Strolling around Liberty Village

I spy public art
The historic buildings give an interesting vibe to the area but at first sight, there doesn't seem to be much else to see around Liberty Village (south-east of Dufferin and King). 

When doing research, I actually found enough urban surprises to create the LIBERTY VILLAGE Factory Stroll (Stroll #20 in Toronto Urban Strolls 1).

I recently was in Liberty Village to visit the new location of Moses Znaimer MZTV Museum (see the photo gallery in this post I wrote in French about the museum). 

Here are the best shots of what's around, including a quick look at the gorgeous merchandise in West Elm's huge lifestyle store, and Louis Café, the coffee shop which just opened two weeks ago.

On my way to MZTV Museum (on Jefferson), I noticed that the Liberty Market Café has cranked up the signage around its patio.

South of the Museum, on the east side of Jefferson, there's an alley lined with murals illustrating the evolution of the industrial hub. At the end of the alley, you see the largest parking lot of Liberty Village.

Balzac's Coffee Shop at Liberty and Hanna 

Going south on Hanna to Snooker Street

Starbucks on Snooker, east of Hanna

Patio of Mildred's Kitchen Temple down the alley  at the foot of Hanna

The alley between Mildred's and West Elm store

They have a coffee bar!

See what I mean? 

There's more...

The Roastery (back on Liberty Street, west of Hanna)

See the photo gallery of the BenchMark project responsible for all the decorated benches throughout Liberty Village. My favourites are located at the corner of Liberty and Fraser, near the very cool School Restaurant.

On the School's facade

There used to be a carpet factory on the premises, hence this beautiful mural near the parking lot in the back of the School Restaurant. Continue in the alley around the mural and you'll find the best historic buildings of Liberty Village and Caffino, a very good Italian restaurant.

Caffino's side patio

Louis Café, a new coffee shop on King Street, west of Fraser

Strolling around High Park

The zen side of High Park

Last weekend, I had a lovely zen afternoon with girlfriends. We ate delicious raw food at Rawlicious, admired the vibrant and serene collages of artist Josée Duranleau at Runnymede Public Library, topped if off with an americano at Red Bean Espresso before entering the west end side of High Park for a walk by the pond. Ommmm... (with a little caffeine buzz).

 About Rawlicious

The whole menu offers tasty adaptations of popular meals entirely made following the raw food principles (never heating food above 115 degrees Fahrenheit). Your Pad Thai will be very good... but cold! The noodles are obviously not your regular boiled pasta but made out of zucchini and kelp, and they offer a satisfying noodle-like texture. 

Dried grains and vegetables are shaped into bread-like slices. Kale chips are decadent. Don't be fooled by the size and appearance of the desserts. They are scrumptious! Good new: raw foodies don't shy away from cocktails topped with vodka or rum. Rawlicious is located at 2122 Bloor West, between High park and Runnymede Subway Stations.

About Red Bean Café

Two stores down Rawlicious, you'll find the cool café Red Bean Espresso (I love their wall made out of vintage doors and the staff is very friendly). They serve very good coffee as well as gelato in spring and summer. They're the perfect stop to grab a coffee before heading to High Park. 

About exhibitions at Runnymede Public Library

Runnymede Public Library is at Runnymede Subway Station, just a few minutes walk west of Rawlicious. I didn't know they had a small art gallery on the second floor until last weekend when I attended the opening of Josée Duranleau's exhibition (going on until June 30). It features eight of Josée's feminine Buddhas surrounded by flowers and colourful textures (each piece listed between $400 and $485).

Josée Duranleau at Runnymede Library until June 30 

About High Park

Most people enter High Park through its Bloor entrance or off the east side of the park. I prefer accessing it from the west side, where a path to your right leads you along the marsh section of the pond, where chances are you'll see cranes and ducks. (Walk down Ellis Park Road and through the little playground at Wendigo Way.) 

8-km Walk: Cabbagetown to Evergreen Brick Works and return

A bit of everything

This is a good walk 8-km long (approx. 2hrs) which offers a bit of everything: historic buildings, river, trails, and Toronto's best urban park Evergreen Brick Works, with food, coffee and a shop as a bonus. 

The circuit actually crosses three of the strolls in my walking guide Toronto Urban Strolls 1: Stroll #12 Don Valley Evergreen Brick Works, Stroll #15 Cabbagetown Nooks & Crannies and Stroll #22, Riverdale Sunset Stroll.

With my good friend Pascale, who lives in Cabbagetown, we went to Riverdale Park West (past Riverdale Farm), we walked down the hill to the little pedestrian bridge running over Don River, then, on the east side of the river, pushed northbound to Pottery Road.

There's a new pedestrian gap protecting people and cyclists who want to cross the busy street. Going left (westbound), we reached Bayview where we turned left, staying on Bayview's large sidewalk up to the street lights in front of Evergreen Brick Works. This covers approx. 4 kms.

We did not find an appealing way back to Cabbagetown. We "roughed it up" along Bayview (which is without sidewalks) up to the entrance of Wellesley Park at Rosedale Valley Road. I recommend returning where you came from, for a prettier and safer walk back to your starting point. 

Click here to see the photo gallery of our spring escapade in Evergreen Brick Works.

SOLD! Jilly's Strip Club in Riverside

I spy a pirate!
There was a time when it would have seemed weird that I mention Jilly's strip club (at the corner of Broadview and Queen East) in this blog but those days are over, now that the "New Broadview Hotel" has been sold.

If you look up past the tasteless photos at street level, you'll see some of the nicest and funniest architectural details adorning any building in Toronto.

I spy a pirate, an elephant, a boar...

Can't wait to see what Streetcar Developments will do with it. I live in that neighbourhood and for years, we've been dreaming of seeing it transformed in the likes of the Drake Hotel or the Gladstone Hotel.