One last pic from the Open Streets TO event of 2 weeks ago, this shows some of the students from the Royal Conservatory of Music giving a little violin concert on Bloor St in front of the Conservatory. They were quite good and quite sweet. Later in the morning there was a wonderful guitarist serenading the crowds. The second Open Streets event takes place today.
During the Open Streets TO on Bloor St, this young man in costume was wandering outside the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and posing for pictures with passersby. He was there to publicize the "Forbidden City" show at the museum which displays treasures from the Beijing Palace Museum, many of which have never left China before.
I thought I would show a few days of pics from the Open Streets TO event which I introduced yesterday and which will happen again this coming Sunday. Holt Renfrew is a luxury retail store found on Bloor St and is one of the oldest companies in Canada. To celebrate the Open Streets they were handing out coffee & doughnuts and had this very enthusiastic band of young guys playing out in front of their store. The crowd loved them!
On Sunday morning, Aug 17, parts of Bloor St and Yonge St were closed for the first "Open Streets TO" (TO is one of Toronto's nicknames). The streets were open for walking and biking with a few activities at certain areas but mainly for just getting out and moving. This pic was taken on Bloor St at Avenue Rd with the 'Crystal' addition on the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) visible on the right, just down the street from yesterday's shot of Tiffany's. This Sunday, Aug 31, the streets will be closed again for the second Open Streets experience.
For more info on Open StreetsTO click HERE.
I loved the movie "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and every time I see one of their stores I think of it. This is the Tiffany's store on Bloor St located in an area with the highest rents in Canada where you will find neighbours like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, (pictured here behind the tree). I love that blue and it is interesting that Vuitton's window has the same blue as a background!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here for more signs.
I first showed you a pic of Willy back in February when he was just 12 weeks old (HERE). Well, here he is now at 9 months and still a charmer but now looking like a full-grown dog. He was hoping that I was carrying treats!
I present arguably the most beautiful mural in Toronto so far. The artist, Chris Irvine, has spent several weeks getting this just right and he has now actually signed it. I stopped to talk to him one day and he said that he is hoping that the city is going to plant irises and install 2 benches in the 3 ft space between the wall and the sidewalk. He has now been working on the opposite wall under this railway overpass and this one is a Monet, to go along with Van Gogh. An incredibly dreary space is being rehabilitated!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here for more murals from around the world.
I was doing some errands downtown and noticed how the spire of St James Cathedral was framed by the buildings along this street. St James is about 1/2 mile south of where I was and I have shown you the front of it before (here).
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
It was a hot day as I passed by the park where these trees live and their shade was very welcoming indeed. I don't know what species they are but I love their heavily textured bark. The City of Toronto is in constant tree-planting mode as an effort is being made to greatly increase the tree canopy which is already quite extensive.
My favourite brunch dish at Kalendar is this wonder of naan bread topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onions, and lots of capers & dill. I always look at the other offerings but can't often resist this yummy plate!
One of my favourite restaurants in Toronto is Kalendar on College St and I just realized that I have never shown the inside which is like a little piece of Paris brought to town - I will remedy that on another day. Getting a seat for brunch on a nice summer day can be tricky so we beat the crowd and were the first to arrive on a recent weekend - brunch is extremely popular in Toronto and you often have to line up for hours for a table. You probably won't find a bottle of Heinz ketchup on every table in Paris! Tomorrow, my plate.
I happened upon this very well organized corner store on College St in Little Italy and was so impressed with how fresh all the vegetables and fruit were. It is wonderful that this type of store can survive in so many pockets of the city! And this building is a bit triangular - like a mini flatiron building.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE for more signs from around the world.
While walking to College St in Little Italy for brunch, I came upon this wonderful old gate in front of one of the old Victorian homes in the neighbourhood. On a hot day this overgrown front garden looked very cool and refreshing and this gate looks like it may have been guarding the space for many, many years.
A few days after I saw last week's Lovebot, I happened upon these 2 wheatpaste versions as I headed out to do some errands. Cute aren't they?
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE for more murals from around the world.
Masjid-El-Noor is one of the oldest muslim organizations in Canada and this mosque was started in 1986. The building had originally been a small one storey church but through the years the congregation has worked hard and today this distinctive mosque stands proudly on a nice hill in a residential neighbourhood in Toronto's west end. One of my shortcuts through the city goes past it and I have always been waiting for a nice sky to frame the minaret and the dome and this was the day!
