Tip: Street parking is limited around the park. You may have better luck taking the TTC to Christie station and walking over to visit it. Christie Pits is what locals know this park as. I don't think I've ever called it Christie Pits Park, which is its formal name. At the turn of the 20th century, the land that is now Christie Pits was actively excavated as a massive quarry for sand, gravel, and clay to build Toronto's early roads. Once these resources were depleted, the quarry (the pit) was filled to become a park. It used to be called Willowvale Park. Locals back then called it Christie Pits, which became the official name of this park. I learned about the Christie Pit riot in grade 9 history class. It happened in 1933 and was roughly a six-hour race riot happening around the Great Depression, and the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and anti-semitism. This park is large. It's bordered by Bloor Street West to the south, the CP rail line to the north, Christie Street to the west, and Ossington Avenue to the east. Christie Street, and ultimately this pit, was named after William Christie, a co-founder of Mr Christie. I have a couple of fond memories of this park. I took a Cantonese class in the summer after my grade 10 year was over. This class was at Kent Senior Public School (rest in school peace) at Dufferin and Bloor. I had a friend who lived on Christie Street. After school, we'd walk over to her house to hang out, cutting through this park to get there. In grade 12, I was in my high school's concert marching band. We were a part of Toronto's Eaton's (a department store that no longer exists) Santa Claus Parade. We all met at our high school on a Sunday. We got a chartered bus ride to Christie Pits where we were dropped off. It was the starting point of the parade. I frankly don't recall where the end point of the parade was. I do remember my clarinet working when it wasn't windy while marching and was silent when I tried playing it in a headwind during the parade! I passed by this park last Wednesday. It was nice that traffic along Bloor Street West was busy. I was waiting for traffic to move and ended up looking at this park fondly. The most notable features of this park is that it has three baseball diamonds and four pools. It also has a ton of majestic trees and greenery, which provides a lot of beauty to this area. In the summertime, this park hosts the Christie Pits Film Festival, which is free as part of the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show. There are also local art events that I'd like to check out when summer is finally here. It's a nice park in a cool part of Toronto. (204) read more

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This is a nice park with three ball fields. They really take care in maintaining these fields. Came to walk the dog and came across a series of children's soccer games on this day that had light rain. They had a skateboard park adjacent to the soccer area. It's nice to see the kids out there playing soccer. Some of them have some nice ball handling skills. Nice park to visit! read more

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Remember the RIOTS...? Neither do I. A cool 2 level park, down and up the hill. A community pool, baseball diamonds, basketball... needs a skateboard option, then it's REALLY good! read more

The Christie Pits Film Festival is one of my favorite summer community activities ever. Admission is free and it's BYOB, i.e. bring your own blanket. They screen a nice variety of classic films new and old. So far this year they've screened "A League of their Own" (including a costume contest), "Mr Hulot's Holiday" and this Sunday they'll be screening a personal favorite "Stand by Me". There are also more recent "classics" showing later on in the summer (e.g. Moonrise Kingdom). Before the main film there are typically a couple of shorts by local Canadian filmmakers. Showtime is each Sunday evening at sunset, but festivities begin a few hours before this with groups of friends, couples and solos claiming their spots and picnicking on the hill. There are always a few vendors (e.g Northwood's cold brew coffee + Limonana lemon-mint beverages, Tallboy's burgers, Sugarmama's mini donuts) and a great atmosphere in the park. Summer days drifting away, buuut ah, oh those summer nights. read more

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Without a doubt the superior Toronto park. Did you know that Toronto's motto is "a city within a park"? No? Confused? Not surprising since it is a false statement. If you live in our wonderful city, you know that a more suitable motto would be "a city within a city", or maybe "a city within one large pothole". Despite the blatant lie here, Christie Pitts really is a safe haven from the hustle and bustle of Toronto. IMO, this is the best park we've got. Swimming? Baseball? Giant tobogganing hill? Ice rink? OPEN BATHROOMS? Check, check, check, check, check! The Pitts also avoids the pretentious hipster millennial vibes of it's overhyped counterpart, Trinity Bellwoods. Don't be fooled - Christie Pitts is anything but THE PITS! (haha) read more

Great park at Bloor and Christie. In the summer there are regular minor league baseball games here. If your pro team is in last place in their division, and you are not in the mood to pay full price for a ticket and 11$ for a beer, bring a picnic out here and enjoy some low stress baseball from the hillside. Also, Christie Pitts is a relatively uncrowded area for jogging as well. There is pay parking along Christie and Bloor, but you can usually find it for free on the north and west sides of the park. read more

