This blog thinks not,
A great mix of easy entry benefits such as rock-bottom rents when looked at compared to "village" type neighborhoods in Toronto, long leases and word-of-mouth about the coolness of the Junction…suggests something is happening in the neighborhood served food area.
Yet for these new food establishments, has the area’s understated profile kept its best joints from becoming destinations for the city’s traveling eaters. The closest subway stop is 15 minutes away (High Park). Of the public travel depends where you are in the Greater Junction Area (GT), we think, but it's an issues, public transit from across the city involves, the use of both a subway and a bus.
One of the questions also raised is whether the new businesses can succeed or rather prosper in an area that’s not a destination, the Junction is just not that now as it once was for people across the great city of Toronto, such as the Danforth is) And, if they do succeed, how long will the area stay comparatively affordable for new businesses... simple tried and true restaurant offerings and not to mention unique offerings like Rawlicious, which had to leave.
....and to answer the never stated new question that Toronto's elected members throw at the public now. Do you have a solution for the problem? Well no, but this is one of last remaining Beat Blogs in North America, and posing questions while reporting local happenings is what the movement was/is all about.
Businesses and institutions cement a neighbourhood's destination status beyond factors like public spaces, architecture, history, form, and transportation connections. There has been a lot of press over the years for many new businesses like independent coffee shops and restaurants, as well as furniture stores. These establishments have increased the neighbourhood's destination status but transportation is a hindrance, with only buses connecting to rapid transit.
ReplyDeleteTo better support it, we'll probably need either light rail or a new subway line. The latter isn't exactly pie-in-the-sky thinking; the downtown sections of existing subway lines--Yonge in particular--are getting very overcrowded and the dense and transit-friendly neighbourhoods in the east and west ends along streets like King and Queen are underserved by rapid transit meaning slow transit where it should be the most efficient and practical option. Transit planners are aware of these significant issues and understand that a new subway line downtown will be needed.
Some people believe that it should terminate at the Bloor-Danforth line at Dundas West in the west end in the first phase, but terminating slightly to the north in The Junction would be best. After all, population density is high and the commercial area is attractive to people outside the neighbourhood. Our political leaders need to keep up pressure to make this new line a reality, and that includes those representing The Junction. After the completion of the Spadina line extension, those tunnel boring machines should be put to new use where they're really needed: in old Toronto.
Should look to run the transportation above ground on existing rail lines to utilize infrastructure already in place. It would open up a whole lot of the city...an easy stop in the junction...an easy stop by the airport, etc. Any reason why they don't consider this?
ReplyDeleteThat was an idea when the Downtown Relief Line was first proposed in the 1980s. While cheap, it's far from the best approach, at least for a new line to downtown. The Union station railway corridor in the west end is often isolated from the heart of the neighbourhoods through which it passes. The destinations are generally further from the railway along major streets, and the best place for a line would be right through the heart of the neighbourhood to ensure easy connections for pedestrians and high usage. Connections to surface routes are also easiest that way. The railway corridor would only provide rapid transit to Queen and King at one point and would miss the likes of Roncesvalles. Now there's also a practical hindrance: large-scale GO Transit expansion and the new airport train mean that the extra space available in the 1980s in the railway corridor to Union will soon no longer be available. More tracks will be installed and the Railpath will be completed. (Though the Railpath is relatively compact anyway.)
ReplyDeletegreat comment A.R.
ReplyDeleteyet referring to your 1st sentence...
"Businesses and institutions cement a neighbourhood’s destination status beyond factors like public spaces, architecture, history, form, and transportation connections."
Your use of the beyond seems to indicate a greater importance to Businesses and institutions, and that currently may be for retail visits right now in the Junction. I would suggest that all the items you mention meld to form a fabric of destination. I think a lot of people visit the Junction now simply because of their perception the place, of course those perceptions can be varied and sometimes dreamy, but to do cause visits.
I agree. I meant that businesses and institutions are an important factor to destination status in addition to the others I mentioned. I was thinking that a neighbourhood may have great architecture and transit, but without the businnesses and institutions, it may not be a major destination. It's not necessarily the dominant factor, but it may be key in some cases.
ReplyDelete