I get the feeling that Torontonians eat out alot. It reminds me a little of London in that respect, the fresh food available is not fantastic unless you go to a gourmet grocery store, you know like Dean and Deluca. Here its called Pusateri's (which also sounds quite alot like our last name!). There are 24 hour grocery shops everywhere, which have the basics, I mean more than just depaneurs. They are proper small grocery shops but the produce is pretty crappy and there isn't alot of variety. They are more like the 24 hours Quatre Frere on St-Laurent.
Last weekend I went out to a Lowblaws, which was definitly out of downtown and it was still relatively small. I was just surprised because I thought TO was supposed to be more "suburban" than Montreal. And usually that comes with big grocery stores and shopping malls. But there really aren't any good ones around here.
Now if there were an assortment of small goods shops then that would be acceptable too. But I'm a little wary of the quality of those as well. Perhaps my best bet will be Kensington Market, but it takes some getting used to ... when you are used to Jean Talon or Atwater.
Oddly the last really good food I saw, meaning mounds of fresh fruit and veg, really fresh good looking stuff was at a market store just outside of Oshawa!
But I'll keep looking. I'll check out the markets.
Organic and locally grown doesn't seem like as big a trend here.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Places - Art Gallery of Ontario (9)
So, Melise and I visited the AGO yesterday.
I can't formulate a full opinion until I know what was there before the Gehry intervention. This task is proving to be very difficult as it seems like all pictures prior to the renovation have been deleted, off of .. the internet. Yes, the whole internet seems to be void of them. (Im sure there must be some around, but its damn hard to find, its like they WANT you to forget what it was before). The only reason I'm so interested is because of a very beautiful limestone wall found in the back courtyard which suggests there was a potentially interesting historic building here there at one time.
Since my practice is all about context and narrative, I NEED to know what was there in order to formulate my thoughts. I'm not a clean slate girl. Clean slates? They don't exist .. anywhere. All building sites have baggage.
Therefore I will post pics of the AGO, from arcspace, and will defer my opinions until a later date.
Spadina and Dundas with billboards by Artist Barbara Kruger
Back of the building, facing Grange park over the historic Grange House.
Stair (fungus) detail
I can't formulate a full opinion until I know what was there before the Gehry intervention. This task is proving to be very difficult as it seems like all pictures prior to the renovation have been deleted, off of .. the internet. Yes, the whole internet seems to be void of them. (Im sure there must be some around, but its damn hard to find, its like they WANT you to forget what it was before). The only reason I'm so interested is because of a very beautiful limestone wall found in the back courtyard which suggests there was a potentially interesting historic building here there at one time.
Since my practice is all about context and narrative, I NEED to know what was there in order to formulate my thoughts. I'm not a clean slate girl. Clean slates? They don't exist .. anywhere. All building sites have baggage.
Therefore I will post pics of the AGO, from arcspace, and will defer my opinions until a later date.
Spadina and Dundas with billboards by Artist Barbara Kruger
Pace (9)
It seems to me, the pace of the city is set my the Toronto trams.
They pretty much occupy every major street North-South and East-West, but particularily East-West. They take up the center lane of each of those major streets, which means in a 4 lane street, the passing lane is taken up by the tram. And then, when they stop to pick people up, which is practically every block, they cannot move off to the side and so they ALSO block the right lane. Ergo cars can't pass that way either because, well ... you would have to run people over to get through. They can't, and don't seem to, be able to move very quickly either. So basically in a crowded, busy city two lanes, each way are slowed down by the trams. Then during traffic and busy hours, the trams still get stuck behind cars.
Seems to me, and I have no romantic attachment to them, that they are a bit of a less efficient system. I used to use the trams in Melbourne and loved them, but they occupied select streets only and the streets were wider to accomodate them or so it seemed.
This mornings I made an early treck out to the closest Loblaws, or so I thought was close. What are fairly big streets in TO, with not too many stops lights took ... 15 minutes, mostly due to the Trams.
They pretty much occupy every major street North-South and East-West, but particularily East-West. They take up the center lane of each of those major streets, which means in a 4 lane street, the passing lane is taken up by the tram. And then, when they stop to pick people up, which is practically every block, they cannot move off to the side and so they ALSO block the right lane. Ergo cars can't pass that way either because, well ... you would have to run people over to get through. They can't, and don't seem to, be able to move very quickly either. So basically in a crowded, busy city two lanes, each way are slowed down by the trams. Then during traffic and busy hours, the trams still get stuck behind cars.