Christie Pits Park - Baseball night at the park - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My former self didn't live in this hood, and didn't quite get that the Pits are not the pits at all, this is a five star park. All the glory from my previous review remains true: waaaay fewer layabouts than Bellwoods, picnic zones, playgrounds, pool and the big ol' bowl. However, I forgot to mention a few other wonderful things: +Basketball courts +Community garden +Maple leafs baseball on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings +Pool water slide (OK, I mentioned this, but it's worth mentioning twice) Park it! read more

I still remember learning about the Christie Pitts riot in grade 9 history class and to this day I can't visit this park without thinking about it. But anyways, this park is A-OK! It's not the place to go for a peaceful afternoon, but it is fun to walk around and see all the kids playing baseball, rugby, basketball, etc. The park itself is kind of in a 'valley'. The view of the city skyline from the top of the hill on the North side is really nice. Also, it is conveniently located right near one of my favourite Japanese restaurants, Rikishi: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/rikishi-japanese-restaurant-toronto. read more

For all the years that I have lived in Toronto, sadly I think this is the first time I have actually gone to the park! Wow, what have I been missing. Granted it is not close to me and about a 45 minute subway ride, but still worth the trek, especially since it is literally steps away from the subway station. So you don't have to worry if you are bringing lots of heavy supplies (blankets, cooler, etc). I was here last night for the start of the Christie Pits Film Festival. Watching a movie outdoors for some reason is always fun for me. Not sure why with the hard ground and bugs and noisy people around you, but it's an experience that I just love. The way they set it up (the screen) so pretty much everyone had a decent view is nice, I guess it helps there is a natural slope at t he park that gives you that movie theatre seating feel. There is a playground for the kiddies, some walking/biking paths and a great big open areas for picnics. If you want to play some b-ball check out the courts and apparently there is a communal garden here as well. GRab some grub, lay back and just people watch a lazy Sunday away! read more

Perhaps because I live in Christie Pitts, the following review may be a bit biased. Ok, I don't literally live in the park, but I do a few minutes away from it. Every day I pass through Christie Pitts and I love it, and here's why: The park is used by hundreds of people every day, summer or winter. In the summer there are families on picnics, kids on play dates, couples strolling about, dogs, bbqs, festivals, you name it. The Toronto Maple Leaf baseball team plays there every Sunday, and sitting atop of the hill with a cool drink and good company on a warm summer night is a perfect way to laze away the hours. There is a gigantic pool and slide run by the Toronto Parks and Rec department and its a great place to bring the kids and get some sun. In the winter, the Santa Clause parade marching bands all assemble at Christie Pitts and jam-it's AWESOME to see them all there at once before the parade begins. It truly is quite a sight! The morning after a fresh snowfall you will find kids of all ages going nuts on the great hills. With out fail, Christie Pitts is one of the best sledding sights in the city! The hockey rink at the north west corner of the park opens around Dec. 1st each year and the season is jam-packed with shinny leagues, family skates and fun events hosted by the Parks and Rec staff. For a big, busy metropolis like Toronto, you may think it hard to find fun things to do outdoors that don't cost an arm and a leg, but, Christie Pitts does not disappoint in the fun category and it is truly one of the cities greatest urban parks! I feel very lucky to live so close to it! read more

Walked into the park yesterday to the sound of Native music and found a ceremony taking place. Children had gathered in a circle and a woman, dressed in traditional garb was beating a drum and chanting with those around her. Local kids were involved in the fun and many spectators peered on with curiosity. The sun was shining and dogs and their owners passed by left and right. The subway rumbled below and the thought of thousands of people, on their urban journey, at this very moment, came to mind. Whether it is seniors doing tai chi, the homeless passed out on benches or lovers sprawled out on the vast green expanse, this park captures the city's essence. In Christie Pits, you are truly a part of Toronto. read more

One of my favourite things to do when the weather is nice is to get a whole whack of tacos from Tacos El Asador, some canned up margaritas and head over to Christie Pitts to watch a baseball game, or put a toonie on a piece of fake dog poo and see who takes the bait. This is truly the most fun you can have for $2. The long sidewalk on Bloor St. is the perfect place for this as you sit at one of the picnic tables and watch the ones who merely look at it, the couples who argue over whether to pick it up and those who have no shame and grab that money of the poo without a second thought. Absolute Hilarity! I love the wide demographic of people here. There are always lots of turbos to spot with their guitars and long hair, hula hoopers, rope walkers, bootcamp attendees and friends like me who prefer going out and making the funnies instead of watching them on TV. read more

Another pretty park on Bloor street. It feels more family oriented than the other parks and is so peaceful. It's awesome how you can get some street food and then just chill in the park. I also really like all the benches. I think the distance from bench to bench is shorter than High Park, which is great for lazy people like me. Verdict: Chillin, eating, and relaxin all cool on Bloor. read more

