It seems me and
@ericmacm are more alike then I thought. I also grew up in Mississauga, in later childhood, before moving back to the neighbourhood I grew up in prior to that, Yonge and Eg.
I lurked here for about two years as well before signing up my account, and it took me a while to start posting on here, simply because there wasn't a ton of projects going on in Mississauga, and I preferred SSP. I've had an interest in urban design ever since I was 14, and this site (and SSP) helped nurture that interest further. My interest in photography went hand in hand with this, and in the following years (until when I moved back), I took many trips to Toronto to see/photograph downtown and the construction, and re-connect with the city after being away from it for a couple of years. It was fascinating to see projects like Aura, One Bloor East, and later on E Condos and other miscellaneous projects that intensified and further defined what are now busy nodes of downtown.
I was glad to move out of Mississauga due to the hostile pedestrian environment present in most of the city, and the "stroads" that permeate most neighbourhoods. I still try and visit here and there, but I have a tighter schedule nowadays. It's encouraging to see it intensify much more substantially, though I still await any road redesigns and attempts at making the urban design in MCC more friendly for all road users.
For the last few years, I've been back on the same stretch of Yonge and Eglinton I call home, and it's been odd thinking about how different it's become in the last 15 years. I remember being amazed by the Minto towers as a kid, because they were so big and had some great amenities. (I got to visit once), and how novel the mall seemed with it's branching hallways and variety of stores. But of course, things change.
My DSLR broke down last year, and I still havent gone around to getting it repaired, so all my updates continue to be on my cell phone.
Here's to long lasting cheer, Urban Toronto.