Seems to me, and I have no romantic attachment to them, that they are a bit of a less efficient system. I used to use the trams in Melbourne and loved them, but they occupied select streets only and the streets were wider to accomodate them or so it seemed.
This mornings I made an early treck out to the closest Loblaws, or so I thought was close. What are fairly big streets in TO, with not too many stops lights took ... 15 minutes, mostly due to the Trams.
Neighborhood musings - Trinity Bellwoods and Queen West (8)
So yesterday Melisa and I did a little touring, we went to visit Trinity Bellwoods, then Queen West, then Kensington market and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Now the first of those two are neighborhoods in Toronto. Neighborhoods here are not like in Montreal. Montreal neighboorhoods are much much larger and usually stem from the name of the city they used to be. When people would ask where I lived I would say "downtown" even though someone 1km away on Bleury and Rene-Levesque would say the same thing. In Toronto neighborhoods are much more micro, like maybe ... a 10 block range East-West and 2-3 block radius north south (like Montreal, the blocks stretch much longer north-south than they do east-west). So Trinity Bellwoods, which is located only about 15 blocks West of me, and also called the Art and Design district is its own Neighborhood. In fact its quite a bit Mile-End-ish. i.e. lots of young wealthy urbanites who, on Saturday mornings, frolic to get $5 lattes and peruse boutiques around the centrally located Trinity Bellwoods Park. Now I have no objection to the stores, in fact there was a great bookstore named Type from which you may all be getting X-mas gifts (only if someone decides to pay me for my talents though). But there was a slight air of pretention. The park makes it all worth while though, its a lovely green space.
I treated myself to this book. So I can be wiser! The history of the city of Toronto and its development isn't programmed into everyone like it is in Montreal. How early did we start learning that Jacques Cartier sailed over the ocean blue? Very early. And then there is Champlain and de Maisonneuve and etc. etc.
Here there is Dundas and Spadina and Bathurst but who are these dudes and what did they do? From what I've been previously able to tell ... not much!
So after that little visit we moved along a little closer down Queen towards my place into the Fashion District part of Queen. This section was a little grungier, though first we moved through some upscale clothing boutiques. They may have appealed to me but with $3 in my pocket ... well we just kept walking. The grungier part reminded me a little of upper St-Laurent with a few furniture stores, fabric stores and sewing accessories (buttons, beads, thread). I'll save going in those for another time.
We did spot into a little Eastern European shop, the Praque Fine Food Emportium, which I thought would have peirogies. They did but with no ingredients marked on the bags, I didn't buy any. Melisa bought cod livers in oil (like in a Sardine tin) and that poppy seed roll we used to get before it nearly killed M! These things were introduced to Melisa buy a Ukranian friend while living in London. Who would have thought that cod livers could make someone's lips smack!
I treated myself to this book. So I can be wiser! The history of the city of Toronto and its development isn't programmed into everyone like it is in Montreal. How early did we start learning that Jacques Cartier sailed over the ocean blue? Very early. And then there is Champlain and de Maisonneuve and etc. etc.
Here there is Dundas and Spadina and Bathurst but who are these dudes and what did they do? From what I've been previously able to tell ... not much!
We did spot into a little Eastern European shop, the Praque Fine Food Emportium, which I thought would have peirogies. They did but with no ingredients marked on the bags, I didn't buy any. Melisa bought cod livers in oil (like in a Sardine tin) and that poppy seed roll we used to get before it nearly killed M! These things were introduced to Melisa buy a Ukranian friend while living in London. Who would have thought that cod livers could make someone's lips smack!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Revelation and Task (7)
I think Toronto could benefit from the adage "its all about the journey and not the destination" or similarly from Ursula LeGuin “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end”"
Everywhere I go people are moving, going, each street, each corner is full of them, cars, bikes, walkers. I really don't know where they are all going, all the time.
Now this journey is, well, blank! Its meant to be passed through on a way TO somewhere. Instead of being somewhere itself. What I mean is that, there are interesting places in T.O. but the in between is ... pretty grim.
This is made worse by the lack of urban furniture, that is benches, lamp posts, flower planters, etc and the appallingly bad public squares. These squares are either paved without much seating, a few splodges of grass, or sunken in. Who ever thought a sunken public place was a good idea should be forced to live in a hole for a week.
