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One of the best bed and breakfasts in Toronto Ontario,
as recommended by Janette Higgins.
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Toronto Area and Niagara Region
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By the Park Bed and Breakfast
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Margo and Ziggy Rygier
92 Indian Grove
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M6R 2Y4
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| Phone: 416-520-6102 |
| Great neighbourhood, easygoing artsy hosts and terrific rooms combine for a memorable Toronto B&B experience. |
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Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
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Note 1 to reader: Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I travel incognito, pay where I stay and write reviews of the top 5%. Here is one I recommend. Janette Higgins
As I pulled into By the Park Bed and Breakfast, I eyed the cobblestone drive and attractive gardens. Good signs, both. I rang, and host Margo Rygier welcomed me in with a smile. There was a note asking guests to remove street shoes, but it was a dry day and Margo wasn’t insistent, though slippers were provided. Another good sign, since I prefer an easygoing host who rolls with the punches.
Like many homes in this Toronto enclave the architectural details impress; chandeliers, carved woodwork, French doors – and 8 fireplaces. It’s also artsy. Turns out Margo’s a textile artist who studied traditional French tapestry in France and husband Ziggy has a fine arts degree. Their story is intriguing – high school sweethearts in Poland, they lived in Paris for awhile, came to Canada to study at the Ontario College of Art and Design and spent a year in Italy before finally settling back in Canada with excursions out for their various creative pursuits including Cuba for Salsa dancing.
You’ll be doing your own dancing when you see what’s on the 3rd floor. The 900- square-foot Loft has a king bed and two fireplaces; one wood burning with a sitting area and one a two-sided gas. Bathing is open concept (glassed in shower for two and large air tub) but the water closet is discreetly private. A 260-square-foot glass conservatory houses another sitting area facing west over terraced gardens. Glimpses of High Park help distract from an uninspiring building off to one side. Good value figures into my picks and, though high for B&B, the $215 for this space is worth it.
Back on the 2nd floor, the queen-bedded Victorian Room has a gas fireplace and en suite bath. Three other rooms share a large stone and marble bathroom with air tub and glassed-in shower. (There’s also a 2-piece downstairs.) Mention my review and Margo and Ziggy might be able to limit the bath sharing to two rooms out of high season. The king-bedded Garden View has a carved canopy over its bed and comfy seating with wood-burning fireplace. The Elegant Country has a queen sleigh bed and the French Chambre has a queen four-poster.
Next morning, breakfast can be quite the gathering especially if any guests staying in the suites across the street (see the hosts' own website) happen to join in. There’s OJ, yogurt, homemade yogurt, fresh fruit, homemade muffins (perhaps banana) and jams along with something like a roasted pepper omelet or fruit-and-ricotta crepes drizzled in chocolate. It’s vegetarian so no bacon. After, you could stroll east to lively Roncesvalles, west to High Park (all 399 acres!), or walk 5 minutes to the subway where you can be whisked away anywhere in Toronto (downtown is 20 minutes) far more efficiently than driving a car.
Note 2 to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the hosts know you read my review of their bed and breakfast on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer
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By the Park Bed and Breakfast, Toronto, Ontario
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| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| E-mail: |
Click Here |
| Website: |
http://www.bythepark.ca |
| Best to call: |
Anytime |
| Languages: |
English, Polish, some French |
| Season: |
All Year |
| CDN $ Rates: |
S $95-120, D $100-135. Loft Suite S or D $215. Plus 5% Room Sales Tax and 5% GST |
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| Cards: |
Cash, VISA, MC, AMEX |
| Restrictions: |
Children over 10 welcome in B&B; no age limit in suites. Smoking outside only. No guests' pets |
| Facilities: |
3rd-floor 1160-sq ft loft with 2 fireplaces and glass conservatory. Sink/tub/shower stall are open to room. WC is private. 1 room with queen bed, fireplace and en suite bathroom with shower stall. 3 bedrooms (2 queen, 1 king/twin) share 1 large bathroom with tub and separate shower stall (1 of these queen rooms has a fireplace); large living room, with fireplace, and smaller sitting room for guests; 2 pce bathroom on main floor; central air; high speed internet; terraced gardens, outdoor sitting areas including deck off living room and one with fountain/fish |
| Parking: |
for five cars in private drive; jockeying possible |
| Breakfast: |
Full (vegetarian) |
| In Residence: |
Cute as a Button (Kitty for short), the friendly cat and her new young feline friend, April |
| Location: |
Near Bloor and Parkside Drive in west central Toronto, a few minutes north of the Gardiner Expressway (QEW)and 5 minute walk from the East/West subway or High Park. |
| Directions: |
Obtain when booking. Tip: Pay attention to the fact that this bed and breakfast is on Indian Grove which runs south only from Bloor Street -- there are several other neighbourhood streets with the word 'Indian' in them. |
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