One of the many reasons we love Cabbagetown is the lanes and back alleyways that are hidden from the street-life and full of character (and some interesting characters…). There’s so much to discover: let us introduce you to this behind the scenes network starting with:

Callaghan Lane

In South Cabbagetown, North-West of Dundas and Parliament Streets, is Callaghan Lane which is named after Canadian novelist Morley Callaghan. It is your typical residential laneway until you hit the eastern-most stretch between Heads Lane and Parliament Street where it has been transformed as part of The Smart City Project.

The walls of the buildings have been painted out white creating an outdoor art gallery with a transportation themed installation. Graffiti art, sculpture and even a vertical garden line the lane. It’s pretty surprising to stumble upon and also pretty hip.

The Project’s mission is to seek out, “new urban initiatives that can help make our cities better. Cleaner. Quieter. More open. More beautiful.” We think they nailed it with this one and are looking forward to more. Graffiti can be beautiful and this is a great little escape of a busy road. Its location next to the Regent Park Revitalization (that’s the first condo building – One Cole – that you can see across the end of the lane) is a, well, smart, choice picking up on the new and vibrant feel being achieved there.

Want to see more? Check out the video capturing the whole installation below or, better yet, take a stroll over and see it in person! Say “hi” if you see us – we might be there trying to charge our phones with the bike pedals…