‘Celebrate Yonge’ experiment getting – mostly – positive reviews so far

Organizers brand it as an attempt to make an iconic Toronto strip come alive. The month-long experiment, put on by the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area, called Celebrate Yonge takes two of the four lanes, between Queen and Gerrard streets, and hands sections over to pedestrians, with plastic Muskoka chairs, picnic tables, restaurant patios and interactive zones. The Posts Natalie Alcoba takes a stroll.

Talking up Yonge Ten days into the festival, and local councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is pleased. I dont think Toronto has said so many positive things about Yonge Street in a very long time, she said Tuesday. Early observations from the BIA indicate the pedestrian count is up, and vehicle count is down, said Ms. Wong-Tam. She said consultants will be measuring vehicle volume, rather than speed, on a narrower Yonge, and how traffic patterns are affected. I think those who are looking for flaws in the festival will find them, she said, but the road is functioning better I think for most users.

Good for business Celebrate Yonge will also measure its success based on sales, the media response and public feedback. The best way to revitalize any commercial area is to change the experience for those who are coming to visit, said Ms. Wong-Tam. Her feedback says it has been good for business: restaurants with patio extensions report a bump in revenue two to three-fold, she said. Keshev Kulkarni, a host at The Pickle Barrel, attests to a jump; David Stansbury, a manager at Adult Novelty and Video, said his store is busier, too. It gives a little more personality to Yonge Street, said Mr. Kulkarni.

Depends on who you ask Not everyone is smitten with the event, however. That patio thing is only good for the restaurants, Ahmed Patel, proprietor of the Toronto Sports Shoppe, said last week. He usually sees a panhandler by his shop every day. This morning I saw him collecting money on the street settled in a Muskoka chair he said. His wife, Hafsa Patel, disagreed. She likes the new feeling on the street. My granddaughter, when she went to England for the first time I asked her what did you like about London. And she said, you know, they closed off the street and we could walk around. Thats the only thing she told me.

Not about selling One retailer who did not want to give his name was disappointed he could not claim some of the real estate in front of the store to sell products. Abigail Gamble, a spokesperson for the Downtown Yonge BIA, said it did not want this event to become about selling. Its about experiencing the street and creating new public spaces, like ING Directs urban park, with real grass, logs and trees. Thats the woodsy scene that Amanda Confalone came upon on her lunch break. Its a nice little retreat. Its a great little people watching area, which is always fun in Toronto, she said.

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‘Celebrate Yonge’ experiment getting – mostly – positive reviews so far