LordMandeep
02-21-2007, 09:42 PM
Well the Eaton Centre??? Sherway gardens?? Sqaure One?? Vaughn Mills?? Yorkdale???
Well there are a lot of big, busy malls in our area but which do you like??
I visit Vaughn Mills the most as its the closest to me...but its nothing special.
Sherway gardens has this rap of being only for WASP's but that untrue, but it nothing special either.
Yorkdale is likely the most congested malls in the GTA, and thus i hate it. Unless your coming by Subway its a pain in ass to park. However it very nice inside and upscale but its getting a little to upscale.
Sqaure One imo is the mall. Its easy to get to, however it has a good choice. Its has a few upscale stores, but it still has many stores for the average family.
The Eaton centre imo is the best looking but it has the same exact stores but being downtown is a bonus and its one packed mall.
Whats your opnion on your local malls.
caltrane74
02-21-2007, 09:47 PM
Eaton Centre Rocks!!
LordMandeep
02-21-2007, 09:52 PM
i agree i went last monday and it was more busier then Vaughn Mills on a weekend.
WHISTLERINMUSKOKA
02-21-2007, 11:20 PM
LordManDeep, you live in the 905!!!! Get your ass downtown already :) As for malls, the Eaton Centre has to win for me. I hate malls and the large glass canopy helps me feel like I'm still (almost) outside.
Sacamano
02-21-2007, 11:47 PM
I'll admit it - I drive to the growing big box city at Warden & Eglinton three to four times a year to stock up on things - I hate shopping so the better selection, fewer crowds, and shorter lines are hard to ignore
I try to avoid malls and big box but it's very difficult. Last Christmas I bought some gifts at independent shops, and support them whenever I can.
icescraper
02-22-2007, 01:16 AM
I hate malls but then again I seem to hate most things. No wait I really. really hate malls.... it starts with the parking spot fights usually degrading to obscene hand jesters by the other party. I'm still young enough for the violent road tactics but way too old for the jesters.. Next is the endless number of stores with nothing of any real value in them. Just cheap crap from china... Then there is the kids ... and each year they get stronger and I'm getting older... Did I mention the bills next month for all the crap that we didn't need? Crap this is better than therapy! - ice
PS I hate the Eaton Center (if its still called that) the least since I can take the subway to it. Roof is nice feature and since its multi floored it doesn't waste as much space as its 905 cousins. - ice
MolsonExport
02-22-2007, 02:18 PM
I hate malls, but I hate power centres (the big box clusterings surrounded by 000s of acres of parking) even more.
I live in London, so when I must go to the mall, it is Masonville Mall for me.
acetradamus
02-22-2007, 02:57 PM
pretty much malvern town centre
zerokarma
02-22-2007, 06:24 PM
I like malls over big box stores but overall I don't like going to malls that often unless I have to. I mainly just go to Sherway since it is closest to me but I occasionaly also go to Sqaure One and Dixie Mall. Vaughn Mills is close to my place of work but it takes forever to walk through there.
samne
02-22-2007, 07:37 PM
Closest mall to me is Gerrard Square :runaway:
I like the Eaton Centre.
You'll never catch me in a mall on a weekend. I travel out to the 'burbs alot for work, so I dont really mind them on a weekday.
Sherway
Vaughan Mills
Closest mall to me is Gerrard Square :runaway:
AHHH!!! Creepiest shopping centre EVER! but I DO love Home Depot!
I prefer Sherway Gardens... only b/c they have a MASSIVE Sporting Life store!
MonkeyRonin
02-23-2007, 03:50 AM
I tend to avoid malls, though I sometimes stop at Yorkdale as it is convient to stop in on the subway ride home.
Waterloo_Guy
02-23-2007, 05:20 PM
I love malls. The Eaton Centre is my favorite, but Toronto is blessed with lots of fine malls.
LordMandeep
02-23-2007, 10:00 PM
i agree
Yorkdale is the best, but it's hard to get to from downtown (by car). If I'm walking or taking the TTC, Eaton Centre, Queen Street and Yorkville are tops. I don't like how busy Eaton Centre is all the time, though. Usually, I'll go to Sherway by car. It's not as busy.
