Retro Toronto Thread for Nostalgia Purposes.

[Insidious Von]

I remember the mentally challenged guy who used to do impersonations of Hollywood actors, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne among others. Haven't seen him this century.

Toronto has lost most of its great delis, Yitz closed down at the end of the 2010s.

 

[Blade]

Late 70's, early 80's, downtown TO around Eaton Centre was so great. Miss going down there, I avoid it now due to the traffic and parking hassles.

Back then my greatest memories are the 3 record stores ( Sam's, A&A's and Music World ), could buy albums for $3.99 that were $7.99 or more in the burbs. Also Jack Flash head shop, recently discussed above. Quart sized beer at the Nickelodeon, and my all-time #1 fav memories...Le Strip!!!

 

[unassuming]

Back then my greatest memories are the 3 record stores ( Sam's, A&A's and Music World ), could buy albums for $3.99 that were $7.99 or more in the burbs...........

Heading to the big 3 record stores on weekends was a big deal to check out all the latest vinyls or cassettes.

Also for a few summers in the early 70's, Yonge st was closed to cars from Gerrard st down to Queen st-pedestrian traffic only.

 

[Ponderling]

The Gasworks bar.
I have a photo print hanging in the living room of a older gent in a long felt coat in the process of lighting a cigarette on an overcast day on Yonge St.
I took it in 1983 or 84, and in the background you can see the faint hints of that long gone old bar.

 

[onomatopoeia]

I can't remember the last time I saw a June Bug in Toronto. When I was a kid, they were abundant. We used to flip them on their backs and fry them with a magnifying glass. I really don't know if kids in other neighbourhoods did that, too. In the sixties, I didn't know any kids who lived more than half a mile away.

 

[RZG]

Anybody remember the scalper that would be outside the Gardens and sometimes the ACC, early `70s to early years of the ACC. Big tall dude, big moustache, loud "who`s buyin, whose sellin?".Bought Leaf tickets from him a couple times, he had a huge fistful standing on Church. He was on the phone to his partner who was outside the Gardens by the Carlton doors. He sold me a Who ticket minutes before the Nov. `75 show for 5 bucks. Those guys got paid.

 

[tml]

Anybody remember the scalper that would be outside the Gardens and sometimes the ACC, early `70s to early years of the ACC. Big tall dude, big moustache, loud "who`s buyin, whose sellin?".Bought Leaf tickets from him a couple times, he had a huge fistful standing on Church. He was on the phone to his partner who was outside the Gardens by the Carlton doors. He sold me a Who ticket minutes before the Nov. `75 show for 5 bucks. Those guys got paid.

I used to deal with a Father and son duo who I think were of Arab ethnicity.

 

[RZG]

I used to deal with a Father and son duo who I think were of Arab ethnicity.

That would be them.

 

[tml]

The Gasworks bar.
I have a photo print hanging in the living room of a older gent in a long felt coat in the process of lighting a cigarette on an overcast day on Yonge St.
I took it in 1983 or 84, and in the background you can see the faint hints of that long gone old bar.

IIRC, didn't they serve bottles of beer that were larger than the averge bottle?
http://gasworks.eyedropvideo.com/

 

[tml]

Late 70's, early 80's, downtown TO around Eaton Centre was so great. Miss going down there, I avoid it now due to the traffic and parking hassles.

Back then my greatest memories are the 3 record stores ( Sam's, A&A's and Music World ), could buy albums for $3.99 that were $7.99 or more in the burbs. Also Jack Flash head shop, recently discussed above. Quart sized beer at the Nickelodeon, and my all-time #1 fav memories...Le Strip!!!

There was a fourth record store at that time, Sunrise Records, that was located on Yonge St. just south of Dundas. Later it moved north of Dundas on Yonge St. accross from the Sam's flagship store.

 

[RZG]

IIRC, didn't they serve bottles of beer that were larger than the averge bottle?
http://gasworks.eyedropvideo.com/

I ordered 2 more beer at last call at the Zanzibar, girl drops off 2 quart beers. That should do it.

 

[tml]

Any comic book collectors in the nid-70's? I seem to recall 2 comic book shops, the Silver Snail and Bakka. I think they were located on Queen St. W near Spadina. I was in Grade 5 at the time, and me and some of my classmates would head down there and drool at the vintage comics.

 

[RZG]

There was a fourth record store at that time, Sunrise Records, that was located on Yonge St. just south of Dundas. Later it moved north of Dundas on Yonge St. accross from the Sam's flagship store.

Do you remember Zounds, I think , on Eg. east in Scar. It was close to Sonic Motorcycles, bought TM concert tickets there.

 

[tml]

Do you remember Zounds, I think , on Eg. east in Scar. It was close to Sonic Motorcycles, bought TM concert tickets there.

Unfortunately, I don't remember that. But, I do remember the big A&A record store out in Scarborough. Spent a lot time there in the mid-late 1980's.

 

[jeff2]

Anyone remember all the bus stops in Etobicoke in the early 1980s where someone scratched "Teenagers Suck" on the signs.
Also, what was up with the lumberjacket coats at the time?

 

[shack]

View attachment 316579

I can't remember the last time I saw a June Bug in Toronto. When I was a kid, they were abundant. We used to flip them on their backs and fry them with a magnifying glass. I really don't know if kids in other neighbourhoods did that, too.

Ants.

 

[jeff2]

View attachment 316579

I can't remember the last time I saw a June Bug in Toronto. When I was a kid, they were abundant. We used to flip them on their backs and fry them with a magnifying glass. I really don't know if kids in other neighbourhoods did that, too. In the sixties, I didn't know any kids who lived more than half a mile away.

I feel bad for feeding goldfish to piranhas in the 1970s. They did not eat them all at once. Bit off the fins and tail, then ate them later.
Switched to frozen shrimp for food.

 

[bemeup]

Do you remember Zounds, I think , on Eg. east in Scar. It was close to Sonic Motorcycles, bought TM concert tickets there.

The video for Lovers InA Dangerous Time by The Barenaked Ladies is partially filmed there. The whole video is Scarborough early 80’s in a nutshell.

 

[shakenbake]

I remember the mentally challenged guy who used to do impersonations of Hollywood actors, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne among others. Haven't seen him this century.

Toronto has lost most of its great delis, Yitz closed down at the end of the 2010s.

I miss shopsy’s on Spadina where you couldn’t order milk products with your corned beef. It wasn’t kosher. Their cigar humidor was great, too.

 

[shakenbake]

Baka books on queen west, a sci fi Mecca.