Liberty Village

The smell of bread from the Canada Bread factory is the first thing that greets you in Liberty Village, bordered by Dufferin on the west, Strachan to the east, King St. to the north and the Gardiner Expressway to the south. It's a nice way to be welcomed to this somewhat removed but rapidly developing neighbourhood just west of the downtown core.

Just as obvious as the smell of bread is the sight of the Toronto Carpet Factory, an enormous structure at the corner of King and Fraser that firmly roots the whole area to its industrial past. Built between 1899 and 1920, the building has kept much of its original design and continues to be a commercially bustling place - although today it has replaced carpet manufacturing with tech companies and design firms.

Actually, a number of industrial-era buildings have been retained and are now used for a variety of fashionable purposes. In the early 80's, large industry decided to abandon the area and it was only in 1999 at the start of the dotcom boom that the neighbourhood began to transform into one of Toronto's newest places to work, live and play.

To feed the growing number of workers, locals, and visitors, there are a mix of long standing restaurants and cafes like The Liberty and The Roastery Coffee House as well as relatively newer offerings such as Maro, No Regrets and In Japan. For something a little quicker it's worth a visit to Island Foods, nestled among a strip of unsightly fast food joints, for some of the better roti in the city. It may not be Bacchus, but it's not bad.

There is a charm to Liberty Village unlike anywhere else in the city. This is manifested through painted flowers on walls, tall 19th century brick chimneys, and walkways through old buildings. Even city park benches are more interesting here. In 2005, the very active Liberty Village BIA championed an initiative to convert old wooden park benches into public art. This resulted in a number of creative places to sit, including benches designed with Google satellite map images and a Marshall McLuhan-inspired "The Interval Bench" that uses a quote from the famed media theorist.

Although shopping isn't yet a major part of Liberty Village, an unsightly strip mall, anchored by a Dominion's, was created to serve the expected influx of residents from developments like the Toy Factory Lofts and Liberty Towers. Much more inspiring is the Liberty Market Building, a former munitions factory. It's home to a wide range of retail and commercial businesses including Atelier Thuet for fine foods and baked goods, MUNSCH! for prepared meals, Suzanne Gardner for flowers and casalife for stylish home furniture.

Other great spots in Liberty Village include:

Joe Rockheads
Near the southern end of Fraser Avenue across from the fleet of tractor-trailers filling up at the Canada Bread factory is Joe Rockheads, Canada's first indoor rock climbing facility. It's home to a team of experienced instructors and offers lessons, equipment rentals and day passes. For physical activity that doesn't involve ropes and tight fitting shoes, the spacious King West Fitness Club at the east side of the Liberty Market building has an excellent selection of free weights, cardio and classes.

Oro Caffe
Downstairs from King West Fitness Oro Caffe does a brisk weekday business serving its popular panini and freshly squeezed orange juice. When the weather is nice they open the front windows and place a few tables on the patio, albeit one that overlooks a parking lot. A couple of blocks away at the corner of Hanna and Liberty, Balzac's is a worthy alternative for a soy latte and a cookie.

Liberty Village Market and Cafe
The tech crowd from Softchoice, Tucows and Digital Cement know to rely on the friendly Liberty Village Market and Cafe for tasty take-out rice paper rolls, wraps, homemade soup and a small but well-curated selection of grocery items. They also have a good line-up of organic teas and baked goods.

Magic Oven
This award-winning pizza joint creates the healthiest and, some say, best tasting pizza in the city. Aside from using natural, organic and local ingredients, Magic Oven is famous for offering options such as spelt and gluten-free brown rice-flour crusts as well as vegan and lactose free cheeses. It's mainly a take-out affair here as there is limited indoor seating but there are a few picnic tables outside.

The Academy of Spherical Arts
Still going strong after 15 years, the Academy of Spherical Arts used to be the only late-night spot around. It remains a go-to venue for corporate event planners lured by its pool tables, large bar and lounge area and somewhat "undiscovered" feel. For trivia buffs, it's also worth noting that it's located around the corner from one of the companies that has helped earn Liberty Village its other name: Porn Alley.