North York City Centre (Yonge & Sheppard)

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

What's the deal with the parking lot at the SW corner of Yonge & Sheppard?

On a related node, what's the deal with the large parking lot at the NW corner of Yonge & York Mills?

What would you like to see in these locations?

I don't know when that Sheppard lot will finally go but good timing to ask about the one at York Mills. It just sold and is set for some major redevelopment:
http://www.thestar.com/business/201...king-lot-slated-for-hotel-office-complex.html

As for Highway 7, I think the VIVA BRT was a good first step there but the design has many flaws. The bike lanes wont be use as it's far too dangerous given the 70km/hr or higher speed of traveling cars. The bike lanes should have been part of the sidewalk are and not of the main road. In terms of design, I really don't like that they kept the wooden power lines and planted trees underneath them. That's a recipe for failure and will result in ugly and pruned trees as they grow. Highway 7 is still too sparsely populated to generate much bus usage. The bus is mainly used here to get to/from work and by students without a car. However, given the low frequencies of the VIVA service, it will not attract much ridership.

These are all fair points about Viva...I think it's a nice design but arguably they should have narrowed the road or done separated lanes. The speed of the adjacent cars, I dunno - they lowered the limit from 70 to 60 though, obviously, people still go faster. I haven't biked there because I haven't had reason to but they look very well designed and there's a buffer so the speed of the cars wouldn't be a huge concern for me. I have biked in the lanes on Dufferin and I doubt people drive any slower there. (Obviously it's a lot better than most of the roads in the area which have NO bike lanes at all!) There's already some nice intensification going on east of Bayview but most of it isn't oriented towards the street; that seems to be changing in the next wave which is starting to go in now but it's never going to be quite like, say, Yonge and Empress. That will happen more around VMC and Markham Centre; or it should.

They looked at burying the hydro lines and it was a whole thing and, in short, was going to be way too expensive. I understand not sticking taxpayers with that but there is no question, if you put cost aside, you want those poles gone. But it wasn't a "design" choice, really. (Here's a news article I found on it - close to $10M/km to bury the lines, all on the property tax bill...http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1436323-pay-to-bury-hydro-lines-markham-told/)


I do like how the new streetlights frame the streetscape more intimately, at least. It's a subtle thing.

But, yeah, you're right - when you see people start charging for parking you'll know that the suburbanism is retreating and real urban living is sweeping into York Region.

 

[MisterF]

They looked at burying the hydro lines and it was a whole thing and, in short, was going to be way too expensive. I understand not sticking taxpayers with that but there is no question, if you put cost aside, you want those poles gone. But it wasn't a "design" choice, really. (Here's a news article I found on it - close to $10M/km to bury the lines, all on the property tax bill...http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1436323-pay-to-bury-hydro-lines-markham-told/)

You have to wonder why that keeps happening in the GTA. Just about every other city around the world and elsewhere in Canada goes ahead and buries them in pedestrian-oriented locations, which Highway 7 is intended to become. It only seems to be in Ontario where we keep finding excuses (Ottawa does it too).

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

You have to wonder why that keeps happening in the GTA. Just about every other city around the world and elsewhere in Canada goes ahead and buries them in pedestrian-oriented locations, which Highway 7 is intended to become. It only seems to be in Ontario where we keep finding excuses (Ottawa does it too).

It probably ties into how we pay for all these things in the first place. Obviously the feds and province don't give the municipalities money for things like this (obviously it was outside the Viva funding envelope) and, also obviously, we have privatized hydro. As that article mentions, Powerstream would have to go to the OEB to put even a portion of it on the hydro bill. In theory it would be a dream for them bury the hydro towers that separate the planned growth centre at Yonge/7 but the costs of those were through the roof and OPG had zero interest. I think there's just too many cooks, all of them interested in keeping bills low etc. It certainly would be nice if they could at least prioritize some key, pedestrian stretches and ditch the poles, but someone's going to have to pay for it.

 

[NorthYorkEd]

Especially if you care about being near the 401 or being closer to the north (say if you drive to Markham for work or something), yet you want to have subway access for the occasional trips south. Being walking distance to work is also really great.

We still use the 401 about once per week, so the easy access is handy.

Another place that's both close to the 401 and on the Yonge subway line would be areas like Yonge & Lawrence to Avenue. I think commute to work is really the most important thing to consider.

We love the Lawrence area. But unfortunately, there are few condos available, and the ones that are available are extremely expensive.

The positives are quite good, however I think midtown would be just as good but without any of the negatives.

