Christie Pits Park draws crowds all summer long for its rolling hills, free baseball games, and public pool — but for years, one thing has been conspicuously missing from the area: a proper neighbourhood ice cream shop within easy walking distance.
As of Friday, July 3, that gap has officially closed. Brokn Milk, a new scoop shop dealing in what it calls “proper ice cream,” has opened at the corner of Christie and Barton, directly across from the northeast corner of the park. The business didn’t come out of nowhere — it started life as a homegrown pop-up, building a following through appearances at the now-defunct Big Trouble Pizza and Tiny’s General Store before the family behind it decided to put down permanent roots in a former convenience store space.
True to its pop-up origins, Brokn Milk isn’t interested in playing it safe with predictable flavours. The lineup rotates regularly and leans on genuinely local sourcing — chocolate from Soul Chocolate, coffee beans from Subtext Coffee Roasters — giving the shop a distinct identity beyond just filling a neighbourhood gap.
For a park that’s long relied on a Baskin-Robbins a few blocks away at Bloor and Christie, having a genuinely independent, small-batch option right at the doorstep is a meaningful upgrade for regulars who spend their summer afternoons on the grass.
Heading to Christie Pits this summer? Brokn Milk is open now at 151 Barton Ave., right across from the park.