2920 Dundas St. West
The blog has heard voices about the Junction saying the building owner of the building to the right will be renting the ground floor storefront space to an adult entertainment store.
Kendrick Astro which still rents the rear of the store is reported by a reliable source to be leaving the building.
What is so troubling is that this building and it's new tenet are right next door to an early years centre.
Money over community is what can read here if this happens.
So you don't like the new neighbours? Is there a street in our community that would be acceptable for such a business? Are there any other types of legal businesses that you are opposed to? Your own morality aside, there is no shame in sex.
ReplyDeleteIt's where I stand (and does represent the views of other authors on the blog) that I don't like the idea, but today a reliable source in the Junction brought up the issue again today with a convincing argument as to the need to get the issue out there.
ReplyDeleteAgreed about the sex issue, probably would not be opposed if it was not next to the early years center.
But then again i was in my teen years a big one for keeping the Junction dry, so I can be wrong.
If it's a place like 'Come as You Are' or 'Good for Her', I wouldn't have a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteI find it amusing... a sex toy shop next to an early years center (which, btw, needs to clean up those front windows... yikes!). Now parents have a jumping off point to talk to Jr. about "the birds and the bees" lol
ReplyDelete"Whats that mommy?"
"Thats a bull-whip sweetie..."
I find it interesting that people oppose the idea of an adult entertainment store at this locations, but not a ten minute walk west are TWO massage parlors. I might not read this blog everyday, but I've never seen complaint about these shops...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Circa Vermont, shops with classy (not trashy) storefronts like 'come as you are' or 'good for her' would be a good addition, not to mention revenue for the neighbourhood.
Junctioneer, you are obviously concerned by the prospect of an adult entertainment store next to a place that caters to children. This raises three questions for me: what are your specific concerns? What actions do you think we should take to prevent this?And what would you have done if you were the building's owner?
ReplyDeleteWhat has the BIA been working so hard for all these years?
ReplyDeleteThis type of retail is not really what I had in mind for the Junction. It seems that the Dundas strip will be losing out again. More attractive retail options will go to St. Clair and Dundas gets car washes and porn shops.
Unfortunately, it is not up to us to decide what ultimately goes where. I still say that let the market decide the success/failure of any business.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my preference is NOT to see any adult store open however, I will agree with Circa in that my comfort level will be okay should the proprietor mimic the business philosophy of Come as You Are or Good for Her.
n - when you refer to the "TWO message parlours west of there, I'm assuming you're referring to: 1) Sunshine Health Spa and 2) Satisfaction Spa and Skin Therapy. I'm assuming that the type of spa that you have a problem against is Sunshine (you know, the one with the curtains that are always drawn) versus Satisfaction (which, despite its unfortunate choice of name that you may think implies otherwise) is a more traditional business that offers facial, wax, make-up, pedicures, manicures etc.
Let's not be too quick to assume that all spas offer one the "curtains that are always drawn" experience. I'm sure that the proprietor of Satisfaction would feel the same.
Speaking of which - given the number of artists in the neighbourhood, I'm surprised there isn't an art supply store (e.g. Instrument Shop, Art Supplies), etc.
ReplyDeleteWhat YOU had in mind for the Junction? How arrogant can you get, it is NOT your Junction, it belong to everyone who lives in the area and pays taxes. I see no harm in an Adult shop, get over yourself, this is a multi billion dollar industry even Disney owns Adult Entertainment companies.
ReplyDeleteAre you willing to open one? I would guess not, it's a huge risk in opening any business. The market dictates what stays and goes. Contrary to what the BIA thinks.
ReplyDelete^^^
ReplyDeleteThank you Rodger for continually making SENSE on this blog where, at times, it is at a premium. Too often idealism sans logic runs rampant
Rodger - I never said I'd open one, it was more of a passing thought. It may succeed, it may fail - just like an Adult shop may succeed or may fail.
ReplyDeleteI said it earlier, let the market dictate what succeeds and fails.
well the specific concerns I have are the "quality of the shop" a taped up door covered with some paper and windows filled with corrugated plastic signs would not be nice and would affect the "niceness" of the community. In the area of actions to prevent this - many cities have bylaws covering the placement of such places.
ReplyDeleteSimply I would not rent to this type of business if I was the building owner.
Would you risk losing you property rather than rent to "this type of business". Can your morality be bought? Since we're on the topic, what other kinds of legitimate businesses would you discriminate against?
ReplyDeleteCan your morality be bought? No
ReplyDeleteI don't think this person is at risk of losing the property if he does not rent to this person.
you wrote - other kinds of legitimate businesses would you discriminate against --
well my own for one - it is noisy and real scary for some people - when it was in the Junction people complained all the time until they allowed to see for themselves it was safe.
An art supply shop is about to open in the Junction called Junction Art Supplies.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.junctionarts.com/home
Near Dundas and Pacific.
