Good Fences Make Good Neighbours

(Summer patio at the Drake, Toronto, Canada)

Wow, did I pick the wrong week to sign a lease in the 'ole M6J. The Queen Street W. strip between Ossington and Gladstone appears to be in the midst of a gentrification skirmish (because we don't call them civil wars anymore). This week's issue of NOW Magazine scrapes away a little of the muck surrounding the recently hot Drake/Lot 16 strip of what remains a decidedly mixed neighbourhood. Starbucks, formerly on the 'good' side of the franchise fence is now the intruding virus, threatening to attract the Young and the Wireless. Guess the vandals are Corrie fans at heart.

So as part of Sheena's Neighbourhood Watch Routine, an obligatory stop was made in "The Lounge". Just to check it out. Brought a paper, had a glass of wine. Aye... there's the rub. The service was horrid. Waitress was no where to be seen, so the first round was ordered directly from the bartender, second from the busboy. Wine list was decidedly pedestrian. Token VQA offerings from industrial juice pumpers Inniskillin; Sauvignon Blanc limited to a drinkable but eye rollingly boring Deakin Estates.

Martini list (unsampled) seemed innovative, mostly in a "Saw It Last Month in Manhattan" sort of way. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Now, Sheena has imbibed at the REAL Drake Hotel several times.


And YOU Drake Toroto are no Drake Hotel.



Perhaps Sheena is being overly harsh, but it is just difficult to think of "Drake" without the peeing angels overlooking one's shoulders. Chicago can grow on a girl that way.

Ah well... the new apartment looks great, and the neighbourhood looks perfectly safe in the daylight. Perhaps I just need time to settle in and get to know the locals. Skip the yuppie hangouts and meet the neighbourhood lifers. Maybe drink Labatt 50 on tap at the dives. Buy a coffee and slice of pie at the greasy spoon. Pick up some smokes at the corner store. Hmm. Actually... I could use a new car stereo, maybe a DVD player too. And like the old saying goes, Good Neighbours Make Good Fences.