Almost across from yesterday's construction site is this location of a new condo building where concrete is also being poured. The finished building is to be 8 stories high so it looks like they are getting close to the top. Here the concrete has to be lifted to the top in tubs like you can see up in the sky on the right. This is a busy street right now!
In this pic you can see the forms that were being filled with concrete by the pumper truck in yesterday's shot. Since this is the site for 6 townhouses the basement will probably be used for parking although the lot seems so small for there to be space for parking. Houses here all have basements as a place to have your furnace and laundry facilities. They certainly had a lot of workers there!
I showed you a couple of houses being demolished back in mid June (HERE) and I went by the site a few days ago to see what progress was being made. They are not wasting time at all as the foundations are in and they were pumping concrete into the forms for the basement. I'll show you another view tomorrow.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
There is something soothing and cooling about the sound of falling water even if it is from a man-made waterfall and pond like this one which can be found at the Veterans Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. It is not open to the public yet but the veterans are still able to get out there and enjoy it. Another one from the archives.
These patterns painted on the side of a commercial building remind me of the old TV test patterns or perhaps a kaleidoscope. Either way I quite like them.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The city is finally relaxing the rules about laneway houses and so it is probably just a matter of time until this funky building on the corner of two laneways is renovated. Add new windows and a roof deck and it could be a great location. I like how the building was constructed with the corner cut away to avoid being hit by vehicles as they attempt to turn what is a tight corner.
I have a running battle with the squirrels to see who is going to eat my tomatoes and peppers. This year I seem to be winning so far but just as things are looking nicely ripe they often disappear. This guy was not on my roof deck so it wasn't my produce being eaten.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
Laneways are a good place to wander in these Covid times as there are usually not a lot of people around and there is lots of space for social distancing. This week I happened upon this 1967 Chevelle Malibu which was in impeccable condition. The guy who owned told me that he has owned it for over 30 years and bought it from the original owner. A friend owned one when I was in high school and we had a ball cruising around town in it!
The Day Lilies are doing their thing here and they are all so lovely. It is sad that they only last a day but maybe that makes us appreciate them more. I spotted this one in someone's front garden and I'm sure they didn't mind me stopping for a pic.
The Nite Owl barber shop is on Dundas St W just down the street from the mural I showed you this week and is another quirky building. They look like they like to collect old signs! That is St Helen's church & rectory reflected behind me.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is part of yesterday's mural that was further down the laneway. It certainly brightened the area up. The pic was taken on Canada Day so yours truly was wearing a vintage Royal Canadian Mountie t-shirt.
Just down Dundas St from last week's mural tribute to front line workers I spotted this wise owl on the side of an old building. The laneway it was along was so narrow that I couldn't get more than a bit of the mural at a time into a shot so settled for this pic from across the road. The artist is Smoky whose work I have shown a lot. The building itself looks intriguing with its original windows and what looks like a bar with a lot of character on the main floor. Not that bars will be open here for a long time yet.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
We have had very little rain for the last few weeks and any that does come down in the city seems to usually miss my place. A week ago there was rain in the east end which was creating a lovely rainbow but none came our way.
I was wandering around in another park along the Humber River ravine and spotted this Green Frog sunbathing on a lily pad. He didn't seem to be frightened of me at all and posed quite nicely. It is always a good thing to see frogs surviving in the city.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This long row of townhouses shows a fairly common style of infill housing that has popped up all over the city. After purchasing a long site either from an old factory or a few homes, the developers build these groups of 3 or 4 story townhouses that are usually only about 14 ft wide. The result is a space that has a large amount of its square footage occupied by stairs. I've known a few people who have bought these and then sold them within a couple of years. There is often a roof deck but there are a lot of stairs involved to get up there.
This is the main entrance to Trinity College which is one of the colleges at U of Toronto. This collegiate Gothic building was completed in 1925 and is always a standout to view through all of the seasons. Another one from my archives from one of my favourite places to wander.
