Summer of Scarborough

[Jonny5]

I'm looking for suggestions of things to see and do in Scarborough this summer.

I have long neglected exploring this part of Toronto and it is time to change that. I have made my way out to Town Centre a few times and have a friend at Eglinton and Kingston I visit regularly, but I have seen little to none of the rest of this vast part of the city.

I am interested in landmarks, both contemporary and historical, neighbourhood identities and design, and natural landscapes (I know The Bluffs are a must), and any kinds of food and drink. I will usually be on my bike and have no problem riding long distances or in suburban traffic.

If UT could kindly suggest places to go or see I will happily share my experiences back here. The fun will start later next month, once this awful rainy season is behind us.

 

[unimaginative2]

The Guild is also a must-see. Rouge Park along Sewell's Road is interesting, including Toronto's only suspension bridge. U of T Scarborough Campus has some pretty fascinating architecture. I'd recommend taking a good walk around Scarborough Centre for its cool 70s-vision-of-the-future vibe. Midland and Kennedy north of the 401 are fascinating for the sheer variety and density of Chinese stores and restaurants. It's endless, and some of them are pretty good. Slightly outside Scarborough, but the Pickering waterfront is quite attractive too.

 

[typezed]

I mentioned this earlier in the off-road bike paths thread, that the path below the Bluffs has now been extended from Guildwood to the Doris McCarthy Trail at Ravine Rd./ the bottom of Bellamy. It is a construction road for building shoreline protection so it is like biking on parts of the Leslie St. Spit. - only open on weekends and evenings, made of packed dirt and very rough in areas. I'd think it's really only doable on a bike with thicker tires. But it's a good ride, right on the shoreline and isolated, there's rarely many people down there. The ravine path from around the Guildwood GO station at Kingston Rd, up through the Scarborough U of T campus and down to East Point Park is good too. Also low traffic. Found on the bike map, the shared roadway path number 4 through the Cliffside/ Guildwood area can be pleasant. The neighbourhood is a mix of modest 1950s/1960s suburban homes and more upscale recent construction. I see lots of spandex performance riders out this way, many travelling along Kingston Rd, some assembling at Kennedy Rd. station, but I don't know what ride exactly draws them to Scarborough.

 

[junctionist]

I've been looking at Scarborough with some interest, too. When I drive on the 401 or take transit through STC, I always feel a desire to check out the city that's becoming there, dense with fairly interesting skyscrapers, with a vibrant transit hub, incredible diversity, and Morimaya's Scarborough Civic Centre at Albert Campbell Square. I don't visit Scarborough often enough, though. The streets in its city centre are probably still relatively lifeless and suburban, but it looks so full of potential and metropolitan.

The Guild is the kind of place that can make one think "never again". Never again should we allow our richest architectural heritage to be destroyed and taken away from us. Never again can we allow our city to be cheapened and devalued. The Bluffs are among the most beautiful natural areas in the city, and Rouge Park definitely feels rural.

Going specifically for architecture beyond what I've mentioned above, definitely check out the U of T campus and go inside the original Brutalist buildings. The Humanities wing of the Andrews Building has this monumental meeting space that captures the spirit of 1970s design. St. Augustine's Seminary by Lake Ontario is a grand building that's perhaps the most unexpected building in Scarborough; its imposing Edwardian-era architecture with a surprisingly tall and wide dome with a cross on top wouldn't look out of place in an older part of Montreal. Take a look at Teeple's contemporary Scarborough Baptist Church.

Also, Scarborough has a few mid-19th century fieldstone farmhouses that have been preserved. Stone masonry is rare in terms of Toronto heritage houses, but it was more common in the area that became Scarborough, so it may be interesting to see the likes of the Nielson House, Scott House, James Weir House, and Norris-Lybourne House, though perhaps only if you're passing by the areas they're located in. Overall, I think TOBuilt will prove quite useful for finding the kinds of building you want to see.

 

[Eug]

For the Bluffs:

Check out Bluffer's Park, Rosetta McClain Gardens and even better, go to the intersection of Glen Everest and Fishleigh just west of Rosetta McClain. There is a service road that goes down to the shoreline. Then walk along the shore either as far as you can go west, or else as far as you go east (which is just short of Bluffer's Park).

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=...,-79.243977&spn=0.009292,0.01796&z=16&iwloc=A

 

[ESPNGuy]

Cant forget Scarborough Rib Fest


Anywhere in Scarborough from VP to say even Kennedy and Egg up to 401 is great
People hear Scarborough they assume "All ghetto"

You would be surprised to know theres lots of 1million dollar homes in the areas I just mentioned