Toronto Eaton Centre (Ongoing Renewal) | ?m | ?s | Cadillac Fairview | Zeidler

I wouldn't claim that every decision regarding the interface with the sidewalk was the best, and the Eaton Centre has justifiably been accused of killing street life along Yonge. What I'm saying is that the attempt along Yonge to better integrate it with the surroundings was no better, and an architectural black eye that neither respected the Eaton Centre's original design, nor anything existing across the street from it.

I believe that the Centre should have a modern post-industrial chic persona, not a PoMo Vic Schtick one. I'm just not too hopeful it'll get one.

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Very very Bright, lighting up the square the way the Samsung ad did before they dimmed it.

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caltrane74 said:
Very very Bright, lighting up the square the way the Samsung ad did before they dimmed it.

IMG_20160115_192104.jpg


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They really do want to turn Dundas Square into Times Square don't they? "Daylight-bright, even at night." As a "tourist" to NYC, I didn't find Times Square pleasant. The massive crowding made me want to throw elbows because everyone stops and stares or takes photos in the middle of packed sidewalks. Times Square is not there for the locals (and I'm willing to bet most of them avoid it). I understand the importance of tourism in a vibrant, growing city, but surely there are ways better than trying to emulate NYC. We are our own city; we don't need to mimic other "tourist-focused zones" that draw tourists and push away the locals.
 
I'm a local and I like going to yonge Dundas? This is one of the few places in Toronto that is truly bustling with activity. I admit I do not go frequently but when I do I find it most interesting. Plus the fact that is seems to be morphing all the time.
 
Except the CN tower, I don't think Toronto has any area that is exceedingly touristy. In fact I would say we don't have enough that really appears to tourists. I would want more.

And there is nothing wrong with touristy areas. It is not a negative word. Id love to have pockets of the city where hundreds of tourists take selfies each day. Any interesting city SHOULD have some. They bring a lot of revenue after all.

If one despises touristy areas, you still have 98% of the city that is not so.
 
ksun said:
Except the CN tower, I don't think Toronto has any area that is exceedingly touristy. In fact I would say we don't have enough that really appears to tourists. I would want more.

And there is nothing wrong with touristy areas. It is not a negative word. Id love to have pockets of the city where hundreds of tourists take selfies each day. Any interesting city SHOULD have some. They bring a lot of revenue after all.

If one despises touristy areas, you still have 98% of the city that is not so.
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It is what I hope Ontario Place can one day become.
 
I agree! Toronto has an amazing reputation which is why so many people from all over the world want to visit (and live)! I live in one of the so-called "Rust Belt" cities in the U.S., and whenever I see tourists on our streets, I feel very happy b/c it feels reaffirming (they took the time to come here!) Every time I visit Toronto, I am just amazed by its comparatively high degrees of civility and vibrancy. I'd surmise many Torontonians may not realize how truly safe their city is comparatively. The last time I was in Toronto, I walked for blocks and blocks downtown, and did not see any police action, and I scarcely saw any police patrolling. Where I live, the streets could be empty, and there would still be police cars patrolling as if we were under curfew b/c crime (unfortunately with guns) is truly endemic. And crime scares away tourists! Toronto's done a great job at creating a tourist-safe city, and I hope the Canadian cultural ethos will ensure it stays that way.
 
Thank you 'Light'. We all need to be reminded now and then that we do live in a vibrant, cosmopolitan, 'safe', city. Especially appreciated when it is said by someone who doesn't live in Toronto. While certainly not perfect we should nurture what we have rather than bash it as so many on this site do. Perhaps some on this site have not travelled much or have fetishes for other places (NYC in particular).
 
caltrane74 said:
Very very Bright, lighting up the square the way the Samsung ad did before they dimmed it.

IMG_20160115_192104.jpg
Click to expand...
That Urban Eatery sign needs to go. It's been there for years now. We get it, there's a food court down there. It's covering up windows, blocking natural light. Can they not put up an attractive sign, more permanent in nature?
 
junctionist said:
We have a Chinatown, Little India, Koreatown, Little Italy and Greektown. Yonge and Dundas is our Little America.
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Bloor and Spadina is probably another "Little America" hence Washington Avenue and Madison Avenue being in that area, along with some American-born U of T professors living in that area.
 
My point was not what Y&D is now, but where it's obviously headed. We don't need to emulate someone else's tourist trap—one that has become a tourist-only destination and not a space shared between tourists and locals alike. It's great for tourism money, but it's not good city building. It's amusement-park building.
 
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