Let It Rain

Dosa Mahal Vegan Box

Less than a month later, I made another trip to The Big Smoke. Monday was pleasantly cool but sunny in both Ottawa and Toronto. A pair of French tourists sitting behind me on the bus talked excitedly about visiting "little New York" and Niagara Falls after their trip to Montreal and Ottawa. Unfortunately, it's forecast to be rainy and cloudy over the next few days. So they might not have good memories about T.O.

I was back in my rental on St Helens. For dinner, I stopped off at Caribbean Queen for a beef patty ($4.50). In May, she was talking about retirement. But now she wasn't planning on retiring any time soon; supposedly it was "actually a vacation" that we talked about. I couldn't say if it was a case of wanting to work or needing to work but she seemed refreshed and cheerful behind the counter. As the patty wasn't quite enough, I also went to Dosa Mahal for a vegan plate (rice + 3 sides). It has increased to $8.85 for takeout (and the masala fries were now $9.99). A large price increase in 5 years but still under $10.

Tuesday morning, I walked a loop from Lansdowne, west along Dundas St. W., and returning on Bloor. It still had some industrial businesses and a few stalwart (Cafe Pho Nho) but the condos and second-generation gentrifiers (Bandit Brewery, The Commoner, Tommy's Wine Bar) were spreading. First generation shops like Dundas Park Kitchen paved the way but haven't lasted. The massive condo complex replacing Loblaws, LCBO, and their large parking lot has not broken ground. 

In another life, this could have been my Toronto neighbourhood because my grandma found an old friend with a room for rent. But 3 decades ago, this area was too derelict for me. I ended my walk at Uncle Sid's Deli for a breakfast wrap ($7.75) of sausage, eggs, and home fries.

Lunch at Ibet Sushi was a combo ($16.50) of 8 pieces of nigiri sushi (mostly salmon) and 8-piece California Roll. No complementary miso soup or salad though. On my way to the dentist, I saw that the 6 new condos at Bloor and Dufferin were starting to have windows and other interior construction. The announced move-in date of 2026 seemed plausible. After my cleaning, which they have inexplicably reduced to 2 units instead of the usual 3, I went to see my friend.

Last time, she was contemplating retirement (perhaps in Morocco) and dealing a slightly lazy brother. Well, the brother has moved out since a week ago. Now she wanted to keep working if possible because she enjoyed interacting with people. In fact, an old customer had hosted her for a few days on her trip to Costa Rica. Given that the vacant 2nd bedroom was only $900/month, I impulsively offered to become her new room-mate. She was totally onboard with that idea.

There were several positives: the price (especially for this city), the location (my old neighbourhood and in my opinion, best area of Toronto), and the possibility. That is, I've been leaning toward semi-retirement instead of full retirement. But exploring 2nd career options seemed more tractable here than in Ottawa. The main barrier preventing my move was the exorbitant rental market in Toronto.

Back at my rental after 241 pizza ($5.50), I thought about 2 major minuses. First, Toronto apartments aren't large as a rule, but this bedroom was tiny. It wouldn't even fit a queen bed; the current layout was a twin with just enough space to sidle past. Yet it had the same general layout as the other more reasonably-sized rooms. But I couldn't recall why from the whirlwind tour. Maybe a large section was taken up by a support column or wall?

Second, the timing was wrong. With the recent passing of my grandma, I couldn't leave my mom right now. We were also relocating so there were practical concerns: packing, cleaning, and many other tasks. It will probably take until November or early next year before I could think about next steps for me. I doubt my friend could wait 2-4 months for a co-tenant.