An open appreciation of my neighbourhood

[dgrant]

The weather in Toronto has finally turned pleasant. The temps are back down into the mid 20s and the humidity is quite okay. I was walking to the gym around 9pm and it really struck me how gorgeous the Beach can be on a summer evening. Of course the lake is pretty, but we also have quite a bit of green park space with big, mature trees. There are two lawn bowling clubs, a large tennis facility with 10 courts (both clay and hardcourt), a huge Olympic swimming pool, a vast expanse of beach volleyball courts (about 70 of them), Shakespeare in the Park, a pretty lifeguard station, and a huge landscaped park where the old racetrack used to be. I have to say we seem to get preferential treatment from the city parks and rec department, and the area is well-maintained compared to other parts of the city. (No, I don't work for the local chamber of commerce!)

It's really a great place to be a runner. We've got a 3 km long wooden boardwalk as well as the waterfront trail, which runs from Oshawa to Burlington (at least). Also, a higher than average percentage of the population in this neighnourhood runs or is active, so runners definitely aren't gawked at as much.

Anyway, that's my neighbourhood. How's yours?

[ultraslacker]

wow, it sounds great.

my neighbourhood isn't nearly as nice. It's in a rather... scary part of the city, lol. We do have a rec center and park nearby, and are right along the top of the river valley for easy access to the trails. The best part, though, is Ada Boulevard. It's a road the runs along the top of the river valley, and it is relatively uninterrupted for miles--very little traffic, no stop lights, and a gorgeous view (valley on one side, rich houses on the other). I use it as an out-and-back route for any runs 8 miles or shorter, and have yet to tire of it.

[lastmilelori]

My neighbourhood is a small town military community. Some may think that this is a negative, but I love it here.

I live in a semi-suburban area where I can chat with anyone on my street. My kids are free to play at the park that is a block away. My nine year old son is welcome to explore the woods in our backyard and collect "specimens" He loves to truck off to the creek nearby and catch tadpoles. In the winter we walk on the frozen creek bed to our favourite tobogganing spot. One of the highlights of the walk is to stop at the beaver dam and try to find the air hole. The three kids are in awe that at that moment, they are within inches of a hibernating beaver.

We have top notch recreation facilities. My kids play soccer and swim, my nine year old plays basketball, my husband plays hockey and I have access to the best running scenery. My favourite run is to run along the Ottawa River to a deeply wooded trail that leads to an old fish hatchery. It's amazing.

We can ride our bikes to four beautiful beaches in the summer, I can run in a riot of colour in the fall and in the winter we can take to the ice on frozen outdoor rinks. My kids love to lace up at a neighbours backyard rink.

So there is my neighbourhood. It is a small town but I think it's a great place to grow up.

Lori

[Karin]

I love my neighbourhood. It's all residential and very quiet. The people are all very friendly. There are tons of parks and trails around my house as my area is surrounded by woods. We don't have any jaw-dropping scenery because everywhere you look is housing but it's very pleasant to run through the streets just the same.

Karin

[La]

Gee, David, your neighbourhood sounds exactly like mine... wait! It IS mine! I agree wholeheartedly. I've lived in the 'hood for over 10 years and I feel more at home here than in any other neighbourhood of the city I've lived in.

[lovethehills]

I live on Queens Quay West in Toronto. I love it so much. We face the water, which makes the city feel so much bigger and not as busy. Of course there are SO many runners out this way. I can look out my window at almost any time of day if I need inspiration to get out, there is always someone running along the trail.

This time of year it's just buzzing with people. Tourists, runners, school groups. Every weekend there is free entertainment at the CIBC World stage. As well as different cultural food sampling. It really is amazing.

In the winter it dies down significantly. All the boats are taken out of the water and the kiosks taken down. It looks a little desolate, but I sure do enjoy the quiet and uncrowded streets. That being said, it's always SO exciting when the boats start going back in the water in the spring.

I don't think I'd live anywhere else in Toronto now.

[RA.]

My neighbourhood is a small town military community. Some may think that this is a negative, but I love it here.

It is a small town but I think it's a great place to grow up.

Lori

Lori, i have to agree with you. i grew up in a military family, and we lived quite a few places. but there were always so many opportunities for us, and lots of kids to play with. i loved it and wouldn't change a thing. and, i also got to experience living in different parts of the country.

I live right on the outskirts of downtown Halifax now. I am a 20 minute walk from just about anything I want to do. I walk out my front door and I am on the commons which is a lovely grassy area with baseball diamonds, a huge fountain, and i love playing frisbee there! We have a waterfront boardwalk that i run on usually once a week, and i walk it daily on my lunch break. We have the beautiful Public Gardens. And of course, my favorite place to run, Point Pleasant Park which also has Shakespeare by the Sea in the summer. I love it here.

[jacob42.2]

My neighbourhood is a small town military community. Some may think that this is a negative, but I love it here.
Lori

Petawawa was by the far the nicest base I've ever lived on growing up. Black Bear Beach, and those awesome rapids...hanging out at the Catwalk, going boating with my old man down at the yatch club, the Canada Day stuff on the hill at the Golf Course...man it was nice there.

My new neighbourhood in Ottawa is plagued with construction and massive comerce build up. We have a 2 Loeb's 2k apart from each other. Same goes for a Tim's. However, the residential streets all around are awesome for running and biking. Just up the road we have a huge man made pond with a nice trail around it (1k long) and about 3.5k down the road, we have the NCC path that stretches over 20k of awesome running by the Ottawa River. Very nice. And mostly gravel. I have several tracks within 2k of my house. And just down the road about 10k, in Blackburn They have an indoor 400m full rubber track for winter. Good Stuff.