Toronto non-mall retail (Odds & Ends)

[Urban Shocker]

I hear that it is quite trendy now, among the legions of the young, to sit down in little groups in fashionable bars, cafes and restaurants on certain days of the week and write letters to friends, and mail them, and wait for a reply to come back by snail mail.

And I'm slowly working my way through a book written in 1742 by the Dowager Duchess of Blenheim about her life at Court. The language is, at times, baffling and convoluted - and quite lovely. Some sentences I must go over three or four times to understand fully. It is quite delightful.

 

[AlbertC]

Video screens being installed on this building on Yonge Street (One block north of Dundas).

New retail building being built on Queen West. I'll be happy if it ends up looking as decent as its neighbours to the west (right side in perspective of photo).

 

[Tewder]

I wonder to what degree the second picture above is a glimpse into the future of Queen Street as dilapidated buildings succomb to varying pressures to modernize? It would be a shame, for sure! I hope that the city would be proactive in protecting certain important buildings or certain important groupings of buildings, offering financing for restoration etc, so as to help preserve the character and heritage of the area.

 

[FAC33]

Album art has nothing to do with the music? Not any more it doesn't....nobody listens to an "album" anymore. Album art was part of a "concept", as was usually the entire contents of the album. Which would explain why the music industry has gone down the tubes and the music is garbage..

On the other hand, Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" is a good example of an album designed as an album and largely devoid of "hit songs." They're also doing some interesting work in expanding the idea of album artwork beyond the idea of cover art--the copy of the album I have on my iPod actually shows the lyrics along with the songs, as well as different artwork for each.

And it's interesting--Urban Shocker's description of young people writing each other letters reminds me very much of their video (and lyrics) for "We Used to Wait."

Not to mention the once again expanding appeal for vinyl, a format that most people wrote off close to 25 years ago.

 

[AlbertC]

http://twitter.com/#!/urbanation

"Loblaw's, Winners and Joe Fresh opening this year at Tribute Communities' "Queen + Portland" condo at 156 Portland Street in downtown west."

 

[taal]

espirit on Queen W is closing ... there's 3/4+ vacancies on this stretch of Queen now.

 

[khris]

Esprit NEVER fit in with Queen West anyway. Just like Payless shoes doesn't. It's a more younger hip "edgy" crowd that hangs out in that area and shops.

 

[freshcutgrass]

I hear that it is quite trendy now, among the legions of the young, to sit down in little groups in fashionable bars, cafes and restaurants on certain days of the week and write letters to friends, and mail them, and wait for a reply to come back by snail mail.

As much as deride the hipsters (although I must confess that I'm not quite sure what a hipster is), they seem to be the young demographic who adopts things like this. I'm sure it's inauthentic and just another shallow and fleeting trend for them (like wearing bow ties and sweater vests). But at least it's encouraging to see it.

On the other hand, Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" is a good example of an album designed as an album and largely devoid of "hit songs." They're also doing some interesting work in expanding the idea of album artwork beyond the idea of cover art-

Not to mention the once again expanding appeal for vinyl, a format that most people wrote off close to 25 years ago.

I see they also pressed each track to a 12" lacquer, then recorded it back for the digital master of the album, so the digital versions would sound more like the vinyl albums (not that really will).

The resurgence of vinyl is also increasing the popularity of an entirely analog signal chain, for a true ‘AAA’ vinyl release (that’s analog mix, analog master, analog playback). This was something you only got in classical, jazz and "audiophile" recordings until recently. More importantly, the nasty habit of absurdly compressed dynamic range looks to be improving as well because of this.

 

[AlbertC]

Esprit NEVER fit in with Queen West anyway. Just like Payless shoes doesn't. It's a more younger hip "edgy" crowd that hangs out in that area and shops.

Queen West (between Uni Ave and Spadina) is still a pretty bustling place, but it has become as mainstream as any mall. Still a popular place for young people but nothing really "edgy" about it anymore. The hipster crowd has moved further west along Queen (west of Bathurst), Dundas West, Bloor West, Ossington, and Harbord.

 

[Urban Shocker]

As much as deride the hipsters (although I must confess that I'm not quite sure what a hipster is), they seem to be the young demographic who adopts things like this. I'm sure it's inauthentic and just another shallow and fleeting trend for them (like wearing bow ties and sweater vests). But at least it's encouraging to see it.

I haven't written letters in years, since cheap long distance phone rates and/or email came along. ( as for bow ties and sweater vests, well, I've been wearing them for decades ). I think there's always a certain fascination with earlier forms of language and communication, exploring what it was that they once accomplished, and how they appeared and worked ( the book I mentioned earlier, written in 1742, for instance ), hence the return of vinyl and typewriters and the lost art of penmanship with a younger, curious, crowd; Classical and gothic revival architecture were a result of such re-thinkings of the past rather than slavishly copying it, I suppose. The best art of every age survives the test of time, regardless of the technique employed to produce it and I wouldn't be too mean towards new forms because they'll be old forms in due course. It isn't difficult to adapt to new trends if they suit your requirements, and we have so many more options nowadays. Since retiring, I've lived rather "off the grid" and distanced from most contemporary forms of instant communication ( emailing from here in England being the exception ) and I'm taking time to read books, walk around and enjoy cities on foot, take in live music rather than recorded whenever I can, etc. so I think you can pick and choose your way of living more easily now.

 

[taal]

Queen West (between Uni Ave and Spadina) is still a pretty bustling place, but it has become as mainstream as any mall. Still a popular place for young people but nothing really "edgy" about it anymore. The hipster crowd has moved further west along Queen (west of Bathurst), Dundas West, Bloor West, Ossington, and Harbord.

Yea I agree, it's more like an outdoor mall. The what I presume 'Hip part' of Queen W is more around trinety bellwood park (mind my spelling).

But what's so about about an outdoor mall, it's great ! I find other larger cities (London / New York ...) that's one difference, they have outdoor malls; By that I simply mean stretches outside that resemeble what a typical mall would be like. London has multiple streets like this, and to some degree it's unfortunate as they're all nearly idental. I remember my last trip to London and they really have a couple 'main' streets that are nearly copies of each other. (note there are many other interesting placing in London ...).
Anyway, what I'm saying is I'd take on outside mall over an inside one !

 

[AlbertC]

http://www.blogto.com/services/dukes-cycle-toronto

The Duke returns to Queen

Posted by Derek Flack / REVIEWED ON MAY 12, 2011

 

[greenleaf]

I have heard that Starbucks will be going into the empty retail at the Bay Charles Tower. They started gutting the space this week.

edit: Now that I think about it, they are really saturating the market here. There is one kitty corner in the Indigo at Manulife, one a block away at Yonge & Charles, one about 2 blocks north at Cumberland, then another on Bloor at Winners. Not to mention that there is a Tim's and a Timothy's right there too.

 

[Patriot]

Video screens being installed on this building on Yonge Street (One block north of Dundas).

Can anyone confirm a Panera Bread is opening up at this location? It amazes me there are no For Lease signs and no coming here soon signs...

 

[androiduk]

I was told by a prospective tenant that the deal with Panera fell through. Have no way of confirming it though. The recent interior construction was reinforcing the building to handle the weight of the new signs.