My Town

[EC]

All this talk of how wicked Louisville is made me think about my town, and how much I like it, too.  And I'm always interested in hearing what people think about their towns.

I live in Toronto.  Winters are cold and damp, but can be really beautiful.  Probably most of you southern us kids would find it extremely cold, but there are colder places in Canada.  The damp makes it feel colder, though.

Summers are really, really hot, although last summer, apparently, wasn't too bad.  (I can't say, because I wasn't here.)  Spring and Fall are absolutely amazing, as I'm sure they are everywhere.  Because we have a lot of trees (in pockets and parks around the city), it gets really beautiful.  

Toronto is pretty cool, in that we have a lot of diversity, so there's always new stuff to try.  We have a Little India, a Little Portugal, a (big) Little Italy, two Chinatowns, a couple of West Indies sections...  There are more, but those are kind of the big ones.  (I'm probably forgetting something, too...)

People are generally nice, although there was a big article in the paper a couple of days ago about why the rest of Canada hates Toronto so much.  There is a bike stealing problem, though.  That bit sucks.

Because Canada is still a relatively new country, we don't have the same history that a lot of other cities in the world have.  That, I think, is a detriment as well as a good thing.  Toronto's streets are on a grid, so it's pretty hard to get lost.

Okay.  So.  My favourite places to go:  
-riding my bike along the boardwalk in the east end, by the lake, but only when it isn't a Saturday or Sunday and everyone walks on the bike lane
-Kensington Market on a Saturday afternoon
-The Science Centre (it's very cool)
-Balzac's at the Distillery where I work.  (It's a coffee place.  It's just really wicked, and the people are great, and I know the owner treats her staff well, which you always want to support.)
-favourite clubs for live music:  The Horseshoe, The Kool Haus, Hugh's Room (probably my favourite, actually, because they get the best people in there, and they're really careful about stuff.  And they're nice.), The Lula Lounge, The El Mocambo (circa 1990s), The Silver Dollar, The Phoenix.  For concerts, my all-time favourite place, and this will probably never change, is Massey Hall.  You get chills going in there.  It's full of history and good vibes.  Plus, some of the best shows I've ever seen in my life were in there.
-favourite places to drink:  The Only Cafe (the biggest selection of beer aside from the shitty beer bar whatever it's called that's owned by Prime Restaurants, therefore sucks), Barrio (even though an ex boyfriend works there so I don't go back, I used to really love it there), Sous Dal (which is REALLY dark), Squirrely's, The Living Well, C'est What (they have their own micro brewery, and they're really careful about making it good), The Academy of Spherical Arts (don't know if it still exists, but they used to have the biggest selection of whiskey I've ever seen in my life)

Hm.  Part of the best part about Toronto is that you can drive to the country in less than an hour.  

[antoniostrohs]

Went through Toronto in the summer of 1980.We were on are way to a concert at Mosport Park.Great time and beautiful city.

[marktwain]

Canada has such an aura of cool.  I can't wait to visit - and Toronto will be a stop on the tour.  Sometimes I wish we could import some of that vibe.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Anyone who has heard me ramble on about how great Montreal is knows my feelings on this subject...Canada rocks!

Meg, that's really awesome about Toronto and that you have all those fun things to do there.  Here's a short list of "conaway's fav Louisville places and stuff"

-Mag Bar.  The best juke box in town.  The atmosphere hasn't changed at all since 1991.  Great stiff, cheap drinks.  Awesome crowd.  I dig it.

-Headliner's.  Yup, I said it.  I've groused about the smoke and lack of seating, but countless hazy memories are there, of White Stripes and GBV, and MMJ and all of the other 100's of shows seen there.

-Come back Inn.  Nice Italian restaurant with some really great dishes.  Not too expensive, good fare for casual dining.

-Dittos.  My favorite restaurant in town.  I could eat there every day of the week (and I have!)

