North, East, South and West

I remember when I was a kid experiencing a feeling that my neighbourhood was mine. Inside the safety and security of a few square blocks, I knew where my friends lived, where the corner stores were and which parks were best. It was my home! But beyond this area, everything felt different.

I sometimes feel the same way around here. I'm not sure what the proper geographic boundaries of Hintonburg are but, to me at least, the elevated highway splitting Hintonburg from the Civic Hospital area, is the southern boundary.

The great southern border...

To the east it's Breezehill Avenue/Loretta Avenue where this past weekend I enjoyed some brew from Happy Goat Coffee.

"Honey, who is that strange man taking photos of our car?"

The west is trickier as some say Hintonburg extends all the way to Holland Avenue. However, I put my money closer to home - Parkdale Avenue. Between Holland and Parkdale the houses are a bit more posh and feel a bit different. 

See that smorgasbord of orange? That spells "Hintonburg"

Finally there is the north. Wellington Street is an obvious dividing line bet but even though the neighbourhood on the opposite has a different look (smaller streets, houses closer together), I consider it part of my hood. So I'll say the northern border extends to Scott Street.

It's not a huge area. I walk to the edge in any direction in about 15 minutes. But it's home.