Walkerville, Voted Best Old House Neighborhood in Canada. Find out why!

This past week 'This Old House' magazine, recognized Walkerville as one of the 'Best Old House' neighborhood in Canada.  For its April edition, This Old House picked Olde Walkerville as one of 10 Canadian neighbourhoods in its best old house neighbourhood list that uncovered 61 vibrant neighbourhoods from coast-to-coast where you’ll find one-of-a-kind houses.   

 

 Olde Walkerville began back in the 1850s, when Hiram Walker established the Canadian Club whisky distillery on several hundred acres of land on the Canadian side of the Detroit River.

The town was built to house his workers, where he surrounded his distillery with a company town inspired by the British garden-city movement, which included wide streets, open spaces, and bountiful vegetation.

For those of you visiting or passing by, depending on the direction of the wind that day you can still smell the sweet scent of Mr. Walker's whisky in the air. To view a video from

Chris Holt of the Olde Walkerville Residence Association, click here.

Walkerville was chosen because it's one of the last intact company towns that are based on the garden city movement. You can 'walk' to specialty shops and restaurants on Wyandotte Street or you can stroll on tree-lined streets past Tudor Revival mansions and brick row houses.

The Houses
Elegant houses of 3,500-plus square feet—built for company management—include Tudor Revivals, Edwardians, and Romanesque Revivals. More modest Arts and Crafts dwellings, constructed for Walker's laborers, are equally well preserved. Blocks of seemingly uniform rowhouses and semidetached houses are set off by decorative brickwork, varying parapets, and front or end gables. Prices range from $150,000 to as much as a million.

  

Why Buy Here?

A 15-acre park surrounding Willistead Manor and a small but thriving business area three blocks south make the 20-minute walk to Windsor's center almost unnecessary. And a revitalized commitment to self-sustainability and lots of green space assure that Olde Walkerville is a perfect place to enjoy nature's splendor, minus the suburban chore of driving everywhere. "The homes don't stay long on the market because there's not many gems like Walkerville anymore," says Chris Holt of the Walkerville Residents Association.

Ever wonder what we spend about $84 a year on?

According to the National Confectioners Association, it's candy!

I know, I know... We just got over Valentine's Day and most of us got our fix of candy and chocolate, but keep in mind that Easter is just around the corner.

This year it falls on Sunday April 8th, and i wanted to tell you about this hidden gem in Walkerville which will be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, craving for chocloate and offer many suggestions for your children this Easter.

If wanting to start your shopping early, you have to check out Candylicious, located in the Walkerville area of Windsor, Ontario, at (1520 Wyandotte St. East).

Candylicious is a retro-style candy store with more to offer than just sweet treats! Once known as Candy Orbit, (now under new management) Candylicious is your one stop shop for candy, ice cream, chocolate and much much more.

This is a great place to bring your children and the young at heart. I took my nephew here last month, and it was great to see his eyes light-up, who knew a $2 piece of candy could bring so much joy. Be sure to ask about their gift packages, you specify the price and what type of candy/chocolate they would like, and they assemble a mouth watering combo of goodness.

They are open Monday through Friday between the hours of 10am-8pm and on the weekends from 10am-6pm. Candilicious can be reached at 519.253.2449 or via email at marmus.candylicious@gmail.com

Stop by to see why they call them "The Sweetest Spot in Windsor"! I'd like to know what your favorite candy was growing up? Is it still your favorite?

Ever wonder what Walkerville looked like over 100 years ago?

Ever wonder what things looked like over 100 years ago. I managed to find old photographs from the Windsor Library archive site, and compared them to what they look like today using Google Street View.

The first is the Kildaire House (first house on the corner), which survives today as a great and friendly pub i referenced in a post last month. These were the first homes built on First Street, now known as Kildare Street.

Kildaire House - Before

  

Kildaire House - Now



Next are the beautiful Hiram Walker offices. Albert Kahn designed the interior, the buildings have been completely restored, offer tours, and wedding services in the coutyard in the front of the building facing the Detroit River. I attended a wedding here this past summer (my first), what a beautiful place!

Hiram Walker Offices - Before



Hiram Walker Offices - Today



The image below is from Devonshire Road looking South towards St. Mary's Church (at the end). This is the main road leading into the heart of Walkerville's resident area, filled with large homes. Some of the old lamps, still exist today.

Devonshire Road - Before

Devonshite Road - Today

I saved the best for last. The historic Monmouth Rd. Which still has over 100 rowhouse units, and is where i currently live. I had a hard time finding photos for this one.

Monmouth Rd. Rowhouses - Before

Monmouth Rd. - My House :)

If anyone has any old photos to share or links to sites that showcase them, please feel free to share!

