The Entertainment District has been the site of major intensification over the past several years, transforming the parking lots, warehouses and after-hours venues which once defined the area into an impressive conglomeration of condominium towers. Back on March 11th 2007, Adelaide Street West had a much less urban ambiance, and the surrounding area still seemed like it was lacking in density and pedestrian life.

Looking east on Adelaide from Spadina, March 11th 2007, image by Edward Skira

Now, over seven and a half years after the above photo was taken, we have returned for a comparison shot which differs in many ways than the image from 2007. A number of new developments have transformed Adelaide Street West into an ultra-dense urban thoroughfare with an impressive high-rise canyon, including Peter Street Condos, Cinema Tower, Pinnacle on Adelaide, the Shangri-La, the Trump Tower, and even a sliver of the Bay Adelaide Centre can be seen lining Adelaide, all absent in the before picture. To top it all off, an eastbound bike lane has been added to Adelaide West, with a matching westbound lane found a block to the north on Richmond Street.

Looking east on Adelaide from Spadina, October 15th, 2014, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!