Exploring family-friendly activities in Parkdale

Can you believe we are coming up on 8 years of living in Parkdale? It’s crazy how time flies when you are having fun.

For those that don’t know, Parkdale is a neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto and is one of the oldest parts of the city.

This west-end neighbourhood that we call home, boasts a rich immigrant history, with waves of Polish, Afro-Caribbean, Filipino, and Vietnamese immigrants have called it home. Today, Parkdale hosts one of North America’s largest Tibetan expat communities—and if you walk around, has the restaurants to prove it.

Many years ago, Parkdale was a part of the city I rode my bike through as quickly as I could on my way to work. It did not have a great rep. Funny enough, many years later it is where I ended up living. And I am very happy it worked out that way.

Today I wanted to quickly list some family-friendly activities in Parkdale. Whether you have little kids, big kids, or no kids, I think they all work.

Tour De Parkdale – Bike Riders Can Stop, But They Won’t Stop

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You noticed I called them “bike riders”. They are not cyclists in my eyes. To me a cyclist rides for exercise, sport and the love of having a fine tuned machine as their mode of transport. I also bet they follow the rules of the road.

Since the summer began, the amount of “bike riders” in our area has increased dramatically. Duh. It’s nice out. It’s better than being stuck on a streetcar and it’s great to get that breeze in your face. But….

It’s also a time for more annoying and somewhat dangerous experiences when walking.

The cross walk at the end of our street is a 3-way intersection with our street being a one-way. There is a bike lane of the main street we connect with. It’s just houses really.

So what happens is, bike riders like to cruise through the intersection without ever stopping. Honest. I watch and actually make a point of noting when a bike rider stops. It has not happened in many weeks. Hell I will take a slow roll or yield.

#Parkdale Life: Fall Day at the Parkdale Flea Market

Starting a new series today, called #Parkdale Life. Seems appropriate as this is where we live now and I really enjoy walking the streets and exploring everything the neighbourhood has to offer. I am also becoming more conscious about supporting local business and showing our kids that everything does not come from Walmart.

We have been to numerous Parkdale places so I have some catching up to do. I figured I would start the series off with our first visit to the Parkdale Flea. I have seen the signs many times but we have never gone. Seems silly as we live around the corner.

It was also a good place to visit with the boys as we were getting some exercise on a lovely Sunday morning. I had no idea what to expect.

For those not familiar with the Parkdale Flea, it’s where local artists and businesses promote their goods in this old building just off of Queen Street. It’s free and there is something new every time.

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Go Mudding in #Parkdale At Electric Mud BBQ

Since we moved into our new neighbourhood (Parkdale), one restaurant has been taunting us to go with its smokey smells and vibrant wall art. I am talking about Electric Mud BBQ located at Queen and Brock in Toronto.

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Not only do we walk by it every day, we keep hearing great things about the BBQ food they put out. My interest was piqued at BBQ. We used to live up near Barque on Roncy and after finally eating at Electric Mud recently, we have definitely found our new close-to-home BBQ place.

I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so we can experience the patio, while again, being within stumbling distance to home.

Before I get started on sharing our first dining experience there, my one piece of advice would be to reserve a table. We tried to drop in before and were greeted by a 45 minute wait. Also, based on how scarce parking becomes on our street at night, I know Electric Mud is doing just fine.

What We Had Heard

Before we even moved into Parkdale there was buzz about this place. I had heard the name and that they did great BBQ. We were told it was very “hipster” and “trendy” and online reviews commented on the high prices despite it being a little on the grungy side. I figured it was just off Queen Street and was popular, so of course prices would be a little high. But also, good BBQ is not cheap. When you smoke meat for several hours or more, you can’t just give it away.

So going in, we had an idea in our head and since I do a lot of backyard smoking myself, I do have high expectations for BBQ.