The window of a lovely Leslieville hard loft, on Carlaw.

Where does downtown Toronto start and end? For many Torontonians the downtown core is where the city began and where the most iconic buildings that define the city are located. Think – CN Tower, Queen’s Park, the St. Lawrence Market, The Royal York Hotel…

But in this era of rapid growth is the downtown core limited to that area west of the Don Valley Parkway, east of Spadina, north of the Lake and south of Bloor St.? For some the downtown core is creeping beyond those informal boundaries.

In this episode we take the question to the neighbourhood of Leslieville – an old neighbourhood just outside of the traditional downtown core but gradually looking very much like part of downtown Toronto.

The new Cooper Koo Family YMCA on Cherry Street recently opened their beautiful roof top garden and we were there to learn how this new area of the facility will contribute to the fitness and recreational experience for members and residents.

In this week’s podcast Michelle and I talk about how fitness has become one of the most enjoyable and accessible parts of our lifestyle as newer downtown city residents. One of the best amenities in our GTA communities helping to make this possible is the YMCA and the Cooper Koo Family YMCA’s new rooftop area is really something to explore and enjoy. Listen to the podcast to learn more.

It’s fall in the city and for some of us this is the BEST time of year. The leaves are changing into glorious shades of orange and the weather is perfect for long walks through Toronto’s great neighbourhoods and into cozy local cafes and restaurants. On this week’s podcast we take you into a lovely Old Town Toronto restaurant – Le Petit Dejeuner.

Listen and subscribe to this podcast via iTunes

Street car tracks on Cherry Street in the Canary District

This episode kicks off the new format for the City Living Guide podcast. Former suburban resident and new urbanite living in downtown Toronto – Michelle Lynch – has joined City Living Guide as podcast co-host!

In this episode Michelle and I decide to take an evening walk through Corktown and Canary District – old areas of the city that have gone through tremendous  developments rendering them new in many respects.

We hope you enjoy the tour!

It’s the last long weekend of the summer – Labour Day Weekend and in our Episode 3 podcast we highlight some of the activities and events to celebrate food, history and art!

September 4-7: Hot and Spicy Food Festival at Harbourfront – 235 Queen’s Quay West.

September 4: Kensington Market Crawl, Baldwin and Spadina (exact location given once registered).  Sponsored by Savour Toronto.

September 4-7: Artfest Toronto, Distillery District, 55 Mill St.

Our Restaurant pick: Le Petit Dejeuner, 191 King St. E.

Hopefully you’ll get to attend one or more of the events we’ve shared, if so, please share your feedback below.

This podcast is designed to be help residents (and future residents) of Toronto to get the most out of the healthy and sustainable lifestyle possible for those choosing to live in downtown Toronto. If you have ideas or questions you’d like us to explore in future episodes, please share your comments below.

Enjoy the long weekend!

If a neighbourhood association means anything at all to you, it typically brings to mind a group of residents who create rules and guidelines for external home improvements and maybe put on a special event or two. In truth, these groups of volunteers can create the kind of change that has significant impact on the quality of life and success of the people and businesses who put roots down in a neighbourhood.

These associations can assume all sorts of roles that can bring enormous benefit, not just to the community, but to the city as a whole. In many great cities and towns, neighbourhood associations are area boosters, business advocates, commercial and residential development partners, neighbourhood watch coordinators, environment czars, youth champions, seniors champions, gardeners, and a host of other roles that are as varied as the people who give life and meaning to these groups.

Dwight Peters, President, SLNA

In this second episode of the City Living Guide Podcast we’ll be interviewing Dwight Peters, president of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA). This unique neighbourhood is adjacent to Canada’s financial centre and nestled comfortably in Toronto’s renowned theatre and “Old Town Toronto” historic districts. Of course, the neighbourhood is also famous for being home of the world’s #1 food market – the St. Lawrence Market.

This highly walkable and picturesque neighbourhood of 35,000, is a mecca for tourists, and has been equally adored by Torontonians for decades.  One of the reasons the St. Lawrence neighbourhood is so appealing is that it has a resident’s association diligently working behind the scenes to ensure the neighbourhood maintains its unique historic character while being welcoming and working collaboratively with the city, local businesses, and the significant and increasing number of developers creating new homes and businesses in the community.

For more information about the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood visit: http://www.slna.ca/, and of course, listen to this episode of our podcast.

Welcome to our first introductory podcast for City Living Guide. In this episode I share some of the reasons thousands of people are making the move to our great cities.

I also share what this new experience has been like for my family and I offer a great tip for smart entrepreneurs and real estate investors.

Reference was made in this episode to one of the leading influences shaping our most successful cities today – American-Canadian journalist and urbanist Jane Jacobs. Jane passed away in 2006 but her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities

is a must read for anyone interested not only the design of cities but how we live better lives in well planned cities.

Our sponsor for this episode is Elis Financial-Toronto’s leading Mortgage Brokers. For information on securing a mortgage for your home or refinancing, contact Chet McMillan – [email protected] / (416) 702-7176.