The Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is one of the best in the world. It's in Scarborough where I grew up (and remember it opening back in the mid-1970s.) Prior to that the main Toronto "zoo" is what we now call Riverdale Farm. We don't get there enough, but here are some pictures from the last time we were there, in the summer of 2005 I think, with Maureen and Gracie.

The Beach(es)

We spend a lot of time in an area of Toronto called The Beach (or if you prefer, as I do, The Beaches, as there are several of them). There are lot so of parks to play in, soft ice cream galore, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, boutiques, and The Balmy Beach Club, where we are members. It's one of the only places you can have a drink on the water in Toronto. We go there to hang out, eat popcorn, play the juke box and just look at the lake.

Leslieville

We live near a neighborhood in Toronto called Leslieville. It's really nice and is enjoying a renaissance. Lots of fantastic restaurants, coffee bars and boutiques are opening up. These are images of a "girls night out" at one of those restaurants, Joy Bistro (their upstairs bar Overjoy). Some of our best friends just moved into the neighborhood so we spend a lot of time out there.

The Distillery District

We live near this very cool development in Toronto, The Distillery District, once the main distillery for Gooderham and Worts, and now a mix of shops, restaurants, housing, theatres, and the best chocolate in the world (Soma). Our friends Markus and Maureen live in a condo there and had their wedding on their own rooftop.


After the ceremony and on our way to the reception we walked down a street near the Distillery District called The Epslanade. Meredith's school, Market Lane (well, it will be her school again next year) is on the Esplanade, and is attached to a lovely comunity centre (St. Lawrence), a condominium development and a retail strip.

Loblaws

We do most of our grocery shopping at Loblaws on Queen's Quay. Meredith even had her sixth birthday party there in their special events room. The kids got to make spaghetti and meatballs and vanilla cakes. This is Meredith sitting next to her friend Quinlan.

This is Meredith's friend Mara taking a photograph at the party.

This is Meredith's grandfather, Dave, grandmother Barb, Shellie, and Ruthie, who used to babysit Meredith frequently (and is my friend Cathy's daughter).

Harbourfront Centre

We like to spend a lot of time at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, a cultural mecca on the waterfront. This is an installation at their contemporary art gallery, the Power Plant, that was part of a show that my firm (Bruce Mau Design) curated called Too Perfect.

Air Canada Centre

Shellie works at the Air Canada Centre, running a charity for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Meredith likes to go there to help her out on game nights, but also to see Raptors games (but this is us at a Leafs game).

CNE and Ontario Place

We go to the "Ex", which is the colloquial way people refer to the Canadian National Exhibition. It occurs in the last three weeks of August. Since I've been a kid it's been a somewhat melancholy affair because, if you're at the Ex, it also means that school's about to start again.

Ontario Place is adjacent to the CNE and used to be an incredible place but lost its way many years ago. It just doesn't seem to know what it wants to be anymore.



Meredith is with Barb, her grandmother (and Shellie's mom).

Cabbagetown Festival

We live near Riverdale Farm. Every year in the park adjacent to the Farm and all around the neighborhood, the residents of Cabbagetown host a street festival. These images are from 2004.

Dairy Queen, Summer of 2005

Shellie's friend Bonnie came to visit us in the summer of 2005. We took her to the great Dairy Queen on Pottery Road overlooking the Don Valley.

AGO Park Day 2004

These photographs were all taken in Grange Park behind the AGO. Meredith was six then.


This is Michelle Jacques, a Curator of Contemporary Art at the AGO, and Maureen, one of Shellie's best friends and also an employee at the AGO.

And this is Gracie, Maureen's daughter. Maureen now has another daughter, Lauren.

The Blackout (8/14/03)

These are images of the Blackout party that we had on our lane that fateful night.

This is Meredith.



And this Shellie, my wife and Meredith's mom.

List of all the cool stuff in Toronto that we're going talk about

Harbourfront Centre
Art Gallery of Ontario
ROM
Ontario Science Centre
Allan Gardens
Riverdale Farm
Toronto Zoo
Air Canada Centre
Bruce Mau Design
University of Toronto
Winchester Public School
Market Lane Public School
St. Lawrence Community Centre
St. Lawrence Market
Canadian Children's Dance Theatre

Restaurants:
Burger Shoppe
Pop Bistro
Breakfast Grill
Tim Horton's
Starbucks
Avenue Diner
Pizza Pizza
The Dominion
Mill Street Pub
Pearl
Il fornello
Mr. Greenjeans
Dairy Queen

Stores:
Apple Store
La Senza Girl
lululemon
Indigo
Chapters
Nicholas Hoare
Eaton Centre
Loblaws
Yorkdale
Ikea

And then our neighborhood:
Our house
Our friends' houses

Jim and Meredith