Here’s an actual hidden gem that you may not know about.
Located at 348 Danforth Ave., The Carrot Green Roof and Garden offers patio seating and the ability to bask in nature on a rooftop while staying in the 6ix.
The roof is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April to October.
The 8,000-square-foot rooftop oasis is on top of The Big Carrot Community Market, otherwise known as Carrot Commons in the Playter Estates-Danforth neighbourhood.
It was created by artists, gardeners, researchers and others to make a place that serves and protects the environment and sustains community members.
It’s been part of the community for over 30 years, with the green roof being redesigned and expanded in 2008.
According to the Carrot Green Roof and Garden coordinator, Sydney Jinjoe, the garden is a place to educate yourself, take part in your community and help fight food insecurity. They say the patio portion is a green space to gather, host your community and stay informed about what’s happening on the roof.
The space is free to enter, but be sure to check the website’s calendar for events before leaving your apartment, because it can be closed for private bookings or programming sessions such as masked only volunteering, seedling gatherings, mushroom workshops and more.
If you’d like to volunteer with them, all you have to do is fill out their form.
The Carrot Commons is also home to one of Community Fridge’s newest fridges, which anyone can donate to or take from. The roof will also donate food to the fridge when they harvest this year.
The space is a two-minute walk from Chester station or a seven-minute walk from Broadview station, which the 505 and 504 streetcars and several TTC bus routes connect to.
You can access the roof through stairs at the back of Carrot Commons or by using the chair lift inside 348 Danforth Ave. and use a ramp to the outdoor deck area. However, if you’re using an electric, non-foldable or too heavy to lift accessibility aid, it may not be accessible.
There are washrooms on the ground floor of Carrot Commons and inside near the chair lift.
Imagine entering this lush, nature-filled space and working with your iced mocha or reading a book you just grabbed from the roof’s free little library. That sounds like a peaceful third space to me.
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