Maps of neighbourhood boundaries

How do you define your neighbourhood?

There seems to be some general agreement to the idea of the "fuzzy neighbourhood" being more or less bordered by the train tracks on all sides of us. But all around that triangular shape there are countless personal neighbourhood boundaries, each one tied into a particular lifestyle and routine. They narrow and widen depending on which stores we shop at, which parks we frequent, whether we have kids, dogs, kites, bikes, or cars, and which direction we travel when we head out of our area. In these ways neighbourhood boundaries will never be a fixed thing for all -- and surely they even change for individuals over time.

Click here to see how University of Toronto map librarian and local resident Marcel Fortin has created a multi-layered map, reflecting the borders of some of our neighbours.

You can help us add to the layers by contacting Marcel (marcel.fortin@utoronto.ca) with details about your own neighbourhood boundaries, or discuss everyone else's maps by leaving a comment here.

Change for Betterment......

Hello community,

I was delighted to see the first signs (likely late) and the excitement about naming our community. I applaud the organizers, and residents for becoming involved, at long last our community will have an identity chosen by the people, I have lived here for 10 yrs and desired this all along.
I missed the name suggestion stage but liked many of the suggestions and have become impartial to several. The voting has caused some discussion in my family which I enjoy, building a feeling of "local citizenship" and "ownership" is always a good thing, esp. among the young.

Community boundaries is yet another great topic/debate and one that is very personal, as many of you have said, the boundaries today may not be the boundaries in future, namely how a person identifies themselves or includes themselves.
At this stage I personally support the rail-line boundaries (even though that may not be the popular opinion in my family), because it is clear and easily identifiable. The future may have its own "FuzzyBoundaries" of where our area will border.

Once again, I am happy to see this community movement, my family & I have voted, I will stress the same for my neighours on both sides of me so we have the best voter turn out, to get everyones input.

I look forward to our "Hood" gathering to do MORE and the uniquely creative things for the betterment of our community and children, over utilizing our community centre, making kids safe-zones that promote cultural literacy, using parklands, our rail-path, pushing for local green initiatives, open markets, visual fairs, arts&culture displays etc

This can be the eclectic area, creatively diverse yet flanked with "ridge" boundaries, this is what will inevitably define us

Kori
(Symington Resident)

The Wedge

Hi! I voted for The Wedge. Why? Because it's interesting, cool, unique and totally defines us. We are The Wedge between many of Toronto's best neighbourhoods. Haven't heard of us? Well you will with a name like 'The Wedge'.Unlike a lot of the names that have too many words or negative connotations like rail or triangle, The Wedge will be heard. And The Wedge was my favourite thing about MuchMusic. Indie alternative rock, just like out hood!

The Wedge

You Wrote: We are The Wedge between many of Toronto's best neighbourhoods. Haven't heard of us?

I say your wrong. We are known. It's not the name that makes the community, it's the people and life inside the community. Sorry to say, some of us do know this community and the potential it has to be even better.

The Wedge- To me the Wedge is something you place under something to stop from rolling back or The wedge or wedgie is when your underwears gets stuck between the crack of your butt cheeks. Yah great name. This will definitely make our community even greater?? The kids will have a field day with this one.

The wedge

The name, whatever it will be, will mean different things for different people. Some will be thrilled with the outcome, others not. Right now it seems to me it's the process that's important -- so great to be having a community conversation. If not The Wedge, how about The Slice?

Has there ever been

Has there ever been discussion about having the triangle go north of the tracks to cover up to Davenport? I'm on Symington, just south of Kingsley and it's the dead zone where our 'hood really doesn't count in anyone's map. North of Davenport identifies more up there, but us to the south get lost because we're north of the tracks. Davenport makes a nice natural triangle to extend beyond the tracks. My 2 cents!

Thats Carlton Village

That Carlton Village which many residents your way use as a name. When the new 11 division HQ opens there it will re enforce that name.

Comments on the maps?

I'm interested in hearing peoples' comments about the maps that Marcel put together. I recently submitted my own map, and he has added it.

The "change over time" comment above is certainly true. I think my own definition of where my neighbourhood borders are changes daily (hourly?).

Comments on my own map:
Not sure why I included the Value Village into our own neighbourhood on my map. When I go there, it feels more like part of our 'hood than the area farther east. Or maybe not.

I feel bad for doing this, but I also left Ruttan St. and Merchant Lane out of my map. It seems so isolated from the rest of the 'hood that during the few times I've walked into there, I felt like I was somewhere else completely.

I included the Crossways, and properties north up to the Wallace Bridge too, even though they're on the other side of the tracks. That area definitely feels like it belongs more to us than to the "West Bend" / Junction (it never actually was part of West Toronto / The Junction). Also...even the City officially lumped the Crossways corner in with the "Junction Triangle", although they excluded Perth/Sterling south of Bloor!

