Archive for category: South Riverdale

‘Power centres,’ big-box stores, and the Foundry District    (2007.05.18)

Notes from a public meeting on the Foundy District redevelopment (now all big-box all the time), 2007.05.17

Trans-vitrine    (2007.05.15)

At the new coffee joint – now the third in Leslieville to dispute my order in one way or another. First Mercury. Next the climate-uncontrolled Dark Horse, where the strapping barista marvelled to guys at the bar that I want an espresso long. (“Yes, he does want it long,” I said sternly. The customer is always right.) Here, I was told that crema on an espresso is actually an “impurity.” Well, so is gravy, but that doesn’t stop carnivores, does it?

Their coffee doesn’t yield crema. Something else it doesn’t yield is a customer.

You realize that not only am I not mocked at the Lesliebucks, the manageress sits down and has a chat with me most times?

Scenes from the class struggle    (2007.05.14)

Rolls Phantom outside Irish pub from a kit, rue Bathurst St., Seaton Village:

Bentley Mulsanne outside Soviet-prison-like social-housing complex (with underground entrance), ave. Eastern Ave., Leslieville:

No… no, the hitch is on the other end    (2007.05.02)

Leslieville in a nutshell.

Joe at Joe’s at Jones    (2007.03.23)

724½    (2007.03.13)

Urban class    (2007.02.17)

I got off my bike and stood in the middle of the sidestreet to line up this shot. “Hey, camera man! Hey, camera man!” I hear (and it’s obviously two words). “What?!” I mutter angrily, taking my shot. “Out of the way,” says the black streetcar driver turning onto the sidestreet. You can fucking well wait.

This superklassy development takes the place of a lonely Stephenson’s Rental building (more on them anon) on a lot with an enormous dropoff in elevation at the rear. You could build a fallout shelter here and a full suite of tæunhæumes. The resulting Ashbridge Commons™ (“in the West Beach”) will be dripping with the kind of refinement and distinction you’d be anticipate next door to a streetcar depot and a block away from a postal sorting plant.

And the red Palatino on green… nice touch. The rest of the type is even worse, with sort of a 1984 LaserWriter Helvetica in use.

Another day in paradise    (2007.01.15)

One of those rare day-in-the-life posts. Now you see why they are rare