Since I was walking back to Broadview Station, Ursula and I parted ways just a few steps from our house. It wasn't too bad as I was walking along, but I saw from the flags that I had a stiff tail wind. That would mean a strong head wind once I started the actual walk. The forecast was calling for snow to start around noon.
I arrived back at Broadview Station, and then walked the half block back to Danforth Avenue, better known as The Danforth. This is the Greek area of town. Every summer, on the second weekend in August, they blocked off Danforth from Broadview to Jones for A Taste of the Danforth. It's a celebration of Greek culture, with concerts and food along the street. It draws a million people every year.
I read somewhere that the Danforth has one of the highest concentrations of restaurants of anywhere in the world. There are many Greek restaurants, but also restaurants of every other type. Here at Broadview it's before the Greek restaurants start.
This is my neighbourhood, so I've walked up and down the street many times. Every time I do it seems there's something new. But it's only been a few day since the last time, so we'll see.
I started walking down Danforth. I passed the dance studio where Ursula and I take salsa lessons. Past the Bad Dog Theatre, an improv theater, where we saw the Frantics. Next is the Danforth Music Hall. This was my local rep cinema when I moved to the neighbourhood. It was part of the Festival chain. They closed it down, and the new owners turned it into a concert venue, where I've seen such acts as 54-40. They also put on plays here. I saw The Toxic Avenger Musical here. The Music Hall was used in the film Chicago.
The wind was nasty, and once again my fingers were going numb when I took pictures.
Just north of the Danforth is the Playter house. This was the original farmhouse in the area. It was still owned by the original family until a few years ago. The new owners are fixing it up now.
Cookie Connection has closed down, so there is something new this time.
I hit Asteria, the first Greek restaurant.
Next we come to the Carrot Common. This contains the Big Carrot, which is the organic grocery store where I shop. It also contains the Big Carrot Dispensary, so I went in to pick up some vitamins.
A little further on is Grassroots, where I buy bulk organic cleaning products.
After Chester Station we're in the heart of Greektown. There are many many Greek restaurants. There's also the Detroit Eatery, which is Jim Cuddy's favorite cheap eats place. One of the Red Wings brought the Stanley Cup here a couple of years ago. There's Demetre's, a great ice cream place.
I went into a convenience store to buy stamps. And a lottery ticket, since the jackpot is $50 million.
I passed Omonia, my favorite Greek restaurant. And Pappas Grill, which can be seen in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
I got to Logan, where Alexander the Great park is. During the Taste of the Danforth they have a stage set up here. They used to have a lot of great bands playing, but now they've gone back to their Greek roots. But over the years I've seen 54-40, the Jim Cuddy Band, the Crash Test Dummies, the Grapes of Wrath, the Skydiggers, the Cash Brothers, the Rheostatics, Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, Ron Sexsmith, the Supers, etc.
Further up is Athens Pastries, which has the best galaktobourikos.
There's Mr. Greek in its new location. Apparently Mr. Greek's wife ran off with Mr. Greek's cook, and started the Friendly Greek across the street. Later Mr. Greek started franchising across the city. Then the original location changed its name to the Greek Grill, and this location became Mr. Greek.
I found a mailbox and mailed the letter that I bought the stamps for.
Next I past my gym.
I got to Pape Station, which is my subway station.
Across the street from Pape Station is the former restaurant where the reception in My Big Fat Greek Wedding took place. But it closed down a few years ago, and the statues are all gone now.
Just south of Danforth is the Pape Danforth library. I thought I was going to have to go in here today to renew my library book, because I couldn't do it online. But then I tried a different browser and it worked.
As we continue along, we pass my street. The Greek restaurants dwindle. There's a new e-bike store.
I stopped to check out the opening hours of the new vegetarian restaurant.
Just past Jones is the last Greek restaurant. Then we get into in more downscale neighbourhood. There seems to be in new bakery.
I passed The Only Café. It was made famous by the song "Just About 'The Only' Blues", by the Lowest of the Low. "Let's get a table by the window/beneath the shot of Chairman Mao."
This next stretch is the Muslim area of town. I see they finally finished refurbishing the mosque that they've been working on for the last couple of years.
I passed the place with the funeral home across the street from the old folks home.
There are lots of new Ethiopian and Moroccan restaurants that have opened up along here in the last six months or so. There are also a couple of new Thai restaurants.