Some of the buildings, well they could be interesting, but there is nothing to frame them, nothing to support them. They are just plunked down on an empty lot. Owen says I'm being too quick to judge BUT I have carried around my sketchbook and camera for several days now without finding anything beautiful. Not one sight has inspired me to sketch. So thats my task ... to find something beautiful.
Everywhere I go people are moving, going, each street, each corner is full of them, cars, bikes, walkers. I really don't know where they are all going, all the time.
Now this journey is, well, blank! Its meant to be passed through on a way TO somewhere. Instead of being somewhere itself. What I mean is that, there are interesting places in T.O. but the in between is ... pretty grim.
This is made worse by the lack of urban furniture, that is benches, lamp posts, flower planters, etc and the appallingly bad public squares. These squares are either paved without much seating, a few splodges of grass, or sunken in. Who ever thought a sunken public place was a good idea should be forced to live in a hole for a week.
Some of the buildings, well they could be interesting, but there is nothing to frame them, nothing to support them. They are just plunked down on an empty lot. Owen says I'm being too quick to judge BUT I have carried around my sketchbook and camera for several days now without finding anything beautiful. Not one sight has inspired me to sketch. So thats my task ... to find something beautiful.
Thoughts while in bed (6)
So as I was in bed this morning I was thinking about the Fit. Which is currently parked on our little street. When away our landlords have let us use the garage, which is great but the street is ok too. We have resident street parking stickers and we can park anywhere in about a 10 block radius. But .... suddenly a fear growled inside as I wondered when it was, that it would be illegal to park where it was parked. You know like Mondays between 1:30 and 3:00pm on Picquet where we abandoned the Sentra.
So I went outside and found out that, for residents, there is no time in which its illegal to park on this side of the street. Now this I find odd. I mean in Montreal the reason there is no parking on each side is because the street cleaner comes and he needs to get right up to the sidewalk. And well there is also the income generated from tickets. (ummm, what tickets?). Anyway, I realized that in TO ... the street cleaner NEVER comes. That could by why it smells... And why Scott said there was roadkill in front of the house for about a month before it was removed.
So I went outside and found out that, for residents, there is no time in which its illegal to park on this side of the street. Now this I find odd. I mean in Montreal the reason there is no parking on each side is because the street cleaner comes and he needs to get right up to the sidewalk. And well there is also the income generated from tickets. (ummm, what tickets?). Anyway, I realized that in TO ... the street cleaner NEVER comes. That could by why it smells... And why Scott said there was roadkill in front of the house for about a month before it was removed.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Chinatown (5)
So as I've said the heart of Chinatown (the main one) is just one street up. Our street, I believe, is officially in Chinatown but because there is no commerce on it, it doesn't show as much.
Here is Dundas St between Spadina and Beverly (after Beverly begins the Art Gallery of Ontario and a new district). Dundas and Spadina are two main arteries in TO.
Its busy, its crowded and it smells ... well funny. I have not yet walked by a shop and melted at the wonderful aromas but perhaps I've been biased. The Lucky Moose Mart is the closest grocery store but .. well ... as Scott said, we are too white to appreciate it. He's being a bit silly but the truth is 75% of the stuff in there is ... ??? I don't know what. I mean besides the obvious fruits and veggies. Since I'm allergic to everything I'm not going to be being too adventurous. I suppose since its not a cuisine I can often eat, it does not encite creativity. I can imagine living besides an Italian grocery shop and melting at the sight of things, but those are foods I'm used to. There is one shop that has boxes of dried mushrooms out front, it looks terribly illegal but it certainly can't be. My favorite is the 99$ department store. Thats just got everything, including 1.50$ Chineese movies! Guess what everyone is getting for X-Mas!
Comparably Montreals Chinatown is very tame but smells better. Vancouver had way more options but it wasn't as dense, the buildings were newer so it felt less intense.
Anyway, it rained and the city smells so I'm a bit grumpy but enjoy the photos.
More to come...
Here is Dundas St between Spadina and Beverly (after Beverly begins the Art Gallery of Ontario and a new district). Dundas and Spadina are two main arteries in TO.
Its busy, its crowded and it smells ... well funny. I have not yet walked by a shop and melted at the wonderful aromas but perhaps I've been biased. The Lucky Moose Mart is the closest grocery store but .. well ... as Scott said, we are too white to appreciate it. He's being a bit silly but the truth is 75% of the stuff in there is ... ??? I don't know what. I mean besides the obvious fruits and veggies. Since I'm allergic to everything I'm not going to be being too adventurous. I suppose since its not a cuisine I can often eat, it does not encite creativity. I can imagine living besides an Italian grocery shop and melting at the sight of things, but those are foods I'm used to. There is one shop that has boxes of dried mushrooms out front, it looks terribly illegal but it certainly can't be. My favorite is the 99$ department store. Thats just got everything, including 1.50$ Chineese movies! Guess what everyone is getting for X-Mas!