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
It's been a while since I showed a pic of Casa Loma and I though it looked quite lovely with the lilies growing in front of its stone wall. Casa Loma is one of the top tourist attractions in Toronto but I have never been inside it - I will have to venture in one day!
There recently was a vintage bike show at Trinity Bellwoods Park on Queen St W and there were a lot of cool bikes on display. I particularly liked the lines and the colour of this one!
Wandering about in an area south of St Clair Ave that I hadn't really explored much I spotted this lovely white house with its nicely landscaped property. I love the crisp black trim and also its open grid-like fence which creates a nice backdrop for the peonies and hydrangeas.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE for more fences from around the world.
Yam Chops is a newly opened vegetarian butcher shop on College St and I found the name so intriguing that I made a point of checking it out a week ago. Everything is made with plant-based protein so even though it looks like a burger it could be made with soy or chick peas or some other mixture of ingredients. I had just come from brunch and wasn't hungry but I will go back and try some things for sure!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE for more signs.
I wandered by this car just as the driver parked it and I yelled across to find out what year it was. It is a 1953 Buick Super and has obviously been chopped and customized. I love it - if I ever win a lottery a car like this would be cool for a summer car!
I spotted this Lovebot on the fence around the tennis courts in Trinity Bellwoods Park which I had shown yesterday. I had posted one of the original concrete Lovebots by artist Mathew Del Degan (click here) last year and they continue to show up around the city. This one is made with duct tape as are its accompanying words which are "Smile, you are not a robot".
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here to see more murals.
Trinity Bellwoods Park is a large park located downtown on Queen St W and it is popular for everyone living downtown especially those without their own gardens or balconies. There are playgrounds, tennis courts, off-leash dog areas, wading pools, a community centre, and just lots of open space with mature trees. And there are lots of take-out restaurants nearby - Nadege Patisserie is next door. This shot gives you an idea of what a typical Sunday in the summer is like at the park - someone under every tree and many sun-bathers too! Hope your Sunday is going well.
I'm back at Nadege Patisserie where I showed you all the pastries 2 days ago. They also make fabulous-looking cakes and look at the wonderful boxes sitting behind the cakes for take-away! I think I have to go back for one of those "P'tit Choux" on the right.
I spotted this guy waiting patiently outside the Dutch Dreams ice cream parlour which has been a fixture in Toronto for over 30 years. The line-ups often are really long but it was early in the day when I went by so he won't have too long a wait. I hope they got him some ice cream and not a coffee!
It is hard to resist a French pastry and that is definitely the case when you see the gorgeous treats in Nadege Patisserie on Queen St W. I actually did resist all these pretty cakes and went for my favourite almond croissant and it was wonderful!
This one of the brighter signs in KoreaTown which is on Bloor St between Bathurst and Christie St, but it was the half barrels of Cosmos that grabbed my attention! Someone in there has a green thumb for sure.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE for more signs.
This is one of the most popular times for a summer holiday and I caught this car in the neighbourhood all packed up and ready to head north to a lake. Lucky people!
This is the next section in the mural by Elicser which I showed him working on last week. He says there is no narrative to this long mural and that he is just having fun working in a more abstract style than usual. I have shown a lot of his work before - just click on the Elicser label below to see more.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here to see more murals.
There was a stage at the Salsa On St Clair festival but this group was performing on the street and they were wonderful! Known as Samba Squad, this percussion group was formed in 1999 by Rick Lazar (in the blue t-shirt) and they play in a Afro-Brazilian Samba tradition with a world fusion flavour. The sound was terrific and there were huge crowds around them all the time!
Two weekends ago was the 10th Annual Salsa On St Clair festival when a stretch of St Clair Ave is closed for the 2 days and the street is taken over by Latin culture. There is entertainment, dancing, dancing lessons, lots of Latin food, and just plain fun. This year it rained on Saturday but Sunday was sunny and warm so lots of people were out and about. This pic was taken mid-afternoon before the street was packed. It was fabulous watching the dancers - the blonde woman with the pony tail was a really good salsa dancer! I'll show you a bit of the entertainment tomorrow.
The August theme for the City Daily Photo Blogs is "Take Away Store" and probably one of the most popular foods for take-out in Toronto is Churrasco chicken. This is chicken that is prepared in the Portuguese fashion where it is roasted and then covered with hot red chili sauce usually with rice and small roasted potatoes and a salad on the side. There are many places all over the city to get this chicken and Churrasco of St Clair is one of the most popular although everyone seems to have their own favourite!
Taking part in the August theme. Click here to see more take aways from all over the world.
