the charm of Yonge Street though many would side with you on that, in fact I know they do. I in no way want to see new shiny buildings everywhere, it's fair to say half of them are crap and street killers to boot but there does have to be balance and compromise as our city grows. In my view Yonge St. above College is being allowed to be swallowed up by greedy developers with little regard to the walkability, 'mom and pop' businesses and vibrancy of this street. The latest news about the expanded proposed condo development on "Restaurant Row" across from Bell Lightbox is the latest thing turning my hair grey which is another matter altogether but another recent example of a really inappropriate development.
My suggestion is Yonge between College & Bloor should be a low to mid-rise area, and we need sweeping reforms for property owners who are sucking every dime out of the deteriorating buildings along here (and elsewhere) to make them restore and maintain their frontages, even with tax incentives. Condos behind these buildings off Yonge Street are just great in my books (FIVE, Karma, Massey Tower etc.) because they don't directly affect the Yonge Street experience.
Finally, Urban Toronto isn't dedicated to just discussions of new buildings, see how popular and informative the other sections and threads are.
I do agree with you on some of your points Hanlansboy. Yes, I agree that The Brass Rail and Zanzibar have really tacky exteriors, most wouldn't even notice Remington's as they pass by it. Their gaudy signs, kitchen floor tiles on the exterior of the buildings, aluminum siding etc. have probably destroyed what lies beneath decades ago but I don't agree that adult clubs belong at the airport, that sounds a little prudish. There are a half dozen, perhaps a dozen bargain stores on Yonge between Bloor & Dundas Sts. that have large displays of merchandise out on the sidewalk which do look a little messy but to me, that's part of the charm of Yonge Street though many would side with you on that, in fact I know they do. I in no way want to see new shiny buildings everywhere, it's fair to say half of them are crap and street killers to boot but there does have to be balance and compromise as our city grows. In my view Yonge St. above College is being allowed to be swallowed up by greedy developers with little regard to the walkability, 'mom and pop' businesses and vibrancy of this street. The latest news about the expanded proposed condo development on "Restaurant Row" across from Bell Lightbox is the latest thing turning my hair grey which is another matter altogether but another recent example of a really inappropriate development.
My suggestion is Yonge between College & Bloor should be a low to mid-rise area, and we need sweeping reforms for property owners who are sucking every dime out of the deteriorating buildings along here (and elsewhere) to make them restore and maintain their frontages, even with tax incentives. Condos behind these buildings off Yonge Street are just great in my books (FIVE, Karma, Massey Tower etc.) because they don't directly affect the Yonge Street experience.
Finally, Urban Toronto isn't dedicated to just discussions of new buildings, see how popular and informative the other sections and threads are.
UrbanFervour
Active Member
Well said dt. I agree with you... Although i never go to them, I like strip clubs and hope downtown Toronto will always have a place for them. I would hate to see yonge st become like southcore. Bay and University are good examples of what yonge should NOT be.
Joe R.
Banned
Why would you like them if you never go to them?
adma
Superstar
To put the shoe on the other foot, a thoughtful hetero can say the same about gay bars.
adma
Superstar
Actually, I find the present-day Zanzibar frontage to be one of the best things on Yonge, and almost the only thing left that successfully conjures up the neon-fueled joie de vivre of the 1960s. (And it's no accident that the Zanzibar proprietor is an apparent big fixture in the local BIA.)
Geekaroo
Active Member
Lookin at those plans, I don't see the two houses on Gloucester being incorporated, or am I missing something?
Hanlansboy
Active Member
Thanks for the reply, I can totally appreciate what you're saying, but tell it to these developers proposing 50+ story condos. I hate to say it, but if money does truly talk, I foresee even more monstrosities being build. I agree what you said about mom and pop stores, I only wish there was some type of governing body that would get these small business owners to keep their old buildings in good repair, at least the facade. I don't expect miracles, but it would be so nice to clean up some of the shops north of Dundas on Yonge. Perhaps I'm being nieve, but I think our core is already beautiful, but it could be so much more. After thinking about it, I agree with the low to mid-rises, but consider merely one street over, Bay is now lined, from Bloor all the way down to Queens Quay, with huge towers, eventually, perhaps sadly, it will spill over onto Yonge. And as for the strip bars, believe me, I'm a gay man with a very dirty sense of humor, so my morals or ethics have nothing to do with my thinking they just look tacky. We get thousands of tourists walking up and down Yonge, I somehow doubt they like it when little Johnny sees Lola's double D's in a life size poster in the front display, just saying......
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Geekaroo:
The elevations doesn't show it well, but if you look at p. 10 of the report, you'd see them quite clearly - and in fact, 2 of the 3 houses are sitting right above the subway tunnel. The true disappointment of this project is how the Yonge facade is handled.
AoD
The elevations doesn't show it well, but if you look at p. 10 of the report, you'd see them quite clearly - and in fact, 2 of the 3 houses are sitting right above the subway tunnel. The true disappointment of this project is how the Yonge facade is handled.
AoD
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Kinda' figured, with "Hanlansboy"And as for the strip bars, believe me, I'm a gay man with a very dirty sense of humor, so my morals or ethics have nothing to do with my thinking they just look tacky. We get thousands of tourists walking up and down Yonge, I somehow doubt they like it when little Johnny sees Lola's double D's in a life size poster in the front display, just saying......
. I get the tackiness of the strip clubs frontages & I agree, but not that they shouldn't be there, so my "prudish" comment retracted. You must be young, you should have seen from Gerrard down to Queen and spotty sections from Gerrard to Bloor in the 70's to late 80's, there were a whole lot more than Lola's double D's in the windows. 
More to the point I think maybe it's time to get my head around the fact that even more of the heritage buildings on Yonge will be lost soon after I see what's happening between Ed Mirvish Way & Peter St. on King West. As you say, "money talks". I'd love to see the mom & pop shops survive but the big corporations don't want that and the offshore landlords don't care about the state of their buildings so to a great extent it's probably a losing battle there too. How depressing.