Today I'm channelling my inner Drake and introducing a new series on this blog: VIEWS IN THE 6. I've lived in Toronto for four years now and these four years have been filled with some of the most amazing adventures and new discoveries of my life. Calgary will always have my heart, but I adore Toronto and everything that it has to offer. This series will feature some of my favourites places in the city, whether that be a park, coffee house, or even a random intersection. I hope this series inspires you to explore your surroundings, and maybe even visit some of my favourites places in Toronto.
UNDERPASS PARK - RIVER CITY
First stop, one of the places that I hold closest to my heart. This hidden gem lies beneath the Richmond and Adelaide ramps, utilizing urban space to accommodate a new and trendy neighbourhood. I used to live in Corktown, just one street up from this park, and have seen bits and pieces of River City being built day by day, year by year. I still remember the first time I stumbled upon this park... 12AM, a friend of mine wanted to take a walk (and yes we grabbed two Canadian cans for the walk) and we took the long way around, walking through small streets and zones that were still in construction. After climbing a hill of rocks (which has since been fenced up so you cannot climb up the rocks anymore), we found the Underpass.
This park has maintained a reputation in my mind as grounds for "reflection". The Underpass Park is very personal to me; I have spent many cold winter nights sipping on French Vanillas with exes and good friends, I've walked and ran through the area more times than I can remember, and going back to the park for this blog post was very nostalgic for me considering I can't find the time to visit often anymore.
The Underpass Park is the first of its kind and scale in the City of Toronto, and is a fantastic use of urban space. In addition to the architecture and design of the park, I love how youthful urban art is incorporated into the overall aesthetic of the park. At first glance you may think it is random graffiti painted on the columns of the underpass, but they are actually beautiful murals painted by local artists in Toronto, allowing for a diverse patchwork of styles to the park, showcasing the diversity of art in the city. If you were driving above this underpass, you would never even guess what is beneath it. The murals stand as testaments to the vibrancy and social power of urban spaces which an increasing number of Torontonians are learning to celebrate. The photo above depicts human pillars, holding up the city above them. This is a nod to the fact that it is the people and communities that hold up a society, not concrete infrastructure and pillars, reminding us that a city's real pillars are its people.
Stay tuned for more Views in the 6!
Love,
Nancy
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