33 things i love about Toronto

i live in a big city. a crowded city. a concrete city.
i enjoy all of the comforts and outlets that my big concrete city provides. but sometimes -and it's usually about this time of year, when the winter has lost what little charm it came in with - my city begins to feel cold and mean and dreary. this is usually the time of year that i begin to dream of nature and green stuff and wide open spaces; of clean air, starlit skies and animals other than squirrels and pigeons. and it is during this period, when winter seems interminable, that i've a tendency to be a bit grumbly n negative, which can't be much fun for those i share my life with. SO... in the interest of positivity, and to remind myself that the proverbial grass on my own side of the fence may also be green, even when it's brown and frozen, here is a list of 33 things i love about Toronto:

1) wanna here some live tunes? rock, bluegrass, punk, gregorian chants, whatever turns your crank, it’s here. any day of the bloomin’ week.
2) Gandhi Roti at Queen n Bathurst. saag paneer roti? good gawd! just thinkin about that sh*t makes me drool.
3) Queen Video. wanna watch an obscure experimental film, or a 1980 Kristie McNichol flick? it’s here. and they’re so nice about late charges too.

4) china town, greek town, korea town, little india, little italy, little portugal etc. etc. etc.

5) anyone can get married here. any bloomin’ day of the week.
6) world class festivals and parades (toronto international film festival, pride, caribana, tastes of the danforth etc. etc.)
7) have you ever been to the Toronto Reference Library? it’s awesome.
8) watchin’ the kids do tricks at the skatepark at dundas n bathurst with my husband, who explains what they're doing for me :)
9) as soon as the temperature gets up around 7 degrees, people start sportin silly shorts and silly grins
10) sometimes we see hawks from our balcony
11) we can also hear the soccer fans cheering from BMO field when there's a TFC game on. when we watch the games on tv we leave the balcony door open and it sounds like we're all watching together :)
12) the green houses at Toronto Botanical Gardens where you can sit on a bench and sweat with the butterflies in the middle of winter
13) the Toronto Zoo has world renowned habitat and conservation programs and you can learn what it feels like to be a turtle :)

14) Ontario Place. concerts, the lantern festival, the cinesphere. still fun.
15) pushin buttons n touchin’ stuff at the Ontario Science Centre.
16) smellin' all those yummy rustic smells and pettin' hairy Scottish cows at Black Creek Pioneer Village.
17) the air show shakes my condo once a year, and turns my husband into an excited little boy.
18) the basement treasures at Honest Ed's.
19) watchin the fit people play volleyball at Cherry Beach (while i watch people put their kids in the water and think ‘ i wouldn't do that if i were you’)
20) they got restaurants on boats here. i’ve never eaten on one, but i could if i wanted too.
21) Nuit Blanche. i’ve only been to one of these, cuz last time i was in Vietnam instead, but I’ll never forget seeing my city’s streets all full of wonder and dripping with inspiration.
22) biking around Toronto Island and wishing i lived there.
23) seeing the skyline as you drive home after a long absence.
24) the secret swing hidden in an alleyway near queen n spadina
25) eating the best ice cream in the city while soaking up the wacky décor at Dutch Dreams
26) the smell of cinabon at Eglinton subway station
27) the obscenely fallic CN Tower light show
28) gallery hopping on Queen street
29) the spicy food festival and free concerts at harbourfront
30) vintage clothing and the cheeses of the world at Kensington Market
31) eating sh*t i could never otherwise afford at Winter/Summerlicious
32) watchin skid couples put there hands in the back pockets of each others’ acid-wash jeans at the CNE
33) try and pry this city's residents off the patios come first sign of spring