Recent content by Townie

Any less relevant then the ancient lakeshore? Just commenting on the comment re heights along Yonge and their impact on city building and observed tower peaks. Cloverhill is just a few blocks from The One, which sits on top of the same rise along Yonge St. I just wanted to give some historical...

When Bishop de Charbonnel (2nd Catholic bishop of Toronto, 1850-1860) invited the Basilan Fathers to come from France and establish a college and seminary in Toronto, they acquired a property on Clover Hill (Bay & St Joseph) to build St Basil's Church (1856) and what would eventually grow into...

Can someone tell me: What is that giant slab-like thing -- it looks like the flatbed of an enormous pickup truck, separated from its cab -- projecting from the fifth floor (last double-height floor) on the east side of the building and cantilevered over the street? What is it and what is for...

The Empire State Building has 102 storeys. (One World Trade Centre has 94, and none of the recent supertalls in NYC, despite their crazy heights, has more than 98.)

My only regret is that we've lost the iconic view of the CN Tower viewed between the two towers of the TD Centre. It's now blocked by 160 Front.

Really terrific photos. I don't know about others, but for the first time, I'm getting a clear and precise overview of the works as a whole and how everything comes together. Previously, it was just a new bridge here, a berm there, a new riverbed, the new Cherry St -- all very impressive and...

Very nice building. In addition to its design, I like the way it addresses a difficult space, straddling the block, and handles the heritage buildings (features that make Lombard such a pleasant downtown street). I guess calling the tower "The Morgue" would be a non-starter for condo sales?

Apologies if this is a stupid question: Why aren't the Crosstown trains red & white, like other public transit vehicles in Toronto? And why are the Crosstown stations marked with a giant, black & white "T" sign, instead of the well-known identifier of the TTC logo? What does the "T" stand for...

Some wonderful photos here. In the third photo, you actually managed to catch The Canadian (VIA's transcontinental train) and its tail-end dome car as it was passing by. Amazing documentation!

Just so you know -- and make things even more confusing -- the farmers' market in London, Ontario, is also called Covent Garden Market. It's a pretty terrific market, too. London Ontario also has a Thames River.

Looking at these photos -- specifically, this view south along Jarvis -- it's nice to see how well the new market building matches and complements St Lawrence Hall in scale. The new structure relates quite nicely to the older. Their rooflines are well-matched, the cornice of St Lawrence Hall...

"[6] The Settlement Proposal includes the dedication of a park across the Carlton Street frontage of the Subject Lands having an area of 238 m²." What? How can they fit a "park" (however small) along the Carlton St frontage? This is a major and extremely busy downtown intersection with heavy...

All the options illustrated in the link look pretty grim. Why is Toronto so challenged by public spaces? Yet more runty, weedy locust trees. Why can't Toronto do trees? Are they really contemplating another basinless fountain, after repeated failures in other spaces?

A major problem with the existing structure is that the ground floor is raised 4 ft above sidewalk level and is accessed by stairs, which line the entire Yonge St facade. This must be remedied in the new structure -- barrier-free access. I can't tell for sure from the renders, but I'm not sure...

Don't forget the colonnade on the Avenue Rd frontage of the renovated Park Hyatt. Though a retrofit, it's an excellent application of the concept. In addition to being attractive and practical, it significantly widens an otherwise dangerously narrow sidewalk at this busy intersection (Bloor W...