Ravines

On Sunday, I went to Spice Indian Bistro for lunch. Long story short, after about 90 minutes of walking, I discovered it wasn't open despite its listed hours. A consequence of the pandemic? But the stroll wasn't all for naught as I visited new neighbourhoods.

I used to spend more time around St. George and Yorkville. With museums, concert halls, and the "Mink Mile" fancy shops, these areas always had the Manhattan vibe of out-sized buildings. But they also had humbler draws like a cluster of affordable restaurants (China Garden, Pho Hung, Booster Juice) across from the ROM. Now a towering condo was located there. Everything was in shadows and the outdoor patios weren't inviting. Even a destination restaurant like Sassafraz felt diminished.

Building constructions continued to Yonge St. Oddly, I haven't spent much time East of this busy intersection. The architecture ranged from Victorian to Brutalist, but it looked like it has always been business oriented, big and imposing. There was human-level activities by the time I turned south on Sherbourne St.

Shiny condos rose in the foreground while the older, derelict tenements of St. James Town crowded behind. Strange to think the 60s-era apartments had larger units; stranger to ponder if all these new housing, here and elsewhere, will become ghettos 50 years down the road. Signs touting new construction guarded boarded-up buildings. There weren't too many restaurants except for the occasional Gabby's (at the boutique Isabella Hotel) or Maison Selby.

Further south, low-rises, rooming houses, and overgrown lots cropped up. By the time I reached Moss Park, the typical encounter skewed male, older, a little worse for wear. This site was the epicenter for the recent increase of homeless encampments at several Toronto parks. Later on in the week, the ad-hoc group Encampment Support Network (ESN) would hold a rally here to highlight the ongoing housing crisis, exacerbated by pandemic-related evictions.

With Chef Saha's restaurant closed, I wandered among the trendy buildings of Queen, Adelaide, and King in search of a bite to eat.