Palais letdown

So we went to check out the much talked about renovated Palais Royale, as part of Doors Open Toronto last weekend. It was the first time I had ever crossed the threshold, and I have to say it was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong - they've done a lovely job of fixing the place up, but in some ways it was missing a lot of the character that I was hoping to find. I guess I expected that it would just be oozing these great vibes of days gone by, and instead it felt like any other big event hall - all tasteful neutral walls and carpeting. I suppose the important thing though is that it will be back in operation - it'll just take a few years to wear off the shiny newness. You can read my December 2002 ParkdaleLiberty article about the Palais here.

They did have some cool old photos and such on display, and I managed to snap a picture of this:

Canada's very own King of Swing.

Welcome back, dear Pally. We've missed you.