Why I Love (Biking in)Toronto Reason #327

West Toronto Railpath

Oh my quest on conquering the bike paths of Toronto is in full force! There have only a few bike paths I haven’t really enjoyed in this city and right now I am presenting you the fourth path I think is worthy enough for this list. So last week I went to explore the West Toronto Railpath at Dundas and Sterling which is just off of Sorauren Ave and a little before Lansdowne. Anyways this path is very similar to the Lower Don Rec Trail in terms of being next to a railroad. However, there are a few major differences between the Don path and this one.

The first is that even though it is similar being next to a railroad, you get a different experience than the Lower Don trail. The first is that while I biked two trains passed me as opposed to the Lower Don in which no trains passed me at all. It was kind of really cool and the child inside of me even tried to race with one of the trains. The other part is that you get to go over top of traffic when you hit Bloor and Dupont. As a child I loved the old train bridges that went over top of traffic, especially when they just sat there for days. I always loved to peer up, and unlike most trails that have the bikers going underneath motor or train bridges, the biker gets a chance to go on top of traffic just like a train – and on a cool orange bridge.  The second thing is that at Bloor you actually bike pass the Bloor Go Station. Now when I got here I left my bike and walked onto the platform looking down the railroad tracks.

The other cool thing is that the path is like a graveyard for buildings. As I biked by there were a lot of old abandoned looking buildings. Now they of course are really beautifully built and I bet you anything that they are going to become lofts very soon, because that whole area is truly becoming an up and coming neighbourhood.

The other thing is that there are these weird metal art like structures that have graffiti all over them. Now they are the most random things, but what I remember most is that someone had put an anime face on one these metal art pieces, which really caught my attention.

Also on my way I saw a triceratops and a railway crossing that brought me face to face with a freight train. This path was really short and took me all of maybe 15 minutes to complete, but it was truly really cool and relaxing path.  However, this path is looking to expand which I would be all in favor for. The Friends of West Toronto Railpath eventually want it to extend downtown and to Liberty Village. The path itself has even won some awards!

I really like this path a lot because it combines many of my favorite things like old abandoned buildings and trains. However, how this differs from other paths is very simple. This path (the portion as of now) could be a great example of the ever changing Toronto landscape. I have no doubt in my mind that the buildings you see on the path will be redeveloped into condos or lofts and I think that as that occurs the people who use the path will be able to witness the areas and Toronto’s evolution.

That is Why I Love Toronto.  

http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/derelict-delights-west-toronto-railpath-buildings/

http://www.thegridto.com/city/places/derelict-delights-west-toronto-railpath-buildings/

http://railpath.wordpress.com/

Why I Love Toronto Reason #322

Liberty Village

I think as we come to a close I need to add Liberty Village to this list. Now I have mentioned Liberty Village in three of my posts the first being The Prison Chapel (which I also wrote a brief piece on for the University Of Toronto’s Varsity Magazine - check out my profile page here!), The Toronto Carpet Factory and I mentioned it briefly during my post on Balzac Coffee. I have even mentioned it from time to time as being the perfect fuse of old and new and I think it’s time I explain what I mean when I say that.

Liberty Village is becoming/ some may argue already is the new Toronto hot spot with some of Toronto’s best Patio’s located here. However, many people may not know that Liberty Village once had a dark and very industrial past that should be noted. At one point in time it was housed male prisoners at the Toronto Central Prison as well as women at the Andrew Mercer Reformatory. The prison and reformatory inspired the name liberty village because as soon as a prisoner left the prison grounds they would step on Liberty Street in the village surrounding the prison and get their first taste of their regained their liberty/ freedom – hence Liberty Village. Sadly, however sweet you thought that story was it doesn’t compare to the supposed horror that took place in the prison. Now the horrors are of course allegations and none of them have been confirmed, but rumours have said that many of the prisoners were tortured, beat and had been given experimental drugs and underwent experimental procedures.  So if you ever feel like some other worldly thing is following or watching you, you most likely have a ghost/ tortured soul problem – call Ghostbusters immediately. The prison opened in the late 1800’s and closed in early 1900’s – some reports saying 1915. However the reformatory remained opened until 1969. Today the reformatory has been converted into the Alan Lamport Stadium in which the superintendent’s house still remains.

However it also had an industrial past when John Inglis and Sons opened a factory on the grounds. The company for a time helped with the war effort in World War Two and eventually after the war made products that many of us probably have in our homes today. Eventually in the 80’s everyone started to move out to the village and many people described the area as an abandoned wasteland. It wasn’t until the beginning of the millennium that it started to become what we see it as today.

