She’s your friend. She’s your neighbour. She’s the woman who runs Royal Beef, that fantastic neighbourhood butcher that helps you feed your family. She’s the nice lady who hands out free salami to occupy your kids while you are shopping, and the one who sponsors your hockey team.
Carmen is having a bad week. Heck, a bad month.
Thieves broke into her business the other day, smashing things in their wake.
They’d already broken in three weeks ago, stealing the $200 that was in the cash-register float. Carmen opted to leave the empty cash register open after that break-in. They smashed it anyway.
She is stressed about all this. Not only do these break-ins keep her up at night, but they cost her money.
Carmen Estrela is your friend, your neighbour.
Go see her this weekend. Buy something. Tell her you heard about the news and that you are sorry. That’s not the kind of neighbourhood DECA is. It’s a place where we take care of one another.
The money you spend will help ease the expense Carmen has incurred because of these thieves.
The consideration you show here will go a long way in helping her feel better
Save the date for the 3rd Annual #DanforthEast Garage Sale!
Saturday June 13th (rain or shine)
Do you want to clean out a basement, sell those old skis or go bargain shopping while meeting up with your neighbours? Then save June 13th when DECA will be hosting its third annual neighbourhood wide garage sale. Last year we had over 160 individual sales all across the Danforth East and this year we are hoping to be bigger and better.
Stay tuned to the blog for info on how to sign-up and other details.
Parents: have you ever tried to “just take a quick peek” or “check out what this place is like” at a local kids’ business—while you have your kid in tow? Yeah, me neither. We would likely be rewarded with either a) a major meltdown or b) a sizable hole in our pockets.
So for those moments when your kid grew 6 cm overnight or you need a last minute gift for your niece or nephew, your neighbours and #DECAgems are here to help!
Ages and Stages (1522 Danforth) is a consignment clothing shop specializing in children’s and maternity clothing, and also sells toys, games, outdoor equipment, pretty much anything you need for little ones. Mia says, “the owner, Nicki, goes out of her way to help local families find great deals for family and children’s products.”
Merrily, Merrily started out as an online store and now has a pop-up shop at 1854 Danforth. Jason nominated this “phenomenal baby and tots clothing consignment store” as a DECA gem on our Facebook page, adding that “what is amazing is that every item they have is also online so you can shop and reserve or buy before you even get there.”
Meri echoes the thoughts of so many of our neighbours: “Argh it is so hard to just choose one, our stretch of the Danforth plays host to so many unique and amazing businesses!” She settles on Silly Goose Kids (2054 Danforth) because “the owners do an amazing job contributing to the community via donations and their time. They have created a wonderful and welcoming store, hosting a wide range of year round fabulous events. It’s the place my son and I most look forward to shopping in.”
Universal Diapers, 1987 Danforth and East Lynn Avenue, specializes in baby and adult diapers and offers a variety of other clothing items. Lori nominates it as her #DECAgem, “the owner, Lewis, was fantastic at ordering in what I needed and over the last four years has changed his store significantly to meet the needs of parents in the neighbourhood. Aside from diapers, this store is a great alternative to a big box store for baby/kid stuff.”
For a slightly older crowd, Steve recommends John’s Hobbies (2188 Danforth), a long-standing Danforth fixture. “I still remember thrill of going John’s Hobbies with my mum to buy an Aurora AFX slot-car racing set, and considering we rode the streetcar over from Yonge, it had to be pre-1966. Even then, John’s was a Danforth fixture and gem. Aside from selling model kits, radio-controlled planes and classic train sets, the place lives by its original slogan: ‘We service what we sell.’”
What are your other favourite #DECAgems? Tell your neighbors about them! Spread the love. And nominate them on Facebook (DanforthEastCommunityAssociation), Twitter (@decadiaries using the hashtag #DECAgems) or by e-mail at DECAgems@gmail.com.
The nominations for our inaugural Danforth Gems competition are rushing in, fast and furious.
Less than a week since the competition launched, more than 50 businesses in DECA’s boundaries have received shout-outs from some 100 residents!
Gerrard Spaghetti & Pizza at 1528 Danforth Ave has been a popular with nominators on Facebook (DanforthEastCommunityAssociation). “Amazing food and friendly service. It is a nice family restaurant that has been in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Pizza is sooooo good but they also have pasta, veal and chicken yum yum delicious. Then finish it off with a latte. You will want to eat there every night,” says Lisa.
Anastasia agrees: “I nominate Gerrard Pizza. It’s a lovely, quaint family dining room! They have the best pizza, panzerottis, and everything else on the menu! Their food is delicious. They also have a private banquet room, and a patio!”
Between forkfuls, Vicki nominated Basil Thai Kitchen (2326 Danforth) on Twitter (@DECAdiaries): “Tonight, enjoying delicious Thai & Malaysian takeout from friendly folks at Basil Thai on #Danforth, a longtime #DECAgems favorite.”
Pat sent her nominations in by email (DECAgems@gmail.com). “If you’ve ever had physiotherapy, you know that the weekly or sometimes daily treatments can go on for months which is why this gem is such a find for DECA residents. Lucky for us, the East Toronto Orthopedic & Sports Injury Clinic at 1577 Danforth is close to Coxwell. It’s a great resource with 15 fully qualified & friendly physiotherapists on staff. It’s clean and up to date, open Monday to Saturday and they have flexible pricing depending on the medical coverage you have. All pluses to make life that much easier in our neighbourhood.”
