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New in Toronto real estate: Gloss Condos

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Gloss CondosGloss Condos is a 24-storey development on Richmond Street West, that will sit right next to the more daringly designed Picasso condos. Developer Greenpark had a bit of trouble getting this one through the approvals process, but the project is now officially in pre-construction after being scaled back a bit from its first proposals.

I suspect opinion will be divided on the aesthetic merits of this building, in part because it looks very different depending on the angle from which you approach it. From the south, the condo looks rather monolithic and institutional. The podium breaks things up a bit, but there's not a whole lot of flair. When looked at from the north, however, one sees that upper floors feature graduated terraces and balconies that jut out the side of the building, which makes for significantly greater visual interest.

Gloss CondosSPECS

Name: Gloss Condos
Location: 324 Richmond St. W
Storeys: 24
Number of units: 295
Types of units: TBA
Architect: Core Architects
Developer: Greenpark

Gloss CondosTHE VERDICT

It's too early to weigh in on the interior of this development, as we've yet to get a look at the amenities list or renderings of the units. What it is possible to say right now is that this is a well located condo that's soon to be part of major intensification on Richmond West in the area around what was once the heart of the club district. Between this development and neighbouring Picasso, almost 700 hundred units are being added to the area at Richmond and Widmer.

This is a good place for high density housing, even it the construction of Gloss Condos meant the demise of a few of the remaining Victorian houses on Richmond. In an ideal world, the podium of the building would hold more visual interest, as would the entire south-facing facade, but the triangular-shaped north side of the building is 1) nice to look at, 2) opens up some outdoor space for future tenants, and 3) will help to keep Picasso's design from being completely blocked off.

What do you think of the design of Gloss Condos?

2014918-gloss-condos2.jpgRead other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.


Jilly's could become a boutique hotel and restaurant

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jillys boutique hotelThe new owners of the Broadview Hotel are planning to extensively renovate the 123-year-old Riverdale building to include a 58-suite hotel, restaurant, cafe, and rooftop terrace.

According to a site plan application filed with the city, Streetcar Developments, which bought the former Jilly's strip club earlier this year, would like to build a four storey addition to the building and re-work the interior to provide six floors of equal ceiling height, rather than the current four.

The new hotel, which would cover five of the finished building's six floors, will have suites looking east and south and a main entrance off Broadview Avenue. An "executive suite" is planned for the upper floors of the corner turret.

toronto broadview hotelThe new portion of the building, architects imagine, will be built on top of a smaller brick structure at the back of the hotel--currently clad in faux-wood paneling and a sign promising "the best party in town"--and wrap around to the front via the upper floors. The ground floor of the existing rear structure will get a new glass front and be turned into a cafe.

The restaurant portion of the renovated hotel will be at the corner of Queen and Broadview.

The plans don't include any condominium units.

Built in 1891 by soap magnate Archibald Dingman, the exquisitely detailed red brick building housed a branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce at street level, and offices leased by lawyers and dentists in the floors above. In 1907, the building was turned into a hotel by new owner T.J. Edwards, and over the decades it became less and less salubrious. In 1981 it was known as "Maxi's Lounge," two years later the name had changed to "Kicker's."

toronto broadview hotelAs Jamie Bradburn recalls at Torontoist, in 1991, the hotel hosted "a boa constrictor, a python, and a 450-pound defanged Siberian tiger named Qedesh" as part of a show run by Jane Jones Exotic Circus.

The dilapidated hotel almost collapsed in 2013, and the owners were forced to make emergency repairs to keep the building standing.

Streetcar and ERA Architects are planning to restore many the lost and damaged exterior detail, including metal windowsills details, flashing, and cornices, and add a green roof to the building.

The designs on file with city are still preliminary, however, and Streetcar Developments says it still hasn't hammered out all the details.

"Nothing has been finalized," a spokesperson said Friday. "At this time, the company is really just exploring options."

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: Dominic Bugatto and ERA Architects

Top secret dinner event sets Echo Beach aglow

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diner en blancDiner en Blanc returned to Toronto for a fourth year, sending Toronto food hounds and adventure-lovers on their annual voyage to...someplace secret. The annual food event, which originated decades ago in Paris, requires diners to dress in all-white outfits, bring their own folding table and chairs, and be ready to head to an undisclosed location - which they'll only be let in on hours before the event.

This year's final destination: Echo Beach, where 1,500 diners descended on a paved pavilion by the water to enjoy dinner and drinks, take in some live entertainment (including ballet, bands and DJs) and dance late into the night.

Check out all the action in our photo gallery from the event.

There are already lineups to buy the iPhone6 in Toronto

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iphone 6 torontoApple insanity is gripping Toronto in advance of the release of the iPhone 6 at retail stores. While I'm not sure if it's quite as ridiculous waiting in line at 6am for a measly hamburger, the fact that folks have already queued up at the Eaton Centre for the new device is a testament to both the company's marketing prowess and the cultural vacancy of late capitalism (for the record, I have pre-ordered mine). Yes, it's true. Apple devotees are already camping out in wait of the phone, which will go on sale tomorrow at 8:00am.