401_King
02-24-2007, 12:29 AM
Eaton Centre is just a walk away for me. WAY to many tourists and ppl who stand on the left side of the escalator!
I will go to Sherway here and there whenever i get my oil changed (such an amazing food court eh?). Yorkdale is right by where i work so I'll hit it up once in a while after work .
Woodbine Centre is also a cool mall to take your kids because of the rides I used to go there every saturday when i was young.
Waterloo_Guy
02-24-2007, 02:25 AM
Eaton Centre is just a walk away for me. WAY to many tourists and ppl who stand on the left side of the escalator!
Lol. I'm glad I'm not the only person who noticed this. You can really tell who the tourists are by how they abuse the escalator. Toronto has an escalator etiquette that smaller, less busy cities lack. It's just like the freeway: the left lane is for driving.
Junctionist
02-25-2007, 01:04 AM
The Eaton Centre/Bay Combo is awesome. The stores, the style...and it's close to Dundas Square. Sherway is closest to my house, but I find their selection for guys is lacking.
doogerz
02-25-2007, 02:18 AM
I live a stones throw away from the Pickering Town Centre and venture there sometimes. It's actually a pretty good mall, adding new stores quite regularly.
icescraper
02-25-2007, 10:40 PM
The Yorkdale reno doesn't look bad. They've laid out some serious cash over the last 3 years and have given the mall an overdue sprucing up. Have to admit there's very little I buy in malls. I purchase most things over internet, homedepot or basic foods. - ice
matt602
02-27-2007, 10:15 AM
Yorkdale has always been a favourite of mine. Big and wide open, excellent service from the subway and a good selection of stores. The crowds can be pretty thick at times, but the mall was built with them in mind so it's not an issue. Used to go very often when I lived in the area. If it wasn't Yorkdale for shopping, my second choice was Sherway Gardens for the nice food court. Some of the decor is rather dated but the selection of stores is pretty good. Eaton Centre places a very close third for me, mostly cause I didn't get downtown often when I lived in Toronto. I only visited after I had moved to Hamilton, during trips back to the city. Other than my un-familiarity, it's a good mall. I enjoy the wide open atrium-like spaces.
Since moving to Hamilton I never really found a mall that suited me like any in Toronto did... both Eastgate and Centre Mall depress the hell out of me. Old architecture with a fairly poor selection of second rate shops and a single story layout. Jackson Square/City Centre are even worse with only a small handful of useful stores and a horribly outdated 70's decor. Limeridge has a much better architecture to it but it's actual size is fairly tiny and the selection of stores is lacking. The location is also fairly bad. Hard to get to unless you drive.
Limeridge Mall for me as well, but Jackson Square is in walking distance for me so thats where i go most..
Taller Better
03-19-2007, 04:03 PM
I loathe malls, and avoid them at all cost... unless I absolutely have to go to a specific shop that is no where else. Malls are creepy.
keninhalifax
03-19-2007, 06:31 PM
I work in a mall, a little indoor neighbourhood mall in Ottawa West that was Ottawa's first bona fide shopping mall when it opened in 1955. It isn't so bad; the stores in the mall are mostly independent local establishments, and some of them have earned an area-wide reputation. The mall is also relatively well integrated with the surrounding neighbourhood and lies on a major east-west transit route.
AndyLHoang
03-19-2007, 08:15 PM
I visit Limeridge Mall in Hamilton the most. However, if power centres count, then I visit the Meadowlands in Ancaster more often because it's closer.
neilson
03-19-2007, 11:48 PM
pretty much malvern town centre
Rock on! Think you can get me some interior pics sometime please? Malvern has a special place for me and it'd mean a lot to see some pics of it(even if others on here wouldn't care).
hamiltonguy
03-20-2007, 05:22 AM
Limeridge Mall the most (it's very close, I usually get off the Bus at the mall and walk home on sunny days)
Jackson Square/City Centre the best.
It's like a mini version of PATH and the Eaton Centre except that they demolished a whole bunch of buildings for Jackson Square rather than building in the basements. Although it does have the totally awesome rooftop patio area.
