Eaton Centre and Nathan Philip Square (Two short Holiday walks)

I work Saturdays in the financial core.  The Friday freeze and flurries were a reminder that I really needed to get some boots.  I knew the best sales would be on Saturday as the stores here are trying to mimic the Black Friday/Saturday magic that occurs below the border.  I only work half days, so I decided to head out extra early and hit the Eaton Centre before I went to work, since it was so close to my office. 

Thankfully, some of the larger department stores and big box stores were open extra early.  I had a quick breakfast and a certain big box store specializing in outdoor and construction wear for men helped me out considerably in the boot department.  Probably the warmest boots I have had in years and these are supposed to be waterproof, although I haven’t tried them out that aspect yet.  My boots tend to go through a considerable amount of wear and since I have yet to have a pair make it though a year.  I also got a couple of pairs of nice jeans there at a great price.  Never think to look there for my outdoor gear, but I’m definitely going to keep them in mind for the future. 

Given the fact that it was really cold outside I trekked my way to my office through the Eaton Centre.  I will totally disclose here that despite the gender stereotypes, I HATE to shop.  Detest it.  I’m a power shopper.  I research before hand, know what I want to buy, pop in the store, grab it and go.  I will spend the minimum amount of time that I can, the bulk of it usually in line for the cash register.  I love online shopping but when it comes to clothes, given my petite size, I need to try things on, so inevitably it means that I have to hit a store.  Shopping malls are the worst of all.  My husband is a shopping mall addict and spends lots of time in them, but thankfully we work very different hours so we don’t usually have enough mutual free time to hit a mall together.  Mall walking is a popular exercise, especially amongst the older set, so I’ll give it a spin someday and perhaps I will do a blog on mall walking, but that may be a long, long time down the road. 

I made my way from the North end of the Eaton Centre to the PATH at the South end.  On a good day, this place makes me want to flee.  It is claustrophobic, especially at its busiest when the halls are jammed with people.  It has a dark, dungeon like feel on the lower floors.  It is loaded with lots of teen-centric fashion stores blaring unnecessarily loud music.  The high school lunch room/cafeteria-style dining in the South food court forces you to dine communally in elbow bumping intimacy with total strangers, most often with young kids happily oversharing their burgeoning sex lives in loud voiced bravado or peppering their most, like, boring, like, conversations in F-Bombs.  (And I have just realized as I write this that I have become grumpy and middle aged.).  But just in time for Christmas this year, the Eaton Centre is going through massive renovations.  I can’t tell you how long that’s been going on, because that last time I was there was Christmas of last year, but I do have to wonder about the poor planning of it all.  The mall gets very crowded during the Christmas season, and all the scaffolding and barriers jut right out into the walkways.  The Swarovski crystal tree is up, the highlight of the mall’s Christmas decorating.  I have always enjoyed and preferred to view the tree from above, but this year that view is seriously hampered by the construction work.  Nothing gets one in the spirit to shop like construction and I have to wonder just how much business will be lost this year by annoyed consumers taking their business elsewhere.  I couldn’t even bring myself to take a picture of the confusion.

I headed down to the bottom level of the mall and crossed Queen St. underground.  I made my way through the basement level of the flagship Hudson’s Bay store, and they were, I’m happy to report, ready for the Christmas shopping season with Christmas style candies and decorations all set out on the bottom level.  From there I continued south through the new portion of the PATH which takes you under 333 Bay Adelaide.  A lot of Core workers were very happy for this new portion of the PATH which made walking to and from the Eaton Centre from many of the downtown towers more convenient.  No coats, no traffic, no cold, no rain. They have very modern Christmas decorations with lots of Plexiglass triangles grouped together in the shape of trees and lit with very tacky changing neon coloured lights.  Scotia Bank is the next hit on the PATH.  They usually have a large tree in their concourse, but I did not notice it on Saturday.  First Canadian Place is under extensive renovations as well.  I always thought their decorations are very elegant compared to a lot of other places in the downtown Core.  Trees lit with cool blue lights and sparkling silver snowflakes and globes.  But moving through the PATH here is hindered with barricades creating very small corridors for traffic.  I continued on to the TD Centre and off to work for the day.  

