King Kong

Location: in an alley just north of Bloor and west of Dundas West Station
Date photo taken: 15 April 2015

This full wall mural of King Kong is part of an even larger collection of murals dedicated to silver screen legends painted on the former location of Movies Art Decor. The store is no more, with the owners retiring and shutting up the place in 2014, but the murals remain. They are best seen from the alley north of Bloor that runs east from Dorval Rd., just west of Dundas West station.

Montgomery's Inn

Location: Dundas St. W. between Islington and Montgomery Rd.

Date photo taken: 30 April 2015

This elegant stone building in Etobicoke was built around 1830 for Thomas Montgomery and his family who operated it as an inn until the mid-1850s. It was situated on their 400 acre farm which extended from Bloor to Dundas, and from Kipling to Royal York Road. The farm produced food for the family, for the patrons of the inn and for sale. The building is now an historic site run by the City of Toronto and its varied programming is very much in keeping with the original uses of the site. Some of their regular events include a year-round farmer's market every Wednesday from 2 to 6 pm, Teatime at the Inn every Sunday from 1 to 4 pm, and my personal favourite, Thirsty Thursdays, a traditional evening of food, drinks and live entertainment in the 1847 barroom on the last Thursday of the month. 

Heart of the Distillery

Location: Just south of the south east corner of Parliament and Mill Streets

Date photo taken: 19 August 2015

Sitting in almost the same spot that Koilos once stood, this grand heart now greets visitors to the Distillery District. It was originally installed in 2014 to welcome visitors to the Toronto Christmas Market. At that time, it was adorned with a large sprig of mistletoe, which has long since been removed. The press releases described "Under the Mistletoe" as a 14 x 12 foot sculpture of hot rolled steel inviting "lovers to walk inside the sculpture's arch". With the festive foliage gone, it continues to be a hot photo stop.

Jiggity-Jig

Location: Dundas at Augusta Ave.
Date photo taken: 30 August 2013

This cat striding across a globe is one of several pieces commissioned by the TTC in the late 1990s and placed around the periphery of Kensington Market. Each piece features either a cat, a globe, a chair or some combination of these elements. The works were created by Shirley Yanover in collaboration with David Hlynsky. Originally, the pole on which it was mounted was painted orange and featured a sign for Kensington Market. The upgrade from the original to this colourful robot happened about four years ago. Moses Kofi, an artist known for his work with recycled materials, was commissioned to add the arms, and Javid JAH, a graffiti artist, did the painting.