Toronto 50 Bloor Street West | 230.11m | 70s | Morguard Corporation | Pellow + Associates

People who will live in a place like this are profoundly privileged. The least they could do is sacrifice having 100% convenience and mobility at all times for the sake of the rest of us. It's not that I expect such people to eschew driving, but I wish they would, and it's very disappointing that they don't because it hurts everyone broadly. There are more important things than maximizing rich people's mobility.

Also, car use is horrendous for the economy.
 
The thing is we don't know what percentage of the parking is allocated to the retail and what has been allocated to the condo. Until this is known we are jumping to conclusions on rich people or the developer. The Loblaws at Carlton and Church has underground parking and the Eaton Centre has deck parking, why are the shoppers at an 8 Floor retail establishment not entitled to the same.
 
arvelomcquaig said:
People who will live in a place like this are profoundly privileged. The least they could do is sacrifice having 100% convenience and mobility at all times for the sake of the rest of us. It's not that I expect such people to eschew driving, but I wish they would, and it's very disappointing that they don't because it hurts everyone broadly. There are more important things than maximizing rich people's mobility.

Also, car use is horrendous for the economy.
Click to expand...

Yep, parking should be decreased here. In fact, parking spaces should be decreased in all new downtown developments.

Only 15% of people living downtown drive to work or school. Over 45% walk.

See: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2...file-45776.pdf
 
I have never owned a car, but a personal vehicle is often essential for mobility, as I realized when my mother visited me at ROCP. I have direct access to two grocery stores, but it was much too far for her to walk; living here would be a disaster for her. It seems counter-intuitive, but she is much more mobile in her smaller town, even if she needs a car to go buy a litre of milk.
 
I agree, but the wealthy 1% who live in Bloor-Yorkville don't use public transit. That would make them look middle or lower class.
Click to expand...

First of all, I doubt very few of the people living in Bloor-Yorkville fall into the "1%" category. And a large percentage of those in the upper income brackets do take public transit...just not exclusively. The TTC does not have the stigma attached to it that other cities have. Especially when it comes to subways...and even more especially when the building has direct indoor access to both the Bloor and Yonge lines.
 
greenleaf said:
Yep, parking should be decreased here. In fact, parking spaces should be decreased in all new downtown developments.

Only 15% of people living downtown drive to work or school. Over 45% walk.

See: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2...file-45776.pdf
Click to expand...

Simply because people walk or take transit to work or school, or use transit as their primary means of transportation doesn't mean they don't own a car.
 
lynchpin said:
Simply because people walk or take transit to work or school, or use transit as their primary means of transportation doesn't mean they don't own a car.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
Having a car and a parking spot does not mean that you drive it every day.
After all, how else do you get to the cottage (on weekends)?
 
freshcutgrass said:
First of all, I doubt very few of the people living in Bloor-Yorkville fall into the "1%" category. And a large percentage of those in the upper income brackets do take public transit...just not exclusively. The TTC does not have the stigma attached to it that other cities have. Especially when it comes to subways...and even more especially when the building has direct indoor access to both the Bloor and Yonge lines.
Click to expand...

I'm just going by the people i know who live in Yorkville. They drive everywhere and never use transit, but of course if i owned a Ferrari 458 Italia, i probably wouldn't use transit either ;)

I hope 50 Bloor will have a restaurant. With La Societe Bistro across the st this stretch of Bloor could use some more dining options.
 
gabe said:
I'm just going by the people i know who live in Yorkville. They drive everywhere and never use transit, but of course if i owned a Ferrari 458 Italia, i probably wouldn't use transit either ;)

I hope 50 Bloor will have a restaurant. With La Societe Bistro across the st this stretch of Bloor could use some more dining options.
Click to expand...

I live in Yorkville and walk virtually everywhere, and when I can't I take the TTC because its usually faster than driving. Last month I realized I'm down to using the car less than once per month. When I do travel the TTC, I actually enjoy it!
 
I live in the Annex and have a car, but only use it about twice per month - effectively, only for visting my parents in Burlington (where I grew up) and visiting my wife's parents (also in the suburbs). Otherwise, it just sits. Even in winter, I much prefer to walk everywhere or, if the distances are long, take the TTC. I really love to drive, but on two-lane rural roads -- not in the city (and not even in the suburbs, for that matter).
 
I sold my car in about the early 90's, couldn't deal with city traffic anymore - and that was then! I've never regretted it for a minute, I was driving to places that I could easily walk, cycle to or take TTC a few stops and I was thrilled with all the extra money that I was saving. I'm with buildup, I don't mind TTC at all either though it can get crowded at peak times and even after decades of riding them, I still love taking streetcars. I'm sure as the years and decades roll on we'll become more and more of a walking/cycling/transit city and there will be a lot of empty parking spaces in all these underground condo parking garages downtown.
 
I live in Yorkville and walk virtually everywhere, and when I can't I take the TTC because its usually faster than driving. Last month I realized I'm down to using the car less than once per month. When I do travel the TTC, I actually enjoy it!
Click to expand...

I live in the Annex and have a car, but only use it about twice per month - effectively, only for visting my parents in Burlington (where I grew up) and visiting my wife's parents (also in the suburbs). Otherwise, it just sits. Even in winter, I much prefer to walk everywhere or, if the distances are long, take the TTC. I really love to drive, but on two-lane rural roads -- not in the city (and not even in the suburbs, for that matter).
Click to expand...

Obviously not Ferrari owners?
 
Wow! If it's really Richard Rogers, I'll be very impressed. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't just go for the tallest building in Toronto when they're so close.

I don't really understand height limits like 137 metres. To me, there are low-rise and high-rise neighbourhoods. The effect on the street and surrounding community of a 60-floor building doesn't seem much different from a 45-floor one.

As for the garage, I agree that more than one space per unit is very excessive at that location. What we don't know is how many of the spaces are for the retail area or a commercial garage for the neighbourhood. It's silly to suggest that rich people will never take the subway--they do--but I can imagine some people preferring to drive if they are planning to make a large purchase at Holt's.
 
I could see an application for an extra ten floors popping up in the near future - especially after shovels are in the ground.

3 skyscrapers by Richard Rogers:

rogers1.jpg



rogers2.jpg



rogers3.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top