I have watched the renovation bug flourish both north and south of the Danforth driven by amenities for families like great public schools like Jackman and Withrow. A property that sold then was originally $200,000 and is now more than $1,000,000 — so we have up and come!

But what would Riverdale be without its great diversity of nationalities and the confirmed foodies who live in the area? Where else can you find wonderful fruits and vegetables, Alex Farm cheeses (377 Danforth Ave), Sweet Tooth  desserts (508 Danforth Ave), and the best assortment of tastes from around the world? The big problem is figuring out where to go first.

Riverdale is also home to the yearly weekend celebration in August, Taste of the Danforth , one of the country’s largest street fairs that celebrates, you guessed it, the food and shopping.

The Danforth offers wonderful shopping sprees where you can find anything for the urban professional. Then take a break at Allen’s (143 Danforth Ave)  with its comforting wood interior and lovely back patio or Mezes (456 Danforth Ave) known for great Greek food and service. But if what you want to eat is not on the Danforth? A short drive  gets you Indian at Siddhartha (1450 Gerrard St E), Chinese dim sum at Pearl Court (633 Gerrard St E), Vietnamese at Mi Mi (688 Gerrard St E), or French at Batifole (744 Gerrard St E).

Whether you live-to-eat or eat-to-live, it is hard to beat Riverdale and the great Danforth!

Here are the photos of our trip to Antarctica, a 20 day cruise on HollandAmerica from Chile to Brazil.

Click on View Photo to see High Resolution photos of the journey.

Dec 21          Valparaiso, Chile
Dec 22          At sea
Dec 23          Puerto Montt, Chile
Dec 24          At sea
Dec 25          At sea, Strait of Magellan, 570 km long, 2 km large
Dec 26          Punta Arenas. Chile’s southernmost city
Dec 27          Ushuaia, Argentina, 55 degrees latitude south, southernmost city in the world
Dec 28          Cape Horn, most southern point of the continent, 424 m height
Dec 29-30               Antarctica, 99% ice covered
Dec 31          Elephant Island, where Shackleton’s expedition were stranded for 135 days in 1915
Jan 1                   At sea, where the sun shines about 20 hours a day, about 1 Celsius
Jan 2                   Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 500 km east of Argentina
Jan 3-4                 At sea
Jan 5                   Buenos Aires (Paris of the South), Argentina, established in 1536              
Jan 6                   Montevideo, Uruguay, port was close due to strong winds
Jan 7-8         At sea
Jan 9-10                Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1565

Here are the photos of our trip to Antarctica, a 20 day cruise on HollandAmerica from Chile to Brazil.

Click on View Photo to see High Resolution photos of the journey.

Dec 21          Valparaiso, Chile
Dec 22          At sea
Dec 23          Puerto Montt, Chile
Dec 24          At sea
Dec 25          At sea, Strait of Magellan, 570 km long, 2 km large
Dec 26          Punta Arenas. Chile’s southernmost city
Dec 27          Ushuaia, Argentina, 55 degrees latitude south, southernmost city in the world
Dec 28          Cape Horn, most southern point of the continent, 424 m height
Dec 29-30               Antarctica, 99% ice covered
Dec 31          Elephant Island where Shackleton’s expedition were stranded for 135 days in 1915
Jan 1                   At sea, where the sun shines about 20 hours a day, about 1 Celsius
Jan 2                   Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 500 km east of Argentina
Jan 3-4                 At sea
Jan 5                   Buenos Aires (Paris of the South), Argentina, established in 1536              
Jan 6                   Montevideo, Uruguay, port was close due to strong winds
Jan 7-8         At sea
Jan 9-10                Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1565

So this morning, I was taking a nice long New Year’s walk…around the deck of a Cruise Ship as we are leaving Antarctica (not a bad life!). I challenged myself, as I routinely do to try to decide on changes that need to be made in my life.

Clarity came to me after a couple of minutes: I think that the whole concept of New year’s resolutions means that last year was not up to snuff. Is there an assumption that each year must be better than the next? Last year was a great year; sure, my weight went up and down, the Real Estate market went up and down, my commitment to exercise went up and down and my bank account went up and down…but then there were lots of great moments with friends and family with some new arrivals…

Remember the movie where Jack Nicholson  walked out of the Psychiatrist’s Office, looked around the waiting room at the other patients, had an “uh-huh” moment and said out loud “what if this is as good as it gets ” (also the name of the movie). The other patients looked at him in horror…

What if this is as good as it gets? What if my five-year plan has me doing exactly what I’m doing today? Is that a bad thing? 

This year, my New year’s resolution is “more of the same please”!

I have mailed out a lot of calendars to my snail-mailing group but wanted to let you know that I do have some leftovers that are looking for a home for the next year. Feel free to email me your mailing address at mail@richardsilver.com and I will be happy to send you this year’s model of the Tasteful Kitchens Calendar. It’s always been my favorite because…it has recipes, great kitchens to look at…and…I am an admitted FOODIE, after all!

