The grass isn't green enough

Remnants of Little Portugal remain, but new, younger residents are changing the face - and the economy - of the area.

Dundas Street, between Palmerston and Bellwoods Avenues, is lined with small Portuguese shops. Bilingual signs hang above cafes, bars, restaurants and stores. But many of these units are empty. Sun-stained paper has replaced the alluring window displays that likely greeted people strolling down the street many years ago.

Young families, many Asian, are walking home from school. Along the way, they pass by NDP MPP and education critic Rosario Marchese's constituency office. It sits beside one vacant unit. Newer shops with Asian characters on their signs are spotted along the street. Things are changing. The area is in flux.

Heading down Manning Avenue, contrasts between the new and the old become more apparent. A swanky Mercedes-Benz sits in front of a newly-remodeled home (which is next to a partially-constructed house). Across the street, signs with a picture of of the Virgin Mary hang beside the front door of homes with no toys on the porch. Seems like those homes belong to older tenants who have been here for a really, really long time.

Kal Hart has been living in the area for over 30 years. Over that time, he's seen many immigrant demographics pass through. Hungarians, Jews, Italians, Portuguese. Chinese and Japanese residents too.

He likes that he lives relatively close to the lake. He also likes his home's curb appeal, something his neighbours could improve on.

Residents, he says, don't keep tidy front porches. Neighbours let garbage pile up on their front porches. New green and blue garbage bins look unappealing. They're also hard for him to wheel into his home.

He's tries to get residents to beautify the street, but city officials told him they can't do anything about the way people keep private property.

But garbage isn't the only thing piling up - so are property taxes. Hart says that as the value of his home rises, so does his property tax.

With modern stucco-clad homes replacing brick dwellings, it appears his worries won't be going away anytime soon.