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12 Things I Love & Have Loved About Living in Toronto (In No Particular Order)
By Andrea Ledwell

View From Toronto Island copyright 2008 Ruth Skinner

  1. Trinity Bellwoods Park

    2. It’s as saturated with dogs and children as every other park in the city, but these are happy dogs and delightful children. There is also the Tuesday Farmer’s Market that makes my week worthwhile and wanting to eat oodles of kale. I love the guy that does puppet shows, the yoga classes, the people learning to walk tightropes, the elderly people doing their morning tai chi, the women that gather to visit and the old men playing checkers.

  2. The Victory Café

    3. When another PEI friend and I were new to the city, we wandered the streets for weeks looking for the perfect bar – friendly and unpretentious, with decent food and just the right amount of comfort that we didn’t feel out of place. The Victory had it all. Including the fab Paul Humphrey (it helps when your server was a teen crush) and table 10 in particular.

  3. The inspired brilliance of The CO. and ACME Theatre Co.

    4. One of my first theatre experiences in Toronto ended up being the best: The CO.’s weaving together of three Vaclav Havel plays blew me away. Seeing some of their other work afterwards and getting to know the great artistry of the team, I am not surprised. And then a couple of years later, with ACME Theatre’s Crook Back Dicky, I was convinced of it.  

  4. Hanging out with the Rock Elite

    5. Some of the greatest live music I’ve seen in the city is because of this group of music enthusiasts who do not discriminate against anything new or young or up-and-coming. Under the tutelage of the doctor of rock, Matzohball, the Rock Elite are always on the search for the perfect song, and the best new band, and are dogged in their commitment to supporting the local music scene.

  5. The Waterfront Trail

    6. While not overly impressed with any of Toronto’s waterfront – I do enjoy biking along the waterfront trail. If you can manage to maneuver your way through the scary bit in front of Harbourfront Centre, it really is a great way to see the city. From Cherry Beach to Mimico, if you hit it at the right time on the right day, it is wonderful. (The trail actually runs from Niagara-on-the-lake to Brockville!) I particularly like Little Norway Park as a good midway spot for meeting friends on the trail.

  6. Oysters

    7. Yeah, so I’m from PEI – you’d think this wouldn’t be much of a Toronto item. But really, I never had the opportunity to enjoy so much oysters since moving here.  Oyster Boy has the claims to our favourite Colville Bays, and Starfish has the wonderfully affordable and decadence of 100 for $100, while you can’t beat Rodney’s for just wanting to have a few after work while catching up friends.

  7. When Mondays were the new Fridays at the Cameron House

    8. Way back when, a young Justin Rutledge, friend of table 10 and sometimes contributor to long defunct zine THEN, launched his career at the amiable Cameron House. Those wine-soaked Monday nights became, likewise, the launching pad for a number of friendships, schemes, hopes and dreams. When it was over, we missed it, but it was time to move on.

  8. The Crooked Star and The Dakota Tavern

    9. While the rapid gentrification of Dundas-Ossington has inspired a number of enthusiastic articles in local publications, I’ve been a little less excited about the potential club-land of my neighborhood, though it has been nice to have some home bases, like the Crooked Star for hanging out drinking wine with friends or The Dakota Tavern as a mainstay for good music.

  9. Kilgouria

    10. Where is that?! At Bloor and Borden. It appears from the exterior a merely bar, but really it’s a community and, perhaps, an ideology. Someone described it as “Toronto’s pre-eminent sparts bar”, it has the unique position of being a famous Habs fan safe house, while simultaneously playing host to Toronto’s academic and creative community. You will rarely see it on any of those annoying “best of” lists and that’s just fine with the regulars.

  10. Toronto Islands

    11. When you are from an Island and you are sitting around the stinking hot city on a holiday weekend and can’t afford to go anywhere too far, it’s awfully nice to be able to take the ferry over to the Islands. It is especially fun to bike around looking at the funky houses on Ward’s Island and stopping at the beach on the north side and pretending for a second that you are looking at the ocean.

  11. Biking around Toronto

    12. There is a lot to be improved in terms of Toronto’s lack of bike paths on busy streets (hello Queen Street) and the general resistance to embracing the cycling community’s recommendations and the riding population in general, it is still the best and fastest way to get around Toronto. And especially fun on holiday weekends when the city is empty.

  12. Gadzooks!

    13. Really! Even before I ever started officially writing for the publication, I thought that Gadzooks was a gem of a project. And it represents one of the nicest elements of this city – an honest, heartfelt celebration and exploration of all the interesting people, events and creativity that is happening around us every day.

    Andrea is turning 40 and feeling a little sentimental.
  

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