Activities galore!

Fall is that magical time of year when the leaves change, the days darken, and we all have to think about what kinds of activities we are going to undertake for the year. (If you are like me, you were frantically trying to sign up your kids for swimming lessons this morning at 7am!) Here are a few options in the neighbourhood…

East End Music Project
(non-profit music program for kids on Tuesdays)

create-community

Miranda from the East End Music Project sent this note along:

I run the East End Music Project (I do this out of LOVE as a volunteer), which is a very cool social purpose music school in the East End.

The project is taught by professional musicians and educators with instruction at a very high level. The social purpose part of it is that all the class fees are geared to income. Our focus is on collaboration and working together in the classes. It is a fabulous opportunity. I have a couple of spots available because I’ve hired more teachers to increase our capacity. We would love to have your families join us.

If you’ve ever thought about music lessons, this is a great way to get involved in a social purpose enterprise, support local musicians, and participate in something really special. Your kids will also get a stellar music experience. All classes are subsidized. No restrictions on who can apply! Check out www.eemp.ca to see what classes still have availability. Thanks!

Are you ready to sing?

Some locals, Sarah and Damaris, are starting a new choir and would like YOU to join! Registration form is here and some additional details are below.

choir poster-01

Pegasus Studios

SO many classes, so little time. What can we say about Pegasus? It’s music, dance, art, choir, yoga – stuff for kids, adults, kids and adults together – if you don’t know about this neighbourhood institution, you should. www.pegasusstudios.com

Fitness

We have been so lucky to have so many new fitness-related businesses open up in this neighbourhood (coinciding nicely with the bakeries, ice cream shop and restaurants!). Here are some of them:

Fly Girl Fitness

Bomb Fitness

Ankh Yoga

Legacy Indoor Cycling

Counterbalance Studio Pilates

Career Fit Mom

Dragonz Martial Arts (adult and kid classes available)

Bell’s Martial Arts (adult and kid classes available)

Monarch Park Stadium (adult and kid classes/activities, running track)

 

One more thing….

Our next DECA Board meeting will be next Monday, September 21 starting at 7:30pm. If you’d like to join us, drop us a line here and we can let you know where we’re meeting. Last time we enjoyed an hour at the beginning to meet & greet, but this time we will get right to it a 7:30pm because we have a lot to cover. All are welcome!

East Side Represent!

There is a certain section of DECA’s area that sometimes doesn’t get all the love it deserves. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the area known as E.O.W. – or east of Woodbine. (Okay fine, nobody calls it that, but I think it’s definitely going to catch on now that I’ve coined it.) Here is some of the exciting news from DECA’s east end…

Sandwich anyone?

We were all very sad to see the shuttering of True Brew Cafe in November, but rumour has it that a new sandwich shop is getting ready to open up in that space in the very near future. Stay tuned!

Bell’s Martial Arts

In early November, Tristan Bell opened Bell’s Martial Arts in the newly renovated building at 2200 Danforth Ave. New classes are being added all the time for children age 4 all the way up to adults, so call to find out about what classes might work for you and/or your family. The focus there is on building self-confidence, self-reliance, awareness, and strong bodies. You can contact Tristan to arrange a free trial class for you or your kids. What have you got to lose? To send an email, click here.

Bell’s Martial Arts
Monday-Friday: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday: closed
2200 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4C 1K4
Bells Martial Arts

Kia Dealership

It’s really coming along, and it’s looking like it might be quite beautiful!

Danforth Village BIA

DECA is pretty connected to the Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Area (BIA), which spans from Westlake Ave and west all the way to Jones. There is, however, a second BIA in our boundaries that goes from Westlake Ave and east all the way to Victoria Park Ave, called the Danforth Village BIA. They have an excellent website, which shows you all the businesses in that area, broken down into categories and there is even a map for ease of reference. DECA is planning to reach out to this BIA to get to know them better and see how we might be able to partner up. (And no, we’re not just cozying up to them because Target will be moving into their zone in a couple of months!)

Safe Crossing at Last

Many thanks to City Councillors Mary-Margaret McMahon and Janet Davis for extending the green lights at Woodbine and Danforth so that there is actually time to cross the street. Walking E.O.W. has never been so easy. (See? It’s catching on.)

Coming up: We’ve had some chatter on the blog about the BIA and the relationship between landlords, the city, the businesses, and our struggling storefronts. We’ll post more about that soon, along with exciting news about our ongoing Pop-up project!