Whiter Shade of Pale

On Saturday, I returned to Claxton to finish my exploration. Instead of looping East to the start of Cedarvale Park, I descended the stairs at the Glen Cedar pedestrian bridge. The Cedarvale Ravine meandered West from beneath that structure. Being wetlands, it retained something wilder than a city park with untended bushes and trees, head-high reeds, and small water ways. Yet you were still aware that the ravine was in an urban environment: the path was paved or graveled and dotted with lamp-posts; underneath the susurration of the wind, you heard the slight hum of traffic and rumble of the subway passing nearby. But it still provided a peaceful and contemplative stroll.

At its Southern tip, I exited onto the Heath St. entrance of the St. Clair station. Lower Village Gate was a gated community comprising of 2 low-rise condo buildings facing a row of townhouses, all fenced off from the surrounding streets. Pedestrian walkways gave access to it during the day. At the Eastern end, the ravine merged into Suydam Park and Forest Hill (South).

At first, this neighbourhood didn't live up to its chi-chi reputation. But further exploration of streets like Dunloe, Hawarden, Vesta, Burton, and Delavan revealed enormous homes where the second car was a Mercedes or BMW. Afterwards, I looked at satellite images and saw that they hid large backyards complete with swimming pools and even small basketball courts. The architecture was eclectic but none of it felt old. I suspect Forest Hill's new money reputation played a role; it was as if the suburban enclave of Oakville was dropped into Toronto. There was almost no one around except for tradespeople fixing roofs, paving driveways, or landscaping front yards.

Finally, around Spadina and Lonsdale, I found pedestrians amid a cluster of old buildings housing apartments and shops. They barely covered a city block and didn't stand out: bank branches, Subway, Starbucks. Perhaps the residents of upscale Forest Hill mostly drive elsewhere for restaurants and other amenities.