The Junction could use a little spicing up but I do think the owner of the business should respect the location and appropriately dress the window.
ReplyDeleteDidn't an adult video shop close down across the street about a year ago.
SN-- I wasn't quick to judge, I realize that Satisfaction offers legit spa services. I was referring to 1) Sunshine Health Spa and 2) Aroma Health Spa (or Glory Health Clinic -- the storefront has two signs...) which is located just east of Runnymede on Dundas.
ReplyDeleteThey have erratic hours, often just a hand written sign in the window saying "all attendants busy, please come back later".
Martin- thanks for the link to the new art supply store... I wanted to post it myself, but couldn't remember the name, haha. Simple enough to remember.
N - only knew of Sunshine. Never noticed nor heard of the other one mentioned. Thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteJunctioneer, I think you're being somewhat disingenuous when you post an item like this and when asked about your concerns you talk about how the storefront may look. Why bring up the fact that it is next to an early year's centre? Be honest, what is it that you are afraid of in relation to the children? Was this just a knee-jerk reaction on your part?
ReplyDeleteI applaud the fact that you have strong beliefs and, at least in theory, would be willing to put them before profit.
ReplyDeleteThere are some businesses that seem to be magnets for a lot of things that cause people misery like drugs, prostitution, gambling, and weapons. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't have a problem renting to a tasteful sex shop, like the ones mentioned earlier, but I wouldn't want to rent to an XXX video store, or a tattoo parlour, or a 24 hour doughnut shop, or a "cyber-cafe". But we already have all of those things...
I think that some people will be concerned about such a business because it seems to be a throwback to the seedy days of the Junction, though it isn't necessarily so. The area is now attracting parents of different socioeconomic backgrounds, and some locals might be concerned that a porn store might change peoples' perception of raising kids here.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion that's nonsense provided the store keeps a decent storefront and chooses a tasteful name.
A.R., you seem to make the same generalization that a lot of people do. Place like "Come As You Are" and "Good For Her" are not "Porn" stores, they are stores for adults. Its not like the old cinema on Bloor St. in Korea-Town is moving here, showing 2nd run 70's era skin flicks; this a store for adults.
ReplyDeleteThis is a form of censorship if you think about it. Who is worthy and not worthy of operating a business in our neighbourhood? What's next, will we be measuring grass heights to make sure they conform with city standards? Will we be judging our neighbours on paint colour selection or worse on how they dress?
ReplyDeleteI've said it before. You have no problems with places like Concourse Restaraunt and the "Eithiopian Restaraunt" at Keele/Dundas who openly sell drugs but instead focus on a potential adult entertainment store?
Are you sexually opressed?
I'd be ok with a "condom shack" on Queen St-style of adult store, it's tasteful/funky/creative/independent.. We'll see what happends..
ReplyDeleteI think you might mean "sexually repressed". Perhaps not.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Sunshine anyway? If there's prostitution going on there, can't something be done about it?
ReplyDeleteWell, the store is now open. I live in the area and only just noticed it a few days ago. I was delighted! I think this kind of retail is an excellent addition to the area. There's nothing wrong with sex & quite frankly I think it`s great that my husband and I can shop at a place like this right in our own neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThere is, however, something wrong with proposed censorship based on one's personal morality. I could care less what anyone's personal opinion about this place is, but the fact is it's a fully legal business run by people who have every right to be innocent until proven guilty -- note that a big chunk of the objection in this pre-opening article seems to have been pure speculation about how discreet the window display might be.
From where I am sitting the far bigger social sin than simply opening a shop that caters to adults is the self-absorbed desire to subject everyone else to one's personal sense of morality and world view. And then to drag `the children` into it by hanging this rather thin argument on the fact that it`s next to an Early Years Centre comes across as disingenuous and manipulative.
And, yes, Jennifer, something highly akin to (if not outright) prostitution exists in those "massage" parlors (and, I dunno, maybe the kind of folks who are morally opposed to innocent sex toy shops are also in bed too early to notice the ladies of the night hanging about on certain street corners along Dundas West -- they are most certainly and visibly around). Anyway, if the Juntioneer`s authors want to get all worked up over offensive retail, why aren`t they targeting the massage parlors instead of a place that is merely a toy shop for adults with a tastefully erotic twist?
This is the first -- and pointedly *last* -- time I'll be visiting and reading this blog.
At least this place is affordable unlike that Mjolk place opposite which is so damn expensive! They are importing stuff (which pushes prices up) from one of the most expensive regions in the world, bad business idea in these times and the wrong location.
ReplyDeleteI walked past Friday, and it said no under 18's. Is that even with an adult ? What about those mother's with babies who just visited the early years and after having a baby need to spice things up in the bedroom...can they take their baby with them or not?
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