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News Roundup for July 5, 2024
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The Big Bop shuts down (hideous purple building on Queen/Bathurst)

Mixed feelings on this. Yup, it was "hideous" and pretty grotty inside, but... if all these sorts of venues disappear in Toronto I feel like something will be missing. With this and the Cameron House on their last legs, and Lee's Palace undergoing some renos that will render it mostly unrecognizable, it feels like the Toronto of my university days is disappearing fast. I don't miss being hassled by crackheads at Bathurst and Queen, but the quick transformation during the past year (pubs replaced with Tim Horton's, Starbucks, now this CB2) seems unusually shocking.

But I guess everything moves on: I'm sure there's a new generation of other hole-in-the-wall places I don't even know about because I'm too old and uncool now, just as there was a whole generation of venues that disappeared before my time (the yorkville 60s folk cafes, punk venues in the late 70s, etc).
 
This is a shame in many ways. I have some of my best memories growing up in this venue, including all-ages shows I wouldn't have been able to see anywhere else, including the ATDI shows mentioned in the article. I've seen and played some of the best shows of my life here, but if the CB2 rumour is true, that would be pretty cool too.
 
Does anyone know what the rest of the building is used for? The Big Bop itself only occupuies the corner portion of a rather large building that extends back to Richmond street.
 
Personally I'm glad to see it shut down. The place was so scuzzy, and made the corner feel so dirty and cheap.
 
Cyril Sneer said:
Does anyone know what the rest of the building is used for? The Big Bop itself only occupuies the corner portion of a rather large building that extends back to Richmond street.
Click to expand...

I think the building behind it is technically a separate building, although they are joined by that walkway over the alley. There are a bunch of different businesses in there, and some people living in there too - whether legally or illegally. I know someone who gets their haircut somewhere in there - so there's at least one business.
 
Neglect. It's easier to remove the top floors rather than maintain them. It was either that or urban renewal. Wouldn't want those hideous frivolous Victorian rooflines cluttering the streetscape.

Knowing the attitudes responsible for a lot of midlife modifications to older buildings, it was probably a loving combination of columns A and B.
 
Though it's worth wondering when the old mansard bit the dust--decades before the Bop, for sure...
 
But I guess everything moves on: I'm sure there's a new generation of other hole-in-the-wall places I don't even know about because I'm too old and uncool now, just as there was a whole generation of venues that disappeared before my time (the yorkville 60s folk cafes, punk venues in the late 70s, etc).
Click to expand...

With the impeding disappearance of of the Big Bop and the raping of Lee's Toronto certainly won't feel the same. I guess we should be really lucky that the El Mocambo survived it's near death experience back in 2001 (when I actually frequented these types of places). That place seems to be doing a really healthy business now although I'm sure investors aren't lined up to grab it anyway as it's next door to the mission.

I've been to a number of neat little venues for live music in and around the city that are out of sight so the indie scene is going to remain in good hands I think. The Tranzac house comes to mind as a really neat venue that seems to go unnoticed, although you're probably not going to find loud-metal-punkish music there very often.
 
This is good news for the neighbourhood. While it might have been a great indie venue, the BigBop owners were irresponsible to the neighbourhood and to the building's heritage.

It's an eye sore. It clutters the corner visually and its derelict look makes it appear abandoned.

egotrippin said:
The first order of business should be restoring the facade and rebuilding the original roof. Its current state disgusts me.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9718/1928sequeenandbathurstoq8.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for digging that up egotrippin.

I'm not sure they can restore it to much of what it resembled.

Now:
bigbop.png


Then:
1928sequeenandbathurstoq8.jpg


They seem to have built a new brick wall around the street level floor. If it can be removed without harming the façade underneath, perhaps we'll have a more open street presence here.
The second floor seems to have received a layer of plaster. Removing the plaster might reveal the original brickwork if it was left in good shape before the plaster was added.
As for the third floor, it's simply not there anymore. It would take somebody with deep pockets, respect for the architectural heritage of the building and vision to restore that roofline.

A precedent not too far away is the Gladstone Hotel which had modern additions that were removed to restore the building to its original look. However, despite all the good intentions of the new owners, the Gladstone Hotel hasn't been able to rebuild its victorian tower roof. It's just too costly to replicate what was there and is now just a ghost.
 
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what's the story with united cigar stores? i've noticed them in alot of archive photos.
 
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