Comparably Montreals Chinatown is very tame but smells better. Vancouver had way more options but it wasn't as dense, the buildings were newer so it felt less intense.
Anyway, it rained and the city smells so I'm a bit grumpy but enjoy the photos.
The Lucky Moose Mart
Mr. Lucky Moose
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Arts- Mini Dose (4)
Today we spend most of the day at the OCAD library. I found a few interesting books about cultural landscapes and landcape theory. One great find was an exhibition catalogue or rather a book that accompanied an exhibit that was at the Musee des Beaux Arts last year. The theme was nature representation and was devided into 4 main themes; the divine in nature, man and nature, man VS nature, and reconsiliation.
After lunch I headed to the Art Square cafe, which boasts a Frank Gehry tea and crepe. The crepes did look and smell delish. Then I went to one of the many art supply stores in the area, this one called Aboveground. It so hard not to buy anything. But truth be told I don't have the desire to sketch in Toronto. Photography ... maybe. But not sketch. I don't know if its the scale of the city or what but I have not yet found a corner that invites sketching. I will keep looking and maybe try not to be so biased. Anyway, anything I could possibly want to use, they have at this store, so should the desire arise ... its there. I should probably try to find my own art supplies first anyway, I had tons of old sketchbooks I never used.
Its supposed to thundershower tomorow, so I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe start off the day at the library again. Then I'm meeting Melisa after work for a study date.
After lunch I headed to the Art Square cafe, which boasts a Frank Gehry tea and crepe. The crepes did look and smell delish. Then I went to one of the many art supply stores in the area, this one called Aboveground. It so hard not to buy anything. But truth be told I don't have the desire to sketch in Toronto. Photography ... maybe. But not sketch. I don't know if its the scale of the city or what but I have not yet found a corner that invites sketching. I will keep looking and maybe try not to be so biased. Anyway, anything I could possibly want to use, they have at this store, so should the desire arise ... its there. I should probably try to find my own art supplies first anyway, I had tons of old sketchbooks I never used.
Its supposed to thundershower tomorow, so I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe start off the day at the library again. Then I'm meeting Melisa after work for a study date.
Queen and Lunch (3)
So this a.m. I decided I would take a little walk and see just the local neighborhood. I only meant to be out for an hour but ended up being out for 4. Toronto is surprisingly walkable in fact that seems to be the easiest way to get around. The trams are kind of weird. The metro is in an odd U shape, and well I don't take metros anyway. There aren’t very good bike paths, but that’s changing and I might venture out by bike later today. And by car, well by car … its simply ... very slow.
Everything is very, busy. There doesn’t appear to be a place where you can escape to then, day or night. I'm used to the mountain or the river. Both which are pretty much 15 minutes away from anywhere and where if you go, there will just be space.
In the morning its the quietest so thats when I think I'll explore. Today I walked with Scott for 2 blocks, up towards the library, then I turned back to take some pictures.
To the North of us, is Dundas, which is the Chinatown, then Baldwin Village, a small alley with restaurants. Further up from that is the UofT and the hospitals.
To the East is the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ontarlo College of Art and Design, then after that its a little bit of a mix, some art related stores, a bit of chinatown, some offices, further than that becomes more office/worker like.
To the South is Queen which is like St-Catherine St. And after that the Entertainment District and Fahsion District. (Note: leave credit card at home!). Thats really downtown to the south of us.
To the West is Chinatown and Kensington Market.
So today I went to Queen and walked around a little trying not to buy anything despite seeing a really cute dress at H&M for only 35$! On Queen just below us is The Horseshoe Tavern (a famous music venue) also Steves Music store and of course the rest of the usually type places (Second cup, Zara, Pharmaprix, Mexx, etc).
Spadina is a really ugly street but it has a repertory cinema called The Underground Cinema, in the 70s they used to show kung fu movies and other Chineese movies there but now its simply a more indie venue.
I met Melisa for lunch, we went to Le Gourmand. Which looked like it had yummy paninis and baked goods. Then we looked at some stores. I wanted to find a messenger bag so that I can take my camera around but found nothing at a good price. Then we went to coffee place The Dark Horse.
