I moved to downtown Toronto in January. I moved in with one of my high school best friends and spent roughly 10 months there, mostly during the weekdays while I had work among my weekend adventures and heading home.
I was impressed by the amount of this city that I felt I explored. I really only did one full weekend day of neighbourhood exploring whereas the rest was walking through parts of neighbourhoods or straight to particular restaurants or destinations.
but here's what I wrote, early in 2022.
goal: determine if I love this city and if so, in what ways
method: 12-15 one-day excursions either solo or with friends exploring a particular area's museums, food scene, events, small businesses, green spaces, style, busyness, activities, social (drinking) scene, and vibe
What's in scope?
South of St. Clair
East of Mimico Creek
West of the Beaches
North of the Lake
Excluding the middle, my most visited parts of Toronto: Fashion District to St. Lawrence Market to Upper Jarvis to Yorkville to Kensington Market to Chinatown
List of excursions:
The Junction + Stockyards District
Junction Triangle + Bloordale Village
Roncesvalles
Bloor West Village
Royal York Station + King's Mill Park
Sunnyside Park to West Queen West
Little Italy
Koreatown + Bloor West Annex
Little Portugal
Dovercourt Road to Kensington Market along College
Riverside + Leslieville + East Chinatown
Riverdale
Corso Italia and St. Clair West Village
Summerhill + Casa Loma
Deer Park
and now, we're at the end of the Toronto era. I'm at the Vancouver airport ready to head to Asia! I haven't been back to Asia since 2018 so I'm very excited but also taking every day as it comes, I know that lots awaits so I'm just here soaking it all in. One of my best friends introduced me to a way to be more present, by going through the senses with your inner monologue and noticing what your senses are taking in from your surroundings.
What's funny about this exploration is I had this big list of 15 excursions and did about 6 of them in various capacities, aka not full capacity.
I spent one full day around the Junction (#1 and #2) - walked along the main street, wandered into almost every enticing shop from end-to-end and my friend found an old camera with a leather satchel! It was an incredible find.
A few of my friends and I got together to roller skate at the Bentway, then we walked along Roncesvalles too - as cute as I expected, I can't imagine living there in the next few years though.
I did not go to #4 Bloor West Village, #5 Royal York Station + King's Mill Park, #6 Sunnyside Park to West Queen West, #9 Little Portugal, #13 Corso Italia and St. Clair West Village, #14 Summerhill + Casa Loma, #15 Deer Park.
#7 Little Italy impressed me with the little cafes including a Japanese cafe with the most beautiful light matcha tiramisu. I realized that #8 Koreatown + Bloor West Annex had lots of activities that I recognized from high school days. #11 was really only a few blocks that I visited while taking my friends to see the sunset at Riverdale Park (#12).
I spent most of my time around Queen Street West where I lived and worked and climbed and walked. Also, between Union and Queen Street West where I walked to and from Union Station after visiting my parents. The restaurants are, as expected, great. There's a variety that is probably rare in other cities — with cuisine, price point, vibe, and chillness. Something for everyone, spread across the city.
But growing up near here also gives me the ability to look at this city from a local and a visitor perspective. I have friends who have lived here for years and I see how they collect vintage and secondhand things from across the city. I have friends who are buying apartments in the heart of the city, and yes, it is liveable. But when I compare it to other places I've been, it's dirtier than I would expect, I've been verbally harassed on the street more than other cities, and those things aren't dealbreakers but they make me feel less desire to stay here.
And this takes us to the end of the Toronto era. I've loved the proximity to childhood nostalgia, family, extended family, and friends who laugh about how I never come back to see them. But for the next little while, it's time to see more of the world. I'll be back soon, and always soon.
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