She sent a photo too! (Points from the judges for photos and detailed descriptions.)
Pat nominates the East Toronto Orthopedic & Sports Injury Clinic at 1577 Danforth, as the Danforth Gem.
Keep the nominations coming! You have till the night of May 7 to convince our team that your choice deserves to be among the top four. A week later (May 14), our panel of celebrity judges will crown the winner.
Tell us: What makes this place hidden, what makes it a gem, and why it deserves the prize.Become a serial tweeter if you have to!
The winning gem wins a fancy marketing prize, including advice from professional designers, stagers, public relations experts, a photographer and website designer. It will make it a lot less hidden, and hopefully, a lot busier.
Kelly's Fruit owner is excited to be a nominee #DECAgems contest!! Which biz will you nominate? Tweet @DECAdiaries pic.twitter.com/7jK6i0uxlg
If you haven’t met Sheri Hebdon yet, you really should. She’s funny, whip-smart and can whisper into power’s ear at Queen’s Park, where she works.
She was tricked onto the board, she likes to say, and it’s true. We invited her to the neighborhood DECA party, and once she arrived — with her baby Nate in her arms — we told her it was in fact the annual general meeting, and would she like to be on the board? She was so delirious from exhaustion, she hardly remembers holding up her hand.
Last fall, with Anita stepping down as chair, Sheri bravely put up her hand again. By then, she had three little kids and a full-time job.
She is awesome.
Here is SHERI HEBDON, in her own words….
DECA Chair Sheri Hebdon, left, with Oak Park Deli owner Toula. “We love the Oak Park Deli for their pizza,” says Sheri.Sheri Hebdon, 38.
One thing people don’t know about me is… My parents started and ran the local neighbourhood association when I was growing up in Willowdale, so I am genetically inclined to volunteer for DECA. Their association launched to fend off developers who wanted to build a condo on an unused school. They were successful and the school re-opened as a French immersion elementary school, although it seems that the land is in question again.
Mel Lastman (Mayor of what was then North York) lived up the street from us and he never paid the $5 to join the association, which always annoyed my mom.
I moved to Danforth East … in 2005, and was renting. Then, I got an email one morning about the listing for a home on Oak Park and I drove by that afternoon when my baby son unexpectedly fell asleep in the car. I told my wife that evening that I had found our house and we hadn’t even seen inside. Offer day came and there were nine offers but somehow we got it! It was our first offer ever and we have loved the house every single day that we’ve lived here.
One change I’ve seen over the years…. So much has changed in the last 10 years it is hard to choose just one. Truthfully, the walkability of the neighbourhood is what’s really different. I remember when Melanie’s first opened and it was the first restaurant and the first new place to open. Now we have so many shops, cafes and restaurants – it’s fantastic! I love weekends when I don’t even have to get into my car (okay fine, it’s a minivan).
The thing I love most about Danforth East is… that this feels like a small town. Everywhere I go, I run into neighbours and friends and there’s always someone to say hi to. It’s really something and it’s unique to this neighbourhood. All of this but with all of the amenities of a big city – truly the best of both worlds.
My biggest local pet peeve is… I can’t say what my biggest is (I don’t want to implicate anyone!), but my second biggest is the cigarette butts along the Danforth. I can’t understand why people don’t see throwing their butts on the ground as littering, because it is!
My neighborhood secret is… My weekend isn’t usually complete without a trip to Silly Goose with at least one of my three children. It is such a special place, not just because of what they sell but because of how committed they are to the neighbourhood. I also love getting lattes at Seb’s Cappuccino and then going to East Lynn Park with the kids.
The place I go in DECA’s stomping grounds that you’ve likely never frequentedis…Basil Thai Kitchen at Oak Park and Danforth. They serve Thai, Malaysian and Burmese food and it is so fresh and flavourful. It is also well priced, and my kids like it too which is always a win!
We also love Oak Park Deli at Lumsden and Oak Park. Toula, the owner, opened it 8 years ago, when she was pregnant. Her family has owned the property for decades. Two of her sisters are ECEs who have looked after lots of neighbourhood kids and the other sister is a talented cake decorator.
We love the Oak Park Deli for their pizza. The toppings are all fresh and homemade and the pizzas are enormous and so reasonably priced. A large really is large! The only warning is that it makes it hard to order from chains after you get used to real ingredients.
The thing I’ve done as a DECA board member that makes me most proud is… the social media stuff I’ve done, along with Shelley and Amanda. It is a lot of work but I love being in a position to spread information to others. I think DECA’s online presence sets a tone of positivity and community and I am one of the people behind that.
This year, I hope to finally … I am really excited to be the Chair of such a strong Board this year. I want to make sure that people feel valued and appreciated because people give so much of themselves to make things like the Farmers’ Market, Arts Fair and the Garage Sale happen. I also want to expand the ways in which we reach out and connect with the community. People want to join with us but it isn’t always easy so we need to get better at finding entry points for people to become engaged.
My final word is …. We are a group of volunteers. We may seem organized and well-connected (or not!) but we’re just a bunch of neighbours who are doing our very best to make this community better and stronger. I invite naysayers, who may think that we aren’t doing something as well is it could be done, to roll up their sleeves and join us. There is always room at our table for more ideas, more help and more awesomeness!
