Post some pictures of your city! II - Page 497

zoomer · #1 Posted **May 19, 2024, 4:43 AM**

Toronto playing fields - nice! I have a couple pics from last week to share coming up on the same topic.

As always, love your St. John’s pics SHH. Lots of colour and a ton of interesting detail, reminds me of the Richard Scary books, if you’re old enough to remember those.

zoomer · #2 Posted **May 21, 2024, 2:17 AM**

Pictures from Toronto

It was a solo trip as there was no interest from family or friends in going unfortunately. People who just look at me blankly when I said Toronto, said “Why?” or “I’d rather go somewhere else”. Maybe that’s partly being on Vancouver Island and it’s out of sight and mind, also folks originally from Toronto don’t have much good to say about the city (often the case for former residents of any city). People say they’d rather go to Montreal, Quebec, New York, Miami, Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, anywhere in Europe.

One friend who knows I’m an urban fan said I would both love and hate Toronto.

Well, I’m happy to report I had an excellent holiday and I’m planning a return as early as next year. There was nothing I hated, loved most things. Ok, one thing I disliked - the constant OVERLY LONG CAR HONKING! Wtf is that all about.. like laying on the horn for 5 to 15 seconds, holy road rage. At that point I’m just about to jump in and take down the horn blower regardless of whose fault it is.

An observation that is more to do with a Toronto being a very large city is that downtown is still car dominated, not a super friendly pedestrian experience. Love to see more streets fully pedestrianized. There also seemed to be cigarette smoke everywhere, again, no doubt it part due to the greater concentration of people, but feels like more people smoke in TO than out on the west coast. On the other hand I saw hardly any fentanyl zombies and the homeless situation didn’t seem too bad. I did witness one guy get violent and start smashing street signs and furniture and try to attack a by-passer on Bloor street who punched him back and cut him open good. I was right behind all this, and decided to duck into the restaurant for cover - you just don’t know if these guys are carrying knives or not. But you know, that could have been any city Canada to be honest. Toronto felt safe to walk alone.

Plenty of pictures, sorry for some of the more typical tourist ones, but hey, this is a skyscraper forum and these will be the freshest views from the CN Tower, etc, lol.

I stayed in the Annex neighbourhood - had several meals at Scottybons - excellent jerk chicken!

Scotty Bons - 402 Bloor Street W. May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

500 Block Bloor Street West - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

300 Bloor Street West - United Church Redevelopment, originally built 1886. May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

I found people really friendly, more than happy to help with directions or just randomly chat. Like the guy from the Cameroon I talked to for half an hour by the U of T to the homeless guy on the streetcar with whom I had a good chat with about Las Vegas and the effects of meth versus crack. Service was generally good, and people are earnest and down to earth. Maybe I was expecting more of the New York, Boston or Philadelphia stereotypical attitude.

University of Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Toronto - May 8, 2024. 1:39 p.m. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Kensington was interesting, but came in a bit under my expectations. Also falling into this category were The Well (it’s cold in many ways and missed the high mark it was aiming for) and The Distillery District. That was totally dead and felt disconnected from downtown.

Kensington Market, Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Central Tech Stadium viewed from Bathurst Street - May 2024, Toronto by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

David French Lane - Toronto, May 13, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

One of the highlights, if not THE highlight of my trip - if you know, you know. I was the only person out of 6 plus million people in attendance, and I made it out alive:

Reg Hartt’s CineForum - 463 Bathurst Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Another top highlight was the Dupont subway station, perfection:

Dupont Station, May 11, 2024 - opened January 28, 1978 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station, May 11, 2024 - opened January 28, 1978 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Subway Station - Mural Designed by James Sutherland by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

ANX at 316 Dupont Street, Toronto - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Chaveta, 994 Bathurst Street - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Steven’s Grocery - 990 Bathurst Street, May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Stanley’s Variety - 910 Bathurst Street, May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Casa Loma, Toronto - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Alright, back downtown:

Wellesley and Young Intersection, Toronto. May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Ace Hotel Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Green and Blue in Toronto - May 12, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Minnesota Twins 5 - Blue Jays 1. May 12, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

