Toronto Star

There is a park, small and not really a park, that sits at the foot of York St. just north of Queens Quay. Not quite an orphan space yet not fully integrated, this tiny green patch provides an ideal vantage point from which to watch the passing parade. And although its appearance bears witness to the city's maintenance woes, it also happens to be quietly beautiful. Defined by the exit ramp that circles down from the Gardiner Expressway to street level, it is marooned on three sides by highways, on the fourth by a parking lot. A concrete pathway cuts through the centre of the space. It is used by a steady stream of people; at this time of year, many of them are tourists. There's also the lunchtime crowd, never large even on the sunniest days. Recently, a group of young men began to gather there to play a form of compact soccer. Then, of course, there are the homeless. They have become a regular feature.