I was just about to post these photos when I saw the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge. The theme this week: Urban.

I thought about what urban means to me. It doesn’t just mean citified; it’s a lifestyle and trend. I actually felt like we were experiencing urban culture in Toronto when my husband and I headed out one night and saw a crowd gathering at Yonge-Dundas Square. There were red-shirted college students handing out Coca-Colas. The Olympic rings were waving on flags edging the square. Ping pong tables had been set up and the games were streaming in on plasma screens above the stage. It was fun and vibrant. We milled around with the crowd, drinking our Cokes and then a rapper took the stage. The music started and people began bouncing to the beat. Classified was on stage.

 I hadn’t heard of Classified before, but the music was great. The vibe of the crowd and the spontaneousness of it was fantastic. We stayed and listened as more and more people came to the Square to see what was going on. It was an instant party; a coming together of strangers who’d just been walking down the street.

That’s what urban means to me: Impromptu gatherings; the bustle of a city; the diversity of a crowd; youth in the air; listening to Handshakes and Middle Fingers.

Can’t get much more urban than that, can you?