hkskyline's 2023 in TORONTO - Page 3

hkskyline · #41 Posted **Oct 22, 2023, 7:43 PM**

While today's South Asian diaspora has spread throughout the city and into the suburbs, Little India on Gerrard Street still retains a cluster of Indian restaurants, sari shops, and art galleries. This section from Greenwood and Coxwell was once home to the English, Irish, and Scottish. That changed as Italian and Greek immigrants arrived, followed by the Chinese and South Asians.

In 1972, Gian Naaz rented a theatre to show Hindi and other South Asian films. With a capacity of 750 customers, he envisioned a community gathering place where women can have a good reason to wear their saris. He bought the theatre outright 2 years later for $10,000 and its success spurred other businesses to open around it, reversing the area's decline. By the 1980s, this area was distinctly South Asian with about 100 shops and restaurants.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

destroycreate · #42 Posted **Oct 23, 2023, 4:49 PM**

What a cute, super vibrant looking neighborhood!

hkskyline · #43 Posted **Oct 25, 2023, 2:08 AM**

Toronto has a major housing affordability problem, but there are pockets of the city that are convenient to transit yet have underperformed. Vaughan's new city centre is one such area, with a subway station and 2 highways nearby but it is still surrounded by industrial buildings and big box stores so there isn't much of a lively community here.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #44 Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 6:13 PM**

Heading east, the suburb of Richmond Hill is slowly increasing its density. The Yonge Street corridor looks fairly good, although nowhere as tall and clustered as North York Centre, with a dedicated busway to speed up commutes.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #45 Posted **Nov 3, 2023, 3:01 AM**

Pedestrianizing downtown streets has been a controversial topic. Even transit construction that takes out the parking lane has seen vocal opposition, so I was surprised these patios that were temporarily set up on the slow lane have survived. It could be because the pandemic has cut traffic significantly, but these small public "green" spaces are well done and worthwhile to become permanent.

On the topic of transit, I've always been critical of this city for failing to provide sufficient heavy rail to a growing city, even in North American standards. The diesel train that runs between downtown and the airport is a good example of this incompetence. The suburban trains are also not electrified, but at least the vehicles are clean and comfortable to ride on, and mostly devoid of criminals and crazy people that have beseiged the subway network.

Nevertheless, the weather is still good enough to enjoy a walk.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #46 Posted **Nov 5, 2023, 3:09 PM**

Riverdale is an interesting neighbourhood south of Little India with a bit of historic buildings, unique shops, and more just a short walk across the Don River.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #47 Posted **Nov 16, 2023, 3:02 AM**

Toronto's transit system has historically been underfunded, which is why the subway network has been quite small for such a large city spread out across a wide area. While that is starting to change as the different levels of government were forced to step in to deal with ever-growing traffic congestion, the projects under construction still won't take them up to the coverage other alpha cities have, such as London and New York. While some argue it's a decent network by North American standards, but North America isn't exactly a stellar place for public transit to begin with.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #48 Posted **Nov 25, 2023, 4:11 PM**

Niagara Falls is a very typical must-go day trip from Toronto, taking about 90 minutes by car and a lot longer if riding the GO train. The main drag has a lot of tacky amusement park-like attractions but the main walkway along the riverfront is quiet and not commercialized. Driving north from here towards Niagara-on-the-Lake is also quite nice with plenty of parks and gorge scenery.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

hkskyline · #49 Posted **Jan 7, 2024, 6:02 PM**

Mississauga's centre is growing up to look like North York Centre with many condominium towers rising around the lowrise Square One shopping mall. If only they can build a GO train connection here but I guess that's a bit too greedy. Its long-time mayor Hurricane Hazel was just as good at seeing the suburb's future as Mel Lastman to turn their bedroom communities into something more than rows of single-family houses.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm

xzmattzx · #50 Posted **Jan 8, 2024, 3:49 AM**

Nice pictures of the Niagara Gorge in fall! The walkways in Victoria Park and along the river were quiet only because it was fall and kids are in school and there's less time for vacations. It can get really packed in summer. I once got stuck in a traffic jam to go to Victoria Park for fireworks that stretched back to the QEW.

I'm guessing this is as close as you'll ever get to my family cottage in Port Colborne, on Lake Erie. It's a 30-minute drive to Niagara Falls.

hkskyline · #51 Posted **Jan 17, 2024, 3:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures of the Niagara Gorge in fall! The walkways in Victoria Park and along the river were quiet only because it was fall and kids are in school and there's less time for vacations. It can get really packed in summer. I once got stuck in a traffic jam to go to Victoria Park for fireworks that stretched back to the QEW.

I'm guessing this is as close as you'll ever get to my family cottage in Port Colborne, on Lake Erie. It's a 30-minute drive to Niagara Falls.

Oh wow that's a long drive from Delaware up to Lake Erie for summer vacation!

dewE · #52 Posted **Feb 7, 2024, 9:15 PM**

You certainly covered a large part of the GTA. Very nice job!
Did you get to see Riverdale Park? It's just above Gerrard St on Broadview Ave. It has the best view of downtown Toronto and the Bloor/Yonge area towers.

hkskyline · #53 Posted **Feb 8, 2024, 2:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewE

You certainly covered a large part of the GTA. Very nice job!
Did you get to see Riverdale Park? It's just above Gerrard St on Broadview Ave. It has the best view of downtown Toronto and the Bloor/Yonge area towers.

Yes! That's such a great view and not on the tourist radar yet! I was the only one with a camera snapping away when I came by last September en route to Chinatown East and Little India.

dewE · #54 Posted **Feb 12, 2024, 3:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkskyline

Yes! That's such a great view and not on the tourist radar yet! I was the only one with a camera snapping away when I came by last September en route to Chinatown East and Little India.

Nice...I'm glad you got to see that view!
I live an hour outside the city and always wanted to get an early morning fall shot from there. It hasn't happened yet.

hkskyline · #55 Posted **Mar 3, 2024, 2:56 AM**

Toronto's midtown is roughly the area around Yonge and Eglinton, a few stops from the downtown core's northern border. It has always been a more upscale area but known for its lowrise neighbourhoods such as Forest Hill. But similar to other major intersections, highrises dominate along the subway stations.

Just a short subway ride south is Bloor, home to the high-end shopping area where the upper class residents in midtown can shop for their fanciest outfits.

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/toronto.htm