Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[NomoreaTorontonian]

The Avenue Theatre/Cinema became a live theatre in the mid-fifties. I recall it staged the Spring Thaw revue for a few years. It went bust around 1958 when A Streetcar Named Desire was playing. I recall seeing the sign for months when the Nortown Bus turned on to Eglinton from Avenue Road.
I really enjoyed the Yonge St north of Eglinton pictures--including the texture of the slush in the modern ones. I used to live on St Germain and the Havergal end of Glenview.

 

[Mustapha]

The Avenue Theatre/Cinema became a live theatre in the mid-fifties. I recall it staged the Spring Thaw revue for a few years. It went bust around 1958 when A Streetcar Named Desire was playing. I recall seeing the sign for months when the Nortown Bus turned on to Eglinton from Avenue Road.
I really enjoyed the Yonge St north of Eglinton pictures--including the texture of the slush in the modern ones. I used to live on St Germain and the Havergal end of Glenview.

Thanks for the feedback NomoreaTorontonian. At the time the Avenue went bust I was not too far from you growing up on Albertus avenue - on a tricycle.

UTer 'condovo' used the apt word 'poignant' a few days ago to describe a photo. These old photos are just that aren't they?

 

[kitestate]

so far, i've been lurking on this particular thread for months now...without saying thanks. mustapha, thanks -enjoy immensely.

me and the wife are moving into the distillery on the weekend, so particularly enjoyed the trinity st. pic. that would have to win the award for most consistent to form street scape from all the before and after pics.

i do a fair bit of running around the portlands/distillery district always trying to reflect and consider it's history. i remember only 9 short years ago running 'wild' through the distillery, this under-developed and obviously soon to be dilapidated relic. what a treasure to have retained it (obviously notwithstanding the debates about it's commercial/overtly touristy tendencies and the emerging battle of what culture will ultimately prevail there-public square or mall (i know, it's mall'ish now)

while i know there is a thread on 'neighbs', i'm interested in picking up more history on the area and offer some free walking tours. i likely don't know that much, but looking forward to offering it anyway on some summer weekends.

 

[chriskayTO]

kitestate, you may want to check out Heritage Toronto's walks - they regularly conducts historic walks around the city - www.heritagetoronto.org

 

[Urban Shocker]

Also ...

ROMwalk 2009:
Sacred Stones & Steeples
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Registration not required.

Meet at 2 pm meet at north east corner of Church & King Sts. Look for the blue umbrella. Walk is approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours long, takes place rain or shine, and is free of charge.

Highlights: Sacred buildings from Christian and other faiths, including St. James Cathedral, Metropolitan United Church, St. Michael's Cathedral, St.George's Greek Orthodox Church.

Contact Information:
Tel.: 416.586.8097
E-mail: visit@rom.on.ca

 

[Mustapha]

so far, i've been lurking on this particular thread for months now...without saying thanks. mustapha, thanks -enjoy immensely.

me and the wife are moving into the distillery on the weekend, so particularly enjoyed the trinity st. pic. that would have to win the award for most consistent to form street scape from all the before and after pics.

i do a fair bit of running around the portlands/distillery district always trying to reflect and consider it's history. i remember only 9 short years ago running 'wild' through the distillery, this under-developed and obviously soon to be dilapidated relic. what a treasure to have retained it (obviously notwithstanding the debates about it's commercial/overtly touristy tendencies and the emerging battle of what culture will ultimately prevail there-public square or mall (i know, it's mall'ish now)

while i know there is a thread on 'neighbs', i'm interested in picking up more history on the area and offer some free walking tours. i likely don't know that much, but looking forward to offering it anyway on some summer weekends.

Thanks kitestate for delurking and the kind feedback. And welcome. I hope you enjoy life ahead in your new nabe. To me its quite atmospheric, don't know how else to put it. It's a great place to sit on a summer day. Winter not so much.



April 23 addition.


Mount Pleasant looking N to Merton.

Those old silos.. I went in 1989 or so to buy building supplies. I was directed to go inside one to pick up the bags of material. Quite the view up.

 

[Mustapha]

April 24 addition.

Cumberland House. NE corner of St George and College.

The old view is blocked by the [relatively] modern Wallburg Building. To see the old 'frontage' you have to walk down a driveway..

 

[NomoreaTorontonian]

They actually took the stucco off this one.

 

[barrytron3030]

i'm pretty sure the black and white picture shows brick, it's just picking up on the camera very well.

 

[Mustapha]

April 25 addition.

 

[condovo]

Would be interesting to come back to that same corner in about 10 years to record its latest transformation. Thanks again for all your hard work on this thread, Mustapha.

 

[Blovertis]

That last photo is comforting to me because it suggests that Regent Park was no worse that what it replaced. This corner does not show a quaint neighbourhood of Victorian rowhouses that would have been ripe for gentrification a few decades later.

 

[allabootmatt]

Indeed. That has been one of the eye-openers of Mustapha's photos for me. I had always assumed that Regent Park was of-a-piece with Cabbagetown and Corktown, architecturally and urbanistically, and as a result we lost something spectacular. But it looked more like a frontier town than anything.

 

[adma]

That last photo is comforting to me because it suggests that Regent Park was no worse that what it replaced. This corner does not show a quaint neighbourhood of Victorian rowhouses that would have been ripe for gentrification a few decades later.

I dunno, that Shamrock Grill looks like it'd be prized today for its apparently Vitrolite charm...

 

[Mustapha]

Thanks condovo, Blovertis, allabootmatt and adma.

To me, the pictures of the vanished pre-Regent Park streets invoke to my mind's eye the vanished poor of early Toronto. These vanished poor and their neighbourhoods are a fascination for me. I have also spent many hours walking the remaining streets of Los Angeles' Chavez Ravine/Elysian Park, but that's a topic for another day..


April 26 addition. More Regent Park.