HOW DO I write about my favourite aspects of Toronto? How much time do you have?
Let’s start with Queen Street West where, during my busking days, I had the good fortune to hear bands including the Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo and the Leslie Spit Treeo at places such as the Horseshoe, the Rivoli or just singin’ on the street.
Meanwhile, I would be playing my guitar and singing for absolute strangers on the sidewalk who made me feel like I could actually sing and play (and whose generosity paid my rent).
Dare I describe the delight of Joso’s with its superlative fish menu enjoyed in rooms filled with voluptuous, sensuous artwork and presided over by the lovely Elena and family.
Or how ’bout the clubs of Church and Wellesley where you could dance ’til dawn for little to no money and admire some of the most fabulous drag queens around? I also paid $400 a month for a great basement bachelor pad there and could sit outside my building and talk to fascinating people all evening.
And how do I describe the beauty of the parks and the boardwalk of the Beaches?
One of my favourite dinner choices, when I lived on Lee Avenue, was to pick up a spicy Jamaican patty with a soda and walk to the park to enjoy a spectacular sunset while watching Little League games.
Don’t even get me started on the nightlife of Richmond and King Streets, the beauty of Avenue and Bloor with the ROM, the warm sense of community at Yonge and Eg’ and surrounding neighborhoods.The killer food and vibrancy of Chinatown, Massey Hall, Sneaky Dee’s … somebody stop me!
Jill Hennessy’s debut album Ghost in My Head will be released this month
