Guest Post: Hidden alleyway near Bathurst & Bloor

TransitHub is pleased that guest blogger Ionatan Waisgluss has contributed today's blog post. This time around his contribution is about the "extraordinary graffiti" in an off-the-beaten track area near the Bathurst & Bloor Hub. Enjoy!
- Neil Jain

Hidden alleyway near Bathurst & Bloor

Since moving to Borden Street at the start of September, I’ve been continuously exploring the Bathurst & Bloor area, always on the lookout for interesting shops, venues, places to practice parkour, and, of course, street art!

Bathurst & Bloor is a fantastic intersection. Most people know it for the iconic Honest Ed’s, which now incorporates Sonic Boom, Hero Burgers,and The Wine Rack; it’s worth visiting for its sheer size, if not for its fantastic deals. For additional awesomeness near this intersection, check out Midoco’s incredible selection of arts & crafts novelties, have a drink at a bar named after a disorder of your choice (Insomnia or Amnesia), or see what’s playing at the Bloor Cinema.

Walk west for tasty meals in Koreatown, east towards UofT, north through the Annex, or south through Mirvish Village. Indeed, Bathurst & Bloor is a heck of a hub!

For those interested in street art, I found an absolutely fantastic alleyway with extraordinary graffiti. The alleyway is in between Borden and Brunswick, and starts just south of Bloor. The best way to get here from Bathurst and Bloor is to walk east to Borden St., walk south past Kilgour’s, make a quick left, and then a quick right. There are some painting styles in this alleyway that I haven’t seen elsewhere. The place is a graffiti museum, and I’m lucky enough to pass through it every day on my way to and from home! The nearby establishments The Green Room, and Tranzac, are also elaborately decorated with street art, and are great for drinks and atmosphere after a day of wandering around alleyways.

Below are some of the art pieces you may see, though keep in mind... street art is ephemeral, which is part of what gives it its charm.

Happy exploring,

--Ionatan Waisgluss

Ionatan Waisgluss is an upper-year botany student at the University of Toronto. His interests include all things environmental, with an emphasis on the interplay of nature and culture. Since coming here from Argentina at an early age, he has become increasingly fascinated with Toronto, spending a great deal of time discovering, exploring, photographing and otherwise documenting its little-known nooks and crannies. His other blog posts, videos, art, and musings can be found at kaleidoscopeflux.blogspot.com.