Church-Wellesley Village

[Mystic Point]

Pride may well be a big money maker, but none of that money ever seems to be returned to the neighborhood for improvement or design.

The Village is a run down decrepit place. It looks like a re-creation of a dirty long forgotten small town.

Where does all the Pride money go?

Well, I find it funny that the author is taking such an either/or stance - isn't there room enough for both a celebrating of sexuality and the more sombre aspects of political empowerment? Just because he isn't getting any (or that he isn't horny) doesn't meant that someone can't do both. Tone down the commercial aspects, by all means, but isn't the very fact that it is treated as a money maker a measure of power in itself?

AoD

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

The Village is a run down decrepit place. It looks like a re-creation of a dirty long forgotten small town.

Aside from one horrifically rundown 19th century building on the north-east corner of Wellesley & Church (Pizza Pizza is there with apartments above), a couple of small nondescript 1960's -1980's strip malls, please document precisely what buildings are rundown and what exactly makes the street decrepit. I'm sick of hearing this crap. Go.

 

[khris]

Crews & Tangos smells like a toilet. O'Grady's and The Fox are not exactly great either.

 

[Roy G Biv]

Acme Burger is horrible. I had a disgusting burger there on Saturday... they just buy them frozen from Costco. The highlight of my meal was discovering the strip of wax paper they forgot to remove from the patty. Also, the manager is just strange. He's so serious and brooding; it is disturbing to watch him pace behind his staff uttering what I imagine as threats into their ears.

 

[khris]

The wax paper does not mean they buy them from Costco. It does mean they were probably previously frozen though. A friend of mine had the same experience at a different place recently. I think O'Grady's.

 

[canmark]

Pride may well be a big money maker, but none of that money ever seems to be returned to the neighborhood for improvement or design.

The Village is a run down decrepit place. It looks like a re-creation of a dirty long forgotten small town.

Where does all the Pride money go?

Well, Christopher Street in New York City is not exactly Fifth Avenue, either.

I think when things get 'fixed up' and chains start moving in, people complain about gentrification. Some people like the way things were, and some people prefer condos and Loblaws. Church-Wellesley continues to evolve like all parts of all cities. Think of Midnight Cowboy-era 42nd St. and look at the Disney-fied version now. Do we want Church St. to be full of Jack Astors and Aldo and H&M and Swiss Chalet? Do we want it to be like Kensington Market or Queen St. W.? Should it be like Yorkville or Bloor West? Like the Danforth or the Entertainment District?

I think with all the condos going up in the greater Church-Wellesley area it will benefit the area as it will bring in a larger and somewhat affluent population. That said, we will likely see the edginess and the gayness of the area decline--more Chelsea and less West Village (to use a NYC comparison).

 

[Jonny5]

The wax paper does not mean they buy them from Costco. It does mean they were probably previously frozen though. A friend of mine had the same experience at a different place recently. I think O'Grady's.

I have seen Sysco trucks offload at all of these pubs. It's all the same prefab frozen food product.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

So. We've established that only the Church-Wellesley Village has a few smelly washrooms and it's the only neighbourhood that has a couple of mediocre hamburger joints that sell frozen, pre-formed burgers. That's really reaching.

 

[canmark]

So. We've established that only the Church-Wellesley Village has a few smelly washrooms and it's the only neighbourhood that has a couple of mediocre hamburger joints that sell frozen, pre-formed burgers. That's really reaching.

I think what people are saying is that the stereotype is that gays are affluent and shop/eat at high style, trendy establishments. And while it's true that there are wealthy people in the gay monde, there are far more working-class gays who shop at Joe Fresh and eat at pubs. As such, Church Street is more like Yonge Street than Yorkville. One might like it to be a designer village, but it's not. If anything, it's all the young professionals moving into the area that will help attract more upscale businesses.

 

[khris]

Personally, I don't want the character to be changed, I just want it improved. The businesses need to make their businesses more attractive. Clean up the washrooms, new paint jobs. Just maintenance really.

 

[to_l]

Looks like Hero Burger may be expanding into the ex Country Style space. They have their posters up in the window and the [For Lease] sign is gone.

 

[Peepers]

Looks like Hero Burger may be expanding into the ex Country Style space. They have their posters up in the window and the [For Lease] sign is gone.

Strange to see them expanding. I would have thought that HERO would have gone out of business at that location by now. Never seems very busy. I refuse to eat in there as do many people that I know. I suppose that the student population at Jarvis Collegiate must be keeping them in business.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I think what people are saying is that the stereotype is that gays are affluent and shop/eat at high style, trendy establishments. And while it's true that there are wealthy people in the gay monde, there are far more working-class gays who shop at Joe Fresh and eat at pubs. As such, Church Street is more like Yonge Street than Yorkville. One might like it to be a designer village, but it's not. If anything, it's all the young professionals moving into the area that will help attract more upscale businesses.

This is a very diverse neighbourhood ranging from average priced to million dollar+ homes and condos, co-ops, community housing and low to high end apartments so all income brackets are represented here with more condos and apartment buildings to come. It's not all gay people who live here either, I'd hazard a guess that's it's about 50-50 although it would appear to be gayer than that only because many gay people visit the area. Like many neighbourhoods it's always changing and evolving, young and middle aged people move in and move out and older folks die. Most of businesses and services generally reflect the needs of the community, those that do not won't last with the high rents here and go out of business.

Strange to see them expanding. I would have thought that HERO would have gone out of business at that location by now. Never seems very busy. I refuse to eat in there as do many people that I know. I suppose that the student population at Jarvis Collegiate must be keeping them in business.

I see it do good lunch and dinner business, especially once the weather warms up (about April to October) and it's a lineup to the door or out the door starting around 'last call' at the bars. I wonder if they may be adding a smaller Lettieri back in there? I can't see Acme lasting much longer, I'm surprised it's lasted this long. Despite the primo patio (which is pretty much empty most of the time) I don't know how they can make rent and cover their costs.

 

[intervention]

I'm still waiting for a good restaurant, a frozen yogurt place (which Menchie's on Yonge probably killed the viability of) and Smoke's to open up.

 

[to_l]

I see it do good lunch and dinner business, especially once the weather warms up (about April to October) and it's a lineup to the door or out the door starting around 'last call' at the bars. I wonder if they may be adding a smaller Lettieri back in there? I can't see Acme lasting much longer, I'm surprised it's lasted this long. Despite the primo patio (which is pretty much empty most of the time) I don't know how they can make rent and cover their costs.

Yes, Hero seems to be doing all right. Acme though, I was expecting to fold ages ago; it's almost always empty.