The Old London directory.

The Wolfe is the Wortley Village destination — modern bistro plates, a smart wine list, the patio in summer and the brick-warm dining room in winter. The Old-South answer for date night without leaving the neighbourhood.

Local pick: Sunday brunch on the patio

Garlic's is the long-running Richmond Row Italian — handmade pasta, a deep Italian wine list, and the heritage room that's hosted half the city's anniversaries. The grown-up dinner answer in Old North.

Local pick: The seafood pasta, the patio

David's is the long-running downtown French bistro — fixed-price menu, classics done right, a wine list that knows what it's doing. The kind of London room that's been quietly excellent for decades.

Local pick: The fixed-price menu — the move

The Early Bird is the brunch room that helped tip Old East Village's comeback — proper eggs Benny, real-deal Caesars, and the patio in summer. The Saturday morning answer if you're house-shopping in OEV.

Local pick: Eggs Benny, real bacon, a Caesar

Black Trumpet is the elegant downtown room in a restored heritage building — continental cuisine, a serious wine list, and the formal-dining feel without being stuffy. The anniversary answer for downtown locals.

Local pick: Anniversary night, the heritage room

Wortley Village is the most walkable few blocks in London — boutiques, cafes, the village green, restaurants. The reason houses in Old South sell to people who want to walk everywhere. Park once.

Local pick: Coffee, browse, lunch — Saturday loop

Richmond Row from Central Avenue up is London's restaurant-and-patio main street — independent restaurants, bars, cafes, the kind of strip that makes Old North feel like a real neighbourhood, not just a residential one.

Local pick: Patio crawl in summer

The Western Fair Farmers' & Artisans' Market runs every Sunday year-round in the Western Fair district — produce, prepared food, baked goods, makers. The kind of market that helped Old East Village come back. Sunday morning anchor.

Local pick: Sunday morning, the prepared food

Old East Village's Dundas Street is the heritage-strip comeback — independent shops, the Aeolian Hall concerts, antique stores, the Western Fair Market anchor. Affordable London with character.

Local pick: Aeolian Hall, the antique shops

Western is the city's gravitational centre at the north end of Old North — Ivey Business School, Schulich Medicine, 35,000+ students. The reason Old North's rental market is what it is. Beautiful campus too.

Local pick: The reason Old North rents

Central is the downtown public IB high school — long-running flagship program, strong arts, and a regional pull. The IB destination for London families.

Local pick: London's flagship public IB program

Catholic Central is the downtown London Catholic high school — long-established, strong sports, the Catholic answer in the city's old core.

Local pick: The Catholic downtown high

The Old East Village elementaries are the walking-distance, neighbourhood-rooted schools — Lord Roberts FI, Aberdeen, Princess Anne. The schools that signal whether a comeback neighbourhood actually has families with kids.

Local pick: OEV elementaries are walking-distance, real-community

Victoria Park is downtown London's heritage park — the venue for Sunfest, the rib fest, the home stage for half the festivals, and an outdoor rink in winter. The downtown's living room.

Local pick: Sunfest in July, skating in winter

Gibbons Park is the riverside Thames park in Old North — playground, splash pad, the path that connects to the Thames Valley Parkway. The everyday Old-North family walk. Sunset over the river is the postcard.

Local pick: Sunset walk along the Thames

The Thames Valley Parkway is the 40 km riverside trail through London — flat, shaded, follows both branches of the Thames through every old-core neighbourhood. The spine of cycling in London. Park anywhere, start riding.

Local pick: Cycle Springbank to Gibbons in an hour

Springbank Park is London's biggest park — 350 acres on the Thames, Storybook Gardens kids' attraction, sports fields, picnic shelters and miles of trail. The Sunday-with-the-family answer for half the city.

Local pick: Storybook Gardens for kids, the lookout

Eldon House is London's oldest house — an 1834 heritage home and gardens, free to visit, right beside downtown. Worth the half-hour for anyone interested in the heritage Woodfield buys.

Local pick: Free, 30 minutes, downtown's oldest home

Harris Park is the downtown riverfront park between Woodfield and Old North — the venue for Rock the Park and a lot of summer concerts, sports fields, and the path connecting Gibbons to Eldon House.

Local pick: Rock the Park in July, summer concerts

Pottersburg/Reservoir Park is the quiet east-end park with the Pottersburg Creek trail — the easy weekend walk for Old East Village without crossing the city. Worth the stop.

Local pick: Quiet trail walk on a Saturday