A jazz interlude on Bloor

It's 10:30pm and I've just come back from an evening stroll along Bloor. I was walking on the north side between Lansdowne and Margueretta when I heard shouting across the street. I stopped to look. A short fat man sitting on a bench was exchanging words with someone passing by. The exchange didn't last long and the other person moved on. It was no big deal, but it's the kind of thing that can make Bloor at night unpleasant or entertaining depending on your point of view.

When I started walking again, I noticed the sound of soft jazz coming from somewhere. I stopped, turned to my right and realized I was standing in front of the Holy Oak cafe. Looking through the big front window, I could see a man playing the saxophone while a woman accompanied him on piano. I could only see one customer inside, a woman sitting by herself at a candle-lit table.

The music was a nice change from the angry words across the street. I have often heard Bloor and Lansdowne described as "a neighbourhood in transition." This is an example of that. The shouting on the south side represents the old, sketchy Bloor while the soft jazz on the north represents the changes that are still coming.