Looking up, on the south-west corner of Yonge and Dundas.
Showing posts with label Toronto: Whimsical sights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto: Whimsical sights. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
What's not to #DistilleryLove?
It is in the Time Travel chapter of Toronto Fun Places, and I created The Distillery Red Brick Stroll in Toronto Urban Strolls 1 to better enjoy this attraction.
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| Bergo Design at The Distillery usually carries my guides. |
But I have more reasons to appreciate the historic district. As a marketing girl, I also have a few clients. Prologue is one of them. Their office is in the heart of The Distillery, and I'm there every week.
About Prologue
Prologue to the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit provincial & bilingual organisation booking over 2,200 performances for young audiences in the schools and in public venues throughout Ontario.
For almost 50 years now, they've scouted the artistic scene to find the best performing arts to present into the schools and before young audiences. You can follow them on Facebook to show your support to arts education.
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 1 How The Distillery keeps evolving and improving! Here, the "after" and the "before of Case Goods Lane (featuring very slick Caffe Furbo) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 2 Coffee break at Balzac's Coffee |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 3 Surprises at every corner |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 4 View from Prologue's office in Case Goods Building |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 5 The metal cut-outs around Mexican restaurant El Catrin |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 6 Sense of humour by Mini Mioche kids clothing store |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 7 Vintage charm everywhere |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 8 French signs at Balzac's |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 9 The little Lovebot on Trinity Street, one of the 100 Love Robots which invaded Toronto, placed here in recognition of Green Moxie. Read the full story on lovebot.com. (Update Sept. 2014: It's not there anymore!) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 10 Vintage charm of a truck |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 11 Air-conditioned café inside Young Centre |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 12 Architectural detail |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 13 Gift shopping at Bergo Design |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 14 Vintage structure inside Case Goods Building, from when the bottles were on the roll |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 15 En Catrin Mexican patio, even prettier at night |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 16 Lovers' lock on the LOVE structure |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 17 The pear and brie grilled cheese at Sweet Escape. Yum! |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 18 The kids section in Bergo's back store |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 19 Vintage recipe collage on tables at Sweet Escape |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 20 Romeo and Juliet balcony-like structure. Romeo, where art thou? |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 21 Vintage signs |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 22 Window shopping |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 23 Take-outs from the Brick Street Bakery (sausage rolls to die for) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 24 Vintage elevator in Case Goods Building (not for public use) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 25 The Distillery artifacts all around the site |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 26 Artsy display of artifacts (here, Toronto's earliest sewer pipes) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 27 Bilingual signs at every historic artifacts. Bien. Très bien! |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 28 The shops/studios in Case Goods Building (open Wednesday to Sunday) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 29 Young Centre's policy of allowing drinks inside the theatre! (No need to rush during the intermission of SoulPepper plays.) |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 30 View of the CN Tower over the Victorian roofs |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 31 The Flatiron-like building at Mill and Parliament |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 32 The futuristic giant spider |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 33 The historic signs reminding us what used to be |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 34 French signs at Balzac's |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 35 The giant alambic installation reminding the origin of The Distillery |
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| Prologue's #DistilleryLove 36 Vintage truck straight from Pixar's Cars |
Liked these?
Yes, it would make us happy!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Church Street Murals Project in Toronto
New reason to walk around Church Street
The Village just became even more colourful, thanks to the new Church Street Murals Project now offering great murals to be admired along Church Street. The last one was launched on June 21, 2014, is a creation by muralist John Kune, the artist who did most of the murals featured in the ISLINGTON VILLAGE Mural Stroll (Walk #2 in Toronto Urban Strolls 1).
I recommend you start your visit with Christiano's mural. It is located just across from two other murals and Bulldog Coffee, a shop praised by serious coffee drinkers (one block south of Carlton).
Then walk northbound on Church to enter Church-Wellesley Village. Lift your nose at the south-west corner of Carlton and Church to see the lion carved in the red stone. The Maple Leaf Loblaws is located on the north-west corner (worth a visit, it is huge!). Along the way, marvel at the way advertisers have adapted their billboards to appeal to the gay community.
There's one more to see (around the corner off the alley). Then, cross the street to access Cawthra Park for the big finale on the north wall of the 519 Community Centre by the lovely square newly pavement adorned the centre on both sides, and wooden stage. There's a cute little playground with splash pad on the south side of the park. Keep walking and you'll see the Aids Memorial.
One of the volunteers who helped with the project just happens to be my ex-neighbour Sarah Levinson. It's a small world! Christiano De Araujo, who was in charge of the team who executed John Kune's vision on that end of the murals circuit, is also the artist responsible for the beautiful mural Bathhouse Raids on the other end (on the south wall of The Marquis at Church and Granby). It refers to the infamous bathhouse raids of April 1983.
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| Bathhouse Raids by Christiano De Araujo |
Then walk northbound on Church to enter Church-Wellesley Village. Lift your nose at the south-west corner of Carlton and Church to see the lion carved in the red stone. The Maple Leaf Loblaws is located on the north-west corner (worth a visit, it is huge!). Along the way, marvel at the way advertisers have adapted their billboards to appeal to the gay community.
Crews and Tangos, the next stop on the Murals circuit, is a fixture in the Village and Toronto's #1 Drag Barat (508 Church Street). I think its make-over suits it perfectly!
On the north-west corner of Church and Wellesley is another cluster of murals. On Wellesley Street, you'll see the colourful strips of colours on the facade of the Barber Shop. In the small alley just west of the shop, are three more murals.
It's too bad this alley is used by the local businesses to store their garbage, which unfortunately makes it smelly, because there are many amusing details to observe.
There's one more to see (around the corner off the alley). Then, cross the street to access Cawthra Park for the big finale on the north wall of the 519 Community Centre by the lovely square newly pavement adorned the centre on both sides, and wooden stage. There's a cute little playground with splash pad on the south side of the park. Keep walking and you'll see the Aids Memorial.
The making of
Wondering how such big murals are done? My friend Sarah explained to me that they first primed the wall, then, with the help of a giant projector, they projected John Kuna's image on the wall and traced it. Many volunteers then each worked on a section, under the supervision of Christiano De Araujo.
It is customary in large projects like this that artisans take some liberties with the original design... (Don' worry Sarah, your secret is safe with me.)
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| The original illustration by John Kune |
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