Toronto Graffiti Lanes @Keele Station

Intense graffiti lane 
east of Keele Subway Station

Nothing spells urban stroll like a walk down a graffiti lane! Amidst not so pretty tags (artists signatures) and beginners' throw-ups (inflated letters), you find ambitious pieces (words drawn with an obvious mastery of the medium) and amazing murals (at the top of the food chain in the graffiti world).

King Midas mural
I came across the splendid mural with King Midas by chance, driving back from a friend's place along Indian Road in High Park. The mural is located by the parking lot at the eastern exit of Keele Subway Station.

It is flanked with pieces from masters and the mural of a cool monkey exquisitely crafted.

The area is under construction but you can access the lane on the east side of Indian Road. Along the next few blocks, you'll find more murals. (Peek into Dorval Street to see more whimsy on the businesses facades.)

This is a great stroll to do with teenagers.

About graffiti art
Did you know that there's a code of conduct generally agreed upon in the graffiti community? You can draw on top of a graffiti as long as you execute something more ambitious. Anything can go over tags, a piece is acceptable on top of a throw-up, and a mural can cover a piece. 

When the community identifies a culprit who drew over a mural, the word spreads out and they go after his other artworks in the city to cover them as a payback.

While you're there

The graffiti lane is just 5 minutes away from High Park and less than 10 minutes from Café Novo (west of Keele, in front of the park), serving good coffee and yummy treats.

In my guides:
In Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends 2, you'll find two High Park strolls: High Park Fitness Stroll and High Park Cherry Blossom Stroll. In Toronto Fun Places... for families, there's a page on High Park in the Around the subway chapter.

Related blogs:
Labyrinth walk in High Park
High Park Cherry Blossom
Jamie Bell Adventure Park in High Park

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Toronto Urban Close-ups (Bay & Adelaide)

What could this be?

Sometimes, we're too close to get the big picture. These shots were taken by the entrance of the Trump International Hotel at Bay and Adelaide. The 69-foot long mosaic is by Stephen Andrews.

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Update: The Distillery Red Brick Strolls (Stroll 7 in Toronto Urban Strolls 1)

Will be missed!
I was at The Distillery last week and the huge metal creature greeting us on the west side of the site was still standing. I just learned from a blog by Steve Kupferman for torontoist.com that it's been dismantled!

It's when it's gone that you realize how much outdoor art adds to a place.

Don't worry. There's still plenty of art to be admired throughout The Distillery.

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Labyrinth walk in High Park

Two days ago, I was in High Park's neighbourhood so I decided to do a quick stroll in the park to enjoy the spring colours.

I went to the labyrinth painted on a concrete circle. (You'll find it beyond the slope just north of Grenadier Restaurant's parking lot.)
It took me 5 minutes to walk the full circuit, which is quite relaxing, a bit like meditation. 

Then I went to check the state of the cherry trees (towards Grenadier Pond, down the lane) and can confirm to you that all the petals are gone. I noticed a sculpted tree I had not seen last time I visited.

I thought the park was gorgeous, with other kinds of trees in full bloom and plenty of tulips across the street from the restaurant.

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Toronto Urban Strolls marketed as a girlfriends' guide

Why a guide "for girlfriends"? 

When I launched into the writing of Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends, many people were wondering if positioning my walking guides as a reference for girlfriends was a wise decision. 

Anyone who's organized anything for a group knows it is more stressful when gender and age groups differ. 

I chose to envision my girlfriends when deciding on the points of interest along the strolls, without considering if my suggestions would bore husbands, boyfriends or children to tears. 

Bottom line: I don't need to explain to my girlfriends why I'm pointing out Winners stores (still a great mystery to my husband).

Photo taken from a blog on
How to hold a purse without compromising your dude-hood.
I found many similar blogs!

Are you man enough?
As I always say, this is a guide for girlfriends... and guys man enough to handle a guide for girlfriends. (You know, the kind of guy who can hold your handbag while you go to the washroom without loosing his cool.)

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Walk the talk says Nilofer Merchant at TED

Walking meeting: now that's an idea!

"Fresh air brings fresh thinking", says Nilofer Merchant in a 6-minute speech at TED. "Getting out of the box leads to out-of-the-box thinking."

Edwards Gardens Mansions Strolls (torontourbanstrolls.com)

I knew that combining seeing my girlfriends and walking was truly beneficial but I now realize the same logic applies to combining meeting and walking.

Next time you need to plan a meeting, you might want to try one of the more secluded walks in the two guides Toronto Urban Strolls 1 & 1. They all include a coffee shop!

Merchant is a business innovator and author of books such as The New How: Creating Business Solutions Through Collaborative Strategy.

Forest Hill Ravine Stroll including Cedarvale Park (torontourbanstrolls.com)

Old Mill River Stroll seen from Dundas West Bridge (torontourbanstrolls.com)