My Neighbourhood

My Neighbourhood: Riverside

Shane Little, The Richards Group agent, and his partner Jenny (also a member of The Richards Group family) have called the East End home for years. After getting their dog, Dolly, Shane and Jenny upgraded their Colgate Avenue condo for a 19th century Victorian on Grant Street. Here’s how Shane would spend his ideal day in Riverside.

8:00am:

When I wake up, I let Dolly out and make myself a cup of coffee from Pilot Roasters. The Heritage Roast is our go-to. Our house has a picture window, so most mornings, I’ll sit there and sip my coffee while Dolly enjoys the views of Grant Street.

9:00am:

After coffee, I’ll take Dolly out to either Jimmy Simpson Park or the dog park at Cherry Beach to play with her dog friends. This can get a bit messy, so we may have to stop at Dirty Paws Dog Wash on the way back. The owner, Ryan Chong, is the reason our house isn’t constantly covered in sand!

11:00am:

We’ll walk down Queen Street and pop into The Bone House because they have Dolly's favourite treats in the city. And since a treat for her equals a treat for me, we then stop by Province of Canada. I own their Half Zip sweatshirt in nearly every colour and will probably buy any new colour they release! If I’m still in a shopping mood, I’ll head over to Good Neighbour – even though, more likely than not, I’m already wearing an outfit I bought from them.

1:00pm:

Just behind Album Hair in Riverside is a healthy Asian noodle spot, Tong Mein, where I pickup lunch pretty much five days a week! It’s run out of an old shipping container and they have some of the best noodles in the city with lots of different flavour options.

3:00pm:

From Tong Mein, I’ll walk over to Pop Music. Owner Derek Antonio is a true music lover – after talking only a few times, he had curated a collection of records for Jenny and I. Jenny helped Derek find this location, so it’s been great to see his business grow over the past 18 months!

4:00pm:

Next, I’ll hit up the Arts Market. It’s home to a ton of local vendors and creators and I rarely walk away without a find. Since we’re still settling into our new house, finding stuff to put on the walls is a big component of my shopping, and I love to frame vintage collectibles. Once I’ve found my latest addition I always take it to Dimensions Framing. They do a great job and will pretty much frame anything you give them – I’ve even had them frame a pizza box!

6:00pm:

If I’m cooking dinner at home, I’ll head over to Hooked and pick up some frozen lobster tails and then over to Butchers of Distinction for some tenderloin steaks. For wine, I’ll stop at Boxcar Social’s bottle shop to pick up one of their recommendations. Once I’m home, I’ll put the lobster and sirloin in the sous vide and call a few friends for dinner. Of course, I’ll be listening to one of the albums from Pop Music while I cook!

8:00pm:

Dessert involves a trip to Craig’s Cookies. The cookies are great, but the portrait of Dolly Parton is even better. Of course, Dolly comes along for this trip to pose next to her namesake. (Shameless pup plug, you can follow along with Dolly at @little.dolly.parton.)