So here is our corner. Though the neighborhood doesn't "feel" at all like this because thats the only tower close by.
Everything is very, busy. There doesn’t appear to be a place where you can escape to then, day or night. I'm used to the mountain or the river. Both which are pretty much 15 minutes away from anywhere and where if you go, there will just be space.
In the morning its the quietest so thats when I think I'll explore. Today I walked with Scott for 2 blocks, up towards the library, then I turned back to take some pictures.
To the North of us, is Dundas, which is the Chinatown, then Baldwin Village, a small alley with restaurants. Further up from that is the UofT and the hospitals.
To the East is the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ontarlo College of Art and Design, then after that its a little bit of a mix, some art related stores, a bit of chinatown, some offices, further than that becomes more office/worker like.
To the South is Queen which is like St-Catherine St. And after that the Entertainment District and Fahsion District. (Note: leave credit card at home!). Thats really downtown to the south of us.
To the West is Chinatown and Kensington Market.
So today I went to Queen and walked around a little trying not to buy anything despite seeing a really cute dress at H&M for only 35$! On Queen just below us is The Horseshoe Tavern (a famous music venue) also Steves Music store and of course the rest of the usually type places (Second cup, Zara, Pharmaprix, Mexx, etc).
Spadina is a really ugly street but it has a repertory cinema called The Underground Cinema, in the 70s they used to show kung fu movies and other Chineese movies there but now its simply a more indie venue.
I met Melisa for lunch, we went to Le Gourmand. Which looked like it had yummy paninis and baked goods. Then we looked at some stores. I wanted to find a messenger bag so that I can take my camera around but found nothing at a good price. Then we went to coffee place The Dark Horse.
So here is our corner. Though the neighborhood doesn't "feel" at all like this because thats the only tower close by.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Where is Alexis Nihon? (Day 2)
This morning we were looking for the closest “Alexis Neon”, a group of usefully big stores such as Zellers, Home Depot and Whole Foods. Why? To find a little bookshelf, garbage bin, lights and stock the fridge. What I found was Gerrard Place a little mall just past East Chinatown. TO has more than one Chinatown….
We found a small bookshelf at Zellers for 20$, but we also were looking for a small table for the kitchen. This we really couldn’t find for a good price. The cheapest was 150$ so we decided to make one. We bought a pine board top and had them cut a 2”x2” stud into 4 pieces. We bought a few metal brackets. But … the problem is … we don’t have a drill! So we have to wait for out landlords to come back to borrow a drill.
We found a small bookshelf at Zellers for 20$, but we also were looking for a small table for the kitchen. This we really couldn’t find for a good price. The cheapest was 150$ so we decided to make one. We bought a pine board top and had them cut a 2”x2” stud into 4 pieces. We bought a few metal brackets. But … the problem is … we don’t have a drill! So we have to wait for out landlords to come back to borrow a drill.
Arrival day (1)
Arrived in TO after a bit of a long ride. Found a really cute town called Port Hope and the way in. And stopped at some farmers markets to get some squash and tomatoes. We were hoping to pick up some apples but missed the stand. So to get to our place we took Kingston road and then Dundas. That is to say we got off the 401 early and took some smaller roads in. Which was interesting but I don’t recommend it, it took forever! Am truly surprised by how far those suburbs extend. Each section has its own little commercial strip without a real “center”. Reminds me a little of Sydney or even London in that respect (outside the city center). Besides the highway there are no boulevards you can take to get through the city, they are simply long long streets. Around and in the city, most of the smaller streets are filled with loads of early 20th century worker housing. Basically 80 years old burbs. These stretch and stretch and stretch out. Then after that you have the typical 1950’s burbs (big lawns, big houses, type). Interestingly I find Montreal is less linear and more point based.
When we were almost home we arrived at the intersection of Dundas and Yonge, the “Times Square” of TO. Which is where the Eaton Center sits, and the closest Canadian Tire. (Photo). Pretty busy on a late Saturday afternoon.
Didn’t see much else, went for a short walk around the block in the evening to see the food shops on Dundas. Which is the heart of Chinatown, more on that later.
Dundas @ Yonge
When we were almost home we arrived at the intersection of Dundas and Yonge, the “Times Square” of TO. Which is where the Eaton Center sits, and the closest Canadian Tire. (Photo). Pretty busy on a late Saturday afternoon.
Didn’t see much else, went for a short walk around the block in the evening to see the food shops on Dundas. Which is the heart of Chinatown, more on that later.
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