Today liberty village is a number of things. It is a home, a workplace, retail and a party area. In terms of homes, you can live in newly built townhomes or live in old factories that have been converted into lofts/ condos. The old factory home would be my picture perfect home, because of the high ceilings, exposed bricks and windows.  It also has some amazing bars. I have been to Brazen Head which is in this amazing building and I have been told to go to School and Williams Landing as well. Lastly it is also a place to work and not for those who work in the metro and other retail locations in the area. The Toronto Carpet Factory for example has become the offices, for advertising and media firms, plus there are so many other communication like companies located in the old buildings around.

In the end it is the perfect fuse of present and past – old and new. You still have many of the old buildings standing and they have been converted for modern use. However, even though they may have been turned into condos or lofts they still have a heritage value to them. They still represent what liberty village once was – an industrial area and in some cases a prison. It is the perfect mix of what the city once was and what it has become.

That is Why I Love Toronto.

http://www.toronto.ca/planning/king_liberty.htm

http://www.libertyvillagetoronto.com/

http://www.torontoneighbourhoods.net/neighbourhoods/downtown/liberty-village

Why I Love Toronto Reason #276

Churches Being Turned into Condos/ Lofts

Yes I know Toronto’s Condo/ Loft market is getting out of hand. I mean they have condos popping up right next to the Gardiner expressway – so close that if a car ran into and broke the median you would have a car in your living room or from another perspective you could jump onto the highway from your balcony.  Now I will do a post on my favorite condominium buildings in the near future, but today I want to do Churches that have been turned into condominiums/ lofts. This is definitely becoming a huge craze in our city and I think it may be a tad sacrilegious.

I have to say though it is a cool concept. I mean church attendance is declining which means more churches are joining together. Instead of demolishing these abandoned Churches they are being converted and allowing people to live in the some of the most beautiful historical building this city has to offer.  So even though it may not be the right place for vampire to live because the faucets might spew out holy water and there may be some hidden crosses somewhere, I think these homes are perfect for those who love architecture and history. Below I’m going to give you my top 4 church converted condo/ lofts and briefly give you a history and some of their selling features.  

     Abby Church Lofts

Located in the High Park Area this church has some pretty awesome selling features. Get this - vaulted wood ceilings, original stained glass windows, exposed stone and brick walls, plus it has a look out from the bell tower and twisting staircases!! – I’m having an architectural orgasm right now – I’m not sure if that’s weird to say considering I’m talking about a church, but to I am. Anyways the church was built in 1910 and is absolutely stunning it almost looks like you could be living in a castle. Did I mention THE ORIGINAL STAINED GLASS?

    The Church Lofts

This neo-gothic gem was built in 1906 and is located at 701 Dovercourt and also has its original stained glass. What I love are the squished in balconies and the wood patio on top of the church which brings you a stunning view. It boasts to a restoration of the masonry, limestone, wood doors, and period light fixture.  It has this amazing quad that beams in sunlight from the most beautiful skylight I have ever seen.

     The Channel Club

Everyone has seen this church condo and they probably still thinks it is a church - I know I did until now. This condo is right on the corner of College and Bathurst and I mean right on the corner. If you ever get off the 511 streetcar at college it drops you off right in front. I just thought I’d mention that one because I always thought it was just a cool church in Little Italy.  

      St. George On Sheldrake Lofts

Once the Eglinton United Church, this 1923 building by Horwood and White (they also worked with Edmund Burke) was turned into lofts in 2001. The exterior is said to be a tribute to Oxford University’s Keeble College and has units as big as 4000 square feet.  The building welcomes you with these noteworthy dark coloured doors as well as intense brickwork. Of course it also has cathedral ceilings.

More and more Church Condo/Lofts are popping up in the tdot and I’m really excited that architects are bringing the old and placing a modern twist on it. Remember my Heritage Modernization Theory – not demolishing old building but converting them to the modern world. It is happening Toronto and these condo/ lofts are some of the nicest condo/ loft buildings in the city. Now the question if you live in an old church do church rules still apply? Like no swearing? All question that will be answered in time.

That is why I Love Toronto. 

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/gimme-shelter/2011/12/02/condomonium-384-sunnyside-avenue-unit-309/attachment/dec11hotwsunnyside_23/

http://www.gracecondos.com/Listing.aspx?lid=20860&areaid=44

http://www.torontolofts.ca/loft254_church203.html

http://www.mrloft.ca/Loft-Buildings/Church-Lofts-701-Dovercourt-Rd-Toronto