One reason for the early lines is that pre-orders for the phone have outstripped the supply, and many (like me) who are waiting to receive their fancy new security blanket will find the delivery process painfully slow. Not so if you lineup overnight! Retail outlets have a limited supply that will be made available, as always on a first come first served basis.

Local company Ask for Task has capitalized on the opportunity by making so-called "taskers" available to stand in line for those who can't be there themselves. A company spokesperson told us that representatives have already been in line for two days at the Eaton Centre. Wow. Now if we could only task someone with teaching us how ideology works, things would get better.

Photo by Andrew Chapados

Weekend events in Toronto: September 19-21, 2014

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Weekend events TorontoWeekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this Sept 19-21, 2014.

Junction Music Festival
Five stages will be setup along the stretch of Dundas Street West that makes up the Junction for this free music festival. Spanning both day and night, the fest has eats and activities for all ages, and local businesses will host special events. The Sadies, Kashka, Teenage Kicks, Paradise Animals, Ark Analog and more are on the bill. If you're already part of the community, just walk out your front door, if not, maybe it's time for a trip to the Junction. Saturday, September 20. MF

COMEDY

JFL42
On now, Just for Laughs comedy festival this year includes the likes of Nick Offerman, Seth Meyers, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, Joe Rogan, and Lena Dunham, plus tons of smaller comedians and troops. Branded as JFL42, they take trends in the laughs business seriously and plan to to launch an assault on your tender funny bone. Toughen up with our preview here. and watch the video below to learn how ticketing works. September 18-27.

FOOD

Food Truck Festival Ontario
It might be hard for you to care about food trucks. You only get to think about most of them for half the year, there's nowhere to sit, and half the reason for dining away from home is to use strange bathrooms (isn't it?) - yet their endless varieties also provide fun ways for a city to fetishize new ideas in eating out, and it's hard not to feel enthused about that. As fall hits us, look for all your favourite trucks from summer at this huge convoy, where family friendly games will also take place. Sunday, Sept 21, 1-8pm, Ontario Place.

See also

For more food events, check out our Summer Food Events, and Summer Beer Events post.

MUSIC

FRUITS
Healing Power Records are turning their FRUITS compilation of all-female Toronto artists into a live music night for local and touring acts. On the bill for the inaugural show are New Chance, Doom Tickler (death metal meets EDM specifically for lofi fans), Blunt Chunks, DJ Laura McCoy, Abbe Findley, and more. RIP, Chad and Avril. Double Double Land (209 Augusta Ave), September 19, 9:30PM.

See also

For more music listings, check out our September Concerts post.

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

KEDD
The King East Design District Fest is a must hit for those looking to re-decorate, or just get into the know on contemporary design in Canada. The takeover will run on King from St. James Park and from Church to east of Parliament, as well as on Adelaide. Ready yourself with our list of the district's best design stores here. Saturday, September 20, 11am-7pm.

See also

COMMUNITY

Manifesto
The Manifesto Festival is back for its 8th year in Toronto. Until Sunday, the city will celebrate hip hop arts and culture over a wide spectrum of artistic styles including musical performances, live painting showcases, DJ battles, dance competitions, and of course educational workshops and panels. If you want to catch a glimpse of both internationally respected stars and a breadth of talent that call Toronto home, check out our day by day round up of Manifesto's 2014 line up stand-outs, including free events at Yonge-Dundas Square. M

See also

BOOKS & LIT

Word On The Street
If you prefer physical books and magazines to tablets and PDFs, you're not alone. Word on the Street's massive 250+-vendor book fair is with there with you, and while prices for tabling are fairly hefty, it's free for the public to enter (but bring some cold hard cash for new reading materials and artwork). Readings will include Robin Doolittle, Shawn Micallef, Dionne Brand, and more. Sunday, Sept 21, 11am-6pm, Queen's Park Circle.

See also

ART

Canadian Art Gallery Hop
Canadian Art will celebrate 30 years with their fall issue - yes, 30 years of publishing, in Canada, about art. That's quite a feat. Tour the city's gallery scene with them all day on Saturday, Sept 21 - see more information on participating galleries and tours here.

See also

For more art listings, check out our Top 10 Must-See Art Shows This Summer post.

PETS

BunFest
Overwhelmed by the meaninglessness of it all? Here's a festival for bunnies. Let your cares melt away in the soft fur of a gentle domesticated rabbit. Thanks for Chris Clark for the tip. Sunday, Sept 21, 11am-4pm, Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf (2395 Bayview).

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Contributions by Markit, Matt Forsythe. Photo by Andrew Williamson

Union Station

Road closures in Toronto: September 20-21

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toronto road closureRoad closures in Toronto for the weekend of September 20 and 21 rounds up the key transportation shut-downs affecting the city, including street and TTC closures.