Got the Winter Blues? Walkerville Health and Fitness offerings are the Cure!

In these dark and gloomy days nothing makes you feel or look better than exercise and a healthy lifestyle. There are several yoga and fitness studios in the downtown Walkerville area to do just that.

Breathe Pilates and Fitness is one of them. Nestled in the heart of old Walkerville at 1670 Wyandotte St East, Windsor, ON (corner of Windermere). Breathe Pilates provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It has everything from yoga - pilates-to bootcamps and cardio classes.  This is also where my wife, Rebecca provides aesthetic and massage services for a bit of pampering. 

Refine Fitness is conveniently located right across the street at 1623 Wyandotte St. East. It has all the latest  in fitness equipment and a dedicated focus on personal training.  They really care about their clients and you can feel it when you walk through the door.

They also have a Blog where they post easy to follow exercises at home. Check this one out where Mike a personal trainer at Refine focuses on exercising your lower back.

So after all this exercise with your aching bones and muscles you can walk down the road to Nyguen Chiropractic and Massage (ask for Jennifer (519) 255-7741 and tell them i sent you). They offer massage therapists and also provide acupuncture and chiropractic procedures.  She is highly regarded in the area and takes care of most of the business owners and people in the Walkerville area.

Feel free to leave a post, i like to hear what you think of the video.

My Top 3 picks where to spend your SuperBowl Sunday in Walkerville

Not sure where to spend this Sunday afternoon? Walkerville has several bars and restaurants to watch the big game. Here's 3 of my favorite spots, all walking distance from each other.

1 - The Kildare House (Irish Pub)

O'Maggio's Kildare house in Historic Olde Walkerville is the premier pub in the area. Offering traditional pub fare as well as local favorites.  12 beers on tap. Give them a call at 519.915.1066.

2 - The Gourmet Emporim (Tapas Bar and Nightclub)



A tapas bar & nightclub, located at 1799 Wyandotte St. E. (at Chilver) in the restored Bank of Montreal building, one of the most beautiful landmarks in town. The menu offers something for all, including their famous 7-course dinner for (only $25 bucks) , assorted tapas menu, and signature desserts.
Check out the Friday night, latin night.
They can be reached at 519.915.0813.

3 - Victoria Tavern (My Favorite Local Hang Out)

At 112 yrs. of age, it's one of the oldest bars in town. 10 different draughts on tap and the largest selection of Scotch in the city. Every night there's something different going on.

Tuesday 7-9 PM EUCHRE
Wednesday 7-10 with The Celtic Band
Thursday 5-9 PM BIKINI'S and MARTINI'S, Friday 7-11 KARAOKE
Saturday is the ( IN THE POCKET BAND ) 7:00-10:00 PM

Call them at  519-254-1535 to reserved your spot today, they have $25 cent wings.

Everyone's talking about Walkermole... A modern day Taqueria

If you like great food with an inviting atmosphere, you'll love Walkerville's newest restaurant, Walkermole.

Walkermole is nestled in Walkerville's downtown core, minutes away from Detroit offering a wide variety of Mexican food with a great selection of close to 40 different Tequilla brands.

My wife and i paid them a visit this week.



Walkermole Interior

 

We tried the Chicken and Fish Tacos served on warm corn tortilla's, which came with refried black beans and rice. The portions were a good size, considering they also served chips and salsa with the meal.

The interior was well decorated with Mexican art and comfortable seating. They have a large outdoor patio, where i'm sure to spend some time this summer, testing our their large tequilla selection.

This new restaurant provides a local alternative to Detroit's Mexican Town. I encourage you to check this place out and share your experience.

What's a Walkerville? And how it all began...

Walkerville Ontario, Canada is where i live. Incorporated in 1890, the town was founded by Hiram Walker, owner and producer of Canadian Club Whisky.

Walker planned it as a 'model town’ (originally called 'Walker's Town') that would be the envy of both the region and the continent. He established a distillery on the Detroit River (seen at right), diversifying the business by growing grain, milling flour, and raising cattle and hogs. Later, the town supported other major industries, notably automotive manufacturing.

Walker established homes for his workers throughout the community, including Monmouth Rd, (the street i live on - pictured below).

He also built a church dedicated to his late wife, and a school. Many of the buildings were designed by Albert Kahn, notably Willistead Manor (this is where i got married), the home of Walker's second son, Edward Chandler Walker. The Manor became a heritage-protected property owned by the city, which is used as an art gallery or to hold a function today.

The neighbourhood is characterized by large houses, wide streets and abundant greenery. Other structures include former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's home, Khan-designed houses, the distillery and the Via Rail station.

I've lived within this community since 2003, and have had many great experiences. Each week i'll report on an experience. Feel free to share yours....