I also included Wallace/Ward/Lappin east of the rail line.

But I think overall, the triangle within the railway tracks pretty much defines my neighbourhood boundaries on a day-to-day basis.

I find Irmina's neighbourhood map interesting too....much more abstract than the rest.

my neighbourhood and the neighbourhood

Interesting takes all. I'd agree with you, Vic, that my neighbourhood boundaries change, though perhaps not daily. When I plotted mine out, I thought about the various places I shop and visit and how familiar they feel to me when I'm there -- including how I get there and so on. So for instance, the little green grocers on Bloor past Dundas feel like part of my neighbourhood because I like to shop in those small stores, and do it often, and the route has become a regular path. But when I think about naming the neighbourhood, I don't include those diversions, because they're personal to me, and therefore not part of a collective hood. That, to me, is definitely "the triangle," the space defined by rails.

Kristen

For me, it's all about the rails...

Nice to see diversity in the submissions... Personally, however, I don't think the area should spill out beyond the rail lines.

That small triangular pocket completely surrounded by tracks (basically Scott's boundaries) is the most appealing to me. It's those tracks, real physical ain't-gonna-go-away-soon barriers, that have always proved difficult in connecting "us" with the rest of the city - not to mention planning and development. You can see it clearly from aerial photos and you can feel it on the ground.

So, for better or worse, I feel those tracks identify a shared (and permanent) commonality for people who live within them - and define the area as a "neighbourhood".

As I walk east along Wallace, as soon as I clear the level-crossing (east of Symington) I actually "feel" like I'm in another territory - like I just left some cozy little secret...

Rail Related Name

That is an interesting take on the neighbourhood Fuzzy resident! Do you want to see the word rail or triangle in a neighbourhood name? Or are you thinking of a more subtle allusion to our rail parameters?

Kevin

Rail Related Name

Thanks, Kevin

I guess, as non-subtle and literal as it sounds, South Junction Triangle interests me the most - not to be confused with The Junction, what I know as the old West Toronto larger triangle just to the northwest - which, by the way, seems to have morphed from a triangle to a weird polygon over time.

I remember a Toronto Life article about the 'hood that remembers how our little triangle was always neglected - service and development-wise - by both Toronto to the east and West Toronto to the west - just tolerated as a heavily industrialized area with labourer-style family residences to support it. Alot has certainly changed - especially de-industrialization, but those tracks will forever be there imposing challenges to lively development and access to "the rest of the city".

And, by the way, sorry "Awesome Town" enthusiasts - and doubly sorry to break the Discussion Thread... but words like that really mean nothing. It's no more or less "awesome" than any other Toronto neighbourhood and it's frankly embarassing to make a descriptive "claim" like you might find the Notre Dame Cathedral with her bells ringing standing in the abandoned lot where the Glidden Paint soil-remediation just took place...

In short, it would be awesome if we're real.

-----------------------------
Gabe, the awesomest fuzzy resident

s*

Gabe, you are definitely not the awesomest, and to deem you even awesome is highly questionable.

I am just as valid a person living in this neighbourhood as you are so, I don't think it is in any way fair for you to deem "Awesome" unworthy as a choice by any means. I am 100% sincere in my naming choice. You're message made you sound like an cynical elitist, which make me "embarrassed" to live in the same neighbourhood as you. Using the word "Awesome" is intended to MAKE our neighbourhood just that. It's too bad you are afraid to break from your shell and be willing to be first to pioneer such a strong, positive name. Naming it something like Rail Town or anything Junction related, just lumps us into yet another uninteresting neighbourhood in the area. I'd rather live in a place that will promote the initiative grow into something instead of being a generic strip that is mainly comprised of shut down shops near some railroad tracks. In any case, perhaps you can just call us Boring Town because that sounds like what your narrow minded view of our area is and will always be. Awesome Town is the name I choose because that's what I truely want it to be, I honestly want our area to grow into something far better than it currently is.

Sincerely,

-s*, Proud, honest visionary of our communities future!

No Offence Intended

It is very hard to have a discussion where people have different views without taking it personal sometimes. Fuzzy Resident, I am sure that Gabe did not mean to offend you. We all share the hope that our community will continue to grow and become and even better place. Please, let's not take a difference of opinion the wrong way - that would be counter-productive - sometimes people make their point in an assertive manner without intending to offend. I'm sure that is all that has happened here. Awesome Town is a completely valid suggestion. Many thanks for your contribution Fuzzy Resident!

Kevin Putnam

Walking

Even though I don't go to certain places outside the triangle on a daily basis, I go there often enough during the year that I consider it close to my neighbourhood, like the knitting store on Bloor/Keele or the health food store on Ronces. The kids pediatrician is on Ronces too. The art galleries springing up around Bloor/Brock, I'll go whenever I get the chance. All these places are walkable from my home.

Irmina