Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

[Johnny Au]

Sorry but that's entirely incorrect. The videogame industry as a whole - both home and arcade - suffered a cataclysmic decline starting in 1983, long before Sega and Nintendo established themselves as console manufacturers here. Read up on the crash of 83; this wiki article is a good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983 . Arcades began shutting in droves as people began to perceive videogames as a fad which had run its course. Home machines didn't fare any better, and it wasn't long before the dominant consoles of the day (Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari) were discontinued (Coleco, which only a couple of years early saw huge success with Cabbage Patch Kids, was eventually bankrupted by the failure of their ADAM computer/videogame console). For a couple of years, video games were reduced to a niche industry.

When Nintendo first brought the NES to North America, it got off to a slow start with a lot of people viewing a video game console as somewhat anachronistic. It took a couple of years to take off, but the rest is history. With the success of the NES and subsequent consoles, the focus of video gaming shifted from arcades to consoles. Freed from the business need to suck quarters out of pockets as quickly as possible, games themselves moved from short, fast-paced action titles to longer, drawn-out, more immersive experiences.

So, Nintendo and Sega didn't kill videogames, but resurrected the business. The arcade didn't survive, but it was already on life support by that point.

Thank you for clarifying.

 

[Bruno Republic]

Sorry to be all pedantic and stuff, but as you may have gathered, I was a little, um, passionate about video games at the time. I really miss the arcades too, but now more for pinball. I didn't play it much at the time but I've since grown to love it, and there's really no place in the city for that anymore. Yonge street lost its last arcade a few years ago, the much-discussed cafe out in Parkdale didn't last long, and of course the last remaining arcade at Union station is gone too.

Most of old arcade games were resurrected by emulators like MAME many years ago, and new ones live on in spirit in what we now call "casual gaming" found on smartphones. But there's just no substitute for pinball.

 

[Celeste]

Okay I was thinking, uh-oh, I think somebody could very easily open up a coffee bar in the back at number 23-19 Dundonald Street. It would be pretty roomy but still it would mean putting the back of the building to good use instead of letting the whole place get so dilapigated.

 

[MisterF]

Maybe I'm just too young to appreciate it, but I always viewed cruising the strip as kind of a relic. Nowadays it reminds me of Fast & Furious types in York Region more than anything that would fit in downtown. Maybe it's the nostalgia for muscle cars I don't get - I'd much rather have a legitimate sports car or even a hot hatch (and I too think car styling in the 70s left something to be desired). It seems our urban culture has moved beyond that - most young people living downtown don't romanticize cars like they did in past eras. I think a more Mediterranean passeggiata culture would be a huge improvement over a culture where everybody piles in a car and drives around all night.

Sorry but that's entirely incorrect. The videogame industry as a whole - both home and arcade - suffered a cataclysmic decline starting in 1983, long before Sega and Nintendo established themselves as console manufacturers here. Read up on the crash of 83; this wiki article is a good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983 . Arcades began shutting in droves as people began to perceive videogames as a fad which had run its course. Home machines didn't fare any better, and it wasn't long before the dominant consoles of the day (Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari) were discontinued (Coleco, which only a couple of years early saw huge success with Cabbage Patch Kids, was eventually bankrupted by the failure of their ADAM computer/videogame console). For a couple of years, video games were reduced to a niche industry.

When Nintendo first brought the NES to North America, it got off to a slow start with a lot of people viewing a video game console as somewhat anachronistic. It took a couple of years to take off, but the rest is history. With the success of the NES and subsequent consoles, the focus of video gaming shifted from arcades to consoles. Freed from the business need to suck quarters out of pockets as quickly as possible, games themselves moved from short, fast-paced action titles to longer, drawn-out, more immersive experiences.

So, Nintendo and Sega didn't kill videogames, but resurrected the business. The arcade didn't survive, but it was already on life support by that point.

You make a good point. I'm not a big gamer, I play maybe 2 or 3 games per year. But when I do play games I appreciate a good, immersive story and getting lost in the world of the game. A game like The Last of Us or Heavy Rain would never work in an arcade.

