Comment 80922

By jason (registered) | Posted September 14, 2012 at 09:38:30 in reply to Comment 80920

Ummm, actually Barton is FAR more pedestrian friendly than King, Cannon, Main etc.... the industrial economy got walloped years ago and left Barton's storefronts a shell of their former self, but it's a very easy street to walk along and not feel like a massive freeway is at your elbows. Imagine how much worse Barton would be today had it been converted to a 4-lane highway back in the 50's?
The way things currently stand, I expect Barton will make a 'comeback' before King, Cannon etc.... The bones are in place... as prices rise on James St, some love should start to spread east on Barton.

Don't think that coffee roasters, espresso bars, bistros, art bars and music venues can't co-exist with money marts, drop in centres, shelters, thrift stores and boarded up buildings. Welcome to my mid-term vision for Barton St....Queen E through Leslieville, TO:

http://goo.gl/maps/8OXnW

Take a virtual drive down Queen street....the resemblance to Barton is uncanny.

http://goo.gl/maps/C5UX1

As downtown real estate continues to rise, the action will start to slide east where big, historic homes are cheap. Don't be surprised if in 15 years Barton is the new James...especially if King is still a freeway.

Convert Wentworth and Sanford to two-way traffic with bike lanes, convert Westinghouse, Sanford Ave school and other buildings on Barton into bare-bones lofts/creative studios and suddenly the surrounding side streets, which are quite cute and tidy, become ground zero for the next wave of creative types, TO migrants and young people.

One of the reasons I hope the Cannon Knitting Mills project is a success is the boost it will provide in that area. Give Cannon the 'complete streets' treatment as I've outlined in this article, and we start to lay the groundwork for re-investment in a long-neglected part of town.

Comment edited by jason on 2012-09-14 09:39:55

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