That’s exactly the problem with Toronto. Turning everything into condos just destroys the character of the city and also further exacerbates the problem with gentrification. I’m not into urban neighborhoods myself but I remember gallivanting in Toronto in the 90s that included trips to Captain Johns, 4Ds Diner and Honest Ed’s.
Now if you walk on Yonge Street it’s as though every other business is for lease. Unless you’re OK with living in a concrete jungle, Toronto is probably not for everyone.
The condos that they are building now in Toronto (and have been building since the early 90's) are soul crushing. Cold, sterile, with no architectural merit whatsoever. Just a concrete frame with glass bolted to the frame from street to roof top. Absolutely 0 street-scape (and how could you, it's just a wall of glass). Everything is built cheap cheap cheap. It reminds me of the development you see in Asia - Hong Kong (especially), China, Singapore, etc. Just a box with glass, beside another box with glass. The WORST has to be down off Spadina around SkyDome. It's just devoid of life.
If you ever go to any community meeting in Toronto (and I have) when they want to tear down a block and put up a glass box, the existing local residents go mental. And with good reason. They all know that condos in Toronto are like weeds. You get one and first thing you know, the neighbourhood that you love will be destroyed and replaced with more and more weeds. When I moved to Toronto I marveled at how I could be walking off Yonge Street, arguably THEE main street in Toronto, make a right or left onto a side street and immediately be into single family homes. Amazing. The city had a unique character in that respect. Now, the things I found incredible are being knocked down one by one by greedy developers whose only motive is to make money. More money on top of more money. Build cheap cheap cheap concrete and glass boxes, in the best neighbourhoods and charge the maximum. What KILLS me is when you go to these public meetings, these greedy developers all like to portray themselves as community saviors. As if they are coming into these downtrodden areas in the city in the name of urban renewal. Fucking liars. They seek out the coolest urban neighbourhoods because they KNOW that it's already a magnet in terms of attracting people and they want to capitalize on the existing character of the neighbourhood. Usually when they say this shit at a public meeting the whole place will erupt in a scream because everyone knows that they (the greedy developers) are full of shit. (If they were so altruistic, they would be building their boxes in brown fields, or in Rexdale, or Jane and Finch, but no, King West needs saving and they are the saviors. They will save King West alright; right into their chequing accounts!)
Now, because they know they will be called on their bullshit, the same greedy developers have figured out a new approach. (Kind like those who oppose sex work. They no longer call it sex work, they've labeled it "human trafficking" But I digress.) What the greedy developers are now saying is that they are building homes for people in Toronto because there are not enough homes available for people. That they are addressing a housing shortage and those opposed to their altruism are just self-absorbed individuals, NIMBYS who don't want to "share" with the people. (
A La Margaret Atwood in her recent fight to protect the Annex.) Nothing could be a bigger load of horse shit. It's all about the money. Developers want to move into the cool old neighbourhoods in Toronto, raze them, build their blight, and pocket a SHIT LOAD of money in the process. It's just as simple as that. (And fuck the City in the process, who cares. We're going to make A LOT of money.)
