Yonge & Eglinton

[someMidTowner]

Englinton

I thought that was a typo until I saw it printed on your map as well.

Eglinton not Englinton

 

[FinchConnection]

I thought that was a typo until I saw it printed on your map as well.

Eglinton not Englinton

Whoops. I type too fast for my own good. Let me amend my post.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

So does anyone know what's being built in this location:

http://goo.gl/maps/RpkiE

I snapped some pictures of the hole being dug yesterday:

http://i.imgur.com/OPaIi7k.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lfubpLd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YWYBGT1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/huT6Gat.jpg

 

[Skeezix]

K&G is building a new apartment building.

 

[ehlow]

I've always wondered how the growth in the yonge and eglinton area has been guided.

If you look at this image below you'll see that there has been absolutely no development south of Soudan Ave to Millwood Rd (Bordered by Yonge to the west and Mt. Pleasant to the east).

What's the reason for this? Given the fact that growth north of Eglinton as far north as Keewatin Ave has been relatively unrestricted.

There are several reasons:

1. A development application is assessed by the City's planning department. Under the Official Plan, the areas that already have tons of 50's-70's apartment buildings are "Apartment neighbourhoods". This is also why there is no retail in those areas other than along the main commercial streets. That highlighted section is a "stable neighbourhood", and according to the official plan, they should remain as they are. There would also be huge public opposition in the area, HUGE.

2. The developer would have to buy up a couple of rows of houses, which I doubt is very easy. Why would you sell your house if you had one in that area? There are beautiful houses there on tree-lined streets near retail, parks, and the subway. If you own a house there prices are likely to go up or stay up. Many are also renovating the houses or building completely new ones (which are often uglier than the older brick & half-timbred houses, but that's another discussion). Also with the Eglinton LRT coming and all the condo development, the area will likely become even more desirable and attractive.

3. There are several easier areas to develop in that are still available: parking lots and empty areas in the apartment zones.
Examples of areas that can be developed (some already have applications):
Art Shoppe
Parking lots near Millwood & Yonge
The two car service places near Hillsdale & Yonge
Big parking lot at Castlefield & Duplex
In general developers would have an easier time building along Yonge or Eglinton than within the stable low-rise housing areas.

4. Most of those apartment neighbourhoods were built in the 1950's-70's, when there was a different attitude politically, culturally, towards demolishing whole neighbourhoods to build big housing projects. Examples include Regent Park, St. Jamestown, new City Hall.

I find this area similar to High Park in terms of a mix of older low-rise housing and 50's-70's apartment buildings near the subway.

 

[43Eglinton]

Just wanted to post a pic of the 43 Eglinton Ave East building where I own a condo. PM if you have any questions about it.

They recently demolished the Burger King building (preparing for the E Condos) that was right at Yonge & Eglinton. I have a perfect view of the lot and I will take a pic and post it in this thread later today.

 

[ksun]

Will Y/E ever get a proper neighbourhood name? Using an intersection as the name is kind of uncouth.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Its called Midtown, and we got a thread for it.

 

[ehlow]

Well I think personally think Midtown is the larger area that includes places like Yonge & St Clair, Forest Hill, Lawrence etc.

No, I doubt there will be a nickname for Yonge & Eg other than the obvious one I won't utter here.

Nicknames for places can't just come from nowhere or it's difficult to get people to use them, unless you're Drake, then you can come up with a new name for the city and everyone will start using it in the 6.

 

[Skeezix]

Its called Midtown, and we got a thread for it.

Yes, a thread you started with the comment: "The Yonge and Eg thread is too specific to that intersection and the nearby retail so how about a thread for the whole Midtown area of Toronto?" As ehlow says, that thread is for a much larger area than this specific neighbourhood.

 

[ksun]

I know "park" has been overused, but since there is an Eglinton park, why not call it so?

 

[43Eglinton]

Here's a snapshot of the Yonge & Eglinton area that I just took:

The empty lot to the lower right is where Burger King used to be. The empty lot on Yonge St is where the What A Bagel was.

You can also see the construction going on at the Yonge Eglinton Centre. Lots of construction going on in this area right now. It will get even more intense when they start working on the LRT coming through here.

 

[Skeezix]

I know "park" has been overused, but since there is an Eglinton park, why not call it so?

You mean as a name for the neighbourhood? As ehlow pointed out above, you can't force a nickname on an area unless you're Drake.

 

[ksun]

You mean as a name for the neighbourhood? As ehlow pointed out above, you can't force a nickname on an area unless you're Drake.

really? Isn't the name "southcore" kind of forced?
When the media starts to use it, people gradually get use to it. Better than saying "Yonge and Eglinton" IMO, which always reminds people of a specific intersection that the identity of a nabe. Only neighbourhoods that are not neighbourhoods are named like that (which is probably true for Y&E).

 

[ehlow]

Here's a snapshot of the Yonge & Eglinton area that I just took:


The empty lot to the lower right is where Burger King used to be. The empty lot on Yonge St is where the What A Bagel was.

You can also see the construction going on at the Yonge Eglinton Centre. Lots of construction going on in this area right now. It will get even more intense when they start working on the LRT coming through here.

Great vantage point, thanks for posting. Please keep posting as construction happens!

really? Isn't the name "southcore" kind of forced?
When the media starts to use it, people gradually get use to it. Better than saying "Yonge and Eglinton" IMO, which always reminds people of a specific intersection that the identity of a nabe. Only neighbourhoods that are not neighbourhoods are named like that (which is probably true for Y&E).

I'm sure you have the influence to re-name the neighbourhood yourself. Just start using whatever new name you came up with in conversation, people will definitely catch on. Pretty soon Google Maps, real estate agents, and everybody else will use the new name.