Exploring Hart House

Last week, I ventured into Hart House to snap a few pics of Madelin. While there she mentioned that Hart House is one of her favourite places on campus, and how not enough students take advantage of everything it has to offer. I'm definitely one of those students. When I think of Hart House, two things come to mind: weddings and working out. Though Madelin and I weren't there for long, it was definite that there was much there than I thought, and on one rainy afternoon this week I decided to explore the Hogwarts-esque halls of Hart House. Before I even got the chance to go inside I made my first discovery: an adorable little vegetable garden. Upon further investigation I found that the veggies were planted and cared for by U of T Dig In, a group dedicated to small scale sustainable food production. Want to learn more? See Danielle's post about U of T Dig In. I decided to grab a coffee to help me warm up after being out in the rain, so I went into Sammy's Student Cafe. The cafe has lots of vegetarian options, and serve healthy $5 lunches on Wednesdays. That's a definite upgrade from my usual Tim Horton's bagel.     After getting lost wandering the lower halls for a while, I went upstairs and happened upon the Reading Room. They really need to rename this place to the "talking room" or "fun room". It's bright walls and cozy couches make it the perfect place to hang out and socialize. And to add to the Reading Room's fun eclectic nature, Get Crafty, a weekly free arts & crafts program is hosted here! (Read all about Get Crafty in Emaan's blog post)

Just down the hall I found the Map Room. Named for the beautiful illustrated map of U of T that it's home to, the ivy covered Map Room seemed like the perfect place to snuggle up with a good book. It also shares space with CIUT, the campus radio station, and hosts an array of intimate concerts.   Something I absolutely adored about Hart House was the abundance of art hung in the hallways. Sadly I didn't get the chance to visit the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, but finding the little pieces sprinkled throughout the halls almost made up for it.   When I walked into the library I went from being 50% sure my dreams had finally come true and that I had been teleported to Hogwarts to 90% sure. I couldn't help but fall in love with the walls covered in books, the giant window benches, and the ivy creeping in everywhere. The library has definitely become my go to study spot.

    I finished off my afternoon exploring Hart House by venturing out into the rain and into the Quad. This gorgeous manicured courtyard has a tented area perfect for enjoying a coffee outside on a rainy day.   What's your favourite part of Hart House? Let me know in the comments below.