On The Cusp

On Sunday, I visited The Junction at Keele and Dundas St. W., a neighbourhood I missed on Saturday. It has been 3 years since I dropped by. Starting from Bloor St. W. new buildings were going up along Dundas. Being an industrial stretch, there weren't too many landmarks being demolished. But it wasn't clear if the local businesses on the West side will benefit.

As Dundas curved toward Keele past Annette, the view improved dramatically. The Junction, stretching along Dundas from Annette to High Park, used to enforce a dry law even as late as the 1990s. It still retained something of that turn of the century feel. The streetscape was even prettier than famous roads like Queen St. W. Not only were the old buildings kept in good shape but grandiose anchors like Campbell Block has been beautifully restored. So the modern condo that housed a huge LCBO stood out like a sore thumb.

Just off Keele St. I stepped into a Vietnamese diner called Tâm. Looking over the short menu, I chose a green papaya salad ($5.50) and a fried noodle dish ($8.00). I then made my way past specialty grocery Sweet Potato and self-storage Public Storage on Vine St. to eat my lunch at the parkette. For the salad, instead of the traditional beef jerky I opted for dried mushroom jerky. This veggie substitute had a good chew with a hint of sweetness and went well with the crunchiness of the julienned papaya. But I think more chopped herbs would add variety and act as a palate cleanser. The noodle dish was typical of any Asian restaurant: nothing mind-blowing but it tasted great going down.

To work off some of that filling lunch, I made my way South to High Park Station through the side streets. The houses were generally upscale and well-maintained. Paradoxically, they became smaller and scruffier as I approached Bloor St. W.