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When we discussed Starbucks moving into the West-Queen-West/Beaconsfield Village/Appliance Store Land/Art + Design district, there didn't appear to be a discernable negative reaction. Except now we find out that not only is there a negative reaction, but that reaction holds the Drake responsible. Does this make the Drake a 'ho,' necessarily? Depends on your definition, doesn't it?
And yes this is the same graffiti that Zoilus refers to in his post - though there are no commas here, as there are in his version.
Submitted by Fauxreel, who by the by also submitted this.
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i just passed by there today! and saw the starbucks with the doors open (sans graffiti... i didn't do it!)
honestly i don't see what there is to object to. it will be a good place to get yummy coffee in the area with a pleasant atmosphere.
you can get fair trade coffee if you want it, and the fact that the corporation happens to be from seattle is just an example of how good things spread from city to city.
Is there a link to a larger version of this picture anywhere? It's pretty damn awesome.
I'm going to guess that this is just more top-quality social commentary from the city's wannabe neo-Marxists. Sadly, this is one of the better pieces they've come up with.
And what evil is Starbucks guilty of? Consistent quality product and "lifestyle shopping"? How is this different from your local mom and pop coffee shop? If anything, Starbucks is the best thing that ever happened to a well-run mom and pop shop... Starbucks retarded prices allow others to undercut them in price (while still raising their prices) and provide them with a different "lifestyle experience". If you're a shit run shop and you can't find a way to compete, you deserve to close... business ain't charity.
And how does this change the neighborhood in a bad way? What is the "feel" of the neighborhood exactly? Before the Drake kicked off the revitalization of the neighborhood, it was closed store-fronts being used as bedrooms and urinals for the resident displaced homeless mental health facility patient. Post-Drake it is art galleries, eateries, and all around improved store fronts.. that are being used as bedrooms and urinals for the homeless. I'm at a loss to see how this is even remotely a bad thing.
I used to live on D-court, about 100 ft south of there. Back then, it was a VERY dodgy neighbourhood.
Now, I go back, and it's crazy. Art galleries(good), insanely over-priced t-shirt shops(hello hipsters, it's called Goodwill. Look into it and put these vandals out of business), and bars all over the place.
I remember, when the Drake was The Stardust, with the worlds worst and lonliest karaoke. My buddies and roommates used to go in there, get pissed, and have it all to ourselves.
So, things change. It's the way of all cities; the artists move where the rent is cheap, the neighbourhood starts looking better because the artists are there, the rent goes up, the artists move further west. And the beat goes on...
Some people just need to grow up. Graffiti? How trite.
A fine example of Toronto hackery. People love to believe that this city has some sort of scene. Queen street has been shit for years - long before the Drake and Camera and Pizza Pizza and the new Gladstone and the Social and the condos. Give me a break. Somebody tell this guy to go back to Richmond Hill.
Dear hipster-wannabe who wrote that,
The steps to Starbucks go as follows:
1 Hipsters looking for cheap rent/authentic experience.
2 Drake Hotel looking to sell drinks to hipsters.
3 Hip-Gentrification of neighbourhood
4 Starbucks
You may as well call yourself a ho. In the wonderful words of Geoff Berner: "you're the shock troops of gentrification." And that ain't a bad thing.
Speaking of wannabe neo-marxists, I remember the morning after Sept11/01 the TD at Queen and Spadina had something to the effect of "Capitalists get what they deserve" sprayed above the windows. Tastefull, no? At least this is kind of harmless/funny (Drake you ho!).
This is pure comedy. I hope to god more of it turns up.
And "hipster-wannabe"?
Does it really take that much to become a "hipster"?
This is all so confusing.
Maybe Torontoist should provide some sort of guide to Hipsterdom for those of us incapable of decoding the subtle nuances of this mysterious world. Or maybe we could just consolidate them all into one big group labelled "assholes".
Might be easier.
Drake = hipsters? not sure about that one.
I think the graffiti is funny. It wouldnt be funny if it was someone's small/family buisness or home. yes I see the contradiction and yes I'm comfortable with that.
can't we all just laugh at the writing on the wall...
those scribbles were not only effective as they got us to discuss the gentrification of this neighborhood, but they were funny as hell.
the best kind of graffiti is the one that communicates to the most in the least harmful way. a nod to whoever had the balls and wit to get up.
I'm no lover of Starbucks, or big corporations, but I didn't think it was funny. I think it's stupid. And cowardly.
"Drake=hipsters? not sure about that one."
Oh, sorry. We're talking about the Drake Hotel. It's on Queen st W. Which Drake are you talking about?
The Drake is definitely a ho...of some sorts...if you can imagine the Drake whoring itself out....it was ironically just recently the location of the much-hyped, and much-laughed at launch of "ET Canada"...which is so far from hip its sad. The Drake whoring itself out to the big corporate machine (bigger than even Global itself) hyping a "hip" show on the Canadian entertainment scene (so sad)....has anybody actually watched this show??? They've profiled Michael Buble (sleazebag) about 9 times since they started in September!!!!
Cowardly?
