…. A short distance but with a lot happening.
An early morning walk with a weak winter sun low in the sky. Tall buildings that cast shadows, or reflect light. Patterns of light and shadow.
below: Crossing Yonge from Carlton to College
below: North on Yonge. The facade above Shoppers remains. “….has design value and technological merit as a representative of the 1950s Toronto School of ‘Picturesque Modernism’ in its expressive use of concrete seen in the cantilevered canopy and decorative piercings of the concrete screen for the above-ground parking, in the ‘egg-crate’ elevations designed to reduce solar gain, and in the predominant white aesthetic of glazed white brick and concrete surfaces.” (form City of Toronto report on heritage inclusion)
below: Rising above Yonge and College
below: Looking north, up the canyon that Yonge has become. The very tall building that is obviously under construction in the distance is at Yonge and Bloor.
below: Empty, boarded up and waiting its turn. Southeast corner of College & Yonge. I have vague memories of a candy store on this corner although I think that there were a number of businesses that passed through here.
below: The east half of Yonge street in front of College Park is now a construction zone. An additional entrance on the east side of Yonge along with more elevator service between street and track levels, is being built for College subway station. Are there any streets in the downtown area that don’t have partial closures for construction?
below: Sunspots, reflected light on the side of College Park
below: More emptiness, more waiting.
below: Granby and McGill are two streets that run parallel to College but don’t actually meet Yonge Street, pedestrians only here
below: Looking back at Yonge Street from the same spot. When the area was pedestrianized back in the 1980s, the city purchased added the arch. The arch came from St. Andrews United Church at Bloor and Park Road (not on this site, moved here). The mural on the wall, right hand side …
… is The ‘History of Music on Yonge’ mural that covers two large walls on the same building. This is the south side of that building. It was painted by Adrian Hayles and features music legends who played in Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s.
On the north side of building, the mural shows Ronnie Hawkins, Glenn Gould, Dianne Brooks, Jackie Shane, Muddy Waters, Shirley Matthews, B.B. King, Gordon Lightfoot, and Oscar Peterson.
below: Behind Yonge street, between Granby and McGill (Joseph Sheard parkette)
below: Looking north up Yonge from Granby
below: Aura
below: People on a corner… To the woman in the brown coat – A penny for your thoughts (Does anyone use that expression anymore?)
below: The southeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard is still a construction site….
below: …. but now it is on its way up!
below: On the northeast corner, also Yonge and Gerrard is an older building that is still standing… for now. An almost obscene 76 storeys with 828 residences. No car parking; parking for 828 bikes only. May I recommend the elevator repair business as a career prospect for those who are looking for ideas? Also, we could have quite the discussion about bikes and bike lanes……
below: Looking south on Yonge from Elm
below: The Zanzibar Tavern glows in the morning light
below: Hoardings around the construction site on the northwest corner of Yonge and Elm
below: Orange! Even more construction on Yonge, this time the southwest corner of Yonge and Elm
below: No more pizzas here.
below: Looking west on Elm
below: A quick stop at the Cong Caphe. That’s an iced coconut coffee!!









































