Opa!

It isn't just the Olympics that kick off today. Here in Greektown we are gearing up for the fifteenth annual Krinos Taste of the Danforth. I encourage everyone in the GTA to come down and enjoy the food, the music and the party. If you've never made it down, you are in for a real treat. You really can't go wrong with any of the restaurants. The food is cheap and plentiful. It's a great way to find a new favourite restaurant. It may be GreekTown but the fare is as wide ranging as our wonderful city. Want some Brazilian or Japanese? They've got you covered. The music is great as well. There's activities for the kids, so bring them along and if they've never tried loukoumades (sp?), that's honey balls for the unitiated, it's a must. Finally, if you have a chance, say hi to the Lang Gang which is scheduled to have a lemonade stand Saturday on Arundel Ave. (that's one block east of Chester) just North of the Danforth.

However amid the frivolity, I repeat my plea from earlier years. For heaven's sake, take transit. This isn't really a drinking and driving thing (although don't be so stupid as to do that), it's a parking thing. The neighbourhoods which surround the Danforth are filled with homes with no driveways or garages to park a car in. Thus, many of the locals park their cars on the street. 362 days a year that isn't a problem. However, with literally tens of thousands of people descending on such a small amount of space, parking becomes a real problem. The only parking lots in the area are the couple of surface lots that have been built over the subway tracks so visitors tend to try to park in our cozy neighbourhoods. Most people who live in the area either love Taste or take the opportunity to get out of town for the weekend. Still, I hate to see my neighbours trapped in their houses because if they move their car they might not be able to park within a block of their house. You can get off at Broadview, Chester or Pape Station on the TTC and literally be steps from the action. So, please have fun on the Danforth this weekend, just leave your car at home.

Side Note: For the second straight year, the OYL has put Summer Fling the same weekend as Taste. Argh! So, after much deliberation, I'm leaving the party behind to go party with my party in Guelph (confused yet?).... oh, I guess we'll debate some policy too.