Seeing is Believing: the Blue Scaffolding is Gone

Good riddence! Ah... I myself am wistful for the businesses that used to grace that corner... The Mr Sub on the Northeast corner was where I ate my first sub, ever. They used to shred their lettuce so thin it was like angel hair pasta, and the salami on an assorted still had little bits of cracked pepper in it.

A bit further up the way there was a video arcade where I spent $10 in quarters playing Zaxxon for almost an entire afternoon back in 1983. I think there was a Head Shop next door, too, where I bought a roach clip in the shape of a chopper Harley - I was 12 and I bought it 'cuz it looked cool. Still have it.

The alley behind (in between Rye and Yonge St. was a favourite hangout and the impromptu smoking lounge for employees of the newly opened 333 Yonge St. HMV store, which I helped stock. I didn't last long there because they hated my cynical nature - which tells you a lot about how much they understood the music business.

Soo much of my tweens and teens are associated with that intersection. Christ! Sorry to see it go.

Great story, Hamish. The other day I was in the area and something about the barrier free vibe sent me back in time as well. I actually went browsing in head shops - something I haven't done in like 15-20 years. They haven't changed a bit - still selling heavy metal t-shirts, smoking pipes hidden in pop cans and highlighters, and "souvenir" photo ID's that even the most naive bouncer in the city would laugh at. Ahhh. The good old days.

I literally can't believe it. I can't remember far enough back to recall what it was like not having the scaffolding there.

That's pretty wild, the blueness has been there for as long as I've been in the city!

I went to both high and elementary school right around the corner there . . . I remember the world's biggest jean store on the south east corner was always PUMPING there music, which was probably one of my first introductions to the difference between downtown and uptown.

That flea market between HMV and Dundas was were I bought many a video game, too. And I remember when the Red Hot Chili Peppers shut down Dundas with that concert in the alley. I hope the new space is as conducive to good memories as the last one...

" I actually went browsing in head shops - something I haven't done in like 15-20 years"

Wow, that hasn't been my experience. Still lots of band t-shirts, true, but they all seem to be liscensed now. back in the 80's you'd walk into a huge basement store with table and tables of t-shirt piled up, and the majority of them we're cheap silk screen rip offs. You could buy 2 smiths, 1 cure and one depeche mode t-shirt for $20, no tax.

That would be "hoarding", not "scaffolding".

About time. I often wondered if there was a sign at the entrance to that tunnel that read something like: "If you are not from Toronto and are visiting with a friend, please walk slowly and abreast".

I agree, Toronto Life should find a better word than Square... and I'm happy the area is becoming more garish, bring it on! TO becoming NY? Don't even worry.

Um, the blue hoarding etc. on the Yonge side has been gone for a while.

It's still up on the Dundas side.