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Originally Posted by fresnelly
notably the presence of the BigBop nightclub on one corner and The Meeting Place the on another...
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Ah, the Big Bop, used to go there when I was in University 20 years ago. I'd be very curious to see it inside nowadays.
It used to be quite the place to go.
Sigh......
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Originally Posted by Charlatan
West Queen West (i.e. past Bathurst and all the way to Dufferin) is the new Queen West -- for now. But since the Drake went in and condo developers pounced, the area is again under the stress of gentrification.
The artists that made the area "cool" can no longer afford to live in the area. The small shops, galleries and restaurants that gave the area its "cool" can't pay the rising retail rents. Developers, unchecked (checked and then using the OMB to bypass municipal orders) are building more and uglier glass and steel (not that glass and steel is always ugly, just the much of what is being built is).
Monoculture is a good way to look at it.
The only business that can really afford the rents are the chain stores that can be found in just about any mall in North America. It has been a slow process that is picking up speed. There are community organizations that are pushing back against these trends but, frankly, I feel it is a losing battle.
I would not be surprised to find out that this fire was arson.
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Agree completely. I'd bet on Arson as well. Nothing speeds up the wrecking ball like a little fire. Same thing happened at Richmond and John where they built the Paramount Theatres. Just one day there was this fire and boom, they build another box. There was also a church that mysteriously spontaneously combusted I remember, though I can't remember the specifics.
The problem of destroying old nieghbourhoods is huge in Toronto. First of, the City has a "Densification" policy and seems to fall over itself to accomodate the developers who are building one box after another around the city.
In my area - Bloor West Village, there was an old Odeon Theatre on the northwest corner of Bloor and Jane with 2 large cinemas. One day it was there, the next day it was closed. They are trying to build an 18 storey condo on the site. (To add to all the other condos they are building on Bloor down at High Park.)
Even though the neighbourhood is totally opposed to it, they got their approval. Why? Because the issue went to council and although our Councillor sheepishly voted against it (looks good for the voters), the other councillors all voted for it in order to get the development fees.
What I love about Developers (if you've ever gone to any Public Information Centres (PICs)) is how they will stand there and tell you how they are improving the neighbourhood, or better yet, that they are taking a shitty neighbourhood and helping to turn it around.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
They want to build their ugly boxes with their spandrel glass in the best neighbourhoods where they can get the most money for them. Thinking about my own area again, there's lots of land north of St. Claire on Jane Street where they could use some improvements, but no, these self serving bastards want to build along Bloor Street.
Getting back to Queen West, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will see some faceless box go in there that looks like every other faceless box in the City. Some will call it an improvement no doubt, the NDP will try to get the developer to build some "afordable housing", however, at the end of the day, we'll be left with another box that will look like shit and in 100 years will be an even bigger pile of shit.