Just past Greenwood is the Laxmi Theatre. When I first moved to Toronto it was known as the Roxy, and was part of the Festival chain. It was where they had midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for many years. The Festival chain closed it down, and it sat empty for many years. Then this guy bought it up and refurbished it. He tried showing Indian movies there. Then regular movies. Then porn. He kept bouncing between formats, but I guess none of them worked. Eventually he closed it down. It sat empty for many more years. I read in the local paper the other day that Esso has bought it, and that they were going to refurbish it and put in a Tim Horton's. I see they've knocked down the auditorium, have only kept the front of the building with the lobby. It's sad.
Greenwood Station is actually a block past Greenwood.
The next section contains more new Ethiopian and Moroccan restaurants. There's a new Internet café.
I passed the apartment where my brother and his girlfriend lived for many years.
Then the Cyclepath where Ursula's brother rented a bike when he was here.
The subway stations along the Danforth are generally about a half a block north of it, and can be seen from Danforth. However, to get to the Coxwell station, you have to walk a block north, and then go around the corner.
Next I passed my physiotherapist's office, and the Danforth Coxwell Library. This marks the end of the section that I generally walk.
I came to the Hollywood Canteen. I was surprised to find it was still here. When I first moved to Toronto I often came here. It sells old movie posters. I'm not sure if it's still in the same location as it was back then. The front of the place is now taken up with the philatelist.
Next I came to the flooring place where we've been trying to get an estimate to redo the floor in our basement. I went in and he said that his guy had sent an e-mail with the estimate, but I never received it. He didn't have the sheet with the dimensions of the basement, so he couldn't give me an estimate right in there. He said he would get his guy to send us the estimate this afternoon. I said I could call him with the measurements when I got home. Anyways, it was nice to get out of the cold.
There's the art supply store where my brother and his girlfriend once had the display in the window for their animation classes.
This is more downscale neighbourhood.
At Main Street the subway starts to curve away from the Danforth. I followed the lane that goes beside the subway station, and then walked through residential streets. There was a co-op in here.
I cut through a park, and reached an area of high-rise apartment buildings. The streets ended, but there were sidewalks for the apartment dwellers.
The subway emerges from the ground, and takes a bridge over top of Victoria Park Avenue. A pedestrian bridge parallels the subway. The parking lot at this station is where I used to park to catch the ski bus. Most of the parking lot is now under construction.
At this point I went off route in order to find a place to eat lunch. It was early, but I knew that this would be my last chance. I walked a couple of blocks south back to the Danforth, where Shoppers World is. I started many bike rides here. I went into Staples to look for printer cables, but they didn't have what I wanted. There's a small enclosed mall area by the Zellers, where I found a bench and had my lunch. This was my default Zellers when I first moved to the neighbourhood.
After eating I walked back to the Victoria Park Station.
At the other end of the station another sidewalk leads to the high-rise apartment buildings on the other side of Victoria Park.
I went down into Warden Woods Park. There's a bike path which follows a stream, which I discovered when I was biking with Ursula's brother. It's down in a ravine, and the subway runs along the top of the ravine. It was nice being in the valley, because there was no wind. 
I emerged from the ravine at Warden and St. Clair, where the Warden Station is. When I was looking at the map for today's walk, I realized that I didn't know where the Warden Station was. Whenever I saw the station when I was driving past, I assumed it was on the Scarborough RT. I realized that I'd never been on or off at the station, so I tagged it.
On the north side of St. Clair is where the Warden Power Centre used to be. It was a factory outlet mall. If I had known that Warden Station was here, I would've taken the subway rather than driving here. Now the Warden Power Centre has been replaced by lowrise condos.
I took a short walk along St. Clair, under the subway, and into a park. The subway goes back underground at this point. the park has a stream on one side, and the backyards of houses on the other.
I walked up to a street, and through a residential area. It was an area of 1950s semis. I walked up Pharmacy for a short while, and then off onto more residential side streets. This area was bungalows. The first flakes of snow started falling.
I then followed a Hydro corridor, which took me to Kennedy. Kennedy station is a block south of Eglinton, just east of Kennedy.
When I got home I measured the basement, and called the floor guy. Later that afternoon he e-mailed me the estimate. This time I received it.
On Friday I walked along the Danforth to my physioptherapist's. A new taco place had popped up.
Meanwhile, I won $20 in the lottery.
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2010 paul Stockton. All rights reserved.
Last updated: February 28, 2010