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Death of Clubland (aka: Is Adam Vaughan trying to kill the Club District?)

unimaginative2 said:
I completely agree. Well said.

Regardless of whether that`s what he wants, that`s what`s happening.
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Yes it is, with him championing and facilatating it, that's what i'm trying to say.

And to call the Ritz carolton/shangri-la a 'curtural' institution is a stretch... how about we just say lots of corporate money (nothing wrong with that).

And if you think a local councillor doesn't have any 'power' to disband, harrass, by-law, facilitate, and dictate entrepeneurs in, or in thsi case, out of business, you're absolutely wrong.

Jack layton, of all people 'built' the club district.

Joe pantalone, Ossington strip, ICI lounge are probably the more publicly publisized scenarios where a councillor can have a HUGE impact on businesses.
 
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The tone of this discussion is a little like late 70s-style disco ducks griping about the eclipse of Yorkville's discos...in 1988.
 
Perhaps. Just seems a few of us aren't that impressed with Vaughan's singular desire to drive any and all night clubs out in his attempt to civilize the area.
 
Laughable. The new club district, for those that care, is to be found along Ossington, WQW/Parkdale, Dundas W from Bathurst to Lansdowne, Kensington Market, the Annex and increasingly, Bloor West from Ossington to Lansdowne. Basically, Toronto has finally become like Montreal--civilized. :)

Change is good.
 
urbandreamer said:
Laughable. The new club district, for those that care, is to be found along Ossington, WQW/Parkdale, Dundas W from Bathurst to Lansdowne, Kensington Market, the Annex and increasingly, Bloor West from Ossington to Lansdowne. Basically, Toronto has finally become like Montreal--civilized. :)

Change is good.
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Not that I disagree but in what sense? Less centralized you mean? Clearly you cannot be referring to quantity ... which is fine ... quantity does not imply quality - particularly in our case (and we had / probably have way more clubs number wise then Montreal) ... but still I'm not sure exactly what your getting at.
 
The best part about the Entertainment District is the lively streets and the vibe. I like having a district to go to at night, where there are crowds of people. Yonge Street is dead after about 11pm and there are not many lively places to go at night, in Toronto. St. Catherine Street in Montreal is different. Most of the nightlife in Montreal is located a short walk from St Catherine Street, which helps to make that street lively all night long. It also has a lot of bars and clubs located along that street.

The Entertainment District is probably the only area in Toronto that has a number of large dance clubs and lots of people walking around late at night. Queen Street has mainly small bars but few major dance clubs. There is not nearly the amount of people walking around. I think if the Entertainment District is completely closed down, Toronto will be losing a lot. Where else are there large crowds of people walking around at 1am on a Friday night?
 
^You weren't on Ossington this past Friday night? It was a madhouse. Salt has finally opened--it was about the only place with "sophisticated" folks, the rest being typical club goers.

The club district is merely being decentralized--just like the office district has been over the past 10 years.
 
urbandreamer said:
^You weren't on Ossington this past Friday night? It was a madhouse. Salt has finally opened--it was about the only place with "sophisticated" folks, the rest being typical club goers.

The club district is merely being decentralized--just like the office district has been over the past 10 years.
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Okay, say I want to see this for my self - whens the best time for me to go? - I'll take the street car (or morel likely walk on Queen) to Ossington and head North to Bloor ... Friday night around 8/9pm ?
 
Who wants to go to Bloor and Ossington to party after the Hockey/Baseball/Football/Basketball game? The great thing about the district is it's walking distance from all the downtown attractions.
 
Yeah, and Hockey/Baseball/Football/Basketball fans are twerps and dipsticks with a cultural depth befitting Rob Ford;-)
 
Taal--the retail strip (bars, galleries, cafes etc) of Ossington runs from Queen to Dundas. BLO is a different world, albeit becoming hipster-like as well--arguably, hipper than Ossington. ( Bars that are to be found around BLO-Blansdowne these days include the just opened Drift, the Piston, Disgraceland, that comedy bar, Zocalo, 3speed, and more coming soon....)

Dundas West--Bathurst to Lansdowne, especially west of Ossington these days--is rapidly becoming a zoo as well. Recent openings and the originals that are exploding with ultra hipster folks include The Garrison, The Fountain, The Unlovable, Henhouse, Black Dice, Brockton General, Camp 4, Red Lantern, the Communist Daughter, and more on the way. The Drake and area is decidely mainstream, as is Ossington. Ossington on Friday night (10pm--2am) reminded me of Richmond St c.2000. Very diverse ethnic crowd. It could've been the heavily promoted Havana Club/Cuban theme that brought the crowds.)

Then there's King West--much more upscale but trendy in more of a Bay St/Ad scene crowd perhaps?

Of course, I haven't been in the Club District proper in years--who knows, it may still be a zoo there as well?

Overall, Toronto has exploded so far beyond the Mtl scene. Sure, Mtl-ers still know how to have a better time (more outgoing, later drinking hours etc), but the condo & population boom is really starting to show in the night life here, the money floating around etc.

Get out of your NYCC zone and explore the real city! On foot.
 
I'd say King West is the new Club district in the sense that the House and Hip Hop dance clubs are starting to move there. I love Ossington, but has more of a live music/bar vibe.
 
^ Absolutely. I saw the transformation with my own eyes. Not long ago, King West was a place with some high end clubs, but over the past couple of years, more and more of them have opened to the general public. Perhaps the Entertainment District is a Toronto phenomena that isn't tied down to a place, but to a culture and it will just move along as needed.
 
King West has quickly become a mecca for disenchanted suburbanites who have finally moved out of their parents' Woodbridge mansion and make just enough as a pharmaceutical sales rep or real estate agent to put a down payment on a Thomson studio. They like the luxury of living in a posh hood located close enough to work, yet still can't resist driving four blocks in their GMC Tahoe to their King & John office. If King West is what makes Toronto "cool," as HuffPo proclaims, we are in serious, serious trouble.
 
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