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Early Toronto Suburbs In Colour--50's-60's

Where is this Steinberg's

Can anyone identify where this picture was taken? I have actually driven around looking for it :S and have searched on google street view! I have determined that it is NOT:

La Rose Plaza
Bloor and West Mall Plaza
Eringate Plaza
Evans and Brown's Line

Can anyone help? Thanks :)
 

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I think this photo was discussed a year or so ago on Mustapha's thread. It's East York City Centre on Overlea Blvd. There's now a Food Basics on place of Steinberg's.
 
Blovertis,

Are you certain? I'm looking on google street view now and the mall looks to be in a different shape (a less distinctive L shape). Also, this picture was taken from a Toronto achive which listed it as being in Etobicoke. Additionally, 2 of the buildings in the background would have had to been torn down in order for that to be the area.

Do you by chance know which forum it was that Mustapha posted? I am curious to see what people had to say. Forgive me for my confusion, I am brand new to this forum :)

And Ed007Toronto, it is definitely not Humbertown - I live right across from Humbertown (my whole life) and the background buildings are definitely not in this area.

This pic is really driving me crazy! lol I know for certain I have seen this plaza dozens of times in my childhood, but just cannot place my finger on where it is.
 
Definitely Etobicoke. A splash of colour in an otherwise dreary neighbourhood, whatever the original colour was. Near Shopper's World? Has sort of a Rexdale feel to it too, but earlier.
 
Well I believe Mustapha as he says he remembers it as a child. Below is a picture of what it looks like now. I agree it does have a very "Etobicoke" feel to it, that's why it has been bothering me lol.

It does seem very odd that the building with orange belcanies would have been torn down with only a slightly bigger building in its place however... but the unique design of the parking lot definitely adds up (if you'll notice, there is no roadway between the building and the mall parking lot.

4791513512
 
It does seem very odd that the building with orange belcanies would have been torn down with only a slightly bigger building in its place however...

It wasn't torn down, it's just been obscured by the newer building.
 
That's definitely looking south at Rexdale + Islington (remember that Rexdale + 27 don't meet at a right angle). As far as Sears (or as it would have been then, Simpsons-Sears) goes, it either (barely) did not exist yet or would have stood over the elevation on the right--what I'm trying to decipher, though (through those posts and slopes on the right) is whether the Islington-into-Rexdale "curveaway" existed yet.

Interesting view, anyway, of those classic early-CMHC sloped-roof "matchboxes" on the left.

That's definitely looking south down Islington. I reproduced that shot about a year and a half ago for a then and now piece.
 
That's definitely looking south at Rexdale + Islington (remember that Rexdale + 27 don't meet at a right angle). As far as Sears (or as it would have been then, Simpsons-Sears) goes, it either (barely) did not exist yet or would have stood over the elevation on the right--what I'm trying to decipher, though (through those posts and slopes on the right) is whether the Islington-into-Rexdale "curveaway" existed yet.

Interesting view, anyway, of those classic early-CMHC sloped-roof "matchboxes" on the left.


Fascinating site! Hope I do this right! You have probably had this answered by now but I thought these pics might be of interest.
1953EastAlongRexdale.jpg
1969EastAlongRexdale.jpg
1960sRexdalePlaza.jpg
 

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That's more or less where I was guessing--there's that section with a second floor where they now have offices. Most Sayvettes had at least two floors, I believe.

The Ajax Sayvette's had 3 floors. I remember it vividly, though I was only 8 when it closed.

The basement had a lunch counter that was framed by an overhead border (probably to hide the ductwork) of photos that appeared to have been cut from travel posters. There was one of an Ancient Greek tragedy mask that used to terrify me.

The elevator was huge, and had big square buttons and floor-indicator lights. I think it was either a hydraulic or a traction by Armor. (Armor Elevator Canada was located in Pickering, near Hwy. 2 and Liverpool.) The interior was decorated in a garish combination of vivid reddish-orange and vibrant cornflower blue. I shudder to think of it, to this day. Imagine if you got stuck in there with all that 1970s hideousness!

The candy counter (where a clerk scooped candy from bins, weighed it on a mechanical scale with a steel bowl, and sold it in little white paper bags) was in the middle of the first floor, and there was a small garden centre at the southwest end of the store, by the big windows. I think the rest of the first floor was devoted to clothing.

The second floor had toys, pets, and (I think) housewares.

Besides the lunch counter, I think the basement had the hardware department. We almost never went there.

The checkouts used big, electro-mechanical NCR cash registers (Series 51 or 52). I fell in love with the sounds of them, and I marvelled at how fast the cashiers' fingers flew up and down the rows of buttons. How I wished I could work one of those amazing machines...

About 10 years ago, I bought an old Series 52, but it was completely seized-up. (If anyone knows somebody who can repair one of those old beasts, please let me know.)
 
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