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Look what they did to 42nd Street!
In the grand style of many a formerly rundown urban corridor, Dundas Square’s rebirth as a well-lit advertising mecca is nearly complete. Toronto 1051 likes the revamp a whole lot. Torontoist is still on the fence. We like the old-school signage that used to grace the area, but we also like freshly-scrubbed squares that invite sitting, skipping and their fair share of old men playing chess.
The before and after photo reminds us of a great photo essay in the inaugural issue of U of T’s arts and science review, aptly titled Ideas. In it, author and photographer Gunter Gad and Colin Savage travel up Spadina Avenue, sharing history and interesting facts as they go.
Did you know that Spadina derives its name from the Ojibway word Ishpadenah, which means ‘little hill.’ Neither did we. Visit the Ideas site to order a free copy of their Spring issue.
As for Dundas Square, we’d rather it didn’t go all Times Square on us. But if we can concentrate all the tackiness in one small arena, well, we’ll give up the square for the sake of the greater good.