Roncesvalles is the area I call home and I have lived here for almost 20 years. My Dad actually grew up here, attended school at Fern Avenue PS, and my grandmother even went to Fern, so the area is near and dear to my heart. The neighbourhood was considered the Polish hub of Toronto for a long time, and there is still a definite Polish flavour along the strip, and the Polish Festival is celebrated here every September. However, with the gentrification that has taken place over the last couple of decades, the landscape of the street has changed and is now home to some fabulous shops, restaurants, pubs & coffee shops; but you can still find a great pierogi!Along with gentrification comes the inevitable real estate boom, so this area which was considered reasonable for a long time, now has some very pricey real estate, with the average price of a detached home sitting around $1.8M.Technically the 'Roncesvalles' area runs east of Roncesvalles to Lansdowne, south to Queen and north to Dundas. The area west of Roncesvalles to Parkside, although technically 'High Park', shares the same vibe and accessibility to amenities, so for this purpose we have included that area here as well.Here is a snapshot of what Roncesvalles has to offer, as well as our favourite places to indulge, play and shop! If you are not familiar with the Roncesvalles area, we hope you will make a trip over here, grab a coffee and wander the strip. If you have more questions about this fabulous Toronto neighbourhood, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!
Halloween Happenings in the 'Hood
It's 5 more sleeps until Halloween, five! My oldest won't be trick-or-treating for the first time this year but we are still looking to have some fun as a family before the big day. What traditions do you have around Halloween? Do you hate these commercial holidays and not partake? Or love dressing up and it's your favourite day of the year? The one thing for sure about this spooky day, is that the west-end does it right.
As always, the house at Glenlake/Dorval is a must see and if you want to do a one-stop "shop" on Halloween night, Pacific Ave. is one of the best places to trick-or-treat. (The amount of candy they must have to buy!!!)
If you are looking to do some Halloween related activities over the weekend we've rounded up some ideas to keep the kids occupied while the excitement builds.
The Junction Pumpkin Fest is being hosted by Sweet Potato this year and families will be able to carve a pumpkin for free, do some crafts and go trick-or-treating at participating local businesses. It's all happening Saturday October 27th from 1-4pm.
The Runnymede Public Library is hosting a family friendly Haunted House on Saturday October 27th from 1-2:30. Kids can dress up and do some spooky activities.
The Celebration del Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead Celebration is taking place at Wychwood Barns on Saturday October 27th from 4pm-10pm. There will be music, food, workshops, art and more! Looks pretty amazing so please go have a taco for me.
A not so family friendly haunted house can be found at Mamma Martino's on The Queensway. I've heard it's quite scary and more suitable for teenagers / adults. Check out Martino Manor "The Witch Nanny" if you dare.
One of the most popular family events in our neighbourhood supporting a great cause is the St. Joe's Toronto West Halloween Fest. It takes place on Sunday October 28th from 11-4 and has games, activities, treats and loads of entertainment too!
Later head over to High Park for a family friendly Twilight Pumpkin Float on Sunday the 28th from 4-6pm. For $2.50/pumpkin you get to carve it, set it afloat and support the High Park Nature Centre.
Finally, my favourite part of Halloween is taking the kids to the Pumpkin Parade after the sugar rush settles in on the 1st of November. We used to try different ones around the area but now stick to our local park. If you haven't been yet, GO!! It's a magical way to wrap up a pretty crazy holiday. The kids love seeing their own carved pumpkins lining the paths and some of the creations will amaze you. We have a local artist who always does tribute pumpkins of all the "greats" who have passed that year. The original Souraren Park Parade was our first and is really worth taking the family to at least once but the Vine Park Pumpkin Parade is growing each year as well as the Rennie Park Pumpkin Parade.
Happy Halloween everyone!