Dovercourt Park

I used to live right behind this place. It’s a gorgeous, quiet little park which provided me with a great place to escape to, read in, and jog around, upon arrival in Toronto last summer.
There’s a great mix of people here — kids, couples, people reading alone and fitness fantatics. Yet, it never seemed to get too busy. Always quiet and relaxing.
I miss it sometimes!

Him: «Hey! On my run I saw there is a secret park by our house!»
Me: «Yes, I know. Justin once ordered a pizza to there. There are fire pits.»
Him: «Next picnic!»
We did have our next picnic there, and we met a pug named Fishstick. Soon more friends joined our blanket and we played cards and drank lemonade* and watched the softball game and listened to kids squeal as they played on the little fisher price cars. You know the ones that are essentially Flinstone cars come to life? They look fun, and apparently at this park it’s understood that people keep their larger outdoor toys there and let all the kids share. Very Canadian.
The only reason this small, hipster-​free park isn’t a full five stars is because there are no bathrooms around it, and so you have to walk to Hawaii bar (Dovercourt at Hallam) or your house or a friend’s house to take a pee. A pee that you will desperately need as you chug lemonade, aged grape juice and tall cans of American soda.

No one really seems to know about this park and that’s fine by me. It’s totally hidden off any major roads and all the streets around it are one-​way, so it’s really the domain of the locals, adventurous cyclists, dog-​walkers, and parents who take their kids to the Boys & Girls Club here.
In the summertime, it’s usually very quiet, because it is so hidden from Bloor, Dovercourt, and Dufferin. It’s a really good size for a neighbourhood park and has a nice, treelined pathway down the centre. I’ve always considered it a great place to head after grabbing a coffee from Rosie Robin Convenience at Gladstone & Shanly. If you don’t like the crowds at the library, come here to read a book on a bench or sunbath without attracting creepers*. That is, if you like peaceful serenity. If you enjoy being an exhibitionist or people-​watcher, then head to Dufferin Grove Park, this one will bore you.
*creeper-​free experience not guaranteed

Dovercourt Park is the little park that could, especially considering that it’s just a short walk to the much larger Christie Pitts. But still, if you live in the neighborhood, this park is a lovely little green escape.
The park is faced by houses on all sides and also backs onto the Boys and Girls Club. So there are always lots of local kids and dogs with their owners running around having a good time. There are a limited number of benches flanking the bike path that runs through the park, but if you bring a blanket there are plenty of grassy stretches under trees where you can sit down and read your book.
A small baseball diamond rounds out the southwest corner of the park, and opposite it on the southeast corner are a few small pieces of playground equipment. The northeast corner features tennis courts and a basketball hoop.