Parking is all underground on in the York Blvd Parkade across the road from City Centre (connected by a skywalk)
The Library and Farmers Market are a part of this complex as well as the Convention Centre, Art Gallery and Hamilton Place (connected by a skywalk)
O-Town Hockey
03-20-2007, 07:57 PM
As for Ottawa, I love the Rideau Centre. Ottawa is too damn cold for me to be prancing around in the parking lot of some huge big box retailer. I much prefer a stroll through Rideau Centre (which has come a long way in the 20 years that I've lived in Ottawa) and then stepping out into the Byward Market for some dinner.
CMD UW
03-21-2007, 04:14 AM
Eaton Center and then Yorkdale.
Malls have their purpose imo.
architect1
03-21-2007, 06:04 PM
I Like Yorkdale its really nice inside and mostly outside. Its more organized then most malls.
I like square one But its like your going in circles most of the time. I need to see the mall map. I think its 2 circles.
I Like MY mall in Hamilton Lime ridge. Its huge and easy to get around.
I think The Eatons center in Toronto is pretty cool to its huge, busy and organized.
Vohn mills I think is ok but its to damn long. Its like walking from one end of Toronto to the other. Its just massive.
keninhalifax
03-21-2007, 06:48 PM
As for Ottawa, I love the Rideau Centre. Ottawa is too damn cold for me to be prancing around in the parking lot of some huge big box retailer. I much prefer a stroll through Rideau Centre (which has come a long way in the 20 years that I've lived in Ottawa) and then stepping out into the Byward Market for some dinner.
I've lived in Ottawa my whole life and I still get lost inside of the Rideau Centre almost every time I visit it. The floorplan is disorienting! :help:
LordMandeep
03-21-2007, 07:23 PM
eaton centre is the most busiest mall i ever visited. I was there on a thrusday and it felt like the weekend before x-mas at my local mall.
There were like 2000 people there to meet some no name teenager singer, when i was there last Thrusday.
miketoronto
03-22-2007, 05:05 AM
Toronto Eaton Centre is celebrating 30 years this month. They already had the big bash.
Busiest mall in Canada(and some say North America) with one million visitors a week.
LordMandeep
03-22-2007, 07:42 PM
wow!!! your telling me on average there are near 120- 140k people coming everyday going through there??
koops65
03-24-2007, 07:05 PM
Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener has the most stores, so thats where I go for shopping, except around Christmas time, WAY too busy then... often can't even find a parking space...
Duke-Of-Waterloo
02-08-2008, 04:59 AM
Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener has the most stores
You have got to be kidding me! Why not just drive to Toronto at Christmas time to truly get "the most stores"? Sure it is the biggest in the Region of Waterloo, but not for long. Just wait until Conestoga Mall is done their expansion. Then it will be the mall to go to in the tri-cities.
Fairview Park's new renovation was planned out very poorly: the food court is hard to navigate (the one main path leading to Wal-Mart on the left is about a metre wide, compared to the other side on the right by EB Games where it is about 3 metres wide), the stores are flat and don't protrude from the wall (thus hard to see quickly and give off a very bland look), the new chairs and benches are already scratched and shift around into a messy arrangement, the new hanging lighting doesn't even line up in the main long corridor...I can go on. When I initially heard of the plans to renovate and expand, but later scaled back just to renovate, I expected big things from Fairview. However, today I am very disappointed with the final result. They should have just saved their money - it was better before. However, they do have a few "destination" stores there now (like Swarovski and Aritzia), but that's all they have going for them since the reno. In addition, their slogan "Shopping Should Feel This Good" was basically just applied to about half a dozen Cadillac Fairview shopping centres' ad campaigns, so all it is is cookie cutter methodology. Fairview has always attracted a questionable customer base - I almost always put my wallet in my front pocket when I go there. Yuck. :yuck:
Carlos_x3
02-08-2008, 07:07 AM
Devonshire Mall for me in Windsor. Anyone know the top 10 biggest malls in Ontario?
Largest malls in Ontario:
1: Eaton Centre with a GLA of 1,722,000sqft and 330 stores.
2: Square One with a GLA of 1,614,125sqft and 360 stores.
