Alex Churchill

With yesterday’s launch of Google Street view Toronto, I, like thousands of others immediately rushed to check out my surroundings as though Street view’s arrival suddenly made our very existence real. But when I arrived on my street – De Grassi – via Mountain View what I saw was all too real.

As of yesterday morning, De Grassi Street is in perpetuity (or until the Googlites decide to take another joyride) gray, denuded and very early on Monday morning.

I know it is Monday because Bonjour Brioche, the landmark French bistro on the corner of Queen & De Grassi, is closed. I know it is early because said landmark French bistro is cluttered with garbage cans awaiting their early Monday morning pickup.

Previously, De Grassi was known as if not the happiest place on earth at least amongst the most melodramatic – and I don’t think the association with teen melodrama hurt resale prices. Any brand-name is better than no name at all.

But is any picture better than no picture at all? And I’m not talking about resale prices here – though it would be interesting to examine the quality or conditions of Street view images and how that corresponds to resale prices – I’m talking about pride in one’s neighborhood.

I realize this is silly. Toronto has grey days.  Hell, it has November through May. But then, it also has litter and homeless people. That doesn’t make me any less likely to be embarrassed by the appearance of either in the park across the street should we have guests (PS I’m not embarrassed by homeless people because or if they smell etc. I’m embarrassed by homeless people because a perfect sun-dappled street in a perfectly just city would not be so cruel as to leave people to sleep rough in their midst. I appreciate your vote.).

And appearance is what it all comes down to. I’m sure there are practical purposes for which Street view is perfectly suited. However, for many – me included – Street view is an elaborate, exquisite exercise in either nostalgia, vanity or novelty – depending on where in the real estate food chain you happen to lie. And since appearances determine so much about where that is; is it too much to ask that we be given the chance to look our best — and I’m sure many streets would be willing to pay for the privilege of a sunny day shoot — for our close-up.