A Day Out On The Danforth: What To Do See Eat And Drink

Known to locals for its strong Greek make-up, The Danforth is an ever-changing area that has transformed itself into one of the best neighborhoods for downtown living. The Danforth is an exciting cosmopolitan district filled with great food, impressive city parks, art and a multitude of cultures to complement its Hellenic fabric. Representative of what Toronto’s all about, follow this guide to have a great day out on the Danforth.

A Bit of Background

The Danforth is located just east of the hyper-modern downtown core. Serviced with with four subway stations by the TTC’s Bloor-Danforth line and a great number of streetcar and bus lines to the north and south, it’s studded with historical landmarks, five-star restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, beautiful parks and side-streets. This cosmopolitan district stretches from Bloor Street and Bayview Avenue, in the west to Donlands Avenue and Danforth Avenue on the east. Leave the car at home or at one of the ample parking options around Broadview Station or along Danforth Avenue.

The Luminous Veil

At the end of the night, there’s no better way to conclude a day filled with culinary exploration and musical delight than being immersed in one of Canada’s most meaningful art installations and partake of its resounding positive impact on the soul. Heading west towards the Broadview and Danforth intersection lies an unparalleled immersive visual experience. Spanning the Don Valley, The Prince Edward Viaduct is now bathed in light from end to end, all 494 meters of it on both sides. This is the work of noted architect and artist Dereck Revington whose winning design for the Luminous Veil now graces the viaduct.This beautiful piece took 12 years to finish. The veil barrier component went up first, being completed in 2003. Its cantilevered metal braces and over 9000 rods gracefully envelop both sides of the bridge, like an endless harp.The luminous component is a sophisticated LED lighting system that stretches the length of the structure, creating the completed Luminous Veil. These lights respond to real-time weather conditions, such as temperature, wind direction and speed on the bridge. The lights cycle through various hues within pre-determined gradients at each season and create light oscillations that travel the length of the harp-like veil. The technology behind the color interplay has been likened to a musical instrument itself as complex as an orchestra.
By Celio Barretto Celio is a transnational artist/curator/gallerist/researcher/photographer/writer, active in Asia, Europe and North America. Check him out at www.celio-barreto.strikingly.com