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Riverdale

MenEssentials at 412 Danforth is gone. When it first opened, I wondered if it would make a go of it, but it seemed to have found its niche over the years and always seemed to have customers inside. Too bad - I was actually thinking of picking up more shaving cream this weekend. They still seem to be operating the online business.

511 Danforth Ave., most recently Fantasia (and before that Kefi, and Local before that) has building permits to redo the facade and increase the occupancy inside (with no additions), and the whole thing is now covered with plywood. I am presuming we should anticipate an even cheesier bar opening soon at this location. I miss the old curved windows and central doors from its days as a furniture and home accents store. The building housed a Loblaws back in the day, and the facade today still has the roofline from back then (albeit now covered with EIFS). I imagine the current "improvements" will destroy that roofline and remove whatever remaining charm the building still has.

ETA: According to BlogTO (given the source, take with a grain of salt), Loblaws opened at this location in 1919, so the building may originally have been constructed for Loblaws. Although residential development along this stretch of Danforth took off around 1912, with the advent of the streetcar line west of Broadview, a good portion of the commercial development along Danforth came afterwards, spurred on by the end of WWI and the construction of the viaduct.

Loblaws.jpg
 

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511 danforth will become gazi mezebar, gazi is a high end neighbourhood in athens so basically it will be a Greek bar.

I have never actually seen anyone inside gyro bar no idea how they survive, just far too much competition in close proximity.
 
Skeezix said:
Hasn't it been a Greek bar since Local course-corrected shortly after opening?
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Its always been Greek owned but the scene was more generic eurotrash with the odd Greek night. Didnt become 100% Greek until fantasia which was basically a music scene for C grade local Greek singers to perform. Also i think they were only open a few days a week. This might be a better concept similar to logo bar where its a regular cafe/bar during the day and then the nightlife stuff later. I understand they already have a top line singer from Greece lined up for April so it looks like the owner is commited to that scene. These places dont interest me im more likely to be next door at cafe frappe or at leonidas across the road. I recall someone at fantasia got shot last yr so hopefully the morons stay away from the area.
 
I've lived in the area on and off since the 80's and have admired the facade of this place. I used to buy home decor items at a store here 10 years or more ago. Since it's incarnation into a 'night club' I've never entered . As a non-Greek/Eastern euro person I/we've never felt welcome in many of the establishments along here. They all seem to be hangouts for mostly men with women hanging outside mostly late at night smoking . Many with obviously fake handicapped parking for their cars. It all seems sketchy with undertones of what many in the neighbourhood call 'The Greek Mafia'.
 
LUVIT! said:
I've lived in the area on and off since the 80's and have admired the facade of this place. I used to buy home decor items at a store here 10 years or more ago. Since it's incarnation into a 'night club' I've never entered . As a non-Greek/Eastern euro person I/we've never felt welcome in many of the establishments along here. They all seem to be hangouts for mostly men with women hanging outside mostly late at night smoking . Many with obviously fake handicapped parking for their cars. It all seems sketchy with undertones of what many in the neighbourhood call 'The Greek Mafia'.
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Yup. Cherchez les proprietaires of the buildings.
 
LUVIT! said:
I've lived in the area on and off since the 80's and have admired the facade of this place. I used to buy home decor items at a store here 10 years or more ago. Since it's incarnation into a 'night club' I've never entered . As a non-Greek/Eastern euro person I/we've never felt welcome in many of the establishments along here. They all seem to be hangouts for mostly men with women hanging outside mostly late at night smoking . Many with obviously fake handicapped parking for their cars. It all seems sketchy with undertones of what many in the neighbourhood call 'The Greek Mafia'.
Click to expand...

I’m not a fan of these places either and I’m Greek, but I can assure you these places aren’t sketchy, like any night establishment you might get a few undesirables every now and again and the odd incident but most of the patrons are there with good intentions and just wanna listen to the music and have a good time. Let’s not over do it the Danforth is a huge stretch of road of which probably has 4 or so Greek night bar/clubbing spots, it’s not like they can’t be avoided. Especially as they are reasonably spaced out, you have this one and logo bar and the other 2 and down near pape.
 
Perhaps my comments were taken the wrong way. I'm all for everyone having a good time and used to be out at all hours so I understand that aspect. However I do believe that the 'some' issues have abused (the Handicapped licences). Restaurants that are really a night club (I don't really care) that have had murders happen in them (I care) and the occasional noise issues (it happens I understand). I do think that The Danforth isn't as interesting as it used to be either.
 
There is no question that the disabled parking permits are being abused. I love the guy who bounds out of his Porsche and into Good Life Fitness. Seriously disabled. Not. Or the guy with the 'Vette at Carlaw and Danforth who seems perfectly capable of climbing stairs to get to his place of "business." Or all the guys of the Danforth business association just east of Pape whose office is on the second floor. Puh-leeze. Are they being abused more than elsewhere in town? I don't know. But it's so very obvious, especially east of Carlaw.
 
Ex-Montreal Girl said:
There is no question that the disabled parking permits are being abused. I love the guy who bounds out of his Porsche and into Good Life Fitness. Seriously disabled. Not. Or the guy with the 'Vette at Carlaw and Danforth who seems perfectly capable of climbing stairs to get to his place of "business." Or all the guys of the Danforth business association just east of Pape whose office is on the second floor. Puh-leeze. Are they being abused more than elsewhere in town? I don't know. But it's so very obvious, especially east of Carlaw.
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My favorite is the roofing truck parked on Westwood Ave. beside the Florida restaurant (late afternoon) with the disabled parking permit. That one has to be legit. A block to the north at Floyd has patrons of the cafe lining the block with illegally parked vehicles all with disabled permits. The area is covered with them. Not sure what is to be done as I believe the province issues them - correct me if I am wrong.
 
The cafe permits may be legit. I figure those guys must be old. But the roofing truck?

Yes, the province issues them. I am guessing that's because it has to go through a "healthcare practitioner." The list of those is long.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-accessible-parking-permit

I also love the list of requirements for eligibility, including:


"visual acuity is 20/200 or poorer in the better eye with corrective lenses if required, or whose maximum field of vision using both eyes has a diameter of 20 degrees or less"

Must make for some fun driving.
 
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