There are new signs of life on Hertel Avenue. Not necessarily new businesses (there are a lot of those too), but signage enhancements that are helping to spruce up the street’s aesthetic appeal. First off, I must say that the old super-dated Terrie’s Workout Center faded-pink bubble awning was atrocious. The new black awning, while still bubble in design, is a welcome addition to the street. This awning gets an honorable mention. I never thought that I would live to see the old awning fade into obscurity.
The new facade and signage of Del Denby’s (now called Del’s) gets a gold star. The place looks smashing! It’s hard to imagine that it’s the same building – the transformation is remarkable and will hopefully set the bar for others to follow suit on the street. I am completely impressed with the thoughtful work that went into bringing this exterior back to life. Wow!
Chow Chocolat gets another gold star for creating a distinctive, simple, elegant sign that speaks to anyone who passes. It goes to show that sometimes simplicity equates to good taste. And in this case, a tasteful lettered sign translates to an effective marketing campaign. Who wouldn’t want to stop into this attractive chocolaterie to sample some old world chocolates with modern twists?
The Pasta Peddler and Blackbird Sweets did a decent job with their combined signage effort. While I would have loved to see the old transom windows restored (assuming that they are somewhere under the black facing), along with the rest of the original exterior, the lit red and black awning is eye-catching at night. Hopefully someday we will, one day, witness the big reveal – there appears to have been a missed opportunity to give the awning the backdrop that it deserves.