“My Go to Places” was recently a photo challenge from John at Journeys with Johnbo, another wordpress blog. Because my blog is very Toronto centered, I don’t usually play along with such games but last week I thought that I would make an exception because “my go to place” is/are the streets and alleys of Toronto.
Every street has a story to tell, you just have to get out there and explore.
On the Danforth, part of a mural by Monica on the Moon (aka Monica Weikler).
I enjoy finding the quirks of the city – humorous signs in store windows, bizarre or funny graffiti, the quirky things people put in their front yards, and more. I like stumbling upon surprises that make me smile (or wince!).
A happy face and poetic words on a TTC bus stop pole – “She lives to see the sun and feel the wind and drink the rain”. Not bad words to live by!
But sometimes the joy is found in the ordinary.
Bright yellow signs of spring, and hope, in front of the stone buildings of Emanuel College, University of Toronto.
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Out on the streets the cliche of ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ holds true – it’s all there (have I complained recently about the street level ghastliness of some new condos?). And not just the on the streets, but also underground, wandering through buildings, or crossing above
Sick Kids Hospital, crossing over busy streets
below: Behaving well on the subway.
White Hydrangeas (A haiku for each petal)
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Ivory flowers
sprout in the graveyard near me
soil-bound miracle
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This ground is neutral
apparently this is so all I know is not
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Dirt sits on a son –
a boy, thousand times unearthed –
who looks just like me
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Bouquets mask his name
this world is not meant for us
still, white hydrangeas
I walk through ravines and along the lakefront….. past places that everyone recognizes as well as places that are hidden away.
A GO train travels just west of the CN Tower in downtown Toronto. A small piece of the white roof of the SkyDome (Rogers Centre) can be seen at the base of the tower.
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Walking beside the railway tracks, somewhere in Toronto.
I’ve seen the streets where we work, where we play, and where we live.
Duplexes on Eglinton
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Santa Claus visits the west end.
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Urban living downtown
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And I know that good things usually happen when you get out and be a part of the city. Of course we have problems (that Eglinton LRT is a mess isn’t it? and it’s a shame about the Science Centre, right?) It’s a friendly place.
Pedestrians, a few cars, and one cyclist, crossing at College and Spadina.
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At River and Queen East, cats and dogs in a mural by Uber 5000.
Like all story tellers, I bring along my history and my biases. If you were to walk with me, you might notice different things than I do. Or if we see the same things, you might offer a different perspective. You would possibly write a different story but that’s okay. Sometimes I wonder if I am writing stories about Toronto or if I am just writing my own story and Toronto just happens to be the setting!
Yorkville
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Riding the TTC
as I walk Toronto 
I’ve visited Montreal and cities in some of the western provinces, but I’d love to visit Toronto. Thanks for joining in sharing your go-to place.
Montreal is great too, as is Vancouver. I haven’t spent much time in other western Canadian cities (not yet anyhow!).
We’ve only spent cruise port stops on Vancouver Island, specifically Butchart Gardens. In looking up where I’ve gone in Canada, I see Vancouver Island is different from Vancouver. 🙂
What fun and diverse places to go! Great post!
Thank you for reading the post! Toronto is a great place to walk around. Actually, I like walking around most cities – there is always something to find.
I love this, Mary! love it — right from that first Monica on the Moon mural — and I believe you’re writing your own story, with Toronto as the context, not v.v. — I think we are always writing our own story in the context of the moment, because that context is being filtered through our perceptions & reactions
Loved your post and especially your last comment. I think that is true for most all of us. A wonderful “tour” of Toronto which I’ve visited a few times. It’s a great city!
I really enjoyed seeing Toronto thru your lens and your post – and agree how we would see different things if we took the same walk – part of the great individuality we bring to the world, eh? And oh my, there is so much to enjoy here – and outside of the overall cohesiveness of the post, I liked the lady in red on tram with her pup (cool glasses and vibe) – Iliked the mom with hat and stroller in her muted gray/black (chic momma) and then the lady taking pics of the flowers – what a cool angle you gave is there.
Never had the pleasure to visit and you definitely shown that I’m missing out. Nothing like walking about a city to really know it.