*** Avoid Skate Sharpening Booth ***…read more The lady who smokes did a terrible job sharpening my new skates. I had to get them re-sharpened at SportChek for $7 (16 and Woodbine) where they had to re-sharpened my blades. The staff was surprised at how terrible they were considering I had purchased them this year. Skate rental is available but I'd recommend just saving up and buying your own (even used in kijiji) skates. I'd be weary on those rental skates given how terrible the lady screwed up my blades. *** Indoor area not available *** Due to the pandemic, the small indoor area is closed off to the public. So you'll need to change your skates outdoors on the wooden benches. Occasionally there is a staff there but this rink is mostly unsupervised. You're not supposed to be figure skating / practicing hockey moves, but no one is there to enforce it. *** Environment *** The stairs to get to the rink are poorly lit. There's currently a Christmas tree at the entrance but the stairs are not lit at all. They need to fix the lamppost or install new lights bc it's dark enough you can't see people when going down the stairs and might hit / step on a kid playing in the area. There are no lockers / storage available so be sure to travel light and leave your bulkier items in the car. No access to heating area or washrooms. The theatre next door may be open but not sure about welcoming guests to use the facility. Best to drive across the plaza to the washrooms at a restaurant like McDonalds. *** Skating Rink *** Rubber floor mats are limited facing the side of the Civic Centre building where the benches are located to change. It would be better if mats were expanded all around the rink along with additional benches. This would help reduce the crowding and close contact of others during this pandemic. Shaped more like an oval than a circle or rectangle, it's a decent size for skating when it's not too busy. I do find the ice to be uneven / dented / marked up even after the zambino has cleaned the ice. During the evenings, lights are available along with dated 2000s music on repeat. I've been coming here for years and it's still the same, so of course I'd be bored of the music. Bring your earphones to keep yourself entertained.

This is a cute skating rink that is really close to work and home. The parking lot is huge because…read moreit is shared with a theatre and I believe a community centre. They have an indoor room which you can change in and out of skates or just simply watch. There are tons of benches outside. It is completely free and their hours are pretty decent. There is all different types of genres of music and Ample lighting.

I see this skatepark all the time driving on Neilson Road. Decided to roller skate here and it was…read morepretty good. Very smooth surface and many beginner elevations and ramps. Wishing there was a more elongated smooth surface just to practice skating on.

Ashbridges Bay public skate park is by the far the best place i've ever skated. It's the most…read moreexpansive public park I've come across and I heard this is merely stage one, there's still a 3 kidney bowl to come.. that may be worth a trip for me from New York when it's done if the caliber of flow and construction is anything like the skate plaza. The park is wide open with no fence (hope it stays that way), creating a super inviting vibe. The concrete is well poured and as a result, beautifully smooth.. just pushing around it's amazing to hear your bearings singing with little pavement noise. The park is very well designed and totally possible to flow it end to end with countless lines, not to mention totally bangin one hitter spots if you're the type to keep trying one trick until you nail it (as was the case with most of the groms there the day I was). You can really get into whatever type of session you want.. I loved hitting the various wallride transfers and cruisin the park old head style, but there were cats layin down 8' drops down the big banks at the back and kids throwin kickflip crooks on the low ledges. Hopefully Ashbridges will stay clean of bad graffiti and the attention that comes with it, if not at least for better backgrounds in footage and photos. This IS a destination skatepark, take care of it.

I think the location is nice if you live in the east end. They added a really nice bowl a few…read moreyears back (advanced). The street section is also mostly advanced, not much fun if you aren't a good/very good skater, some ramps/higher incline would have been nice. I've been a few times and have no desire to return. Honestly it's smaller but I think 8th St in Etobicoke is a far better park, so is Iceland in Mississauga.

I need to practice my scootering so I found this skatepark and everything I get is from there and a…read morestaff named devin helps me a lot

Having been fortunate to travel, see a lot of North American Skateparks; CJ is above 'most'…read more Mainly due to the construction. A lot of parks (especially older ones) use cheaper materials, they get worn (not replaced/fixed), so they essentially become 'dangerous'. CJ spared no cost. A really impressive vert and mini section. I like the street section the best; great flow. They have hired some amazing staff; Alex, Helen, Mike to name a few... Very popular for summer and holiday camps. Only downside (more sign of the times than anything...) too many annoying scooters. Nobody over 16 should ride one; so you get a lot of kids darting around on those stupid pieces of metal/plastic. Hard not to wish for more skate/less scooter. Prices have also been raised; most parks I've visited cost around 8-10 bucks (USA), CJ often charges almost twice that amount. It's a great thing for the city of Etobicoke (Toronto), be great to see another park or two pop up (competition is always nice). Most importantly the park is maintained, clean, safe. Can't say that about a lot of skateparks. I've visited parks in St Louis/Philly recently and they don't even sweep (dangerous), so CJ is refreshing and much appreciated.