My plan for the evening had been to walk around the downtown for a bit after work and capture some of the sights above ground.  But my husband decided he wanted to bring the kids downtown for the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Nathan Philip Square and my plans changed.  They met up with me after work and we set off.  First we visited the huge Christmas tree behind my office building.  Set in blue lights, this tree (which isn’t really a tree but rather a frame covered in boughs) is several stories high and covered in blue lights.  It’s gorgeous at night and is off the beaten path on less travelled Wellington Street (between Bay and York), so it isn’t really seen as much as a lot of the other downtown decorations. 

Wellington Feeling a Little Blue

We then headed North along Bay Street.  At Bay and Adelaide, the new tower (333 Bay Adelaide) has a beautiful projection of stars in their lobby that can easily be seen from the street.  It was a huge hit with my kids.  We hit the flagship Bay Store and walked around it to see if any of the windows had animated displays yet, but found no joy.  We continued up Yonge Street.  The Christmas lights on Yonge make me nostalgic for the 70s.  Blue, yellow and white, they light up the street with a very retro feel. 

70's all the way.

We checked out Yonge and Dundas.  I love this corner, it always has a great energy, day and night.  On any given weekend you will find all sorts of small festivals, concerts, buskers, street artists and entertainers. 

Batman Busking at the Square

As a pedestrian, they have one of my favourite features here, a trial pedestrian scramble in which every few light changes pedestrians are allowed to cross diagonally across the street.  We checked out the tree and some lovely polar bears made of white lights.  (On a fun note, “The Big Kiss” will be held there on Thursday, December 2, 2010 between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm.  A giant ball of Mistletoe will be hung at the square and couples are invited to stop by and spread a little Christmas Cheer.  For every kiss, Virgin Mobile will donate $5.00 to WWF Canada).

We stopped for a brief dinner in this area before heading west on Dundas and then down south again on Bay.  City Hall is all decked out in red lighting. 

We stayed at Nathan Philip Square for a little over an hour, catching the concert highlighting Sean Desman and Divine Brown and a really fun trampoline display that had both of my kids squealing with delight.  Nathan Philip Square, like everything else downtown it seems, is under renovation and much of the square is currently blocked off by barricades and fencing, making for a very intimate crowded gathering.  The Tree is not in its normal location but rather in the North-east corner of the square and is only half the height of the usual tree due to the renovations, standing at around 30 feet.  They did a lovely job decorating the tree this year.  Its lighting kicks off the 44^th annual Cavalcade of Lights (many of the lights around the city are already on, but this is the official start). 

A smaller tree this year for Nathan Philips Square.

We have never made it out to see fireworks at the Square before and I have to say they really put on a spectacular show.  We were right up front and it was amazing to see them framed by the two towers of City Hall. 

Kaboom!

It was a fun evening and I highly recommend to everyone to check out a Christmas tree lighting in the square in the future.

I will take that Christmas light walk I had originally been planning on later in the week and blog a little on the Holiday spirit in the Core.

(all photos in this entry provided by Darryl K.)

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly one hour (based on short legs, picture taking and walking with children)
• Difficulty:  EASY.  Level Terrain, paved surfaces. 
• Parking/Getting There:  Lots of parking in the office towers with reduced rates on evenings a weekends, however still expensive. Recommend TTC.  St. Andrews, King, Queen and Dundas stations will all put you in the vicinity. 
• Washrooms:  Yes.  Eaton Centre has public washrooms and as well there are number of restaurants along the way. Be polite and support a business by buying a little something while you're there.
• Local Coffee Haunts:  Yes.  Tons ranging from Tim Hortons to Starbucks to Timothy’s International and Second Cup.  Diners are also located along Yonge St.  Also a few places to stop and get your beer or wine on too.
• Safety Factor:  MEDIUM.  Loads of people, especially at Yonge and Dundas, but has been known as a high crime area; be mindful, especially of pickpockets.  Numerous intersections to cross.  Wellington Street is very dark and there are few people around.
• Special Gear:  No.  Comfortable Shoes will do.
• Suitable for Dogwalking?:  Sure but given the crowds of people, might be best to leave your pal at home.  

