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Church-Wellesley Village

to_l said:
Can anyone come or just regulars?
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Newbies are welcome too. Just PM me.

Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I've never even heard of Toby's though. Maybe it was something else in-between that and when it became Zelda's? It only became Zelda's like what, 5 years ago?
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It's been Zelda's about 10 years now and it was definitely a Toby's prior.

The only Toby's left in the downtown is the new(ish) one at 411 College St.
 
What a shame that Zelda's is gone. It did a really good job of animating Church Street and provided a bit of gay colour to the neighbourhood. The best ass contest was always a nice surprise for tourists walking along Church. (my out of town friends anyway) It was a great place to see and be seen. I hope another festive restaurant takes it's place. It's new location on Yonge Street will certainly tone things down and without the sidewalk patio, it will be just like any other restaurant on Yonge Street.

There are lots of changes taking place on Church Street, let's just hope it's for the better and Church Street keeps it's queer vibe.
 
Darkstar416 said:
Newbies are welcome too. Just PM me.


It's been Zelda's about 10 years now and it was definitely a Toby's prior.

The only Toby's left in the downtown is the new(ish) one at 411 College St.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's been Zelda's for 10 years. I first started coming downtown around 10 years ago, and Zelda's was on Wellesley at the time. Then they took over the spot on Church Street where they are (were) now. So for a time, there was two Zeldas. I remember that quite clearly. I can't remember, but one of them was referred to as Satellite or something. (Satellite Zelda's? Zelda's Satellite?)
 
Torontovibe said:
What a shame that Zelda's is gone. It did a really good job of animating Church Street and provided a bit of gay colour to the neighbourhood. The best ass contest was always a nice surprise for tourists walking along Church. (my out of town friends anyway) It was a great place to see and be seen. I hope another festive restaurant takes it's place. It's new location on Yonge Street will certainly tone things down and without the sidewalk patio, it will be just like any other restaurant on Yonge Street.
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Well put, I agree. Zelda's really added a fun, festive flavour to the area. It had such an impact on the area it's going to seem strange without it being there. Many businesses come and go in neighbourhoods but this one is going to be missed around these parts.
I'm pretty sure their new home has a cozy patio out back (if memory serves), but it won't be the same and in fact I wonder if it can even survive over there.

Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I don't think it's been Zelda's for 10 years. I first started coming downtown around 10 years ago, and Zelda's was on Wellesley at the time. Then they took over the spot on Church Street where they are (were) now. So for a time, there was two Zeldas. I remember that quite clearly. I can't remember, but one of them was referred to as Satellite or something. (Satellite Zelda's? Zelda's Satellite?)
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Good memory, the Wellesley location did stay open for some time after the hugely successful Church Street spinoff opened. I forgot about that.

I wonder if the crappy summer weather screwed their patio business that they count on or depend on there? I pass the place every day or two but I never really paid any attention as to how busy it was.
 
Zelda's has been such a Church Street staple I'm surprised it's closing. Then again, Second Cup was fixture of Church Street as well.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I don't think it's been Zelda's for 10 years. I first started coming downtown around 10 years ago, and Zelda's was on Wellesley at the time. Then they took over the spot on Church Street where they are (were) now. So for a time, there was two Zeldas. I remember that quite clearly. I can't remember, but one of them was referred to as Satellite or something. (Satellite Zelda's? Zelda's Satellite?)
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It was called The Satellite Lounge (methinks). It lasted about a year.
 
I hope a nice pub goes in there ( no best chest contests or anything like that). Such a great spot for one. Zelda's food was horrible. Everything was deep-fried.
 
I can't believe some of the bitchy comments on the Extra site. It's amazing to me that so many gay people are hateful towards the Gay Village or anything related to it. That kind of self hatred is sad to see in this day and age. Some people just don't get it but Joanie Michell said it best when she sang "Don't it always seem as though, you don't know what you've got till it's gone".
 
Darkstar416 said:
It was called The Satellite Lounge (methinks). It lasted about a year.
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Thanks.

Darkstar416 said:
Two new Village-related articles...

Condo Creep in the Gay Village (NOW Magazine)

Zelda's Vamooses - Sept. 30th Update (Xtra)
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I'd hate to see those pretty buildings come down. There's so many other places in Toronto to build. I love the neighbourhood feel of Church St and new condos on church street would destroy that. I don't mind them on Wellesley, but they seem inappropriate for the village.
 
Now got it wrong, these three buildings are on the north-west corner of Dundonald and Church, not the south-west corner. More correctly, this is 3/4 of the block betweeen Dundonald and Gloucester Streets, not even the north-west "corner".
This will simply never happen.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
Now got it wrong, these three buildings are on the north-west corner of Dundonald and Church, not the south-west corner. More correctly, this is 3/4 of the block betweeen Dundonald and Gloucester Streets, not even the north-west "corner".
This will simply never happen.
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I hope youre right. If the tear down that block, the village will cease to be one, and might as well be called Bay St. East.
 
Torontovibe said:
I can't believe some of the bitchy comments on the Extra site. It's amazing to me that so many gay people are hateful towards the Gay Village or anything related to it. That kind of self hatred is sad to see in this day and age. Some people just don't get it but Joanie Michell said it best when she sang "Don't it always seem as though, you don't know what you've got till it's gone".
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They're not hateful against the Village. They are fearful of it... it's a personal thing. Not everyone sees the Village as sweetness and light, and in fact, many people just plain aren't represented by it. Sounds like it's great for you, but not every other gay man-- and that's not self hate.
 
I don't see why gays have to hate on the village. If you don't like it, fine, no one is forcing you to go there. But it's the one place you can just go and be yourself and no one cares. It's not ideal, that's for sure, but it's better than a great majority of other places in the world to be gay. I wouldn't want to be gay in an Ontario small town, or anywhere in the Arab world, or Africa. The gays of yesteryear fought to give us our own little place, and I don't know if I find it shameful that people turn their back on it, but I do find it a little sad.

A lot of people like to say they're not into the "scene". Well okay, that's fine. But I don't see anything wrong with going to the village once in a while and hanging out with fellow gays.
 
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