The idea is appreciated. Unfortunately the skatepark part…read moreBLOWS.. basketball area is decent/good, kids like the playground. Unfortunately this city has this monstrosity (gardiner), that cuts the south part from the rest of the city... so this is an attempt to bridge it.. like Montréal and Boston; should have put the gardiner underground. Terrible traffic in this city..

It's 80 metres from my house so I go a lot. I love the mix of natural and urban elements and sooo…read moremuch art! There are in ground lights that cast a cool glow on the skate park once the sun goes down and a few nets to shoot hoops as well as skating ramps. The playground is pretty cool and has a spongey turf thAt's good for falls. Lots of people taking wedding and magazine shoot photos here. It's great when it's raining since you can still do outside activities since it's an underpass. Usually only locals hang out here.

What a tribute! Alix Rice was a victim of a drunk driver. He hit her as she was skateboarding…read moreone night. The community was justifiably outraged. This park is part of the result of that outrage. A safe place for people to come practice thier sport. Located near UB North, has tons of parking and is behind Northtown Center.

I wanted my first review of 2021 to be special, but since we are (still) in this dreadful Covid-19…read morePandemic and my city is currently in lockdown, I have not been out much to discover any new and exciting places to review. I didn't want to start off the year with another grocery store, pharmacy, or gas station review, lol, so I thought "what is a place that is special in my heart that I have not yet reviewed?" Most of the places that my heart holds dear are in my hometown of Toronto, and in the part of town where I grew up. Then it occurred to me, I should review my favourite park in the whole wide world: Cedarvale Park! I grew up within walking distance of this park and spent a great deal of my youth there. It has a huge hill that becomes a tobogganing haven in the winter. How many snowpants did I wear out on that hill? It has a nice paved trail to walk or cycle. It's where my dad taught me how to ride a bike. It's tranquil by the ravine, perfect for a romantic stroll. There's also so much green space for picnics or just to hang out. I spent so much time there with friends in Middle School, as our school was just around the corner...it's since closed down, it's true, you can never go home again :( There's a tennis court there and a baseball diamond too. It's also right next to Phil White Arena where I would go skating all the time with my class while in elementary school. A more recent addition (and recent being a relative term, for me it means since I left Toronto, lol), is the installation of a splash pad for kids. Also a Cricket Field (although this may have been there when I was a kid, I don't remember, lol) and a designated area where dogs can run off-leash. Cedarvale Park is a happy place for me. So I'm starting off the year by reviewing it and hopefully this will mean an auspicious start to 2021 ;)

Break from Covid? Check out Cedarvale Park- Great for running if you like a trail that doesn't run…read moreout. Biking, off leash area, soccer fields, tennis courts, kids' playground and water park, amazing tobaganning hills! On a warm winter day people are out in droves. The off leash area is full of our 4 legged friends. People are enjoying the trails that lead to Cedarvale Ravine. It leads to St Clair West station where there's a workout area in the trees. There's pull up bars, push up benches and signs that indicate the type of exercise you can do. Great spacious park that leads to a trail and can connect to another trail via the Discovery Trails throughout TO.

This public square is uniquely sandwiched between Scarborough Town Centre to the north and…read moreScarborough Civic Centre to the south. It is named in honour of the first mayor of the Borough of Scarborough. Yes, the pavement is showing decades of wear and tear but generally speaking, the square is maintained. It is wheelchair accessible. There is usually something scheduled throughout the year and visitors can rest at permanent picnic tables/seats to view the whole area including the community use bandstand. Winter is descending on us now. I have my ice skates ready for when the City of Toronto opens the outdoor ice rink located here!

At Albert Campbell Square, which is just outside of Scarborough Town Centre, lies a small skating…read morerink that is open everyday in winter. The rink is supervised on weekends and weekday nights. I particularly like that it is near the ttc station which makes it one of the most convenient skating rinks to access in the Scarborough area. The only downside is that there are no skate rentals for people that don't own skates and sometimes it takes a long while before someone comes out to resurface the ice. In the warmer months, the skating rink turns into a wading pool and is a great place to relax. There is not much free parking around the area as the parking lots are closed off to City of Toronto staff that works at the civic centre. Therefore using the ttc to get here is the best!

Beautiful place to take a walk! For a small pond, there is so much to see on this short walk. From…read morebridges over marshy areas to various look out points and even a small cafe along the way. With several entry points including one right behind the Varley Art Gallery, this pond is located just off of the Main Street making it a great way to end or start your visit at Main Street Unionville. I highly recommend the Toogood Pond Trail during any time of the year! Dont miss it if you are in the area.

This space, located right by the historic Main Street Unionville, is well maintained and a lot of…read morefun in the winter for skating. There are paths around the pond that you can walk to enjoy the nature and the views around it. It's a great place to enjoy a beverage or go for a stroll to enjoy the weather. (It's also a pretty good area if you play Pokémon GO!)