Above: The view looking southwards down the street that I currently live on...I say "currently" because I have decided to move. Alas, not yet to New York (I'm a firm believer in timing, and the timing just isn't right for me right now), but I definitely need to get myself out of this BASEMENT that I am living in! However lovely as it may be. So I gave my two months notice at the beginning of this month and began the constant perusal of Craiglist. I have decided that not only do I want to live above ground, but I also want to live with people again. Enough of this alone stuff! So I randomly answered an ad that I guess most people wouldn't...
I actually just went into my email account and found the copy of the ad that I sent myself before I replied, here it is:
"We are about to buy a house in our beloved neighbourhood of the JUNCTION. We're devoted to this great little community...but we're also devoted to living from just one income while we raise our little boy (13 mos). Sooooo how to buy a house, stay in the junction, and still be an at-home-mama??????
Well, we are wondering if there are any peaceful, cool, open, child-friendly, creative, interesting, community-minded people out there that would like to rent a room (the bedrooms are HUGE) in our new house. Its a great place. You and possibly another would have the run of the upstairs, with a huge bathroom and laundry. We would share the living space (living w. fireplace, dining, kitchen, den, patio, garage, wireless internet, ample street parking). Who knows maybe we could even make a room/board arrangement of sorts and I will cook for us all...for a bit extra.
We are looking for Feb.08. If this interests you - let me know. It could be the start of something really great."
Well, I guess I felt like this really could be the start of something quite great so I wrote an email to this anonymous craigslist post-er... Only to find out that this woman is in fact someone I would consider a "long lost friend", someone that I worked with during the first year that I lived in Toronto (when I was 19!)and have some really great memories with, someone I have often thought about over the past few years... Crazy!
So anyhow, after some excited emails and then some missed emails and a lot of hilarious drama that thankfully worked out in the end, Laura and I ended up meeting for hot chocolate this afternoon. And I met her lovely little 13 month old son, Henry. We spent an amazingly lovely afternoon together and then her husband Louis came home from work and we enjoyed a nice dinner together. And I think this IS the beginning of something really great!
So here is what The Junction looked like last Thursday (not as snowy as it was today), when I took my own little private field-trip out to check out the neighbourhood on my own (before meeting up with Laura this week):
And just for fun, here are some pics that I took last weekend, of the lovely little bookstore where I currently work:
(Above: The View From My Desk)
So, I guess my life's not lookin' too bad these days, hey?
1 comment:
The Junction is a funny place.
It really is the last outpost of downtown urban life in Toronto.
On Dundas there are neat restaurants, cool bars, some neat shops, but when you literally cross the train tracks on St Clair you find plain parking lot, big box store, planned housing life.
I've found the community there a bit insular, perhaps because it is sort of off the path of traditional 'downtown toronto'. That being said, it sounds like an interesting living situation, and I'm sure that since you've conquered (in order) the Annex & Queen West (or West Queen West whatever that means), it will bring new (perhaps one last) bit of Toronto life to explore before you assume your rightful place as queen of New York City =)
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