-Cherokee Park.  Give me a spring day with the windows down and me sleeping in my car, watching the people fly by...

-The Riverfront.  Holy Christ if you could have seen it back in 1990.  The great lawn is awesome.  A certain band we know played at the new ampitheatre last year....

-Bardstown Road.  Everything cool about Louisville exists there.  Bars, restaurants, shops, galleries, freaks and weirdos bumping elbows with geeks and older folks.  Best melting pot in the state.

-A place to Go.  Best haircut a man could ask for.  Marliss is the shit.  She's the blonde in the first chair.  Ask for her by name...for $12 you can't go wrong.

-Cave Hill Cemetary.  Pretty weird to mention a cemetary, but gabba hey what a place.  Civil war graves, Colonel Sanders, and many countless monuments too cool to not include here.

Did I say it was a short list?  :)

[whothrewthecake]

EC, i can't wait to visit your town! and i can't wait to visit louisville, i had a tentative trip planned in december, but it didn't work out. but, i would like to add that i love my town as well. austin, texas = heaven on earth. come visit, one and all!

[EC]

Oooooh Austin.  Yet another place I really want to visit.

See, this is awesome.  Whenever I go away, I always love knowing where people in town like to go.  Some guide books are good, but you can't beat the horse's mouth.

(Well, you can, but it's not very nice to the horse.)

I love Montreal, too, John.  And tundra, if you are planning a visit to Canada, one thing I've often thought would be the fucking shit would be to drive across the country.  If you're into camping and driving.  

I'm really getting the travelling itch bad these days.

p.s.  whothrewthecake, are you planning a visit to Toronto soon?  You should extend your holiday visit to see Levon, and drive North for a bit.  :)
p.p.s.  My Dad and me are going to see Ian Tyson play tonight at Hugh's Room, which I believe I mentioned above.  I really, really, really love seeing shows with my Dad.  Partly because my Dad's hero is Ian Tyson, and he's gonna get so excited!! 

[marktwain]

 And tundra, if you are planning a visit to Canada, one thing I've often thought would be the fucking shit would be to drive across the country.  If you're into camping and driving.  

That's the idea.  Because I really want to check out Vancouver, too.  Then I'll turn left and check out Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.  Next, a beeline for one of my favorite spots, the Beehive State - Southern Utah.  On my way back to Louisville, I'll zip down to Austin and hear some good bands and eat some good food.  Los Lobos & Old and in the Way (minus Jerry :'() were on E-Town, broadcasting out of Austin, last night.

Like the song says, "when I win the lottery..."

[whothrewthecake]

p.s.  whothrewthecake, are you planning a visit to Toronto soon?  You should extend your holiday visit to see Levon, and drive North for a bit.  :)
 

EC, i would love to come visit. this time around i have to be back for school ...  :-/.... otherwise i would totally stick around! if you ever come to austin, you better tell me so we can have a big ol' mmj love fest in the lone star state.

[TheMadHatter]

Shiot cake,if your going to Canada,on your way stop by this poophole and pick me up.I really need to get some road time away from the same ol scenary.

[EC]

That's the idea.  Because I really want to check out Vancouver, too.  Then I'll turn left and check out Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.  Next, a beeline for one of my favorite spots, the Beehive State - Southern Utah.  On my way back to Louisville, I'll zip down to Austin and hear some good bands and eat some good food.  Los Lobos & Old and in the Way (minus Jerry :'() were on E-Town, broadcasting out of Austin, last night.

Like the song says, "when I win the lottery..."

Okay, now.  In all serious, you do NOT need a lot of money to do the drive.  And Vancouver is tremendous (I used to live there, too).  

But wait.  You are a father, correct?  Yes.  You would be good to have a little bit of money tucked away.  Babies need things.  :)

EC, i would love to come visit. this time around i have to be back for school ...  .... otherwise i would totally stick around! if you ever come to austin, you better tell me so we can have a big ol' mmj love fest in the lone star state.

Will do!