I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so at around 7 a.m. I decided to go for a little walk about town.
This time I went west, almost as far as the Village Mall, and took some photos in the Waterford Valley/Riverhead/Old West End neighbourhoods, where I rarely venture.
• Video Link
Leaving my street. Mind the poles.
The skeetiest house in Rabbittown.
Pennywell Road. Not to be confused with New Pennywell Road and Old Pennywell Road.
Mind the bay windows blocking the sidewalk.
Lipstick on a pig, b'ys.
Peeking down a little side street. You can see Signal Hill from everywhere.
WAY more duplexes out in this part of town.
Brazil Street. People in the West End had their views blocked by modernity decades ago. They're still pissed off about it and show up to protest every proposal. "If this was a wealthy area, the city would've never allowed these buildings to go up."
There are some nicer sections out this far, though.
Many of the people who live on this street chose it for the name. I know a couple. Considered it myself.
SO MANY DUPLEXES.
Rest in peace, fair lady.
If buy a case of beer with your welfare cheque, get drunk, and squint... it could be an homage to Montreal.
Lots of apartment buildings tucked away in the central courtyards of the duplex blocks.
Patrick Street. This was once a VERY prestigious neighbourhood, but it's become a little rundown and there's lots of lower-quality in-fill.
You can see Signal Hill from here too.
Some streets are as steep as those of the East End.
You do see one thing, not often but with some regularity, in the West End that simply doesn't exist in the East End:
The West End has some odd buildings, like an outdated fire station (all the others in the city have an identical, modern design).
And all of the commercial areas in the West End are under-used.
There are also a lot of factories. There are a few in the East End too, but there seemed to be more of them in the West End.
There are also far fewer superettes (our equivalent of the dep - small selection of groceries, a deli, booze, cigs, lottery, whatever).
And all of the modern in-fill rowhomes have beautiful front drivelawns.
These areas are well outside even the weakest heritage protection zones. Anything goes.
There are also many random pockets of typical suburbia as in-fill.
The process is just beginning for this old property. The existing structure will be refurbished and the extensive estate is being divided up into apartment buildings and townhomes. That's basically the way all of the West End developed.
Mind the fences. They, too, can block the sidewalk.
Stop and smell the flowers. Or don't. They're rotting and stink.
Craigmillar Avenue, the very edge of the old town area. It's all modern after this.
Luckily, they have escape lanes like the East End. I was able to tuck down through the houses to Old Topsail Road.
And from Old Topsail Road I cut down through the General Protestant Cemetery to Waterford Bridge Road.
Never forget who you are or where you come from.
The grand, old estates of Waterford Bridge Road was divided up before WWII, so the new developments down there tend to be of a higher and more beautiful quality than elsewhere in the West End.
St. John's has an abundance of snails. No idea why. I've found up to 20 on my house.
I saved these four.
I decided to take the Waterford River Trail back to the downtown.
And then crossed back at Leslie Street, at the edge of the Downtown West End.
Lots of factories in this part of town.
The train station for a city that no longer has trains.
Now as the westernmost tower, Fortis Place makes a beautiful entrance to the Downtown West End.
So much going up in this part of town, which is very car-centric and not really... consciously... part of the downtown in the minds of locals.
Finally, back to my soul.
I stopped at Rocket Bakery for breakfast - an egg and spinach burrito.
And that gave me the energy I needed to walk home via McBride's Hill and Long's Hill.
Hope ye enjoyed the jaunt.