Church Street PS

Equipment by Henderson, GameTime.

Surfaces: Rubber, turf.

We’ve enjoyed the compact school grounds at Church Street Public School on most weekends over the past year; while our daughter attended her nearby ballet class, my son and I would make use of the artificial turf soccer field and other amenities this nice little spot has to offer.

The two (and a half) playgrounds aren’t going to take your breath away, but they’re good enough, and like most schools, there’s equipment for a variety of ages. In addition to the turf, the yard features three basketball nets, mini soccer/hockey nets, and a good deal of shade as well.

The surrounding neighbourhood has plenty to offer, and might actually be the best thing about this place. The Church-Wellesley Village, one of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, stretches north from the school up Church Street.

If you forgot your picnic, you can visit the Loblaws around the corner that’s built into the former Maple Leaf Gardens. There are plenty of nods to the building’s hockey history inside, including the centre ice dot, where you can stand and wonder whether it’s cool or depressing that one of the most storied arenas in the NHL is now a money-maker for the Weston family.

Actually, the best thing about the converted Maple Leaf Gardens is that during the school year, part of the building serves as the athletic centre for Toronto Metropolitan University. In my ongoing quest to find high-level sports to take my kids to without spending ludicrous amounts of money, this place is great. We’ve seen hockey, volleyball, and basketball here, and if I’m not mistaken, kids get in free.

Another local spot worth hitting up if you’re playing here is Bulldog Coffee, home of the locally famous Rainbow Hot Chocolate and many other sweet treats.

So to summarize: decent playground, good soccer turf, great neighbourhood.