Toronto's Yorkville area is unquestionably the most prestigious shopping area in Toronto. It is a location for unique boutiques providing haute couture, dining in countless upscale restaurants providing diverse cuisine, or take advantage of many medical and beautifying services to increase well being of those looking for the best. It is not just a place to visit, but also to live in high-class condos or exclusive rental apartments. Old Yorkville Village was a place outside of old Toronto boundaries. In today's terms, it is situated between Yonge Street and Avenue Road and north of Charles Street to the railway line that is just north of Dupont. District's area had been transformed many times since late sixties, when it became known internationally for its hippies culture and their meeting place. Bars like Minah Bird became starting places of Canadian music legends, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel and Gordon Lightfoot. Discos and cheap coffee houses were favorite meeting places of a diverse mix of visitors there during sixties. Mr. Submarine sandwich shop was my favorite eating place, when it opened its first store on Yorkville Avenue in 1968. Shiny and spotless clean, an assorted submarine with a coke for $1.25 in 1969 for me and many others on a stretched budget. During sixties, the district was an equivalent of Greenwich Village in New York City. Canadian writer Margaret Atwood had her literally start in legendary Bohemian Embassy, there. The Embassy was the literally place representing art and bohemian way of life. Yorkville Avenue had been a home to Mount Sinai hospital since 1923, and when the hospital moved to University Avenue, the building became hospital's nurses' residence and then St. Raphael's Nursing Home. Some of us who were around area during sixties can recall scenes of retired people sitting aimlessly in their chairs on the front lawn of residence and watching hippies and other crowd of US draft dodgers, and curiosity seekers going by. Such a scene was repeated day after day and during hot summer nights in 1969. It was a home to seniors and meeting place of the youngest crowd. Real estate developers caught the attention of the area and started buying up cheap properties already in sixties. Early seventies saw two major developments. It was Four Season hotel on the corner of Yorkville Ave and Avenue Road and Hazelton lanes shopping centre. The centre was remarkable by its skating ring in the middle, resembling skating rink in front of Rockefeller Centre in New York City. The centre was a vanguard for district's transformation into modern and stylish one, full of boutique and independent stores. Yorkville Shopping phrase came about and became a synonym for unique and affluent shopping in Toronto. From rags to riches! Since sixties until 2011, it has gone through many makeovers, with business coming and going. Remarkable is the French Restaurant at 90 Yorkville Avenue, next to the site Nursing Home and luxury condominium project today. The restaurant is the oldest business there, since circa 1973.
In the year 2011, the famous hospital building is gone, but its facade is still remaining.
It has become a front for a prestigious new condominium development and retail boutiques area, and it is next to the famous French restaurant. The Yorkvillism brand has been coined do described the state of mind, a desire for opulence and imitation of discriminative lifestyle of rich and famous. Far cry, from the original image in sixties, when, worn out blue jeans were the most prevailing local dress code. Like every ism, it is a doctrine based on belief, predisposition, rather than reality and substance. Yorkville is a watching place for rich and famous, but only for the short time of the year, it is during Toronto International Film Festival. My favorite watching place is to sit and consume moderately on the patio of small, but stylish restaurant, located just across the first five star hotel in Toronto. It is at the corner of Hazelton and Yorkville Ave. I do not have to spend excessively, but I can come and go to watch the events happening in there. Movie stars visiting Toronto for the film festival, coming out of the Hazelton Hotel or Four Seasons. The friendly staff of Courtyard knows me by name, and I am always allowed to come to my front-row seat on their patio. The food to eat is superb there, and I do not have to mortgage my house to eat and enjoy myself. The restaurant is owned and run by a Hungarian gentleman with a colorful background-career as a circus performer. Himself a half-celebrity and he had rubbed his shoulders with idols of my age, Cliff Richard and my favorite Sammy Davis Jr. Yorkville is still an exciting place to spend summer evenings, just like way back in sixties. Weiner schnitzel or paprikash dishes have replaced my submarine sandwich I used to eat there during sixties.
The district is creating its best image to be home of celebrities, most demanding spenders and buyers, but, in fact, there are too few of them in Toronto to keep the style year-round. Toronto is not a New York City or Los Angeles, having a large class of affluent residents. Such a affluent district in Toronto has to survive on aspirant class of celebrities and rich and famous, during the year long. Vaticano, an Italian fine dining restaurant there, it is the place that can be full of movie stars during Toronto International Film Festival; however, it is a business crowd and likes of you and me, who are their regular patrons most of the time. No matter how tempting offers are, visitors there are very careful with their money and sales or special offers by restaurants are a necessary part of marketing strategy. Many businesses have found it hard to survive. Walking the streets, you always find many "Going Out Of Business," or "For Sale," signs that are not very good advertising for affluent area.
