a difference of opinion

I recently had a letter printed in Now Magazine about how I felt about the couches left behind at the 'Parkdale Globe Sit-In'. Here's that letter,

Parkdale problems

Re Parking it in Parkdale (NOW, April 6-12). I applaud the people behind the sit-in in Parkdale for wanting to make a difference, but couches were left behind on the street. Not only is that littering, but guess what? The very next day those couches were being used by the homeless and drug dealers, just like the Parkdale BIA said would happen. Did anyone really think that leaving old couches on the sidewalk was a good thing? Some people see Parkdale's inevitable gentrification as the major problem, but they clearly overlook the substance abuse, prostitution and crime that are still happening every single day.

Me

Parkdale

He're someone who seemed to take offence at my letter,

Couch Potato
as someone who's lived, worked and hung out in Parkdale for the past 10 years, I was appalled by Mike Langevin's letter (NOW, April 13-19) griping that the couches left behind from the Parkdale Globe sit-in were taken over the next day "by the homeless and drug dealers." First of all, all the couches were hauled off within a couple of days, but when they were still there I saw moms with kids and ordinary Parkdale folks using them. I don't think any dealer would be stupid enough to do business in such an exposed area.

Maybe the folks he saw were ordinary people without cash who live in P-dale?And maybe that's the point. Space for regular people to hang out in Parkdale is shrinking all the time.

Them

Parkdale

"Seriously appalled" ??? I'm just going to have to write back to Now and see what happens. *names have been edited out, but their's is the longest name I've ever heard.

a weekend well spent

I took a few days off work and headed down
to South Beach with some friends.

We stayed at 3rd and Collins, right near the beach.
(under the red aarow thingy)

This shot was taken from a deep sea fishing boat.
It's a really long way from Parkdale.

another day

Word on the street was that someone took a swing
at a cop. I was sitting in Rhino and saw 4 cars
fly by at insane speeds. I guess if you hit a cop
it becomes a very big deal, very quickly.
Queen and O'Hare streets, 10:00pm

This is where the new soccer stadium is being built
on the CNE grounds. Maybe I'm not 100% correct,
but I consider the CNE a Parkdale place.

Dear MLSE, please DO NOT call the new team
"Inter Toronto FC". That's just ripping off a tradition
that we dont have here in Canada. The MLS is new,
so make your own traditions. PLEASE!!!!

The fish at the Stone's Place.
I hope that fish like vibrations,
because the music is blasting.
They seem happy to me,
at least as happy as a fish can be.

Recka is on some next level

sunnyside!

make sure to check out Envision Toronto

The inner courtyard at Sunnyside Pavilian.
This is a great place for summer dancing.


I love this place
Patio opens May 1st.

Someone was doing work in Sunnyside and
they left the main gates open. I just had to sneak in!
Look at the whispy things that look like
the ghosts of old hammocks.

A good friend of mine just got laid off from a job,
Patio drinks are on me, I still owe you.

What's Good In The Hood?

Graffiti in the Milky Way.
Makes me smile, because it's positive,
but not eveyone could tell you that.

I think I've found the worst balcony in Toronto.
Not only is it above the entrance to the garage,
but there's never sunlight AND it's public housing.
I guess it's still better than none, right?

side note: I miss Industry.
I wish it was still open.

April Fools!

Big changes in the next few years!
The city is planning an extension of Dufferin St
that will eliminate the jog under the bridge
and past the Gladstone. I bet when that happens
the plaza on the South West corner gets bought
up to make a Tim Hortons. I'd put money on that bet.

interesting fact: There are no gas stations in parkdale.

The wadding pool on Cowan.
It used to have a mosaic tile paint job
until last summer. I wish I took the pic then.

Parkdale's Smallest Church
(that I've seen, there might be smaller)

A new place opening up on Queen at Cowan.
It looks very nice inside and gives off a good vibe.
The place reminds me a bit of the Beaconsfield,
and I love how the left the old bike shop sign.
Two doors to the left is a very boozy dive.

* I'm using an improvised fisheye, poorly.

good idea - bad idea

Some people in the area are rightfully upset that the Globe 'monument to world peace' doesn't have benches or anything that makes a good public square. These people organized a little rally to bring down chairs and show that you need to put the public into public spaces. The city was reserved about putting in benches because drug dealers and the homeless tend to use them for extended periods and that scares away people. Looks like someone from the 'sit in at the globe' just proved the city's point. And leaving a couch on the sidewalk is littering. Someone's going to have to take it away, but now instead of smelling like your musty basement, it's going to smell a lot worse.

I applaud the people behind the sit-in for wanting to make a difference, but adding window dressing isn't going to change the nature of the area overnight. There's still crime, there's still homeless people and there's still drugs. I saw three of the local Brock St. rummies smoking crack in the middle of the afternoon. Unfortunately that's still a part of this area, and no amount of benches and statues will change that. Maybe the OVER THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS spent on the globe could have gone somewhere else? I'm just sayin'....