3: Yorkdale in Toronto with a GLA of 1,404,646sqft and 260 stores.
4: Scarborough Town Centre with a GLA of 1,305,399sqft and 220 stores.
5: Bramalea City Centre in Brampton with a GLA of 1,209,064sqft and 288 stores.
6: Vaughan Mills with a GLA of 1,121,048sqft and 250 stores.
7: Devonshire Mall in Windsor with a GLA of 1,056,473sqft and over 200 stores.
8: Oshawa Centre with a GLA of 1,040,369sqft and over 200 stores.
9: The Pen Centre in St. Catharine's with a GLA of 1,006,695sqft and 180 stores.
10: Markville Shopping Centre in Markham with a GLA of 981,000sqft and over 200 stores.
Northern Ontario's largest mall is located in Sault Ste. Marie. Weird, huh?
LordMandeep
02-08-2008, 02:01 PM
5: Bramalea City Centre in Brampton with a GLA of 1,209,064sqft and 288 stores.
this mall almost, got killed by strip malls and big box stores, however the redeveloped and its busier then ever.
Cambridgite
02-08-2008, 02:35 PM
I've only ever gone to 3 malls in the GTA, Eatons Centre, Square One, and Yorkdale. Eatons Centre is nice, I like its layout. I was less than impressed with Square One. I found that Square One had a lot of repeats of the same stores and for the most part, there weren't many stores there that I couldn't already find in Cambridge. Yorkdale is nice, but a little too rich for my blood. I like the Rainforest Cafe and the fact that it has subway access.
As far as the mall I normally shop at, it's Cambridge Centre, but even then, I don't shop much. It's an okay mall, but lately, it's been taken over by emo kids. I think the median age that goes there is 16. And if I cant find something at Cambridge Centre, I can probably find it on the Hespeler Road strip or the Bridgecam Power Centre.
Perspective123
02-08-2008, 02:46 PM
Out of convenience, I usually shop at the Oshawa Centre, Pickering Town Centre (which is totally dead on a weekday), and Scarborough Town Centre. I used to travel through the Eaton Centre on my way to school three or four times a week. It was usually very congested and hot, they blast the heat in that place as if it were an oven.
Duke-Of-Waterloo
02-08-2008, 09:56 PM
As far as the mall I normally shop at, it's Cambridge Centre, but even then, I don't shop much. It's an okay mall, but lately, it's been taken over by emo kids. I think the median age that goes there is 16.
:haha: I second that.
I think its cool for the Bridgecam Power Centre how they flipped around the name "Cambridge". For a while I just called it "The Building Box" Centre, as that's what the Rona store used to be called. Anyone remember?
Haha, that is cool. And the Power Centre here is called Thunder Centre, and this is Thunder Bay? Get it? Haha! :hahano:
That was mean I'm sorry. :( Bridgecam Centre sounds much better than Thunder Centre, and it obviously has better stores.
softee
02-08-2008, 11:19 PM
The dominant mall in North Bay (and the one nearest to me) is Northgate Shopping Centre (500,000 sq. ft.). I like to go there about once a week or so to check out DVD's. There's only one other mall in town (about half the size of Northgate) and the only reason I ever go there is to see a movie at the Galaxy Cinemas.
matt602
02-08-2008, 11:49 PM
Wow. Hamilton doesn't even have a mall on that list. I thought all those businesses that left downtown would have resulted in some kind of mega mall? :)
LordMandeep
02-08-2008, 11:59 PM
limeridge mall is small but popular..
Lime Ridge Mall is the 42nd largest in Canada and the 14th in Ontario if my count is correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada's_largest_shopping_malls
SteelTown
02-09-2008, 12:01 AM
Hamilton doesn't have mega malls because there all in the GTA. Limeridge Mall is a good size for Hamilton.
The mall I go to most is Limeridge Mall. Though lately I've been doing a lot of online shopping. Funny thing is everytime I go to Limeridge Mall I end up meeting my Grandma and a bunch of other retirees that walk up and down the Mall each day lol.
LordMandeep
02-09-2008, 12:07 AM
I know some folks who come every month shopping to the GTA from Sarnia...