Also, NYEd's wife won't be able to walk to work anymore, and if someone cares about being near the 401 (say, they commute to Mississauga), then it's less convenient since it can take 10-15 min to drive to the 401.

I fully agree. Just by going south of the 401, and particularly south of the Yonge St & Yonge Blvd intersection, you literally eliminate all the negative points outlined above. The only concession would be having to take the bus northbound if you're working in the NYCC area.

My wife loves her 5 minute walk to work. I like the huge library, the summer Farmer's Market in the Square, and easy access to Loblaws, Whole Foods, and a Cineplex. think we will choose this area to live, but take the train a few stops south if we want to change up the vibe. The price point is still "affordable", and I think the geographical location is both convenient and advantageous, at least for us.

 

[pipolchap]

Just heard that the NYCC Running Room, 4984 Yonge St, is closing Sept 9. Retail in the area just got another blow!

Waiting for that next Ramen or Sushi place...

 

[NorthYorkEd]

Ah, our neighbourhood is not the "sexiest", but it's a decent enough place to live.

I recently spoke with someone who hadn't been up here in years, and they were shocked at how much it's changed. What do folks see (or hope) for the future of NYCC?

 

[pipolchap]

Ah, our neighbourhood is not the "sexiest", but it's a decent enough place to live.

I recently spoke with someone who hadn't been up here in years, and they were shocked at how much it's changed. What do folks see (or hope) for the future of NYCC?

More bike lanes, Sheppard subway west to the airport and mandatory remedial driving lessons for people who drive through here. I know none of these are realistic, so they are "hopes"!

 

[Armour]

What do folks see (or hope) for the future of NYCC?

Some half decent architecture.

 

[junctionist]

NYCC will mature into one of the city's greatest neighbourhoods. Its assets far exceed what most neighbourhoods have to offer: good employment opportunities, a grand and lively main street, one of the city's main public squares, close proximity to the province's most important highway (the 401), access to 2 subway lines and one of the best libraries in the city.

 

[James]

I think NYCC is a great neighborhood as well. It certainly helps that it's nestled within highly regarded residential neighborhoods on pretty much all 4 sides. The close proximity to the 401 is obviously a driving force (which is also a downfall, which I'll discuss later). As junctionist also points out, Yonge/Sheppard is also a very strong employment hub with lots of amenities for both local residents and people who work in the area.

This all comes with downsides, of course. I remember this area back in the late 90's and while there was activity, it was nowhere near what it's like today. Most people I know who live in this area have a vehicle and drive out to most places even if it's within this area. This all makes for undue congestion. Often times, if I'm looking for a retailer or a business office or an amenity and their main location is at Yonge & Sheppard, I'll usually try to find another location, if there is one!

 

[NorthYorkEd]

The cars (well, to be more specific, the drivers) are the biggest drawback, IMO. Walking around here is like taking your life in your hands. It's best to stick to Doris, Beecroft, or any of the other side streets off Yonge. Yonge and Sheppard at rush hour is a mine field of near-misses and honking horns.

I'd like to see more diversity. There is a heavy Asian population, as reflected in the shops and restaurants. We have enough bubble tea and noodles. It's time to get some unique independent shops and other cultures represented. Not sure if this will ever happen.

I'd like to see groups mixing more, interacting, being social. Still seems very silo-esque up here, where all the faces in a group look the same. Just in general; I realize there are many faces in any Toronto crowd, but most are not connecting in any meaningful way. This helps a community to develop a soul, which is a bit lacking, IMO.

The retail on Yonge still has a lot of gritty, dumpy looking stretches that could use a freshening up. They're working on it, though.

I also think the area has great potential and probably suffers from misconceptions, especially by those who rarely come up here.

 

[lead82]

I'd like to see the area have more parks and a new median Boulevard with large trees going from Avondale up to at least Finch. The sidewalks should be improved with more trees to lessen the harshness of Yonge street.

Better retail would be nice but given the demographic that lives here that is unlikely to change.

 

[taal]

Any idea when all the sidewalks will be fixed ?

 

[Waterloo_Guy]

All up this stretch of Yonge there are strips of low-rise buildings that appear to be in very bad shape. Yet they also house many retail options. How vibrant are these businesses? Is future redevelopment likely to reduce popular retail options and reduce the vibrancy of the area?

 

[pipolchap]

For those living in North York and want better sidewalks, street crossing or more bike lanes (YES!!!) between Sheppard and Steeles, try this survey!
toronto.ca/reimaginingyonge