The PATH to Christmas

I’ll expand on the PATH in a future entry.  In a nutshell, the PATH is an underground corridor in the downtown core/financial district that allows access between most of the major towers, Union Station, the Eaton Centre, Roy Thompson Hall, several subway stations and other amenities, allowing the average pedestrian a way to opt out of the elements and traffic.  It is also to some extent a very large underground shopping mall with many big name stores, restaurants and food courts all servicing the many office minions who work in the area.  It is dark and tunnel like.  As such, there is an attempt to bring some seasonal cheer to brighten it up a bit and get people in the mood to shop. 

I’ll start at 333 Bay Adelaide.  This is a new office building, its first Christmas was last year and the extension of the PATH underneath it, connecting the PATH to the Bay and the Eaton Centre, was very welcome.  You can access the PATH from the lobby of this building by taking the escalators down at the back of the building.  As you walk down the corridor you will see ahead of you clear plastic triangles assembled into the shape of the tree.  There are a number of these “trees” both at ground level and in the food court of Bay Adelaide.  The tree at the end of this corridor is the most ornamental, with all of its panels etched with decorative, swirling branches and and ornaments.  All of these “trees” are lit in sort of a fibre optic style, and the constantly changing colours remind me of those cheap decorations you can get at discount department stores.

This would totally be a Lucy Van Pelt tree.

If you turn right in this corridor you will head into Scotia Plaza.  Looking left you will see a large Christmas tree and snowflakes.  This tree is notable for not being lit in blue lights, like all the other major trees in the financial district.

A more traditional tree at Scotia Plaza

Keep to the right and head west on to First Canadian Place.  FCP is currently undergoing extensive renovations which are making getting around the main portion of the building a little difficult, but you can still appreciate some of the more elegant decorations in the Core.  Small trees with cold blue lights are scattered around both the concourse that the PATH runs through and on the ground level.  Glittering snowflakes, globes and crystals, lit with purple and blue lights, gracefully hang over the waterfalls. 

Everybody uses Blue Lights Downtown.  FCP.

Festive lighting above the Waterfall at FCP.

Head south (the corridor next to the LCBO) and walk through the TD Centre.  Red Ribbons and Silver Balls composed from lights are strung on the ceiling.  It is a little uninspired, but given the darkness and total lack of colour in this portion of the PATH, it does help to liven the place up a bit. 

Some colour for the TD Centre

Following the PATH south, turn left at the TD Branch and go on through Commerce Court.  Keep heading straight, there’s nothing to see here, walking towards BCE Place and Union Station.  The food court at BCE place is quietly decorated with wicker balls adorned with yellow lights.  The real showcase here though is above ground.  Take the staircase at the food court up to ground level.  The beautiful glass hall of the Allen Lambert Galleria is stunning at any time, but during the holidays, it takes beautiful to a whole new level.

Head back down the stairs and continue southwards on to Union Station

Allen Lambert Galleria, dressed up for the holidays.

Map of the PATH

• Duration of Walk:  Roughly 1/2 hour (based on short legs)
• Difficulty: EASY to MILD CHALLENGE.  It is enclosed and out of the elements.  You do not have to deal with traffic.  However in many places you will be faced with stairs, hard to open or heavy doors and narrow, steep escalators, which may prove to be a challenge for those with mobility issues.  
• Parking/Getting There:  There are numerous parking garages in this area, but they are pricey for a short jaunt through the PATH even with weekend rates.  I recommend TTC.  For my suggested starting point you should get off at Queen and walk south through the Bay until you hit Bay Adelaide.  Other stops on this part of the PATH are King, Union and St. Andrews.
• Washrooms:  Yes 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays only, mostly located in the numerous food courts along the PATH. 
• Local Coffee Haunts:  Tons, ranging from Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Second Cup and Timothys International, as well as numerous smaller chains and independents.  Pick your poison.  Expect painfully long lines at all Tim Hortons and Starbucks locations.
• Safety factor:  HIGH.  During the work week, the PATH is crawling with people and security. 
• Special Gear?:  No. A lot of women walk this in stilettos. So you can get away with pretty much anything here.  
• Suitable for Dogwalking?: No.  With the exception of service dogs, security is going to be all over you in two seconds flat.  That being said, I have scooted my dog from parking garages to ground level exits in the PATH.