But at the same time there's really NO WAY to prevent such incedents from taking place EVER. In no way would I consider most of Yonge street downtown seedy ... the only argument you can make is regarding the homeless people who can be found in the area.
Homeless folk are everywhere, I see less on Yonge Street than I do in my own neighbourhood. One of the most aggressive panhandlers that I have come across in years was as I was about 100 feet from entering the Sheppard subway station on the north/west corner a few months back. I rarely ever experience someone as spooky as that dude. Point is, these folks are not just found on downtown Yonge Street.
Yonge street should have something for everyone! Even things other's might consider seedy.
Yonge Street (I'm talkin' about the "seedy" section from Gerrard to Bloor) has tons of great places to eat & fast food outlets, offbeat clothiers, nail salons, memorabilia shops, non-chain related electronics stores with knowledgeable and helpful staff, fly-by-night electronic stores with useless staff, hair salons, psychics, tattoo parlours, 2nd hand game & music shops, banks, health food stores, drug stores, coffee shops, bargain stores, head shops, luggage outlets, a few adult emporiums thrown in for good measure - and so much more. This area does indeed have something for just about everyone!
I'm sad to see Sam's go, it holds as much nostalgia to me as say Maple Leaf Gardens. It was my go-to music store for probably 30 years. I'm optimistic about what Ryerson can do to this corner. In contrast to what is on the south side of the street, it can only be an improvement!
I'm personally not opposed to change but the idea of chasing away homeless people, shutting down adult entertainment venues and "beautifying" this strip with a mile of shiny chain stores and upscale boutiques makes me sad for what we will lose.
