Toronto has many different ethnic neighbourhoods and there are at least two Chinatowns, one in the East end and one in the West. We have discovered that each of them have nice Chinese grocery stores where the produce and the meat are not only fresh, but also considerably cheaper than in the big chain stores. 
Lovely Gardens
It was a beautiful, warm, (actually HOT) spring day and we needed a few groceries so we decided to make a nice afternoon walk to Chinatown East to get some supplies. We try to arrange these outing to walk through different streets and neighbourhoods and see a bit more of the city. We also try to fit in a stop for drinks or lunch.
We aimed to walk through Cabbage-town where beautiful old houses always have lovely gardens out front, down though the Riverdale Farm and across the pedestrian bridge over the Don River and the DVP (Don Valley Parkway) to the Riverdale Park East which would take us to Chinatown East. 
Elegant Houses
By this time, Regis decided she needed to eat, so we went in search of a new restaurant to try. The Maple Leaf Tavern wasn’t open so drinks were out, but we found a nice Caribbean Grill where we had a delicious lunch.
Leaving the restaurant I realized that our walk had taken us close to an enormous tall brick chimney that I could see from the condo and had wondered what it was. I turned left to explore the area around the chimney while Regis continued back to Chinatown and groceries. I discovered that the chimney was behind a large old brick factory with a sign out front designating it as a historic glass factory, but the tall chimney was not described. I walked around the neighbourhood and I assume the chimney was originally part of the factory, but I asked five local residents about it and no one was able to tell me anything about the mysterious chimney. I don’t know how people can live in an area with a tall brick chimney casting a shadow on their neighbourhood and not wonder what it was about, so I am going to have to go with it being part of the old glass factory. 
A very tall chimney
All in all, a good afternoon; we had a nice lunch, loaded up our grocery cart and explored some more of the city.
Beautiful Sculptures 
Can't pass the street art
No comments:
Post a Comment