Toronto Bloor Street Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Bloor-Yorkville BIA | architectsAlliance

You mean that middle aged, label obsessed, woman with the oversized handbag and plenty of bling, showed up to shop with on a bicycle?
 
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Mckarisma, is this the study you are referring to? I think it's the one that I remember reading recently. It is on Bloor West Village, from 2010.

“Visitor survey respondents who reported that they usually drive [to the area] were found to visit less frequently and spend significantly less money per month in the neighbourhood than those who did not drive.”
 
You mean that middle aged, label obsessed, women with the oversized handbag and plenty of bling, showed up to shop with on a bicycle?
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I can't imagine that, though I can imagine that young woman living in a downtown condo showing up to shop on a classic cruiser, perhaps with a basket. Cycling is a la mode these days.

arvelomcquaig said:
Mckarisma, is this the study you are referring to? I think it's the one that I remember reading recently. It is on Bloor West Village, from 2010.

“Visitor survey respondents who reported that they usually drive [to the area] were found to visit less frequently and spend significantly less money per month in the neighbourhood than those who did not drive.”
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I remember a study was done that focused on Bloor Street downtown. When I heard about it, I assumed it pertained to the Annex, though.
 
junctionist said:
I can't imagine that, though I can imagine that young woman living in a downtown condo showing up to shop on a classic cruiser, perhaps with a basket. Cycling is a la mode these days.
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Women who wear Jimmy Choos do not ride bikes. The bike/comfortable shoe crowd are more Bloor West Village/Queen West etc. than Bloor/Yorkville.
 
Somehow I cannot picture an anouncement over the intercom at Holts asking "Will all the women and men here who rode their bikes to our store, please raise your hands" and the majority of shoppers raising their hands.
 
There are plenty more shops, services, residences and offices along this stretch other than Holts and Tiffany & Co.
 
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So true,dt_toronto_geek. Certainly the Winners store/Club Monaco/Gap/Nike etc. These are all non high-end stores. I walk to them all the time because it's so close. But for many neighborhoods this is a easy bike ride.
 
Tewder said:
Women who wear Jimmy Choos do not ride bikes. The bike/comfortable shoe crowd are more Bloor West Village/Queen West etc. than Bloor/Yorkville.
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There's a lot of different establishments along this stretch of Bloor which will attract the cycling crowd. The young and affluent crowd living in all those midtown condos will be tempted to bike to Bloor. This crowd will compliment the BMW driving middle-aged women from uptown.
 
True enough, but this is supposed to be Toronto's high-end shopping district, no? The further gentrification of the area will likely push it higher by encouraging higher rents and attracting more expensive brands, rather than the opposite. It just doesn't seem to have the neighbourhood-y, ride your bike and chill kind of vibe to it. Serious retail and serious spending is more the tone here, I would think. Not to say that aren't some that ride their bike here.
 
Tewder said:
True enough, but this is supposed to be Toronto's high-end shopping district, no? The further gentrification of the area will likely push it higher by encouraging higher rents and attracting more expensive brands, rather than the opposite. It just doesn't seem to have the neighbourhood-y, ride your bike and chill kind of vibe to it. Serious retail and serious spending is more the tone here, I would think. Not to say that aren't some that ride their bike here.
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I hope it will remain high-end even with the rise of King West. But I say let rich people bike to these stores if they want. Let the condo dwellers make a logical choice. There's always going to be a mix of incomes on Bloor too with all the offices and intersection of subway lines. (And let's not forget Yorkville's hippy heritage.) At the end of the day, a high-end retail district isn't compromised by bicycle parking on the street. I think that notion that it would be is just ugly suburban snobbery (i.e. "if you don't drive you must be poor").
 
Tewder said:
True enough, but this is supposed to be Toronto's high-end shopping district, no? The further gentrification of the area will likely push it higher by encouraging higher rents and attracting more expensive brands, rather than the opposite. It just doesn't seem to have the neighbourhood-y, ride your bike and chill kind of vibe to it. Serious retail and serious spending is more the tone here, I would think. Not to say that aren't some that ride their bike here.
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Nothing says "serious retail" to me like WINNERS.
 
My initial comment was mostly in jest. I wouldn't be upset if no bike posts were put up on this stretch and I wouldn't be upset if they were. Though I'd like to see bicycle parking for busier pedestrian streets delegated to alleys and side streets. This would free up the valuable sidewalk real estate; for instance, by memory, Yonge Street has very few bicycle posts. I'm not trying to suppress the bicyclists, as I think it could be way to bring some more use and activity to the alleys. Seeing as bike theft/vandalism happens right out on our main streets though, there might be some concerns over crime.
 
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