Autumn Light

 

These buildings were a couple of kilometres away from me as I walked along a railway line but something about the light and the sky made for a pleasant view. The tall one under construction is at the busy corner of Yonge St and Bloor St, a prime location to have a condo.

"Full Moon" Revisited

 

I hadn't really gone by this clock called "Full Moon" which is located on Yonge St for a long time and then I remembered that I had posted it  HERE way back in 2010. It was created by Wendell Castle in 1988 and it looks so 80s to me. If you go back and look at my original post you will see that the clock now needs a bit of sprucing up. A polish & clean would help.

Golden

 I felt the need for something lovely after so many months being locked down so went digging in my archives. This is the ceiling in the entrance hall of the Ed Mirvish Theatre on Yonge St. The theatre was built in 1920 as a cinema and vaudeville venue and opened under the name Pantages. It had many name changes through the years until finally being named after Ed Mirvish who was a great theatre impresario and also owned Honest Ed's. At some point in its history all of this gorgeous decoration was covered up with drywall until the theatre was finally restored back to its glory.

Fire Station 311

Fire Station 311 is found just off Yonge St south of St Clair Ave. When it opened in 1911 it was Fire Station 24 and horses were used to pull  the fire wagons. Times have changed and the city has grown a lot but the station still looks grand.  

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

"Have A Seat"

This is one from the archives taken well before the Covid virus hit us all. This is the outdoor seating area of a bar just off Yonge St. I love these vintage patio chairs.

Looking Back

I took this pic a few years ago during one of our Open Streets events when parts of Yonge St & Bloor St were closed to cars. These 4 shops were the typical storefronts found along some of the older parts of Yonge St south of Bloor. Many have now been torn down and the small independent businesses are disappearing but a look on google showed me that the Cuban cigar shop and the Persian restaurant are still there (at least a few months ago). The 2 buildings on the right have been newly painted and fixed up while the 2 on the left are still in need of a facelift.  
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

More Brick Neighbours

Continuing the brick houses that I showed you a week ago, a short walk up Yonge St brings us to Macpherson Ave which is lined with these lovely Victorian homes all of which have been renovated and restored. These are the same era as the workers homes I had shown but a little more upscale.

Neighbours Down The Block

These houses are found just down the block from yesterday's homes and were built around the same time, in the 1890s. These were built for bricklayers which probably accounts for the fancier brick work. They now have heritage protection and I doubt that anyone would be allowed to paint the exterior today.

All In A Row

This row of houses is found on Belmont St just off Yonge St. Built in the 1890s for labourers these homes now have heritage protection and are snapped up quickly when one comes up for sale. They back onto a park with tennis courts & a hockey rink.

A Mystery

I was walking down Yonge St (our main street) and spotted this installation on the side of a building which houses an Italian cafe. I have no idea what it is meant to represent. Those streamers are coated metal so it is fairly permanent. The young guy looking at his phone never looked up at all as I took several pics - this was about 6 weeks ago when it was still cold which explains his heavy coat.

New Uses

I first posted a pic of the Summerhill LCBO back in September 2010 (HERE) and thought it was time to revisit it. After yesterday's pic I walked under the railway bridge and emerged to take this pic of the main entrance. Built in 1916 to be The North Toronto Railway Station, the building quit that function in 1930 and most of its exterior was covered by boarding as it operated as a Beer Store & a LCBO outlet. In 2004 it was beautifully restored and is now the largest liquor store in Canada. The tower is 140 ft tall and can be seen from far away as you walk along Yonge St which is Toronto's main street.

Heading Down Yonge St

I was heading down Yonge St in the Summerhill neighbourhood just as a train rolled past the Summerhill LCBO (Ontario's liquor store). The building started life as a railway station and the trains actually run over this back entrance to the store. I'll show you the front and main entrance tomorrow.

Wavy

I like all of the wavy balconies on this really tall condo that was just finished a few years ago at Bloor & Yonge St. All of those stores on the main floor are closed because of the virus and there is now hardly any traffic around. I'll show you what that structure peeking into the lower left side is tomorrow.

Another Birdo

The artist Birdo has done a really large mural 10 stories high on a building at Yonge St & St Clair Ave just down the street from yesterday's building. The deer in the mural makes reference to the surrounding Deer Park neighbourhood. That rounded structure below is the entrance to the St Clair subway station.  
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Rosedale Subway Station

The Rosedale subway station is located just down Yonge St from the dog spa that I showed you last Wednesday. It serves the Rosedale neighbourhood which is one of the wealthiest and most expensive neighbourhoods in Canada. This is the area where "old money" lives. This station was built in 1954 and has heritage protection although some changes in tile colour have happened through the years.

A Grand Gate

This gate is located almost directly across Yonge St from yesterday's pic and it leads to a courtyard that is very pretty especially in summer. The building is U-shaped and was in very rough condition until undergoing a huge renovation and restoration several years ago. It now has some commercial space on the main floor and exquisite residential in the rest of the building. Wouldn't we all like to have a tour?

For The Lucky Dog

I spotted this dog store along Yonge St in one of the most upscale parts of Toronto. I'm sure there are a lot of lucky dogs from this neighbourhood who get presents and spa treatments here. That is a great name they have!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Floating

If you closely at the building in the upper half of this pic you will see that it is floating above yet another pit for a condo building along Yonge St. The building is supported by I-beams and two pillars that go to the bottom of the hole. I'm not sure if the owner refused to sell or if the building has heritage protection but obviously at least this front section is going nowhere!

Looking Up!

This pic was taken from the base of the Bloor One condo building that I showed you yesterday. I love the curves!

One Bloor

This condo tower is found at 1 Bloor St E at Yonge St and is known as One Bloor. Construction on this site has taken many twists and turns with various owners and designs until finally construction began on this 76 floor building designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects. This is an important corner in the city with Yonge St being the divider between the east end and the west end running from Lake Ontario right up to cottage country and Bloor St being one of the major east/west streets in the city. This view will disappear as construction has begun on yet another condo tower  behind the hoardings you can see on the right in the pic taken during the Open Streets event.