Toronto The Well | 174.03m | 46s | RioCan | Hariri Pontarini

In Seoul I almost walked into overhead wires that were slung so low across an alleyway lol. That said, there's a certain energy and vitality to those big Asian metropolises where the wires don't seem as offensive. Perhaps because it's combined with an extreme density of buildings, signage, lighting, businesses and so forth; it's very vibrant. In Toronto it just feels downright shabby.
 
This take sucks. Many if not most Asian cities - Tokyo for example, which is a paragon of pride and cleanliness for Japan - have overhead wires. Do they also have 'no shame'? What about historic European centres with tram catenary? Also 'shameful'?

Are those places also littered with rotten wooden hydro poles, pothole filled streets, garbage everywhere, ugly public realm ? If so then they also have no shame.
 
Hmmm I was looking at the lovely previous images of the very exiting "The Well' (soon to open?) and am so exited to see the final project and walk through the shopping areas and along Wellington Street on a nice spring or summer day that I didn't even notice any wires. If one looks for blemishes one will find them even on a supermodel.
 
Today

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The first commercial tenant appears to be starting occupancy of their offices in the Well office tower this weekend. Office moving trucks were going down the truck ramp late this afternoon and this evening, going to the P4 level loading docks. On the Spadina side, a protective canopy temporary structure has been set up between the sidewalk and the doors into the main lobby.

Three photos from this evening: First, a view of the office tower, with what may be office lighting activated on some of the upper floors, with a somewhat obscured view of the canopy structure between the sidewalk and one of the sets of lobby entrance doors, just to the left of the white car heading south on Spadina, with the three overhead lights. Second - a view of the main lobby, and third, the truck ramp from Front Street at the south west corner of the project. Not shown is the security guard who was managing the truck access and egress, which was to continue until later in the evening - arrival of a number of trucks still to come.

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The first commercial tenant appears to be starting occupancy of their offices in the Well office tower this weekend. Office moving trucks were going down the truck ramp late this afternoon and this evening, going to the P4 level loading docks. On the Spadina side, a protective canopy temporary structure has been set up between the sidewalk and the doors into the main lobby.

Three photos from this evening: First, a view of the office tower, with what may be office lighting activated on some of the upper floors, with a somewhat obscured view of the canopy structure between the sidewalk and one of the sets of lobby entrance doors, just to the left of the white car heading south on Spadina, with the three overhead lights. Second - a view of the main lobby, and third, the truck ramp from Front Street at the south west corner of the project. Not shown is the security guard who was managing the truck access and egress, which was to continue until later in the evening - arrival of a number of trucks still to come.

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those floors lit up arent Index Exchanges floors, but the company is being given an update on when we get to move in to the well next wednesday.
Last we heard it was mid-may to early june move in

wouldnt be suprised that the lower floors were given tenant turnover earlier than our 26-31
 
Are those places also littered with rotten wooden hydro poles, pothole filled streets, garbage everywhere, ugly public realm ? If so then they also have no shame.
Sometimes it's just pathetic you guys complaining about these first-world problems. Every day hearing my Canadian friends complaining endlessly despite living in such luxury. There ARE actual problems in this world.
 
I have to drive through downtown Toronto to visit clients for work and the city is shabby and looks unkempt. Apart from the overhead wires, rusted hydro poles everywhere, garbage all over the place, pothole-filled roads. I think the citizenry doesn’t demand any better so politicians don’t care. When you go to other cities and come back here you realize how horrible this place looks. It’s not like we are some third-world city. I won’t be surprised if in 100 years things remain the same with no changes.
I have visited hundreds of cities around the world. And Toronto looks far from "shabby". It has overhead wires but so do Tokyo, Hongkong, and many other cities. It is certainly not overflowing with garbage. Ever been to New York or Chicago? And pothole is a problem that any city with a climate like ours will have. And I have seen worse potholes in a lot many cities around the world. Having issues with the problems a city has is not a problem, but the kind of derogatory remarks you made makes it look more like a rant than anything else. That too with one of the most beautiful and livable cities around the world. Sorry but this Toronto bashing needs to have some limits!

Reading your comments has made me remember a popular Bollywood dialogue- "Give them a gold bowl and they will still use it to beg".
 
Sometimes it's just pathetic you guys complaining about these first-world problems. Every day hearing my Canadian friends complaining endlessly despite living in such luxury. There ARE actual problems in this world.

I was born in a third world country and go there regularly and don’t need any lessons from anyone about first world problems. I still have right to complain about how ugly the majority of Toronto looks. I’ve been reading and posting in this forum since 2007 and have seen people complain about everything so I don’t see what is worse about what I wrote and don’t need any condescending remarks.
 
I was born in a third world country and go there regularly and don’t need any lessons from anyone about first world problems. I still have right to complain about how ugly the majority of Toronto looks. I’ve been reading and posting in this forum since 2007 and have seen people complain about everything so I don’t see what is worse about what I wrote and don’t need any condescending remarks.

Sorry Adjei........but you're too over-the-top this time.

I've traveled much of the world and only a handful of the world's largest cities are as-clean as Toronto, never mind better. We're always at our worst right after the snow melts, yes, that's unattractive and certainly we can and should do better; but overall, as big cities go, Toronto is relatively free of litter, as I see remarked on by visitors from the U.S. and Europe alike quite regularly.

I happen to concur w/you that we'd be better off burying more of the hydro wires; I also agree we are too slow to remove old hydro/light poles when new ones are installed; that's a fair criticism; the cleanliness one is not.

In respect of streetscape, Toronto has lots to lament; though we really aren't demonstrably bad on balance in the North American context.
But general mediocrity ought not to be a defense of our own shortcomings.

Still, we're making enormous progress, from Bloor St in Yorkville, to Queen's Quay West, to Yorkville Avenue, to St. George Street, we have many beautiful streetscapes that will only look better as the trees along them mature.
John Street (much delayed), Wellington, Front, Queen's Quay East, Yonge Street downtown and in North York are all on the list for large-scale facelifts.

In the meantime, a quick pic to remind you of what Toronto looks like: Looking down King's College Road, my photo.


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Now, perhaps we can get this thread back on track, to discuss 'The Well'
 

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