The AGO closed at 4:00, giving me a good chunk of afternoon and early evening to wander around and look at potential neighborhoods. Skies were grey and it was raining lightly, so first stop was the Canadian Tire at Bay and Dundas for an umbrella. I didn't have one in hand, and the umbrella I have at home, being too small to actually cover a real human being, has to be classfied as a purchasing error. (I bought it at Shoppers then promptly forgot it at SMM last Sunday, where I found it in my box yesterday.)
Next I got on the Dundas car eastbound, getting off at Broadview, where it turns north to go up to Broadview station. Some interesting scenery on the way, including the new condos at Dundas and Parliament, a bunch of construction in Regent Park generally, and a reminder of the Regent Park we shall hopefully soon be rid in the bizarre high-rises at Belview (?) Place. They are paper thin with windows in weird places. They must very strange places to live.
After getting off the Dundas car I walked east along Dundas East almost as far as Greenwood. I rather like Dundas East for some reason I can't quite figure out but which is probably traceable to growing up in Ottawa suburbs or some sort. It's definitely not fancy, but it's not depressing in the way much of Gerrard is. It's just an fairly ordinary major through street in a mature down-to-earth urban residential neighborhood. Poked around some side streets south of Dundas (was walking along the south side) including Boston (which actually has some nice houses near Dundas) and Pape. I rather like Pape between Queen and Dundas -- leafy and residential, with sane-looking people in the yards, sitting on the front porch, etc.
I walked quite a distance on Dundas, past Leslie Street, because I was curious about the large green space which turned out to be Greenwood Park. I decided to jog south on the last side street before Greenwood, to get a sense of what the houses are like. Small affordable maybe 1950s (?) structures without a lot of interest. Sort of a working class Tudor village feel, which is slightly surreal. Not for us.
Walked back westbound on Queen and poked my head into the big Loblaws at Leslie and Eastern, to get a sense of what the place is like and what stuff it carries. As a space it's not as nice as the Dupont Loblaws but from a selection point of view it's essentially a clone of that store. Comforting in a way.
Was now seriously in need of a beverage and chance to sit down. Leslieville retail seems to pick up just west of Leslie St. and I found an independent coffee shop with a nice atmosphere and (I must confess) rather insipid iced coffee for the same price as Starbucks charges. Hopefully their espresso-based drinks are better. Wandered a bit further down Queen as far as Pape, and then walked up Pape all the way to Bloor. As I said, I like Pape between Dundas and Queen (incidentally, the house that caught my eye but which turned out to be a middle in semi-detached is no longer on the market -- presumably it sold). North of Dundas is rather transitional, and then once you get north of Gerrard Square (and the big pedestrian footbridge) the whole thing become a throughfare. Poked my head into some of the side streets in the pocket and they seem quite nice, albeit very close in some cases to Toronto Community Housing. (I'm sure I saw M&D's house on Cavell somewhere and it does seem to across the street from a small housing project.) There seem to be some houses on the east side of Pape itself that seem to be well kept with nice backyards. I like Pape better on a cloudy day.
Finally up to Pape station and on to the subway home, where I had a hungry furry waiting for me to arrive...
