Comments on: The blocks that time forgot http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-blocks-that-time-forgot Toronto's new weekly city magazine Sun, 26 May 2013 02:02:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Rico http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-43742 Rico Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:09:32 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-43742 You mean real market forces? Oh right, protectionism is alive and well in Canada. Everybody has their price, Alexa. This is driven by money. Neighbourhoods change because the "working class" sell their homes at a premium. Rich people are not the enemy. Ignorance is the enemy. You mean real market forces? Oh right, protectionism is alive and well in Canada. Everybody has their price, Alexa. This is driven by money. Neighbourhoods change because the “working class” sell their homes at a premium. Rich people are not the enemy. Ignorance is the enemy.

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]]> By: Rico http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-43741 Rico Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:04:50 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-43741 GDKP, can't afford a place in Leslieville, eh? And supporting "bums" has gone out of style. Give it up, pretend-hobo. GDKP, can’t afford a place in Leslieville, eh? And supporting “bums” has gone out of style. Give it up, pretend-hobo.

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]]> By: A.R. http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42447 A.R. Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:37:57 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42447 A lot of Toronto is attractive, but I don't understand why the city has been so blind to public realm aesthetics. Buried overhead wires, attractive street lights and poles, creative paving, and street trees are among the basics of beautiful urban streets. This issue isn't about gentrification; rich and poor deserve clean and beautiful public spaces. You can go to many cities around the world, not just the wealthiest nations but in places like Eastern Europe, and find that most cities look more polished and refined. A lot of Toronto is attractive, but I don’t understand why the city has been so blind to public realm aesthetics. Buried overhead wires, attractive street lights and poles, creative paving, and street trees are among the basics of beautiful urban streets. This issue isn’t about gentrification; rich and poor deserve clean and beautiful public spaces. You can go to many cities around the world, not just the wealthiest nations but in places like Eastern Europe, and find that most cities look more polished and refined.

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]]> By: A.R. http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42446 A.R. Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:24:01 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42446 That's just a stereotype. There are legitimate reasons why people move to these neighbourhoods like living closer to work and in a walkable area with history and a sense of place, as well as enjoying living somewhere with eclectic stores and other establishments, for instance. They may also get priced out of the more established urban neighbourhoods like The Annex, Yorkville, Yonge and Eglinton, Cabbagetown, and High Park. When they move to these areas, they can make them more interesting and help to revitalize them. People want to live in these traditional urban neighbourhoods and that's not a bad thing. That’s just a stereotype. There are legitimate reasons why people move to these neighbourhoods like living closer to work and in a walkable area with history and a sense of place, as well as enjoying living somewhere with eclectic stores and other establishments, for instance. They may also get priced out of the more established urban neighbourhoods like The Annex, Yorkville, Yonge and Eglinton, Cabbagetown, and High Park. When they move to these areas, they can make them more interesting and help to revitalize them. People want to live in these traditional urban neighbourhoods and that’s not a bad thing.

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]]> By: GDKP http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42379 GDKP Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:15:59 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42379 The reason that rich yuppies move into 'gentrifying' neighbourhoods and the luxurious, snap-together condos that emerge there is the same reason that sun-burnt overweight vacationers in flower dresses take all-inclusive Safari trips to Kenya. Without leaving the status comforts of home, they think it is thrilling to be immersed in a land of exoticism, so far removed from 'life back home'. When they venture outside, they can whisper to one another; "Look honey... a BUM! And he wants change. Go on... give him sonme, I'll take a picture...". The 25 cents dropped in that man's Tim Horton's cup will now fill them with an un-entitled sense of self-worth and generosity that should last them through the rest of the year. When the safari inevitably wraps up, and the lions, zebras and elephants that have been lured there by the promise of easy food/money, those tourists return to their ivory towers in the jungle to a steak dinner and air conditioning, wondering how anyone ever thought Africa was impoverished... after all, they have satellite in the hotel room! The reason that rich yuppies move into ‘gentrifying’ neighbourhoods and the luxurious, snap-together condos that emerge there is the same reason that sun-burnt overweight vacationers in flower dresses take all-inclusive Safari trips to Kenya.

Without leaving the status comforts of home, they think it is thrilling to be immersed in a land of exoticism, so far removed from ‘life back home’. When they venture outside, they can whisper to one another; “Look honey… a BUM! And he wants change. Go on… give him sonme, I’ll take a picture…”. The 25 cents dropped in that man’s Tim Horton’s cup will now fill them with an un-entitled sense of self-worth and generosity that should last them through the rest of the year.