Hamilton doesn't have mega malls because there all in the GTA. Limeridge Mall is a good size for Hamilton.
The mall I go to most is Limeridge Mall. Though lately I've been doing a lot of online shopping. Funny thing is everytime I go to Limeridge Mall I end up meeting my Grandma and a bunch of other retirees that walk up and down the Mall each day lol.
That's what our smaller malls are like. They really only exist to give seniors a warm dry place to walk when its cold or wet. :P They walk for a couple hours then spend their pensions on lottery tickets and coffee.
SteelTown
02-09-2008, 12:36 AM
haha yep they walk back and forth and wash it down with a cup of coffee and a Cinnabon lol.
And then Intercity is the "trendy" mall full of young people, and nothing but clothing stores. Of the 102 stores in that mall, at least 80 sell clothes.
LordMandeep
02-09-2008, 02:16 AM
They really only exist to give seniors a warm dry place to walk when its cold or wet. They walk for a couple hours then spend their pensions on lottery tickets and coffee.
really there are some malls here that only exist for that purpose....
However those are the malls, that well you would never go shopping at. They are like a strip mall but it was combined into a mini-mall.
The only thing they're good for is the grocery store and the library. :P (We had mall libraries? :shrug: It seemed like a good idea at the time. Only one is still running though.)
I remember before Intercity was expanded, County Fair Plaza was THE mall to go to. But now its just full of old people. :P I think the only major chain stores now are Zellers and whatever Radio Shack became.
miketoronto
02-10-2008, 12:28 AM
As far as the mall I normally shop at, it's Cambridge Centre, but even then, I don't shop much. It's an okay mall, but lately, it's been taken over by emo kids. I think the median age that goes there is 16. And if I cant find something at Cambridge Centre, I can probably find it on the Hespeler Road strip or the Bridgecam Power Centre.
What kind of Urban Planning student are you? Shopping on Hespler Road :)
No wonder downtown Cambridge is on life support :)
Sorry had to make that comment.
The only mall(although I consider it more of an arcade if you really think about its design) I tend to go through on a regular basis is the Eaton Centre. But I don't really shop much.
I go to Scarborough Town Centre for my haircut. Other then that and the Eaton Centre, I tend to do all my shopping on the streets.
You will be very hardpressed to ever get a gift from me that is bought in a mall or chain store.
Cambridgite
02-10-2008, 01:35 AM
What kind of Urban Planning student are you? Shopping on Hespler Road :)
No wonder downtown Cambridge is on life support :)
Sorry had to make that comment.
I occasionally go to restaurants downtown because they're nice, unique, non-chain restaurants in a pleasant setting. But there seriously aren't many options for shopping downtown. Most of the existing retail is directed towards little old ladies. :)
Even still, most of the storefronts are occupied. The downtown core (Galt) is too small for a municipality of 125,000 anyways. It will never have the selection Hespeler Road has. :)
That's the problem when groups of cities get forced into one municipality. No real downtown core.
At least one of mine has night life, though. I've heard Galt is rather boring.
miketoronto
02-10-2008, 02:52 AM
That's the problem when groups of cities get forced into one municipality. No real downtown core.
At least one of mine has night life, though. I've heard Galt is rather boring.
You would not know Cambridge had any people if you go by the activity in downtown Galt. Even in the middle of the business day you have to search to find someone walking around that downtown.
Yes, but you have to consider that downtown Galt is the downtown of a community of about 25,000 people, not the downtown of a city of 125,000 people.
Downtown Port Arthur isn't the downtown of a city of 125,000 people even though it is located in one. It is the downtown of a city of 45,000 people, located within a metropolis of 125,000 people.
miketoronto
02-10-2008, 05:10 AM
Not really true. Downtown Galt was always the "big city downtown" for what is now Cambridge. The other downtowns are really just a block or two long along King Street. Downtown Galt actually has more then one street, and is a bigger downtown. So it could be the downtown for a larger city. Just Cambridge decided Hespler Road big box stores would be the new downtown. And now they are trying to prop up the real downtown.
