urbandreamer
recession proof
No. The trashy part of Queen West is from Spadina to University. It's become essentially a 905 (and worse, 519)-only zone.
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Beverley Hotel (335 Queen W @ Beverley, 4.5s, Steven Fong) COMPLETE
- Thread starter calimehtar
- Start date
taal
Senior Member
I'm not really sure what this means ... it's become an outdoor mall of sorts ... what's so bad about this anyway?
If you've ever visited London / New York, they have many many of these streets. Actually London is a good example, streets like Oxford and the like are honestly a carbon copy of each other and all have stores you'd find in malls ... actually I'm not very fond of this - but in Toronto Queen W is the only outdoor mall that exists for the most part - i.e. big chain name stores that typically only locate in malls. So as long as we don't see this repeated everywhere it's fine.
Honestly though, not to go off topic, but after my trip to London this summer, many of there *tourist trap* top shopping destination streets are carbon copies of each other. Even Knightsbride (pardon my spelling) was just more of the same ... that's not to say there isn't more interesting areas though.
allabootmatt
Senior Member
Indeed. The dominance of chain everything (restaurants and retail) in London is shocking. A few indie holdouts remain, but most of the main central streets--Kings Rd, Oxford St, Regent St, Upper St, Strand--are basically repeating cycles of the same 10-12 establishments. It's utterly depressing. London is by far the most chain-dominated big city I know.
ponyboy
Active Member
I remember the first couple of times I visited Toronto as a tourist before moving here much later, and these outdoor malls of chain stores are alluring to tourists, and serve a important function for the downtown economy (all of the indie crowd need places to work too). People who don't know the city tend to gravitate to these kind of districts for their familiarity and central location. There is a kind of feeling of safety and familiarity. Also, tourist maps and hotel concierge often send people in those directions. I remember my mental map of Toronto when I was a tourist, and I felt somewhat out of bounds going North beyond Bloor, and west beyond Spadina. It is unfortuante because I like to think of myself as somewhat exploratory, but I think a lot of people spend time in these areas when they don't know the lay of the land.
Now as a resident, I rarely spend time in this area (Queen West between Spadina and John) because I have found the more interesting areas. I also know how long/far places are on foot.
Now as a resident, I rarely spend time in this area (Queen West between Spadina and John) because I have found the more interesting areas. I also know how long/far places are on foot.
cassius
Active Member
Not a whole lot has happened to this place on the exterior since that last picture back in April. This one sure is finishing-up slowly.
urbandreamer
recession proof
26 June 2010:
SP!RE
°°°°°°
Such a cute building. it works really well on Queen in a subtly whimsical way.
It's reasonably deep to the back of the lot, but insanely narrow. How many rooms were/are planned for this hotel?
It's reasonably deep to the back of the lot, but insanely narrow. How many rooms were/are planned for this hotel?
adma
Superstar
26 June 2010:
No anarchists?
neuhaus
Senior Member
Believe it or not, there's 19 rooms in this hotel.
There are guestrooms in the middle of the building which has no windows, only a skylight (note the pointy shafts on the roof) -- don't know how that got approved.
There are guestrooms in the middle of the building which has no windows, only a skylight (note the pointy shafts on the roof) -- don't know how that got approved.
Parkdalian
Senior Member
^Lighting by airshafts is pretty common in New York. People sleep in coffin hotels in Japan. Who needs that much light when you are spending most of your time outside of your room?
As for fire exits - you can't really climb out of a hotel window twenty stories above the ground, so honestly, this is probably safer.
As for fire exits - you can't really climb out of a hotel window twenty stories above the ground, so honestly, this is probably safer.
urbandreamer
recession proof
10 July 2010 update:
urbandreamer
recession proof
4 months later, it's still not open. Nuts! 20 november 2010:
taal
Senior Member
I'm really confused (and I apologize as it's likely somewhere else in this thread) what's going beside this in the hole / pit ?
I actually noticed some drilling there the last week or s.
I actually noticed some drilling there the last week or s.
SP!RE
°°°°°°
I still think this hotel is too cute for words. 
nicetommy
Active Member
I recall reading somewhere that the building being constructed beside the hotel is supposed to be a new GUESS store.