So what is Toronto's ugliest street?

Okay, it's time to get ugly. Yesterday I suggested that the industrial aesthetic on Geary Avenue might make it a candidate for Toronto's ugliest street, but that was a general observation and not indicative of how I'd personally rank the strip. It sure isn't pretty, but its many layers and details are just too redeeming aesthetically to saddle it with such a title.

A number of commenters expressed the same sentiments, some in defense of Geary and others by way of nominating other streets. Some of the candidates included Lappin Avenue, "Scarborough" (in general), Dundas between Church and Parliament, Coxwell between Danforth and Queen, and Toronto's strip of waterfront condos. I can't say I agree with any of these, but I understand why most of them were nominated.

So what would make my list? Although I'm not often struck by the thought "hey, that's ugly" when I'm travelling around Toronto (I'm just such a positive guy, you know), I do recall that when I commuted to York University I would take a shortcut off Allen Road north of Sheppard to avoid waiting in line to make a left at Finch. Aside from a few trees, the streets in this area — Rimrock, Whitehorse, Steeprock and, to a lesser extent, Chesswood — were so use-oriented and aesthetically void that by the time I reached York, I would often get the sense that I had arrived at an architectural marvel.

Having worked on Bermondsey Road years ago, I also recall how depressing that street could be at times, though I suspect closer inspection would reveal similar rewards to those found on Geary. In other words, for me it's tough to choose an ugliest street in Toronto — for any strip that was worthy of being set aside in such a way would have to be interesting in some capacity. On the other hand, it's those anonymous commercial/industrial strips with few defining characteristics outside of utility that really get me down.

What would you nominate as Toronto's ugliest street? If there's any consistency, I'll add a poll and we can all vote on this most uplifting of topics!