I am sure one of Thunder Bay's downtowns was the king and much more of the centre, then the other one.
Kitchener worked like that, where Downtown Kitchener was the grand daddy with the big stores, and Uptown Waterloo was just a local little downtown but not the regional centre like Kitchener. I am sure Thunder Bay had something like that, before the advent of malls.
The real reason these downtowns are quiet, has nothing to do with population. It has to do with the fact that the city councils thought it was more important to allow sprawl and malls, instead of supporting the real centre of town. And now these cities are paying for it big with all these programs to try and save the downtowns that the city councils tried to kill in the first place.
No one told Thunder Bay to allow Intercity Mall, or Cambridge to allow Cambridge Centre Mall, or Kitchener to allow Fairview Park Mall, etc.
These cities made a decision to kiss their downtowns.
Cambridgite
02-10-2008, 07:09 AM
Yes, but you have to consider that downtown Galt is the downtown of a community of about 25,000 people, not the downtown of a city of 125,000 people.
Not actually true. Cambridge has three virtually continuous residential areas that define what subjectively gets called Galt, Preston, or Hespeler. The Galt portion has more like 80,000 people. But even if you were to concentrate all the retail and employment activities of "Galt" into the area it's defined as, you'd have to raze all the historic buildings and build skyscrapers to accomodate those functions downtown.
Cambridgite
02-10-2008, 07:14 AM
You would not know Cambridge had any people if you go by the activity in downtown Galt. Even in the middle of the business day you have to search to find someone walking around that downtown.
Not really. I don't know when the last time you were there was, but it's hard to look up Main street in the middle of the day and not see anyone. The weather would have to be awful. You can't expect a downtown Main street that's 2 blocks long to have the energy of Yonge street. Yes, I know there are other streets, but the mixed-use downtown fabric never continues on for more than a few blocks.
Cambridgite
02-10-2008, 07:37 AM
Not really true. Downtown Galt was always the "big city downtown" for what is now Cambridge. The other downtowns are really just a block or two long along King Street. Downtown Galt actually has more then one street, and is a bigger downtown. So it could be the downtown for a larger city. Just Cambridge decided Hespler Road big box stores would be the new downtown. And now they are trying to prop up the real downtown.
The only downtown in Cambridge that's on King street is Preston. In size, it's almost as large as the Galt core. However, the Galt core is a grid while Preston is linear. One would think the Galt core is significantly bigger, because the 'overall Galt footprint' is larger and more populated (when looking at all the suburban areas). However, the problem with that is that Galt has had a lot more room to expand, whereas Preston has been constrained between Galt, the neutral commercial/industrial part of Cambridge, the Grand River, and the southern boundary of Kitchener. Downtown Hespeler is located along Queen street, at the intersection with Guelph Ave. Taking into account all the suburban areas surrounding the village, it's now larger than Preston, but you'd never think it when looking at the size of its downtown (practically an intersection).
The real reason these downtowns are quiet, has nothing to do with population. It has to do with the fact that the city councils thought it was more important to allow sprawl and malls, instead of supporting the real centre of town. And now these cities are paying for it big with all these programs to try and save the downtowns that the city councils tried to kill in the first place.
No one told Thunder Bay to allow Intercity Mall, or Cambridge to all Cambridge Centre Mall, or Kitchener to allow Fairview Park Mall, etc.
These cities made a decision to kiss their downtowns.
I don't think any of these cities made a deliberate attempt to kill their downtowns. What sane municipality would intentionally do such a thing? One could argue they made short-sighted decisions to the detriment of their downtowns. Even so, Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge is now a single conurbation. With the growth in the suburban population and the lack of a single, all-important core, how do expect to maintain the importance of a centralized location? What areas are served by each respective downtown?Also remember the discussion you had with the Vancouver forumers recently when discussion poor transit use. Some metropolitan regions are naturally decentralized because of their historic and geographical features. The tri-cities are no different and probably much worse-off in that regard. But the idea of the central transit corridor might help us out with transit use in the coming years. Check page 5 of this report.
http://www.cip-icu.ca/English/conference/2004/2004proceedings/eby_vincent.pdf
I am sure one of Thunder Bay's downtowns was the king and much more of the centre, then the other one.