I love Christie Pits Park. We are members of the Christie Pits Community Garden where we take care of our own personal plot and pitch in with the communal plots as well. The people at the garden are wonderful and we are able to bring home lots of local fruit and veggies throughout the summer and fall. Just yesterday we went to our first wood-fired oven pizza night at the park. For the foodies, you might find thinner crust elsewhere in the city, but there is something special about the wood-fired flavour and the fact that you are being served while sitting in a park on a lovely summer night. The personal sized pizzas are super inexpensive for $5 served along side tasty bbq'd corn for a buck. It is not easy to find the details about the pizza nights. The latest pizza nights have been organized by the David Suzuki Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/HomegrownNationalPark read more

Christie Pitts is one of my favorite parks on the West side of Toronto. It may not have a fancy zoo, or enough room for ten football fields, but it'll do when you want a green a shady place to play or rest outside. With over 21 acres of land, it's easy to forget how far back off of Bloor the park extends. Whenever school is not in session, kids rule this park. With a pool, baseball diamond, basketball courts and tons of hills for wintertime fun, the sounds of kids playing and laughing can usually be heard wherever you are. If you seek tranquility, try find a nice tree to sit under or picnic table in the grass on the high ground near Bloor street, and the children noises will be as faint as they are going to get. But if you really crave peace and quiet I'll also warn you that regular drum circles tend to happen on the park's southeast corner near the hot dog vendor - be warned. Those with rambunctious pups (or kids, for that matter) will find a nice circuit of paths through the park and back out again, just enough to wind them down a bit for the rest of the day. If you pack a snack or lunch, there are plenty of picnic tables and garbage containers throughout the park, including recycling, just be sure to take everything out of the park with you when you go. read more

Rain or shine, there always seems to be something going on at the park on weekends during the summer. Sometimes it's a random Korean festival and other times it's a movie in the park. The park is well maintained and there's lots of room for everyone. There's a couple of sheltered seating areas to get out of the sun, loads of benches along the pathways, and a community garden on the west side. read more

A fantastic location, and I can hardly think of a better meal one can have than Korean food across the street to warm you up from a cold evening playing softball or soccer at the park. It's not that large and it seems to be a park mainly for use in playing a team sport compared to something like Trinity Bellwoods where picnicking is as common a sight as people playing sports. But it's clean, the steep hills provide a great medium for a warm up before a game. I should note that the baseball diamond I played at had a very rocky infield and the border between the infield and out gave up some very tricky grounders to field (just saying in case you're interested in a softball playing perspective). Overall, a great little oasis that sort of creeps up on you as you walk along Bloor. read more

In general, I love coming here with my so . We always have a great time sitting on a blanket having a picnic and playing on the equipment. The only unfortunate thing I'd say are some irresponsible teenagers. One the May 2-4 weekend they were eu. Omg around chasing each other with fireworks, as other kids were running away, they were still aiming fireworks at them even when they ran into crowds of families and young children. My son has even been kicked and pushed in the playground by older children and teenagers running up and down slides. Even the slides for small children. read more

My favorite park in Toronto. Great place to just do you. Lots of pickup games. OpenSports always has them if they're going on so you don't go for nothing. Late night swimming scene is lit. read more

Christie pits is such a nice oasis! It's such a nice spot to go to for everything from listening to music, to playing basketball or having a picnic, etc. I love going here on a nice day to sit and have my coffee. Duely note you can feel the subway rumble beneath you when sitting on some sections of the grass but I still love it! It sort of reminds you that yes, you're still in a relatively dT part of the city. Great place to sit back and relax, even people watch, etc. when needing the taste of nature this is one if my go to spots! read more

My father, now age 96, was born in the house at 777 Crawford St. - right at the entrance to the park. The house still stands. I have a photograph of my father and his sister in the backyard. Behind them you can see the huge crater that was at that time the city dump. Houses lined the rim of the crater and I imagine the aroma was something one had to get used to. Dad remembers horses pulling the carts of trash down the road at the side of his house into the dump. There was also a stable next to that road where the horses were kept. We returned to this site a few years ago and were absolutely delighted to see the house still there and the road now leading to one of the prettiest parks we have ever seen. What a great place, from such meager beginnings! Jennifer Crane read more

Awesome park!!!! Big area. Nice place for picnic, hang out, exercise, chitchat..and even sunbathing! i'm lovin' it!

This park is right across from Christie Station right by Korean Town. There are plenty of restaurants and food options nearby where you can grab some take-out and enjoy it outdoors. Great for meeting with friends, picnic-ing, reading and even people-watching. There is also a small picnic area with an abundance of picnic tables and a roof over this area. There's also a playground, swimming pool and baseball area if you're interested. read more

Shot an aerial video at the park with some beautiful results: https://youtu.be/pcpWz1mskT0 read more