Toronto was buzzing yesterday when it was announced that iconic record store Sonic Boom is being forced out of its current location to make way for a new tenant. The store’s only moving half a block away — into a ground-level space at Honest Ed’s — but the face of the neighbourhood is going to change drastically. In case it isn’t obvious, here are five reasons why Sonic Boom’s upcoming move sucks.
1. It’s being replaced with a Dollarama. Being pushed out of your home of the last 10 years is harsh enough. But when that new tenant is a Dollarama? That’s just sacrilegious, man.
2. The new store will be smaller. Sonic Boom presently occupies 12,500 square feet on multiple floors. After the move, it will only operate on one floor, and it’ll be smaller by 1,500 square feet. Some may say that’s a small difference, but we say the more Sonic Boom, the better.
3. The awesome displays will be cheapened. Although owner Jeff Barber told BlogTO that the new space will continue to feature Tim Oakley’s super-cool window displays, something tells us that the overabundance of “great deal” puns nearby will slightly detract from the whole experience.
4. It’s going to be in Honest Ed’s. So what if Honest Ed’s is a city “landmark?” That’s the point. Sonic Boom is moving from a location that was uniquely its own to a location that screams — in garish orange and red — Honest Ed’s. Plus, we can never seem to walk into that place without getting lost.
5. It’s going to be in Honest Ed’s. We just thought this point was worth repeating.
On the bright side, here’s news that couldn’t come at a better time: another Sonic Boom location will open in Kensington Market in July, which will apparently have the same homey feel of the current location’s basement room.