I don't know. Frankly, I'm baffled by the amount of support Starbucks has from many Torontoist readers. This leads me to believe far more people support this kind of corporate white-washing of neighborhoods than I previously assumed.
Why people invite/encourage sameness within their communities I'll never understand. Personally, I want to live someplace I can call my own. An area with unique qualities, locally owned and operated retailers that have a vested interest in the area they operate. Granted, these places may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some might desire, but it's these idiosyncrasies that create true character.
oh sorry for the confusion BE its the one where the so called hipster trendsetters arrive in their Acura SUV's and diesel shoes for a night of non threatning house music (cutting edge isnt it?)
Hey I occasionally go there myself, I'm by no means a hipster.
I miss the "stardust" featuring sweet daddy siki anyone remember the various names it went by to try and drum up buisness? I recall they kept lengthening the name to try and drum up interest at one point it was "sir peters stardust" or something like that?. it was so sad when the cardboard stars kept peeling off the walls!
Crash:
Just curious: Are your initials DM? K have a friend, that used to live in the area, that we call "Crash". That I used to go to the Stardust with.
As for the hipsters, all I know is, every time I walk/by there on the weekend, there's a line up of people with trendy clothes and angular haircuts. Maybe it's my personal definition, but 'hipster' doesn't equal = edgy. It equals 'trendy'. And it's not a total indictment either, because we're all swayed by trends. My personal philosophy though, is the only place I line-up to get into is the hospital.
Liffe:
Well, I stated in my post that I wasn't pro starbucks or corp's. But this graffiti...what does it solve? It's just some idiot that's too afraid to stand up and try to do anything productive or impactful. Graffiti is painted over, and then what? It's an empty sentiment(as well as an erroneous and short sighted one). Why not organize to show your displeasure? Poster? Protest? Again, I think it's a waste of time raging against one corporation. Better to try to illustrate the problems you see in society to society itself, so that you're not alone. No?
I think that everyone can agree, hopefully, that the Drake is actually a good thing.
It's helped to turn around an area of town (no matter the fact that it hosts crappy launches for stupid shows like ET Canada - agreed that Rick the Temp is definitely sucking the bag) that was once downtrodden.
I think the problem is, just as Liffe has stated, that putting a Starbuck's in this neighborhood makes it cookie cutter and not as original as an independent retailer.
The Drake on the other hand isn't cookie cutter, at least not in Toronto. Sure there may be other similar boutique hotels in other cities of the world, but this one is ours, love it or hate it.
And because of the Drake, places like the Gladstone are getting the renovation it deserves - even though I did like the insulation sticking out of the walls of the largest bar in the hotel.
For you brokenengine, you may never understand this thing called graffiti. This person was not a coward. If you've ever snuck around in the middle of the night or stood bold faced in the day's sun and hit up a wall with something beyond a stupid tag, then you might have a clue.
As I mentioned before, good graffiti takes skill. The content needs to be sharp, to the point, witty and understood by all, the timing needs to be just right and the placement needs to be perfect. All these areas have been covered by this one.
And if making the papers and weblogs around Toronto to raise this issue wasn't impactful... we wouldn't be talking about this to this degree if that person hadn't wrote what they wrote. And to top it off, if you're talking about being a coward, that person did something in public while you rant away in the comfort of your own home. Try to figure it out, brah!!!
I thought it was funny...but to point the finger at the Drake one must also point it two doors west of Starbucks at the Social. Drake = Beautiful Design but lame 905'ers. Social = Lame design and beautiful 'hipsters'.
When I first saw it (I saw it out of the corner of my eye while on the 501) I though it said 'Thanks you hoes. This is all your fault.' blaming the prositiutes for Starbucks. I think that would have had more bite to it, more substance. Blaming the Drake is the easy way out.
Lets not forget that the Starbucks wasn't decided by commitee. What likely happened was the landlord put the spot up for lease and got a bunch of responses. Lets say he got one from a gallery, one from a mom and pop coffee house, and one from mega-chain Starbucks. Even if all three companies were willing to pay the same amount of rent, who would you rent to? A new business that may go broke half way through your lease? Or the sure thing? If that landlord didn't rent to Starbucks, a neighbour certainly would. We can all wish that a "corporate white-wash" wouldn't happen, but wishing will not make it so. Don't like Starbucks? Don't shop there.
BrokenEngine: Sorry, I wasn't really directing my comment at you specifically. I just don't think "cowardly" is the right word.
Although, I think this graffiti was quite effective in that it:
1) Has generated lots of dialogue here at Torontoist.
2)Been highlighted on several other blogs
3) Made its way into this week's issue of eye, where it will be view by thousands of readers
4) Is damn funny and makes me laugh. As I'm sure it has made countless others chuckle too
I think this alone has proven that graffiti —unsolicited writing on public/private property— can be an effective form of communication.
I have no issue with graffiti...when it's art. This is just someone with a spray paint can scrawling on private property. Lets not put it up there with whats going on in some alleys on and around Queen.
I dind't find it particularly funny, because it's wrong. I will say it's clever though, but again, it not being accurate just makes it dumb. However, I don't feel sorry for Starbucks either.