We will be exploring South America and Antarctica this Xmas/New Year so I will try not to bother you with too many photos in the New Year but…I promise nothing. Real Estate should start hopping again after the middle of January when couples get back from holidays after setting some goals and getting life back to normal. I am around for the next couple of weeks and am always available online…even in Antarctica…

It has been a while since I drove the length of St. Clair Avenue West from Yonge Street to Christie Avenue without construction…and now we could truly experience the finished product of the past three years, including special lanes for the TTC Trolleys….

Sadly, on a Saturday night at 6:30 PM (early eaters are we)…the street was vacant of any life. The St. Clair Avenue West BIA or Toronto City Council that proposed the rebuild of this vibrant area have really blown it. There used to be life on the Street, people sitting in sidewalk Cafes, shopping, strolling, etc.

I really hope that life will come back to the St. Clair Avenue West shopping area and it is just a timing issue for the neighborhood, especially since it seems that Eglinton Avenue West is next on the political  agenda…

Your thoughts on this are appreciated. Check out the changes on the street and at the same time…check out Acquolina Ristorante…

It was there and then that I tried my first fresh Artichoke and I have been enamoured with the vegetable ever since. We eat them fresh as often as we can because they are very high in anti-oxidents, low in fat (except for the butter or Mayo that they are dipped in) and are great fun to eat. They are a very social vegetables because they take time to consume and you have to be somewhat careful. Try preparing them split, steamed and grill them on the BBQ before serving.

A week ago we had ten people over for dinner. I searched far and wide to find large Artichokes (California) rather than the smaller grown local kind. I hit all the markets and supermarkets before I ended up at Whole Foods Market where I purchased 10 of them. I did all my research on the Internet to find the best way to cut, steam and serve them as well as some videos on what to do with them. 

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blartichokes.htm or http://www.oceanmist.com/products/artichokes/artichoke.aspx

When we served them for dinner they were a big hit. Of the 10 worldly guests, only 6 of them had ever had them fresh, and I was led to believe that they have become converts. If  life is really boring or you are a fan of fresh Artichokes, I would check out the sites above. Pick up some tips and get dipping! You will not be disappointed! YUM!

Enjoy them all, surviving the winter means a few extra pounds…

If you have your favourite, feel free to comment as additions are welcome.

Almost 30 years ago, I began my Realtor career at an office which Bosley Real Estate owns at 169 Danforth Avenue. In those days it was Terry Martel Real Estate, and my first few years were cutting my teeth in Prime Riverdale and Leslieville, although we called it Cabbagetown II at the time, a tribute to the number of Victorian Houses found south of Gerrard..

I have watched the housing flourish both north and south of the Danforth driven by the great amenities and for families, great schools like Jackman and Withrow.

However….what would Riverdale be without its’ great diversity and the confirmed “foodies” that live in the area. Where else could you find wonderful fruits and vegetables, Alex Farm cheeses, Sweet Touth desserts, and the best assortment of tastes of the world in such a concentrated area? They even have a weekend celebration, “Taste of the Danforth” to celebrate.

In a short drive you can also experience Greek food (Mezes on the Danforth), Indian (Siddharthaat Gerrard and Coxwell), Chinese Dim Sum (River Seafood on Gerrard), Vietnamese(Mi Mi on Gerrard), French (Batifoleon Gerrard at Howland) or experience the Oriental Supermarket T and T(Cherry Street, south of Lakeshore). Obviously these are some of my favourites but feel free to comment back with your Riverdale suggestions.

When it comes to a great place to live to eat or vis-a-versa, it is hard to beat Riverdale for city living!

The “Thing” about Cabbagetown is it’s a small town in a big City. It has its own Shopping Area, Park, Schools and everyone knows their neighbor. The Riverdale Park is the centre of everything with a Market each Tuesday during the warmer months, the Forsythia Festival in early Spring, a Craft Festival at the time of the Cabbagetown Festival in September and a year-round working/teaching farm. One must, of course, have children or dogs to become a true Cabbagetowner, either will suffice but are mandatory accessories these days.

Cabbagetowners try to be supportive of the shops on Parliament Street but with the exception of a few there is a strong turnover. Restaurants are plentiful as well as ethnic diversity in food. Some of my local favorites are the HOP (House on Parliament), a great Pub, Gingers for Vietnamese Pho and few can compare to Devil Chicken at Raashna on Wellesley at Parliament.

Coffee abounds but a favourite place to be abused is the Jet Fuel Cafe’. Daniel et Daniel in the neighborhood means you will never have to cook again…but if you do, you can grab a slice of real life at the “No Frills Grocery Store” at the corner of Spruce and Parliament Street.

Schools have always been an issue to young Cabbagetown parents but with the involvement of more parents in the School activities the levels seem to be improving. What better way to educate your children then to school them in a diverse classroom made up of new Canadians from all over the World? What better way to prepare a child for the future.

The sense of Community, its’ proximity to Downtown Toronto, its’ walk-ability, its’ diversity and downright friendliness make Cabbagetown one of the top places in Toronto to live. Check it out or contact me and I will be proud to show you around.