When the safari inevitably wraps up, and the lions, zebras and elephants that have been lured there by the promise of easy food/money, those tourists return to their ivory towers in the jungle to a steak dinner and air conditioning, wondering how anyone ever thought Africa was impoverished… after all, they have satellite in the hotel room!

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]]> By: WK http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42372 WK Thu, 06 Dec 2012 03:57:19 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42372 *tip of the hat* :) *tip of the hat* :)

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]]> By: Alexa http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42367 Alexa Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:35:59 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42367 This article is just more proof the Grid is a worthless rag for petit-bourgeois scum. Fight gentrification! fuck the rich assholes taking over working class neighbourhoods and driving folks out of their own city. This article is just more proof the Grid is a worthless rag for petit-bourgeois scum.

Fight gentrification! fuck the rich assholes taking over working class neighbourhoods and driving folks out of their own city.

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]]> By: Arachnid http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42366 Arachnid Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:34:59 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42366 @vortex We are not a top-down policy first society here, maybe Vancouver, Guelph, Portland but Europe is more that model. At the recent Urban Agriculture Summit at Ryerson University it was clear that we are, actually our only hope is to be a bottom-up society. Occupy, guerrilla economies (Scadding Court ), populist pursuits (Friends of organizations), urban ag (Downsview Park). To include all as stakeholders is the only way forward. That's the approach that St Lawrence took and now Regent Park. Some amazing things are be done in this city. To concentrate on the negative only does a disservice to those that put thier energy into positive outcomes. Some think that they want their neighbourhoods to remain the same forever. If you don't want the marginalized to be left out then get involved. I know (and do) but my energies into practical endeavours that make immediate (and long-term) impact in my community. @W(eat)K you're not an @sshole, your'e and idiot ;) @vortex We are not a top-down policy first society here, maybe Vancouver, Guelph, Portland but Europe is more that model. At the recent Urban Agriculture Summit at Ryerson University it was clear that we are, actually our only hope is to be a bottom-up society. Occupy, guerrilla economies (Scadding Court ), populist pursuits (Friends of organizations), urban ag (Downsview Park).
To include all as stakeholders is the only way forward. That’s the approach that St Lawrence took and now Regent Park. Some amazing things are be done in this city. To concentrate on the negative only does a disservice to those that put thier energy into positive outcomes.
Some think that they want their neighbourhoods to remain the same forever. If you don’t want the marginalized to be left out then get involved.
I know (and do) but my energies into practical endeavours that make immediate (and long-term) impact in my community.

@W(eat)K you’re not an @sshole, your’e and idiot ;)

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]]> By: WK http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42361 WK Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:28:08 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42361 And to peel away the pretence of being polite or classy...FUCK your mixed-income housing and other token gestures...we don't want a piece of the pie we want the whole fucking bakery. *drops mic* (Yeah I'm an asshole). And to peel away the pretence of being polite or classy…FUCK your mixed-income housing and other token gestures…we don’t want a piece of the pie we want the whole fucking bakery. *drops mic* (Yeah I’m an asshole).

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]]> By: WK http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/the-blocks-that-time-forgot/#comment-42358 WK Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:18:03 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=86293#comment-42358 First off, please don't claim any knowledge over what I do with my spare time (outside of work and school) in community activism. Second, way to totally sidestep the fact that with gentrification more and more working class families and individuals are forced to live further out from the core, where we often work and rely on good public services (good schools and good community infrastructure) and public transport coverage - specifically racialized working class communities (like myself and my family). Also I think it's incredibly naive to assume that the voice of working people have any weight versus the heavy wallets and political capital of condo developers. I rather spend my time rallying NIMBYist opposition on a working class basis rather than capitulate to token gestures from big-box/condo developers. First off, please don’t claim any knowledge over what I do with my spare time (outside of work and school) in community activism. Second, way to totally sidestep the fact that with gentrification more and more working class families and individuals are forced to live further out from the core, where we often work and rely on good public services (good schools and good community infrastructure) and public transport coverage – specifically racialized working class communities (like myself and my family). Also I think it’s incredibly naive to assume that the voice of working people have any weight versus the heavy wallets and political capital of condo developers. I rather spend my time rallying NIMBYist opposition on a working class basis rather than capitulate to token gestures from big-box/condo developers.

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