As for the cojones it takes to graf vs. ranting on a blog. Hey, my email is here, I'm defending my statement, and I'm not anonymous. This joker is, and won't be called out, I'm sure. Isn't sneaking around in the dark and anonymously doing something so as not to be challenged on the rightness/wrongness of it considered cowardice anymore? I say, if you want to make your point, you'll do it much more effectively by owning up to it, and encouraging discourse in that manner. Sure, we're discussing it; most people think it's stupid. Great.
brokenengine...
you make a couple fo good points...
however, you can't get arrested for ranting in a blog.
And that makes it an act of bravery? That makes it an act of stupidity! Again, I love and respect the graf artists that take time in their work, plan things out, risk their freedom for their art.
This wasn't art. Not by anyones interpretation.
Now what would be really cool, is if Starbucks jumped in and let local graffiti artists actually paint the outside of their store...that would make it way more hip/less trying to be hip if you ask me...the exterior starbucks paint in mellow yello is just a downer!
Very cool, and very cool way to respond to this graf.
mellow yello is the new reddish beige
if starbucks was from vancouver instead of seattle, i think the responses would probably be different.
i think these fears point to something deeper: anti-americanism in canada.
Don't call Drake a 'ho', he gives me free wifi at his cafe.
I have lived in the area since 1981. I remember taking the Queen street home every weekend at 3 a.m. from my restaurant job and seeing the oddballs and drunk out in front of the "Starlight Lounge" I once even almost accidentally got off at Beaconsfield instead of Gladstone, and ran back in to the streetcar with my heart pounding, the drunks and homeless milling about scaring the hell out of me as a young teenager. I still live in the area and am now glad that I can take my daughter out for a walk on Queen, and am looking forward to the Starbucks, it's about time. That being said, when I saw the graffitti I couldn't stop laughing.
The arrival of Starbucks represents the exact moment when gentrification becomes an uncontrollable beast driven by corporate funding. Initially, gentrification allowed for the creation of the space in which many of the artists of the West Queen West area display their work, it has become a design mecca; art, buildings, clothes, furniture, and everything in between. You may consider this to be good or bad. The point being, Starbucks is capitalizing on the good fortunes of the artist and residents of this community. Remember Queen West 25-30 years ago? It was the same grass roots, independent, artist based community, now it's an out door shopping mall.
The graffiti was a good wake up call. For decades gentrification has been lauded as the best thing for neighbourhoods. This was before every second store was owned by a corporation. Times have changed and now isn’t the time to be laying blame, we have to look at new ways of using and building our cities. Starbucks isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom of a problem, a new problem which has yet to be fully understood, but the fact that it is recognized as an issue is the first step in preventing this neighbourhood from turning into another outdoor mall.
Let me explain to you how this works.. You see, the corporations finance Team America. And then Team America goes out, and the corporations sit their in their corporation buildings and see.. they're all corporationy.. and they make money.
Do any of you remember what used to be where that Starbucks is now? An art gallery.
Bland corporate shit is driving out what makes the neighbourhood interesting and different.
And before the Art Gallery, it was a tattoo parlour. And before that, it was...
The artists and art galleries are exactly what made the neighbourhood appealling to companies like Starbucks. So, thats fuzzy logic my friend.
i personally think that the work coming out of some tattoo parlours is of greater artistic value than what gets shown in most art galleries today...
starbucks evil? i don't know a lot of mom and pop shops that sell fairtrade coffee... whats our standard of evil here?
corporate stores ALWAYS detract from a neighbourhoods character though, don't they. when the second cup at church street was still around i'm sure all those faggots congregating on the front steps destroyed that neighbourhoods charm.
when i go buy coffee, i want good coffee, and i want that good coffee to be good consistently. and going by my taste in coffee, starbucks is always adequate at least, better than the coffee at 90 percent of the places i've been to around tomorrow (corporate or independently operated).
it sure isn't Ethiopian House though...
Pendostanets!
you know perhaps you guys defending the "hipsters" and the starbucks and the social and the drake arn't one of the artist that were bamboozled with the lure of open and accepting community art spaces for all, only to be pushed out of the creative melting pot by sheeplike trendzombies who call you names on the way home from the bar because you look like a "freak". (yes i have been called out by loser drake patrons, wherin the drug dealers had better manners and were less inclined to pick on you.) They have created an eliteist overpriced beast that is gobbling up a once vibrant neighborhood..there was a section between the slum it used to be and the drake it is today. The drake is one of those good in theory sucks in practice kinda bars. it eats everything in it's path the good gone so so wrong. now in one block you can get a coffee or an entire breakfast for less than the price of 1 starbucks coffee...but i guess thats doomed too...the drake just bought it. cheap good food god forbid! and well the social at least never pretended about what it was. The drake is a ho. You know it's over when signs like parkdaliimsberg start showing up. and yes it is the drakes fault. but such is economy. built on the blue collar enjoyed by the elitist slummers looking for the "bohemian experience". defend it all you want, the drake may have made a "nicer place to live" it just means that none of us can live there anymore.
"the drake may have made a "nicer place to live" it just means that none of us can live there anymore."
Nice one!