No city is ever truly static, but Toronto is as it ever is; there is construction, of course, where one would expect construction; and there are things that come as a surprise, but never anything really paradigm-changing. Effects follow from known causes. 

But May takes this street every day, and would have noticed if there had been construction in the spot where previously, there had not been a little shop, and now, there is. But it's such a quaint little shop; she might not even have noticed it--except that she is very much noticing it. It is difficult not to notice it all out of proportion 

No city is ever truly static, but Toronto is as it ever is; there is construction, of course, where one would expect construction; and there are things that come as a surprise, but never anything really paradigm-changing. Effects follow from known causes. 

But May takes this street every day, and would have noticed if there had been construction in the spot where previously, there had not been a little shop, and now, there is. But it's such a quaint little shop; she might not even have noticed it--except that she is very much noticing it. It is difficult not to notice it all out of proportion to the noteworthiness of any actual visible traits it has.