The Curbed Cup, our award to the Toronto neighbourhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 'hoods vying for the prestigious fake trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and the full tourney bracket will be reviewed shortly. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!
Forest Hill: One of the poshest neighbourhoods in Toronto, Forest Hill nonetheless likes to think of itself as a village (in fact, its shopping area, on a brief stretch of Spadina Road—pronounced spa-DEE-na, if you please—is even known as The Village). Shopping is fairly limited, but shops like La Nuit and Stefanie's have a loyal clientele (some locals, though, bemoan the loss of longstanding independent shops and cafes to chains like Aroma and What a Bagel). Housing in Forest Hill is a mixture of early-20th-century-era estates and modern mansions, with some cute low-rise apartment buildings thrown in. The neighbourhood has two exclusive schools, a stone's throw from each other; Bishop Strachan for girls, and Upper Canada College for boys. It's home to the Weston family, who obviously make enough bread to afford to live there.
Parkdale: After decades of hard times, Parkdale is on its way back up. Artists and restaurateurs who found themselves priced out of Queen West studio and restaurant space began taking a chance on Parkdale about ten years ago, and now the blocks west of Dufferin are so full of bustle that a year-long ban on issuing new liquor licenses was enacted by the city (said ban should be lifted by now). Notable restaurants include Grand Electric, Parts & Labour, and longtime local favourite Bacchus Roti. The bar scene has Not My Dog (which, according to Yelp reviews, has its own bar cat!), Wrongbar, and if you're feeling like you're on your own/without a home/like a complete unknown, there's always Stone's Place, owned and operated by a genuine Rolling Stone associate (with walls covered in artwork by actual Rolling Stone Ron Wood).
· Curbed Cup 2013 Archives [Curbed Toronto]