Research, lovely research: Toronto and kid memories.

[icarus]

While I wait with bated breath for my betas (I sent the next scene of Out Of Bounds ten whole milliseconds ago)...

... I have been doing research on neighborhoods in Toronto.

My childhood memories of Toronto are just that: kid memories. Kids remember places. Their sights and sounds and magic... but not how they got there or how they're connected.

Here's the dismal neighborhood John once lived as a student at U of T, on Yonge Street not far from Church Street (the local gay neighborhood):
http://www.boldts.net/TorYs.shtml

This is where John's apartment was more recently (theoretically) at the Annex, and thank you to by archae_ology and meredydd_recs. It's perfect:
http://boldts.net/TorAn.shtml

According to recommendations by archae_ology, Rodney should live in the Church and Wellesley area: http://boldts.net/TorCw.shtml

But... some back story that's only mentioned once in the story: It was Rodney's grandmother, not Rodney, who picked out the house. She accepted Rodney being gay, but it's very unlikely that she would have picked the prime gay neighborhood. Also, Rodney's place is an area where the property values were lower (and boon-docky) back in the 80s and became more valuable over time. She made a good deal (I've mentioned it in OoB "Thank you, suburban sprawl"). So I'm still looking for Rodney's neighborhood. meredydd_recs recommends down by the lakeshore, though I'm waiting for more clarification:

Here's University of Toronto, where John once went to school:
http://www.boldts.net/TorB.shtml

Here's Church Street, the gay neighborhood where John and Rodney both have spent remarkably little time:
http://www.boldts.net/TorCw.shtml


Any real Canadians or persons who've been in Toronto in the last ten years (unlike me) are welcome to comment. *rolls out the red carpet*

Comments

[littlemousling]

Well, it's Canada, so there are rinks of a sort everywhere. I mean really everywhere! Something like 50 outdoor rinks in the city.

But big fancy ones they might train at? Hmm ... there's UT's Varsity Arena, but I seem to recall the one they favor in the story is privately owned. Maybe McCormick Arena? They do lessons and stuff, which would fit. But it's out on the west side, which makes Scarborough seem unlikely. Makes Bloorcourt ideal, though! ;) Or nearby High Park, for Rodney especially, that's a nice area indeed.

I think they could both be feasibly out in the West end---John on Roncesvale or something, in a cheap apartment, and Rodney up in High Park in a pretty standard house that's worth a mint now.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Crap. Why didn't my reply post? *makes growly noises at LJ*