Mount Pleasant is a place where people live, not just abide. They do their shopping here, meet with friends in the plethora of bakeries and coffee shops, go for walks after dinner. It is a true community, a place where the word neighbourhood means much more than just a geographic boundary.
District Main is a neighbourhood within a neighbourhood. In the lobby of the 79-suite rental building, theres an exhibit of Tanaka Yoshinoris beautiful photos of fellow residents. Theres a large screen tv surrounded by comfortable chairs where they can watch a hockey game together. Last month there was a Roman-themed party in the back garden, for which one of the residents transformed 80 white tablecloths into stylish togas and another made fig bruschettas. Next month there will be a pumpkin carving contest for the best Halloween display.
Last year, when the grapes in the garden were ripe, man-of-all-skills John Terezakis made Farmer Johns House Red with the grapes. The olive oil from his olive grove in Greece was bottled and given as gifts to each of the residents last Christmas.
The force behind many of these initiatives is the buildings general manager, Lolly Bennett. Shes one of those people whose energy creates energy.
I work for a family-owned business [Kevington Building Corporation] and they are loving and warm and kind and interested, she says during lunch at East is East, just down Main Street from her building. Our company believes that you dont have to trade social contact because you live in a rental building.
She also believes in the power of Main Street to bring people together. I love that its a walk-around neighbourhood. I go out at night and see a variety of ages and diversity of culture.
In early mornings, older Chinese residents like to gather at McDonalds, where everyone knows each other by name. Bennett says that when you walk into Tresula, its like walking into Italy. A former resident, Yehuda Sandler, has opened Room for Cream a few blocks away.
Main Street is a very eclectic body of people that are seemingly unpretentious, she says as she heads back to the job she loves.
