Bloordale Village

Location: Brock Ave. and Bloor St. W.
Date photo taken: 9 June 2014

Bloordale Village is a bit different than most of the neighbourhoods featured so far on NeaTO. It refers to the stretch of Bloor Street between Lansdowne and Dufferin. To the north is Wallace Emerson and to the south is Brockton Village. In between sits Bloor and, like the areas around it, it's in the midst of a transformation. The House of Lancaster Gentleman's Club, Salvation Army and variety stores now sit side by side with art galleries, vinyl stores, and microbreweries. To follow what's new in the area, check out the Bloordale Village BIA's Facebook page.

Walk Here

Location: In the sidewalk, Bloor St. W. at Brock Ave.
Date photo taken: 9 June 2014

This little bit of sparkle in the sidewalk is part of a street art project initiated by the Bloordale community called the Walk Here Bloordale Community Garden. Local residents were invited to a drawing workshop where they were encouraged to think about the many ways that flowers pop up in our lives, then to draw a flower that reminded them of a time when they either gave or received a flower. One hundred of these drawings were transformed into small stainless steel sculptures by artist Dyan Marie which were then embedded in the sidewalk along Bloor Street when the city re-paved it in 2013. This is a great example of how a local Business Improvement Area can work with city services to positively influence their neighbourhood.

The Bloordale BIA formed in 1976 and their mandate is: Improving the atmosphere, appearance and the economic viability of Bloordale, Bloor Street from Dufferin Street to Lansdowne Avenue. Coming up on July 19 - 20, they are presenting the BIG on Bloor Festival.