This is another pic from my archives taken the same day as my post for last week's Signs 2. This too has seen a lot of changes with Hermes having moved a few doors along Bloor St W to a much larger space and more ornate facade. I rather like the understatement of this one which now houses a ladies' clothing store. This is just a few blocks away from last week's small stores. What a difference a few blocks can make!
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
You never know what you will discover when wandering in a laneway. I spotted this Triumph T120 Black recently and even though it looks vintage it is a newer model. The owner told me that it has been ridden from Vancouver to Toronto last year and from Toronto to Nova Scotia a couple of times so it is not just a pretty bike but a real workhorse too. I like the vintage look of the license on the front fender.
I spotted this tribute to frontline workers on the side of a garage just off Dundas St W. Those are tough workers who are out there doing all they can for the rest of us. I like how the artist worked around the advertising signs to make the whole thing work. It could be by the artist Elicser but I forgot to look for a signature.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is one from the archives taken well before the Covid virus hit us all. This is the outdoor seating area of a bar just off Yonge St. I love these vintage patio chairs.
This pic was taken along the Humber River ravine in one of the parks upstream from the shots I have shown you this past week. This is one of the small streams that feed into the river and the pond there is a favourite spot for Mallards to hang out. They stay there all winter as the moving water never freezes over completely. A lot of people go there to feed them no matter how many signs are put up asking them not to!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This is another shot along the Humber River ravine. It is a well treed area with lots of benches for people to stop and relax on for a bit. Down in the ravine one feels so isolated from the city but behind those trees in the background the ground rises up to streets of houses and the very busy Jane St.
This is another shot of the Humber River taken a little downstream from the last pic I showed you on Tuesday. In the autumn this is a good location for watching salmon as they leap up over these steps to head upstream to their spawning grounds.
I took this pic a few years ago during one of our Open Streets events when parts of Yonge St & Bloor St were closed to cars. These 4 shops were the typical storefronts found along some of the older parts of Yonge St south of Bloor. Many have now been torn down and the small independent businesses are disappearing but a look on google showed me that the Cuban cigar shop and the Persian restaurant are still there (at least a few months ago). The 2 buildings on the right have been newly painted and fixed up while the 2 on the left are still in need of a facelift.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is a pic of the Humber River just above the area where I showed the lazing dog on Saturday. In 1954 during Hurricane Hazel the Humber River flooded major parts of Toronto resulting in 81 deaths, many of them people swept away in homes during the night. Since that time the river itself has many of these flood control barriers have been installed and all housing in the flood plains is prohibited. It is hard to believe this peaceful scene was once so horrific.
This lovely lady was found just down the lane from last week's floating lady. It may be the same artist since they are both such lovely faces but I'm not sure. Somehow the frosty eyes make me think of a dreamlike stage.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is a pic of the Humber River a little downstream from yesterday's cool dog. As you can see the river has shallow areas that make perfect spots for a dog to wade in and cool off. You can also see people moving along the trail on the other side. It is hard to believe that we are right in the middle of the city.
I finally ventured out to a park last weekend, one of the parks that run along the Humber River through the city. It was a warm day and this Bull Terrier found a place to cool off and was refusing to come out for his owner. He was in a happy place.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
These are two of the cottages from Draper St which I have been talking about for the last couple of days. These were workers' cottages all built the same and because of the heritage protection very few changes can be made to them which means they can be enjoyed for years ahead. Lovely, aren't they?
This is the heritage sign found along Draper St which I showed you in yesterday's post. This gives a bit more of the history of the street and some of its past residents. I'll show a couple of the homes tomorrow.
The July theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Neighbourhood and for this one I am posting a pic of Draper Street which is found in the King St & Spadina Ave area. This block of cottages survived the almost total industrialization of the area and is now a heritage district. Recently many of the factories in the area have been torn down and condos constructed while others have been converted to lofts. It's good these homes are safe. The other side of the street without cars had a lot of trees hiding the homes. I'll show more tomorrow.
Taking part in the theme day Neighbourhood. Click HERE to see more examples from around the world.
