scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
And get rid of the stairs.
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
Cast_Member
Active Member
The Yorkdale cinemas was never an independent but it was owned by Famous Players. Famous Players existed between 1920 and 2005. At the beginning the cinema was owned by Famous Players and Nathan Taylor the inventer of the multiplex cinema but later F.P. took over it because Taylor jumped ship to form Cineplex Odeon. The theatre was replaced by a Silvercity and later bought by Cineplex in 2005.
adma
Superstar
Though Woodbridge wouldn't have really factored in until a couple of decades into Yorkdale's existence. But re Forest Hill et al, I do think the early success and "fashionability" of Yorkdale owed a lot to the subliminal sociology of its proximity to the affluent/upwardly-mobile Bathurst-corridor Jewish demographic--even some of its early retail (like a branch for the old Noshery restaurant on Eglinton) directly reflected the fact. So, if we're thinking of past proxies for the Hills crowd, you can't beat the JAP crowd: teen Jeanne Bekers and their like...
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
It wasn't for a couple of decades into Yorkdale's existence that it was really positioning itself as a 'fashion mall' to compete with other malls, and I don't think that kind of inter-mall competition really heated up enough to start affecting the store lineup and mall design and so on until outlet malls, big box shopping, internet shopping, daytrips to Buffalo, etc., started making noise. I remember endless TV commercials advertising malls in the 90s, but they seem to have died down when people realized that the malls would not be snuffed out.
Isn't Forest Hill already a euphemism for the Jewish culture/crowd you describe? I mean, if Woodbridge can stand in for 'Snooki and her mom'...
Downsview, Rexdale, Willowdale, Jane & Finch...were young people and housewives in these areas going to Yorkdale between '64 and the 80s? It's a bit before my time. I guess it immediately drew large crowds because it's always been a huge and well-known mall, but I wonder what the mallrat situation was like back in, say the 70s.
adma
Superstar
Between 1964 and c1970, it definitely did draw a wide-ranging crowd, geographically and class-wise--in fact, one might say that Yorkdale's mystique started to fray or look "dated" as soon as the earliest hub-mall competition (Fairview, Sherway; then STC, Bramalea, Square One, etc) started popping up c1970...
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Even with the subway to Yorkdale in 1978, STC likely bested Yorkdale in the mallrat allure department (thus reducing the amount of parking required) not just through transit connections, but due to its world class food court (tragically maimed in renovations about a decade ago). The food court, theatre, and transt terminal were all literally metres from each other.
adma
Superstar
Was there a transit terminal of sorts at STC before the SRT was built? Though even so, STC was probably, in spirit, the first true "mallrat-type" mall in Toronto, thanks in part to the skylit food court--whereas Yorkdale belonged to a more cold-war-genteel pre-food-court era, before stuff like McDonalds and Burger King hit town. What passed for dining draws were the upper-level restaurants connected to Eatons + Simpsons, plus whatever ice cream at Laura Secord or deli and related fare in front of Dominion (and the aforementioned Noshery Encore, and was there a pancake joint as well? Can't precisely remember). It wasn't until the mid-80s Sears addition that Yorkdale really started to address mallrat-era reality, furthered when the Yorkdale subway connector became a continuous mall extension in its own right with--finally!--a true food court Yorkdale could call its own. But even then, the net result was more to turn that connector part into a mallrat tail wagging the Yorkdale dog--beyond the Holt Renfrew zone, Yorkdale remained fairly staid. And to some degree that remains the case; i.e. with the most recent expansions, we'd be talking about an "East Yorkdale" vs a "West Yorkdale". Mallrat types vs mall-walker types, I suppose...
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sixrings
Senior Member
I wish Yorkdale expanded to include businesses condos and most importantly Torontos 2nd NHL Hockey arena. This would make Yorkdale also a place to have concerts. These three things would make Yorkdale a place to live versus a destination for shopping. I hope the lawrence redevelopment makes the area more condo friendly and Yorkdale like all the other major malls, STC, Fairview, SQ1 embraces density and condo living. 2nd NHL TEAM HERE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
Dan416
Senior Member
I think Yorkdale definitely needs an expansion. They would probably have an A&F and Hollister and Forever XXI if they had space to give them.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
The return of a LCBO would be nice. Pedestrian traffic would not use the big box LCBO, nearby but on the north side of the 401, very inconvenient for those using the subway.
picard102
Senior Member
It's half a block from the subway station.
lightarchitect
Active Member
and plus.. they got rid of LCBO for a reason.. same reason why they want to get rid of the movie theater... it is bringing in the wrong crowd to the mall. they want to move the food court the where the movie theater is now..
sixrings
Senior Member
I never heard of them wanting to get rid of the movie theatre. If they wanted to get rid of the "wrong" Movie theatre crowd they could simplly keep the theatre and convert it to VIP cinemas like downtown varsity and charge a premium. That should eliminate the crowd you speak of. Movie theatres are everywhere tho. Theyre in Yorkville, there at yonge and Eglinton there is or was one in bayview village. The movie theatre alone isnt the only thing which is attracting the "wrong" crowd.
I hope the movie theatre remains.
Why not get rid of the foot court as well. Bayview vilage has no food court but instead has restaurants. Maybe that plan works. Maybe they should get rid of foot locker and champs (although these stories are seemingly always empty).
For the record I have no problem with the crowd Yorkvilles attracting.
Whose kidding who, Yorkville is TOO BIG to be a Bayview village. There are only so many rich desperate housewives who are looking to shop somewhere. Instead Yorkdale should be trying to become its own little hub similar to how STC and SQ1 are re inventing itself. The area needs retail, food,entertainment, and housing.
I hope the movie theatre remains.
Why not get rid of the foot court as well. Bayview vilage has no food court but instead has restaurants. Maybe that plan works. Maybe they should get rid of foot locker and champs (although these stories are seemingly always empty).
For the record I have no problem with the crowd Yorkvilles attracting.
Whose kidding who, Yorkville is TOO BIG to be a Bayview village. There are only so many rich desperate housewives who are looking to shop somewhere. Instead Yorkdale should be trying to become its own little hub similar to how STC and SQ1 are re inventing itself. The area needs retail, food,entertainment, and housing.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
It should be remembered that Yorkdale Shopping Centre is owned by Oxford Properties Inc. Oxford Properties also owns Scarborough Town Centre and Square One. So whatever happens at those other places could be replicated at Yorkdale.
Dan416
Senior Member
If Oxford was smart they'd switch from mall gift coupons to multi-mall ones like Cadillac Fairview does (CadFair has the Shop card, good at malls such as Fairview, Eaton Centre, Sherway, Markville, Erin Mills, etc). If Oxford had one it could be used at its major malls, Square One, Yorkdale, Scarborough TC.