St. Lawrence Market - May 10, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Union Station, TD Tower and Royal Bank Plaza - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Reflection in Marsh & McLennan Building - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

The Cathedral Church of St. James - May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Hockey Hall of Fame - May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Alrighty, at last the skyline shots:

CN Tower Selfie - May 9, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

‘

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View from CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

May 9, 2024 CN Tower Views from Space Deck at 1,465 ft (447 m) and SkyPod at 1,150 ft (351 m) by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Views - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Views - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Now from the Toronto Islands, which was unexpectedly quiet. I was planning on getting lunch of Centre Island but a couple of the restaurants were closed for the season and the only the world’s saddest looking Pizza Pizza and Subway were open, and the Subway only sold cookies, drinks and chips.. wtf? I came across the same thing when I went to New Brunswick and PEI - parks and restaurants in May that are closed for the season. Unusual coming from Victoria where there are no seasons, things are open year round whether it’s gardens, golf courses, parks, tourists attractions, etc. Anyways, I would have stopped at this cute cafe if I would have known:

Runaway Cafe on Wards Island, Toronto. May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View of downtown from Toronto Islands - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View of downtown from Toronto Islands - May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Toronto Waterfront - May 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Thanks for hanging in there if you’ve got this far - but to wrap things up the Most Fantabulous Street of All:

Zanzibar- Yonge Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Massey Tower and its 1905 Canadian Bank of Commerce base. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

205 Yonge Street - former Bank of Toronto, built 1905 - architect E.J. Lennox. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

300 Block of Yonge Street - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

579 Yonge Street, Toronto. May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Yonge Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Yonge Street - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dineen Coffee - 140 Yonge Street, Toronto. May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Old Bank of Montreal - corner of Queen and Yonge Street, Toronto. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Leña Restaurante - 176 Yonge Street, May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

ScreamingViking · #3 Posted **May 21, 2024, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoomer

Pictures from Toronto

That was really great Zoomer. Thank you.

I'm a semi-regular commuter to downtown Toronto, and it's easy for me to get caught up in the routine of that trip. So these kinds of photo sets that you've shared (and others too from time to time) are nice to see.

Rico Rommheim · #4 Posted **May 22, 2024, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoomer

Pictures from Toronto

It was a solo trip as there was no interest from family or friends in going unfortunately. People who just look at me blankly when I said Toronto, said “Why?” or “I’d rather go somewhere else”. Maybe that’s partly being on Vancouver Island and it’s out of sight and mind, also folks originally from Toronto don’t have much good to say about the city (often the case for former residents of any city). People say they’d rather go to Montreal, Quebec, New York, Miami, Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, anywhere in Europe.

Wow. Simply amazing set zoomed. Loved it

GeneralLea · #5 Posted **May 28, 2024, 5:36 AM**

I was just looking over some old images I took of Hamilton, and don't think I've shared this one before.

Hamilton, 017 by Josh Kennington Photographics, on Flickr

zoomer · #6 Posted **May 21, 2024, 2:59 AM**

/\ it’s easy to be complacent about a place you know well isn’t it. I also enjoy seeing my city through a visitor’s eyes, what stands out to them isn’t always what you expect! Thanks ScreamingViking

Nouvellecosse · #7 Posted **May 21, 2024, 3:14 AM**

Yes very cool pictures! Always nice when people can explore a new place. I don't generally find downtown pedestrian unfriendly, although there are exceptions such as around the Gardiner and Lakeshore Blvd.

zoomer · #8 Posted **May 21, 2024, 4:20 AM**

Thanks Nouvellecosse

In terms of pedestrian unfriendly the areas you described yes, but more so it’s not easy to move around as a pedestrian. More car free streets would be nice, more streets with a bike lane buffer, etc. Also the traffic light cycle is really long, feels like you’re standing forever at some lights but again I’m sure they’ve done studies and that’s the most efficient for traffic. Other things that are unavoidable - such as the sidewalks being fully or partially blocked due to construction and the heavy flow of loud car traffic nearby can be wearing but all to be expected in most big cities and it really didn’t damper my enjoyment of the city.

