It's In The Details

On Friday, I made the rounds in the East End from my AirBnB. At break of dawn, I jogged through the neighbourhood. It was a chilly run through Monarch Park and down to Little India. But thanks to my short sublet back in 2022, I knew about all the little pathways.

My mind wandered during my run. First, while making my way to my rental via streetcar and bus on Thursday, I noticed all the students using transit by themselves (or in little groups). Many were teenagers but there were also children no more than 8 or 9 years old. My younger cousins and nieces never had that level of independence living in the suburbs. Second, as I was cleaning up before my dental appointment, I noticed long-term grime in parts of the bathroom. This morning, I saw that the microwave and mini-fridge were not cleaned since the last guest. Finally, I was nonplussed when I given the same PIN as last time to access the main door and my room. At Victoria's Mansion, they gave out random passcode each time I visited. I then had a Eureka moment; my PIN was likely just my room number and the house's address. Sure enough, guessing the PIN of another room successfully opened the main entrance as well.

Mid-morning, I walked to Gerrard Square to do some shopping. Since my sublet, the microbrewery and coffee shop on industrial Wagstaff drive had new neighbours including a chi-chi furniture store (Avenue Road), a florist (Quince Flowers), and a chocolate shop (Soul Chocolate). My mom loved the New Year bonbons from Onyx Chocolate so I stepped inside Soul to get a gift. After chatting with the owner about his large production space, I got 6 pieces (Champagne, Hazelnut, Vegan Coffee) for $18.

The gentrification of Riverdale along Gerrard St. continued in the past 2 years. But similar to Bloordale over the last decade, it also meant a lot of churn. Queer-friendly Lavender Menace was now organic pastry and smoothie store Sprouty. Ironically, allergy-free Hype Food next door closed for coffee shop Scenic. Barkside Treats became Mess Hall, a "co-working kitchen" offering baked goods and workshops. Poison Tattoo turned into Leni Poki with its pig-themed boba tea and poke bowls. G-B Hand-Pulled Noodles gave way to Hana Ramen while Great Burger Kitchen (practically an OG) was TBD. Los Cantaritos took over La Cubana's east-end outpost (once Mazen Sushi, Bar Habana). Along with the churn were new hopefuls setting up in old storefronts including Teako (loose-leaf tea, brunch), Nutmento (Caribbean Grill), and Montreal Smoked Meat.

I preferred old-school places so I stopped at Banh Mi Huy Ky for a veggie sub ($5.50) and bao ($3.25), Winners for some new jeans, No Frills for a nut mix not available in Ottawa, and finally Pizza Pide for lunch ($16.95). I also liked new businesses that preserve the character of a neighbourhood. So on my way back, I bought a mango lassi ($5) from the generically-named Chai, Samosa & Chaat across from Lahore Grill.