This unique district is a nice place to watch people, traffic, cars and motorcycles during warm summer months. Sports cars and high-end are rather prevailing ones to be seen, including their Wheelchair stickers, on display. It is yet to see, how does Ferrari owner gets out of his sports car and where does he keep his wheelchair? Or is it just a ploy to avoid parking tags? Municipal Parking Enforcement Officers have their heyday since the parking is scare. It is not exactly clear, what type of protection Wheelchairs stickers provide. You can obtain top professional medical or other services in there. It is assumed that local residents and shoppers demand best and best providers have opened their businesses and clinics in this area. All dental clinics offer, cosmetics related services, smile makeovers, massage therapy and chiropractic services. Local dentistry clinic caters to young and professionals with their mobile Website, but also to the older generation of retired people living in the area and Rosedale. Chiropractors To The Starsalso have a large office just across the Old Library, next to the iconic Fire Hall and close to the construction of new Four Season Hotel on the main district's avenue. For those who demand the best and like a good location, it just can't get any better! A friend of mine with his home address in local condo is a living example of that style of life. He enjoys being pampered and good food. His condo building is next to the subway stop, and he has to go to a downtown office for his business. Apparently lifestyle compels him to keep an expensive and late model car that he drives to his business every day. Myself being an advocate of public transit, I have tried in vain, to show a foolishness of his actions. Our frequent discussions during our lunch meetings failed to produce change in his opinion. Driving an expensive car and living in Yorkville are congruent with expected lifestyle that residents should keep. Is there a registered psychotherapist in there, who could put some light on this belief?
Should we be bullish or bearish on Yorkvillism? As a casual observer and a friend of many business owners there, I have some basis for creating a qualified opinion. Many condo units purchased in the district are bought by investors and speculators, rather than people who would like to make them home and live the lifestyle supposedly prescribed by the place. Many boutique store owners or restaurateurs would not survive in business, if it were not for casual visitors and patrons to their restaurants and businesses. People, who do not live the lifestyle, but see it as a causal treat and source of excitement.
In the year 2011, the famous hospital building is gone, but its facade is still remaining.
The district is creating its best image to be home of celebrities, most demanding spenders and buyers, but, in fact, there are too few of them in Toronto to keep the style year-round. Toronto is not a New York City or Los Angeles, having a large class of affluent residents. Such a affluent district in Toronto has to survive on aspirant class of celebrities and rich and famous, during the year long. Vaticano, an Italian fine dining restaurant there, it is the place that can be full of movie stars during Toronto International Film Festival; however, it is a business crowd and likes of you and me, who are their regular patrons most of the time. No matter how tempting offers are, visitors there are very careful with their money and sales or special offers by restaurants are a necessary part of marketing strategy. Many businesses have found it hard to survive. Walking the streets, you always find many "Going Out Of Business," or "For Sale," signs that are not very good advertising for affluent area.
This unique district is a nice place to watch people, traffic, cars and motorcycles during warm summer months. Sports cars and high-end are rather prevailing ones to be seen, including their Wheelchair stickers, on display. It is yet to see, how does Ferrari owner gets out of his sports car and where does he keep his wheelchair? Or is it just a ploy to avoid parking tags? Municipal Parking Enforcement Officers have their heyday since the parking is scare. It is not exactly clear, what type of protection Wheelchairs stickers provide. You can obtain top professional medical or other services in there. It is assumed that local residents and shoppers demand best and best providers have opened their businesses and clinics in this area. All dental clinics offer, cosmetics related services, smile makeovers, massage therapy and chiropractic services. Local dentistry clinic caters to young and professionals with their mobile Website, but also to the older generation of retired people living in the area and Rosedale. Chiropractors To The Starsalso have a large office just across the Old Library, next to the iconic Fire Hall and close to the construction of new Four Season Hotel on the main district's avenue. For those who demand the best and like a good location, it just can't get any better! A friend of mine with his home address in local condo is a living example of that style of life. He enjoys being pampered and good food. His condo building is next to the subway stop, and he has to go to a downtown office for his business. Apparently lifestyle compels him to keep an expensive and late model car that he drives to his business every day. Myself being an advocate of public transit, I have tried in vain, to show a foolishness of his actions. Our frequent discussions during our lunch meetings failed to produce change in his opinion. Driving an expensive car and living in Yorkville are congruent with expected lifestyle that residents should keep. Is there a registered psychotherapist in there, who could put some light on this belief?
Should we be bullish or bearish on Yorkvillism? As a casual observer and a friend of many business owners there, I have some basis for creating a qualified opinion. Many condo units purchased in the district are bought by investors and speculators, rather than people who would like to make them home and live the lifestyle supposedly prescribed by the place. Many boutique store owners or restaurateurs would not survive in business, if it were not for casual visitors and patrons to their restaurants and businesses. People, who do not live the lifestyle, but see it as a causal treat and source of excitement.
About the Author:
Yorkville For Top Restaurants Courtyard Restaurant, Le Trou Normand and Vaticano with fine dining at its best.
Comments (0)
Posting Komentar