Heh, I just realized I sound like the the Dos Equis guy. "I don't always play video games, but when I do, I prefer The Last of Us."

 

[freshcutgrass]

Maybe it's the nostalgia for muscle cars I don't get - I'd much rather have a legitimate sports car or even a hot hatch

Well same here....NOW. At the time, it was a different story. Same with music...what I preferred listening to in 1977 is not the same as what I prefer to listen to from 1977 now.



The pinball arcades had more to do with youth culture than the gaming experience itself....

From: 11 Things You Didn't Know About Pinball History - Popular Mechanics

Because pinball was illegal for so long, it became a symbol of youth and rebellion. If you watch a movie or TV show that was either produced or takes place during this period, virtually any time pinball makes an appearance, it is for the purpose of portraying to the audience that a particular character is a rebel. For example, the Fonz is regularly seen playing pinball in "Happy Days" episodes. And when "Tommy," The Who's pinball-wizard-themed rock opera album came out in 1972, pinball was still banned in much of the country (the US). The album's use of pinball is largely misunderstood by today's audiences, who may view the deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard as quirky. In all likelihood, The Who was using the game to portray the titular character as anti-authoritarian. Filmmaker Richard Linklater makes use of this symbol in a significant number of his movies, with rebellious or outcast characters seen playing or talking about pinball in virtually every one. And in The Simpsons, Sideshow Bob once proclaimed, "Television has ruined more young minds than pinball and syphilis combined."

Remember...the police shut down the Yonge arcades in 1975 and they didn't become legal technically until 1976. The big arcades on Yonge were the only big ones because they managed to get grandfathered in. There are still bylaw restrictions in place that led to the shut down of the Parkdale Pinball Cafe (which was really just another cafe gimmick, not a serious pinball arcade).

 

[Celeste]

Can we get off the music crap and get back to Yonge!

Yonge will never be the circus it once was, just the nature of the beast. Bars/dance clubs are not near as popular as they once were and people have more options about where, with whom, how, and when to socialize. Yonge, like many main drags, use to also be very seedy with porn shop, movie theatres etc but that is no more as porn which was once a daring thing to do is now just a click away.

Yonge could, however, get it's centre of attention reputation back if it was to become pedestrian friendly and currently it is horridly unfriendly. Yonge only claim to fame right now is that it is the only main street in the whole city where you can't sit outside and have a coffee little alone a meal.

Yonge Street=The Rock N Roll Mecha of Canada.

And who the hell said anything about porn? I'm talking about bringing back Yonge Street to the Rock N Roll mecha that it was. And some of the patios faced the side streets not the main street.

 

[adma]

Maybe I'm just too young to appreciate it, but I always viewed cruising the strip as kind of a relic. Nowadays it reminds me of Fast & Furious types in York Region more than anything that would fit in downtown. Maybe it's the nostalgia for muscle cars I don't get - I'd much rather have a legitimate sports car or even a hot hatch (and I too think car styling in the 70s left something to be desired). It seems our urban culture has moved beyond that - most young people living downtown don't romanticize cars like they did in past eras. I think a more Mediterranean passeggiata culture would be a huge improvement over a culture where everybody piles in a car and drives around all night.

And it says something that the most noteworthy "cruising" that remains tends to be along the lines of low riders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSh3YXHFeHI

 

[Transportfan]