Nope. Port Arthur and Fort William were pretty much equal to each other. Neither downtown dominated, though Port Arthur was the district seat and location of the court house, it was otherwise the same as Downtown Fort William. The only reason city hall is located in Downtown Fort William is because Port Arthur didn't have its own city hall (they rented office space) and Fort William did. The city was going to build a new one in the Intercity area but didn't have the money after the economy started to tank in the mid 80s.
Intercity Mall was built in the early 1950s and is one of the oldest indoor malls in Canada. It was always there, before the first vote on Amalgamation in 1953. If Thunder Bay did have a dominant downtown core, Intercity probably wouldn't be as large as it is today. But because both Port Arthur and Fort William were almost equal in size, we've turned out the way we did.
On Amalgamation, Port Arthur had 47,000 people and Fort William had 49,000. The rural fringe had just over 7,000 split pretty much evenly between the two. Neither city was ever dominant. Ever.
miketoronto
02-11-2008, 05:20 PM
That is interesting VID. Seems like Thunder Bay has not really grown that muhc either since amalgmation.
I think what cities like Thunder Bay and Cambridge need to do, is tax the crap out of big box and suburban mall developments, while offering breaks to business taxes in the downtown cores. You are sort of taxing bad development. That would put the focus back on the downtown core.
For this to work though, the surrounding municpalities would have to do the same thing.
clynnog
02-11-2008, 05:36 PM
I work in a mall, a little indoor neighbourhood mall in Ottawa West that was Ottawa's first bona fide shopping mall when it opened in 1955. It isn't so bad; the stores in the mall are mostly independent local establishments, and some of them have earned an area-wide reputation. The mall is also relatively well integrated with the surrounding neighbourhood and lies on a major east-west transit route.
Is that the mall at Carling/Queensway?.
clynnog
02-11-2008, 05:38 PM
AHHH!!! Creepiest shopping centre EVER! but I DO love Home Depot!
I prefer Sherway Gardens... only b/c they have a MASSIVE Sporting Life store!
Wouldn't Cloverdale Mall get the creepy award.
miketoronto
02-11-2008, 05:59 PM
I don't think Cloverdale Mall is doing to well. Never been in it, but just from the outside it looks bad. And The Bay pulled out of that mall as far as I know.
That is interesting VID. Seems like Thunder Bay has not really grown that muhc either since amalgmation.
I think what cities like Thunder Bay and Cambridge need to do, is tax the crap out of big box and suburban mall developments, while offering breaks to business taxes in the downtown cores. You are sort of taxing bad development. That would put the focus back on the downtown core.
For this to work though, the surrounding municpalities would have to do the same thing.
But all of our big box stores are located in one place, and it just happens to be between the downtowns, and serves as a bridge between the downtowns. Aside from that, not only are property taxes downtown lower (as land values, at least in Fort William, are low) but the city has dozens of incentives to get people to start local businesses. And besides, Intercity is now pretty much full. All that's left to develop is Innova court, and the city tried to market that in the 90s. It was a flop. No one wanted to develop there.
And except for Oliver, all of our surrounding municipalities are entirely rural and have no big box stores or downtowns.
jeicow
02-11-2008, 11:13 PM
Honeydale Mall has to be the worst mall in the GTA. Ever since Wal-Mart left it has been in decline and is essentially a No Frills, Lotto Both, and a giant clearance depot. The weirdest part thought is the Golden Griddle that's in there. They got evicted for unpaid rent (signs all over the doors) but no one has touched the inside in months (probably close to 16 now). It's like it's trapped in time. This probably one of the few examples of when a Wal-Mart moved (it moved next to Sherway Gardens in the giga-big box district) and the surronding stores suffered. But that entire strip of Dundas is pretty craptastic.
Northwood Mall in Thunder Bay has Canada's largest A Buck or Two. :tup:
LordMandeep
02-12-2008, 12:05 AM
Dundas is a street that need redevelopment badly.
Could the mid rise explosion on Queen and King come on to Dundas???
