Phil Frei is providing this month’s “Cabbagetown According To…” views. Phil joined our board last year and has put his stamp on our 2015 membership drive and increasing our engagement with residents.

Best place in Cabbagetown for a bite to eat…
I love eating at home. It’s low stress with little kids and nothing beats a nice BBQ with Steak & Chops meat.

Cabbagetown needs…
A gym. I don’t think it needs to be something big, but it would be nice to have a place with all the basic machines and weights.

Favourite block…
Geneva Avenue. It’s not only because we live there. I love the fact that it functions as a dead end street with virtually no through traffic. It’s pretty safe for kids, there’s usually a parking spot, and we’re close enough to the sledding hill that our hot chocolate stays warm.

Best public space…
The field at the bottom of Riverdale Park West after a snow fall – gorgeous and expansive.

Favourite store…
I love Home Hardware, but to add variety to this post I think another great place is Jay’s Garden on Gerrard at Sackville. It’s a great low-key garden centre with decent prices and great selection (especially around the holidays).

Cabbagetown pet peeve…
The dumpster behind NoFrills.

Cabbagetown’s best kept secret…
Ronica’s Divan. I haven’t been, but my wife was there for a dinner with a group of women from our street recently and loved it. It’s a woman named Ronica who lives on Sackville organizes a great Indian dinners at her house.

Best reason to join the Cabbagetown Residents Association (CRA)…
To get plugged into the community.