I’ve been hearing rumours about a swing located in a cramped alleyway somewhere near Queen and Spadina

Dear Urban Decoder: I’ve been hearing rumours about a swing located in a cramped alleyway somewhere near Queen and Spadina. What’s it all about, and can I try it out?—Maria Illing, Trinity Bellwoods

The scuttlebutt is true. It’s Swingsite, an installation by local artist Corwyn Lund and a brilliant example of “urban intervention”—a loose artists’ movement established to spice up dreary cityscapes with sneaky guerrilla-style projects. Lund erected the swing in September 2003 as part of a group show at nearby gallery YYZ (he also produced a film that documented his Spidey-like ascent to install the swing’s anchor high above the garbage-strewn alley floor). Adventurous swingers can find the spot thusly: walk south from Queen on the west side of Spadina; take a right at the first alley and proceed west, past McDougall Lane, then look for a narrow, gated alley on the north side.