In terms of pedestrian unfriendly the areas you described yes, but more so it’s not easy to move around as a pedestrian. More car free streets would be nice, more streets with a bike lane buffer, etc. Also the traffic light cycle is really long, feels like you’re standing forever at some lights but again I’m sure they’ve done studies and that’s the most efficient for traffic. Other things that are unavoidable - such as the sidewalks being fully or partially blocked due to construction and the heavy flow of loud car traffic nearby can be wearing but all to be expected in most big cities and it really didn’t damper my enjoyment of the city.
Ironically another highlight was the nice residential streets running across Bloor in both directions even though I didn’t share any pics of those! Here’s one below from the phone, but most of the phone pics just weren’t of good enough quality and I didn’t bring a wide angle lens as I travelled only with a backpack. Next time I’ll bring two lenses, you really need a wide angle lens to get decent shots of residential homes.
Yah, I should pop the pics into a thread there - thanks softee.
Also, I have to give you credit, as I’ve been watching a lot more of your walking streams on YouTube the past few months along with Johnny for quite a while and even some of tshods now.
The passion ya’ll show for your city shines through and was what made me come for a visit as you break through the tourism spin as well as the negative stereotypes. I’m someone who loves walking for hours, exploring, taking photos, digging deeper into a city’s history and current urbanism and it’s nice to be inspired by others doing the same thing - kudos!
Thanks Giallo - I wondered what my style would look like in Toronto, I guess it worked still, haha.
It was a solo trip as there was no interest from family or friends in going unfortunately. People who just look at me blankly when I said Toronto, said “Why?” or “I’d rather go somewhere else”. Maybe that’s partly being on Vancouver Island and it’s out of sight and mind, also folks originally from Toronto don’t have much good to say about the city (often the case for former residents of any city). People say they’d rather go to Montreal, Quebec, New York, Miami, Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, anywhere in Europe.
Nice photos FrAnKs - this one looks like the cannons are protecting the historic core of the city from the onslaught on modern architecture! Although Édifice d'Youville looks good from this angle.
Thanks Rico, and General Lee would you say Hamilton is the best bet for downtown style photography outside of Toronto yet within easy commuting reach?
Hart House is a fine dining establishment in Burnaby and close to us, yet this past Mother's Day was our first visit to it. The impressive main building was originally built in 1906, as a residence for a wealthy businessman and was eventually converted into a restaurant in 1988.
Architecturally the building represent the Tudor Revival style.
The building holds a heritage status from the City of Burnaby.
Inside, the former residence has been converted to a restaurant with good taste, retaining lot of the old characteristics.
The Mother's Day buffet table wasn't the largest in town, but it was still fantastic! Here is just a small sample of what was being offered.
The restaurant is located in a very green part of the city, right next to Deer Lake and offers some fantastic views across the water.
Needless to say that we will be back at for another visit to try out their regular menu, too!
I’ve never heard of that restaurant, but then again, much of Burnaby is a mystery to me. While I’m not a big fan of Metrotown (or Brentwood) in terms of a pedestrian/urban experience, it looks great in pictures.
Those last two pics are the offspring of an Edmonton/Toronto one night stand.
The Deer Lake area is one of the nicest parts in Burnaby. So green all around, nice lake to walk around, great skyline views, Hart House and then the Burnaby Village Museum are all worth seeing.
My dad used to live in the Hart House back in 1966 when he was going to SFU. Back then, it was an old mansion that needed renters. 19 dudes lived in that place when my dad was there. They were all kicked out after multiple calls to the police for noise and partying.
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Although Édifice d'Youville looks good from this angle. 
Nice selection. I think I'm starting to like the northward skyline views more than the traditional south-facing shots.
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