Lots of people identify as Christian because their may be a link somewhere in their past. Many people are also Jewish, yet aren't remotely religious (Bill Maher and Larry David for example). I don't honestly believe that 80% of Americans are devout Christians. Saying one is a Christian and simply going to church doesn't make that so. Religious associations are loosely thrown around. It's impossible to measure who is devout and who pays lip service to a particular faith. And I do believe Christians are the counter culture. They're marginalized and mocked more than any minority group via comedians, Hollywood, television, mainstream news, and everyday people. Being an "American without God" would get you lots of praise in New York City, Los Angeles -- pretty much any urban area -- in rural areas that would be a different story (though not all country bumpkins are religious). If 80% of Americans are Christians, why does Obama insist that America is not a Christian nation? I do believe there are plenty of Christians in America, but 80% is pushing it. Most of the population lives in cities, and they tend to be have more liberal demographics.
What propaganda? Watch what happens when one says they believe the true definition of marriage consists of a man and a woman. Damian Goddard, formerly of SportsNet, literally said those very words in a tweet and he was fired because of that. That violated his right to freely express himself without punishment. I have yet to hear a case of the opposite happening. Remember how Tim Tebow was laughed at a couple of years ago because he expressed his love for God? Even I think he was a bit over the top with how frequently he referenced Jesus, but so what? The man was made out to be a clown. His exceptional play was overshadowed by his faith. Now if one's an athlete (and a mediocre ones at that) coming out of the closet, they will get a personal phone call from Obama or the First Lady. Good on Jason Collins and Michael Sam for being who they are (though I question their timing and motives -- looking for new contracts), but it's absurd that they were personally called by Obama and the First Lady. Most gay people probably believe so as well. I bet neither Barack or Michelle has called a single family of the fallen soldiers from the stupid, useless war in Afghanistan. They are the definition of "brave". Perspective is really screwy these days. If you really believe that Michael Coren wants to instigate a violent backlash I think you're out to lunch. Unfortunately, I do believe there will be a backlash, but it will be because of examples like the Damian Goddard one above. People are eventually going to grow sick of being told what they can and cannot say/believe and things are going to get dirty. I believe that is inevitable. Being fired for stating an opinion is unconstitutional and tyrannical. Speaking of forcing beliefs on others...

Right on and great rebuttal--and you can tie it in with the topic of Yonge. Many stubbornly believe it's the longest street in the world; even though it's easy to prove otherwise!

 

[freshcutgrass]

Right on and great rebuttal

I think it has been soundly refuted...

I do believe there will be a backlash, but it will be because of examples like the Damian Goddard one above. People are eventually going to grow sick of being told what they can and cannot say/believe and things are going to get dirty. I believe that is inevitable.

Anyone who thinks the odds are going to turn in favour of the religious right all of a sudden either hasn't been paying attention, or is just in deep denial. You're free to believe in the supernatural all you like....it is just going to keep on losing it's influence on how society operates. As usual, the USA will be the last to join the club.

Many stubbornly believe it's the longest street in the world; even though it's easy to prove otherwise!

For many, it ends at Bloor.

 

[Johnny Au]

For me, Yonge Street ends at the mouth of the Holland River near the East Gwillimbury–Georgina boundary.

 

[Celeste]

I think it has been soundly refuted...



Anyone who thinks the odds are going to turn in favour of the religious right all of a sudden either hasn't been paying attention, or is just in deep denial. You're free to believe in the supernatural all you like....it is just going to keep on losing it's influence on how society operates. As usual, the USA will be the last to join the club.





For many, it ends at Bloor.

For me it ends at Lakeshore Boulevard.

 

[freshcutgrass]

For me it ends at Lakeshore Boulevard.

Must be something very interesting going on between Queens Quay and Lakeshore Blvd.

 

[Celeste]

Ugh. Not even in jest.

About music... the older you get, the more you tend to hear in modern music its antecedents (in stuff you used to listen to back in the day). Hence why so many middle-aged people complain that a contemporary so-and-so is a retread of band X that supposedly did it fresh the first time.

That's pretty much the way I feel about it.

 

[Celeste]

Agreed!And not to mention Lee Aaron,Rush,Helix,Coney Hatch,Santers Band, Max Webster,FM,Teenage Head! And who is Arcade fire?

Platinum Blonde, Moist, Skid Row, Men Without Hats.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Platinum Blonde, Moist, Skid Row, Men Without Hats.

Platinum Blonde is the only Toronto band of those you mentioned (although Sebastian Bach did live in Toronto prior to joining Skid Row)