Ironically another highlight was the nice residential streets running across Bloor in both directions even though I didn’t share any pics of those! Here’s one below from the phone, but most of the phone pics just weren’t of good enough quality and I didn’t bring a wide angle lens as I travelled only with a backpack. Next time I’ll bring two lenses, you really need a wide angle lens to get decent shots of residential homes.

145 Madison Ave - Toronto by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

This house was featured as House of the Week in 2018 as a $4.5 million fixer upper.

https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-t...adison-avenue/

GeneralLea · #9 Posted **Jun 5, 2024, 8:34 PM**

A few days ago, during my stay on the Toronto Islands, I went on a walk, learning from a local about the erosion problem afflicting the western side of the Island. It was a great walk, with many birds and water fowl about:

Beach Daze by Josh Kennington Photographics, on Flickr

softee · #10 Posted **May 21, 2024, 4:30 PM**

Great Toronto pics, Zoomer. Thats set is worthy of its own thread in City Photos!

giallo · #11 Posted **May 21, 2024, 7:19 PM**

Great pics, zoomer. Such a unique perspective on Toronto.

zoomer · #12 Posted **May 21, 2024, 7:30 PM**

Yah, I should pop the pics into a thread there - thanks softee.

Also, I have to give you credit, as I’ve been watching a lot more of your walking streams on YouTube the past few months along with Johnny for quite a while and even some of tshods now.

The passion ya’ll show for your city shines through and was what made me come for a visit as you break through the tourism spin as well as the negative stereotypes. I’m someone who loves walking for hours, exploring, taking photos, digging deeper into a city’s history and current urbanism and it’s nice to be inspired by others doing the same thing - kudos!

Thanks Giallo - I wondered what my style would look like in Toronto, I guess it worked still, haha.

FrAnKs · #13 Posted **May 28, 2024, 10:53 PM**

Quebec City yesterday

zoomer · #14 Posted **May 29, 2024, 11:14 PM**

[QUOTE=FrAnKs;10213666]Quebec City yesterday

Nice photos FrAnKs - this one looks like the cannons are protecting the historic core of the city from the onslaught on modern architecture!

Although Édifice d'Youville looks good from this angle.

Thanks Rico, and General Lee would you say Hamilton is the best bet for downtown style photography outside of Toronto yet within easy commuting reach?

Kilgore Trout · #15 Posted **May 30, 2024, 12:49 AM**

Quebec City could teach Ottawa a few things about feeling like a national capital.

FrAnKs · #16 Posted **May 30, 2024, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Quebec City could teach Ottawa a few things about feeling like a national capital.

What, per example?

Klazu · #17 Posted **May 30, 2024, 3:24 AM**

Hart House is a fine dining establishment in Burnaby and close to us, yet this past Mother's Day was our first visit to it. The impressive main building was originally built in 1906, as a residence for a wealthy businessman and was eventually converted into a restaurant in 1988.

Architecturally the building represent the Tudor Revival style.

The building holds a heritage status from the City of Burnaby.

Inside, the former residence has been converted to a restaurant with good taste, retaining lot of the old characteristics.

The Mother's Day buffet table wasn't the largest in town, but it was still fantastic! Here is just a small sample of what was being offered.

The restaurant is located in a very green part of the city, right next to Deer Lake and offers some fantastic views across the water.

Needless to say that we will be back at for another visit to try out their regular menu, too!

zoomer · #18 Posted **May 30, 2024, 4:41 AM**

Killer pics Klazu!

I’ve never heard of that restaurant, but then again, much of Burnaby is a mystery to me. While I’m not a big fan of Metrotown (or Brentwood) in terms of a pedestrian/urban experience, it looks great in pictures.

Those last two pics are the offspring of an Edmonton/Toronto one night stand.

Klazu · #19 Posted **May 30, 2024, 6:41 AM**

The Deer Lake area is one of the nicest parts in Burnaby. So green all around, nice lake to walk around, great skyline views, Hart House and then the Burnaby Village Museum are all worth seeing.

Pellimo · #20 Posted **Jun 3, 2024, 12:15 AM**

The 71 Most Beautiful Streets in the World

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/...s-in-the-world

10/71
Quebec City, Canada

Rue du Petit Champlain