What happened...?!?
King Street East, from John to James, both sides of the street, and Barton Street East from Wellington to Sherman.
I'm old enough to remember both streets thriving.
In the case of the former, aware enough to have seen three iterations over the years, with two of these being 'heydays'. The first, pre-Jackson Square. My primary reference points are The Capitol and The Palace, two Thomas Lamb 'cathedrals of film' within a stone's throw of each other. The second is the nearly two decades as defined by Jackson Square's presence. (I worked there.) And the third, beginning roughly twenty years ago; the sorriest phase of the downtown core's history from these eyes' perspective.
In the case of the latter? Well, pre-Jackson Square, pre-Eastgate Square, pre-Limeridge, pre-Mapleview, pre-Meadowlands. (There is a point to be made that everything began to change with the Centre Mall in '55.) 'Back in the day' when this portion of the city...the 'north-end'...was rife with industrial workers and their families. Back when Barton Street was 'main street' to them.
In December of 2010, I wrote an op-ed in response to a Spec article entitled 'And now, a full response to The Spec'. This piece contains much of what I'd express answering the question 'What happened?'
But news out of England has added to all this; they're watching as their 'high streets' are losing ground. 'Ghost Towns UK' is a MailOnline article showcasing the problems...and you can see, some of them are universal.
Up next: Keying on small retailers
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'm always interested in feedback, differing opinions, even contrarian blasts...as long as they're delivered with decorum...with panache and flair always helping.