The good things coming to that area, is redevelopment on the Queensway, all along the 427 and near Sherway Garden.
neilson
02-12-2008, 03:55 AM
It's too bad that Zellers closed at Malvern Town Centre, but I hear that this new "Labels" department store that's coming out of Quebec is supposed to fill the void very well when it opens in a couple of weeks. Does anyone here know anything about Labels and if it's like Hart or one of those type stores?
Mordack
02-13-2008, 03:15 AM
It's too bad that Zellers closed at Malvern Town Centre, but I hear that this new "Labels" department store that's coming out of Quebec is supposed to fill the void very well when it opens in a couple of weeks. Does anyone here know anything about Labels and if it's like Hart or one of those type stores?
From what I remember one of its first stores opened in Kingstons Riocan Centre about 5 years ago. Lasted less than a year and was changed to HomeSense.
Carlos_x3
02-13-2008, 04:30 AM
Northwood Mall in Thunder Bay has Canada's largest A Buck or Two. :tup:
lol why is this? Are people cheap in Thunder Bay or is it poverty? lol
Poverty. Thunder Bay has a lot of dollar stores because it's many people can afford. :(
Though they do have some neat stuff. If you like crafts, dollar stores can be better for getting supplies than dedicated arts and crafts stores. They also have a good amount of things you can't get elsewhere, like obscure American brands of potato chips or breakfast cereals from the middle east. :P
miketoronto
02-13-2008, 06:54 PM
Is Thunder Bay really that poor?
What do you mean by that?
Not everyone is poor. But lots of people are cheap. :) Even if they aren't poor.
Dundas is a street that need redevelopment badly.
Could the mid rise explosion on Queen and King come on to Dundas???
The good things coming to that area, is redevelopment on the Queensway, all along the 427 and near Sherway Garden.
I thought there was a redev. proposal a couple years ago for Honeydale or one of those crappy mall/plazas along Dundas.
Wouldn't Cloverdale Mall get the creepy award.
Neah... definately outranked by Ghetto Square or Honeydale anyday.
I don't think Cloverdale Mall is doing to well. Never been in it, but just from the outside it looks bad. And The Bay pulled out of that mall as far as I know.
Cloverdale is doing ok. It still has the Zeller's, Winners, Dominion, Kitchen Stuff Plus as major tenants.
Wouldn't Cloverdale Mall get the creepy award.
I've never been to Cloverdale. Another one that creeps me is the one at Dufferin/Dupont. Forget it's name. But's it's creepy too!
It's ok... I'm sure they'll all be Big Box "Smart" Centres soon enough! haha
jeicow
02-14-2008, 07:28 PM
I thought there was a redev. proposal a couple years ago for Honeydale or one of those crappy mall/plazas along Dundas.
It was for Honeydale and it included money for a possibly subway extension to the site. It's likely long dead though. It was a "master planned community" that included about 10ish buildings, ranging upward of 40 floors if I recall. The local counciller liked the subway extension, but said buildings in that area should be no more then 20ish floors. I never really understood his/her NIMBYish towards it since it's in the middle of a retail and industrial strip, so there's really no local residents who'd complain.
I've never been to Cloverdale. Another one that creeps me is the one at Dufferin/Dupont. Forget it's name. But's it's creepy too!
It's ok... I'm sure they'll all be Big Box "Smart" Centres soon enough! haha
That would be Galleria Mall... and yes, it's supa-gheeetoh. They have a yearly fair setup in the parking lot. I wandered by one time and some "gangsta" white-boys were trying to act cool by holding the air-rifle gangsta-style and a wide stance. It was pretty damned funny to watch.
miketoronto
02-14-2008, 08:07 PM
Interesting how run down the area of Etobicoke near Cloverdale Mall looks, considering how high income the area is with Sherway not to far away. That area has not aged well at all.
MolsonExport
02-15-2008, 03:18 AM
One of the dead malls of London is getting a facelift and actually...expanding!!! (Westmount Mall)
^ that's actually pretty surprising. I remember that mall, it sucked. But then again, I never really liked White Oaks or the bigger one up north (forgot the name) either.
boden
03-01-2008, 03:44 AM
People that go to malls too often become zomie-drones.......
the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.
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