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Photo: Rick Harris from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Underpass Park is located under bridges for an expressway ramp, a location one would normally associate with ugliness. However, artists have created a colourful mural gallery at the east end of the park (at Lower River St) painting bright murals on all the pillars and crossbeams supporting the bridges. There are also a few similar murals nearby where the same expressway ramps cross King St E at Virgin Pl.
Underpass Park is a public space designed by PFS Studio and The Planning Partnership located beneath the overpasses of Adelaide Street, Eastern Avenue, and Richmond Street in the West Don Lands neighbourhood of Toronto. The first phase of the development features a playground, basketball courts, and skate park, and was officially opened by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on August 2, 2012. The park is an initiative of Waterfront Toronto, and is the 18th public space that the group has built or revitalized since 2005 in the Toronto waterfront district. The initial phase of Underpass Park cost approximately $6 million, paid for mostly by Government of Canada. A second phase, cost $3.5 million, opened in the spring of 2013.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Situated on former industrial lands, the park features a lush landscape with a marsh, sprawling lawns, urban prairies, playground areas, a splash pad and other features like a fireplace, permanent barbeque, large communal picnic tables and washrooms. The park has a hill giving views of the surrounding area. Railfans can get a view of the GO Transit Don Yard for storing commuter trains between the AM and PM rush hours.
The Distillery District is a historic and entertainment precinct. It contains numerous cafés, restaurants and shops, as well as art galleries and a theatre, all housed within heritage buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. The 13 acres (5.3 ha) district comprises more than forty heritage buildings and ten streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. The district was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. Walking tours are available from the Distillery Visitor Centre.
Sculptors Society of Canada
A small collection of sculptures to promote local artists. The collection changes every several weeks which might result in additional closed days. (Two founders of the Sculptors Society of Canada were Frances Loring and Florence Wyle who have a small park, Loring-Wyle Parkette, named in their honour.).
Mimi Variety Store
For fans of the CBC TV comedy Kim's Convenience. With a switch of name on the exterior signs, Mimi Variety Store became Kim's Convenience to appear in the like-named sitcom. Mimi's/Kim's is still a functioning variety/convenience store.