Female Masc – St. James Cathedral

Location: St. James Cathedral, Church and King
Date photo taken: 20 April 2013
Image 4 in the Mascs of Toronto Series

In a previous post, a crowned man's head was featured from the Cathedral Church of St. James. While the majority of figures on the building are male, there are some women represented. As with the men, they appear to represent different stages of life and ranks in society.

2:10 Shadow

Location: Shuter St. east of Yonge
Date photo taken: 8 Sep 2014

I saw this interesting bit of paint on the sidewalk the other day and was intrigued. The colour and stark rendering are reminiscent of the lines and marks that appear on roads and sidewalks before construction teams go to work and yet the effect is whimsical. So what is this? Is it part of a city project tracking sunlight and the shadow effects of potential buildings? Or is it art? Further down Shuter Street, a parking ticket kiosk has been given the same treatment, but with two different coloured shadows representing different times. I haven't yet noticed these shadow markers anywhere else.

If you know anything about this shadow art, or have seen other instances, leave a comment!

Snapshot - King & Sherbourne

Location: Southeast corner of King & Sherbourne, taken from the northwest corner
Date photo taken: 3 September 2014
Image 1 in the Snapshot Series

As regular readers of this blog will know, I'm just as fascinated by how this city is changing as I am about the neat stuff you find in it. Often while walking I'll see a new building and find myself wondering what was there before. My memory can be short. Sometimes I'll take note of fantastic streetscapes and wonder how they will change in the coming years. Long ago I started to take pictures of pieces of the city, bits of streetscapes and storefronts, corner views and vacant lots. I'm going to start posting a few of them here as Snapshots. I anticipate many won't include text beyond date and location.

In this Snapshot, the King and Sherbourne facades of the designated heritage building at 251 King St. E. are being preserved to add character to the 17 storey boutique condominium being built on the site. The building, which dates from the mid-1800s, was for many years the National Hotel.

The Kingsway Neighbourhood

Location: Intersection of Bloor St. W. and Jackson Avenue
Date photo taken: 19 April 2014
Image 2 in the Neighbourhoods Series

Neighbourhood BIAs, or business improvement areas, are active in neighbourhoods throughout the city and work, as their name implies, to make their areas more attractive to local customers and tourists alike. The Kingsway BIA, which covers the area between Dundas and Bloor from Mimico Creek to the Humber River, has been around, at least in spirit, since 1949 when the Kingsway Business Men's Association was formed. This coming weekend, they are hosting Taste of the Kingsway, a festival which features great food, beer and wine gardens and lots of entertainment including music, a midway, dog show, 3D chalk art and more. Hockey great Darryl Sittler will also be on hand Sunday to sign autographs. Festivities are centered around Royal York subway station.

For more about neighbourhoods and customized street signs, check out the earlier NeaTO post about the Church-Wellesley Village.