Asphalt of Toronto - Our Lost Parking Lots (aka Toronto in the Golden Age of Parking)

**Mongo** · 2012-Feb-10, 12:08

Some more images:

TD building topped off in 1966, with lotsa parking lots in the general area:

A shot of the 1932 downtown. Note that the big parking lots do not yet exist:

**CDL.TO** · 2012-Feb-10, 12:17

Originally Posted by Mississauga Slim

These pictures would make a great coffee-table book: Toronto in the Golden Age of Parking.

Ha ha ha. I love it!

**Mongo** · 2012-Feb-10, 12:33

More old parking lots:

**Ladies Mile** · 2012-Feb-10, 12:51

It certainly makes one feel less smug about similar developments in the US and elsewhere.

Toronto circa 1970 was as parking lot-strewn as Buffalo is now minus the actual architectural holdovers from the Sullivan period.

**innsertnamehere** · 2012-Feb-10, 15:24

I still think that this parking lot was quite possibly the most epic parking lot in north america. (the really big one)

**Red October** · 2012-Feb-10, 15:55

Originally Posted by Mongo

More old parking lots:

Ick.. Oh St. James.

**CityPlaceN1** · 2012-Feb-10, 16:25

Originally Posted by Ladies Mile

It certainly makes one feel less smug about similar developments in the US and elsewhere.

Toronto circa 1970 was as parking lot-strewn as Buffalo is now minus the actual architectural holdovers from the Sullivan period.

Really? We already had the new City Hall and TD Centre built with a slate of massive towers under construction or in the planning stages. They had what? The Marine Midland building possibly under consideration. No contest.

**Ladies Mile** · 2012-Feb-10, 16:53

Originally Posted by CityPlaceN1

Really? We already had the new City Hall and TD Centre built with a slate of massive towers under construction or in the planning stages. They had what? The Marine Midland building possibly under consideration. No contest.

"Architectural holdovers from the Sullivan period" = "Buildings designed from 1880 through 1910 by Henry Hobson Richardson, Louis Sullivan, Charles Atwood, Frank Lloyd Wright, Vaux & Olmstead, McKim Mead & White, J.L. Silisbee, etc."

**hawc** · 2012-Feb-10, 17:31

**Therion** · 2012-Feb-10, 20:14

Way more lots, way fewer residents and businesses... No wonder they are mostly empty. The pic in post #7 is a good example. I think I prefer the current state of affairs

**W. K. Lis** · 2012-Feb-10, 22:23

Will the Ontario Place parking disappear, move, or be hidden away?

**hawc** · 2012-Feb-10, 22:38

Originally Posted by W. K. Lis

Will the Ontario Place parking disappear

Good question. Ontario Place is going to be completely rebuilt in a few years so who knows.

I wonder if Toronto still has as many parking spot when you take into account all the multi-level underground spots under many if not all of the new buildings.

**innsertnamehere** · 2012-Feb-10, 22:57

probably just as many, just not as many public spots. they have all been transferred to private condo parking spots, and private office parking. the largest "lot" nowadays (AFAIK) is under city hall.

**hawc** · 2012-Feb-10, 23:12

Originally Posted by innsertnamehere

The largest "lot" nowadays (AFAIK) is under city hall.

Yup, looks like a big one. Wonder why it's so big?

**thecharioteer** · 2012-Feb-11, 02:14

Originally Posted by innsertnamehere

probably just as many, just not as many public spots. they have all been transferred to private condo parking spots, and private office parking. the largest "lot" nowadays (AFAIK) is under city hall.

Or above ground, like the 785 space Yonge Parkade of Eaton Centre:

Thread: Asphalt of Toronto - Our Lost Parking Lots (aka Toronto in the Golden Age of Parking)

Thread Tools

Display

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions