On A Tilt

 I've always liked this tilted building which is part of a condo complex in the financial district. It houses a restaurant but since we have been locked down for basically the last year I haven't been near it so am not sure if the restaurant has survived.

When We Could Gather

This pic was taken way back in 2015 when Toronto was hosting the Pan-Am Games and there were lots of activities going on all around the city. This is the sidewalk on Queen St W and a band was getting set up to play a free concert. It is hard to remember being able to be close to other people and to actually see an event taking place!

Fruit Market

You can find small fruit markets like this one all over the city but especially along Bloor St W where you can spot one in some areas every couple of blocks. Apparently it is mango season and many of the markets specialize in certain types so there is a lot of activity going on among mango eaters. I've never tried one!

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Sweet Singing

 I spotted this steel bird singing away atop a fence in the neighbourhood. I know that the artist for this sweet bird is JP Schoss who uses reclaimed metal to create a huge variety of creatures. There are a lot of them sprinkled about our area atop fences and railings. I have two of them myself.

A Journey In The Laneway

 During this time of lockdown here even this mural of a road trip painted on a garage door makes for a nice escape. The artist for this one is Lisa Litowitz who is known for her landscape paintings.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Paper Bunnies

There is a paper store in Koreatown on Bloor St W which specializes in pop-up cards. They have a wonderful selection each of which is astounding. Some of them are so intricate that you can't figure out how they could possibly fold down. I took this pic through the window of these two bunnies, perfect for spring!

A Romantic Encounter

I watched these Red-tailed Hawks atop a cell phone tower for about 15 minutes as they squawked at each other, flew around a bit, had a bite to eat, and then got friendly. We should be having young Hawks flying around the neighbourhood this spring!

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

Construction Finished

I've been checking up on the progress of this laneway house for the last year and it looks as if it is totally finished. It is a nice one and since this lot is a bit wider than most in the area it has a nice size. The city has relaxed the regulations for laneway housing so there are more and more of them popping up in our neighbourhood.

Early Bloomer

This small Magnolia tree is always the first one that I see blooming in the spring. It may not be large but it makes up for its size by the huge number of blossoms.

Feed The Soul

 I spotted this cool neon sign inside the front window of a Caribbean restaurant on Bloor St in the Annex neighbourhood. The menu looked really good so I will be back when we are able to eat in restaurants again. Or maybe I will do take out!

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

A Little Detail

 This is a closer look at part of the front of the apartment building that I showed you on Sunday. The style of the railings and the window details always bring Paris to my mind. It is lovely in the summer but the leaves on all the trees block most of the view so this is another winter shot.

Dotty

 This nice bright garage door was painted by the artist Dudeman whose work can be found all over the city. It certainly makes for a pleasant homecoming at the end of day. Sorry about the construction equipment in front of it.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

A Heritage Apartment Building

 In a city so full of apartment buildings and condo towers it is hard to believe that at one point there were none. This building, the Spadina Gardens, was built in 1906 and was one of the first half dozen buildings to be built for the purpose of multiple occupancy. It has heritage protection so should be around for a long time.

First Turtle Sighting Of Spring

I spotted my first turtle of the season last week as he sat upon a log in the pond in the Wychwood Park neighbourhood. It had been a bit sunny but it wasn't really warm so I was surprised to see him out. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Condos In The Trees

This is a small condo development of just 22 units in a very wealthy neighbourhood so each one goes for a lot of money. There had been a large house and a woodlot beside right in the middle of the area. The back of the lot looks down into one of our many ravines which is where I was for this pic. I'll be keeping track of this place and imagine that it will disappear into the trees from this side in the summer.

Outdoor Dining

It was wonderfully warm here last week and was perfect for outdoor lunches but all of our restaurants and their patios are closed so the next best thing is take-out at the park. Hopefully we will one day see 'normal' again.

A Grand Entrance

This is Harbord Collegiate which is one of the older schools in the city. There was an older building but it was replaced with this one in 1931. A splendid entrance like this one should make you want to work hard and do your homework.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Sea Of Blue

One of my favourite sights of spring is to see the lovely blue Scilla. This large patch was found in a small park along Davenport Rd. I was actually in the middle of it so you can imagine how long the swath of blue was!

Believe

This banner has been installed on the fence at the Spadina House museum. At first I found it a bit difficult to read but it says "believe in your power to change", something which we have all had to do this last year. The banner is part of the ShowLoveTO project of the city but I forgot to get the artist's name.  TO is a nickname for Toronto.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Location, Location

 It is hard to tell from this pic but there are 2 rail lines running beside this condo building which is under construction. When I walked by recently there was a long train going by in each direction making a huge amount of noise. Considering that the condos in the building started at well over $1 million I hope that the people moving in are ready for a bit of a disruption several times a day.

Magic

At first view it looks as if the female Mallard is standing on water but there is actually a layer of ice below the water surface so it isn't a miracle. This was taken at the pond In the Wychwood Park neighbourhood a week ago when there was still some melting to happen.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

View From The Back

This is a recent pic of the building I showed you yesterday and you can see that the wooden surfaces that are black have been repainted or stained. It is a nice looking building and judging by all the doors and decks it may now have at least 3 different apartments in there. I quite like it.

Conversion Complete

 I showed you a pic of construction going on at this site in 2018 (HERE) but didn't get by again for a couple of years when I took this pic in 2020. The building had been a corner store which was changed into residential dwellings. Unfortunately when I saw it there were beige marks all over the black wooden surfaces. I wonder if these were the locations of knots in the wood which had repelled the black stain. I'll show you a recent update tomorrow.

A Place For Fun

The Hillcrest Community Centre was built in 1905 and now has heritage protection. It is attached to Hillcrest Public School and provides activities and programs for residents of all ages. It has been lovingly taken care of through the years as you can see. 

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Sign Of Spring

 I spotted my first Daffodils of the spring last week. They were growing at the base of a south-facing hill so were in a bit of a warm microclimate. It was wonderful to see them.

Imagine

 This mural is found on the side of a large grocery store on Bloor St W in Koreatown. I could find no artist credit on it and the only lettering was "Imagine your Korea". We would all love to be able to travel but only in our imaginations for the next while!

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Grand Renovation

Under that tarp is a grand old mansion in the Wychwood Park neighbourhood which sold for several million dollars a short while ago. The new owners must be doing a complete renovation and update so it will be interesting to see after the tarps come off. Apparently it is to remain a single family dwelling of over 12,000 sq ft!

Energetic Little Duck

I went by James Gardens to look at the ducks and most of them were sleeping or just taking it easy. They are usually all Mallards but this day there were two smaller bundles of a activity racing around the pond disrupting the naps. There were two Green-Winged Teal Ducks having a great time. You can see in this pic how small they are compared to the Mallards. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

It's Gone!

 There was a fairly large house on this lot that is right beside a small parkette with a playground. The house sold a while ago and no one had moved in. About 2 weeks after my last walk past here I came along again to see the house gone and the lot flattened. It looks as if the city bought the house and the park is due to expand. Probably a good thing for the kids in the neighbourhood!

Theme Day: April Fool

The April theme for the City Daily Photo Blog Community is April Fool. What could be a worse April Fool trick than waking up to a world of snow just when you were hoping that spring has come. This is an archive pic! 

Taking part in the Theme Day!  Click HERE to see more April Fools from around the world.