Love Park opened on 2023-06-23. It is a newly constructed park with the main feature being a man-made large, shallow pond in the shape of a heart aligned with true north! The pond is surrounded by a red mosaic-tiled sitting wall; of course, it had to be red in colour! Adjacent office towers get a high aerial vantage point to view the heart in its entirety.
The park occupies 8,100 square metres (2 acres). This site used to have a circular eastbound off-ramp from the Gardiner Expressway, and was called York Street Park. The major concrete structure has been converted into a lush park. It is quite a departure from the concrete jungle of downtown Toronto.
Two mature trees have been retained, and new trees have been planted lining the sidewalks along the perimeter. One of the trees, a Northern Catalpa tree, is on its own island on one side of the pond.
There are bronze-cast native-Canadian animal sculptures around the park: beaver, bear, fox, squirrel, rabbit, opossum, owl, woodpecker, etc.
On the southeast corner, there is an outdoor seating area, great for relaxation or a snack/meal break.
On the northeast corner, there is a dog off-leash area.
There are park benches and a water bottle filling station. There is no children's playground.
There is no free WiFi. The park is wheelchair accessible. There are no washrooms. There are expensive paid parking lots.
Review 2023-220 read more