KEY ROAD CLOSURES IN TORONTO

Jane and Driftwood area. Various road closures to accommodate the Tour de Black Creek Bike Race for Kids on Saturday, September 20 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Queen's Park: Bloor--College. Road will be closed to vehicle traffic from Saturday, September 20 at 4 a.m. to Sunday, September 21 at 11:59 p.m. for the Word on the Street festival.

Dundas: Keele--Indian Grove. The street will be in use by visitors to The Junction Music Festival from Saturday, September 20 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, September 21 at 4 a.m.

Beecroft: Sheppard--Finch, Yonge: Finch--Harlandale, Finch: Leslie--Dufferin, and various other local streets. Sunnybrook Foundation - RBC Run for the Kids 5K, 15K and 25K will be using Beecroft, two southbound lanes on Yonge, and the westbound curb lane of Finch from on Saturday, September 20 from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m.

TTC CLOSURES

Line 1: Union--St. Andrew. Due to construction work at Union, Yonge trains will be turning back at Union and University trains at St. Andrew all day Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21. Wheel-Trans is available between the two stations.

501 Queen: Kingston Road. Eastbound streetcars will be turning back at the Kingston Road loop due to work involving the streetcar power network starting at 7:00 a.m. on September 20 until 4:30 a.m. on September 22. Shuttle buses will be operating east of Kingston Road.

ONGOING CLOSURES

Over and above the special closures this weekend, construction projects across Toronto result in numerous other road restrictions across the city. For a comprehensive list of such closures, you can consult the official map maintained by the City of Toronto (also available as a PDF.)

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Toronto Food Events: Food Truck Fest, Garlic Fest, Madcap Pickle Championship, The Pig & The Pasta

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toronto food eventsToronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

  • Food Truck Fest Ontario is on this Sunday, September 21 at Ontario Place from 1 to 8pm. General admission is $10 and tickets are available online.
  • Toronto Garlic Festival at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave.) kicks off at 9am on Sunday, September 21 and runs until 5pm. Admission is $5 (kids under 12 go for free) for the harvest festival, which features garlic-themed foods prepared by local chefs, craft beer, a garlic breath contest, a garlic shot station, cooking demos, and more.
  • Spaghetti Western takes place at Cold Tea (60 Kensington Ave.) this Sunday, September 2 from 3:30pm onwards.
  • 86 Mondays at The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. West) presents the 6th annual Madcap Pickle Championship on Monday, September 22 from 8pm onward. Admission is free, and entries from both pros and amateurs will be judged and devoured.
  • Cafe Bar Pasta (1588 Dundas St. West) presents The Pig & The Pasta on Wednesday, September 24 from 6pm to 10:30pm. The promotion, in collaboration with Boehmer, will offer diners a choice of six dishes from $15 to $24, a 100-lb. pig on a spit and the newly launched beer from Cameron's Brewing.

UPCOMING

  • Canada's Baking and Sweets Show is fast approaching, taking place Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28 at the Toronto Congress Centre (650 Dixon Rd.). The Wizard of Oz-themed show, featuring headliners Fabio Viviani, Anna Olson and master baker Ron Ben-Israel, will offer visitors the chance to design their own cupcakes, take part in workshops and indulge their sweet tooth. Single day admission admission is $15 per adult and $10 for seniors and students, while the three-day pass is on for $30.
  • Tickets ($150) are on sale now for the Evergreen Urban Rodeo and BBQ happening on Saturday, September 27 from 7:30pm to midnight at the Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave.). The fundraising event will feature carnival games, mechanical bull rides, live music, and, of course, all-inclusive food stations.

Photo of Burgatory by Jesse Milns (look for them at Food Truck Fest Ontario).


Bike lane sticker bandits look to shame careless drivers

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bike lane stickersIf you're the type of driver who doesn't think twice about parking in the bike lane, your car might get bombed with an "I Parked in a Bike Lane" sticker, which a group of guerrilla cycling advocates hope will help to curb this unfortunate and quite frankly dangerous behaviour. The Instagram account affiliated with the stickers has been up and running since late August, and while it doesn't boast too many photos, spottings have been frequent enough on social media with the tag #IParkedInaBikeLane.

The best part, if you're into these sorts of things, is that the people behind the sticker campaign will send interested parties their own set so they can tag perpetrators as they see them and then post the evidence to social media. It's a clever way to leverage the crowd in a sort of mass shaming ritual. Will it work? That's another story. I suspect some people would be mortified to make an appearance with the sticker while others would just shrug it off. Either way, I expect this tactic to get plenty of attention.

5 questions for Atom Egoyan about The Captive

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The Captive MovieThe September 5th weekend was a good one for Atom Egoyan. Not only was a new digital restoration of his 1989 film, Speaking Parts, playing during the Toronto International Film Festival, but his latest film, The Captive, premiered across Canada to very healthy box-office figures. It was a happy turn of events for the director no doubt, considering that leading up to The Captive release much was made of the movie's mixed reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, and many were openly curious about the movie's exclusion from the usually Egoyan-friendly TIFF.

I had the chance to catch-up with Atom Egoyan recently and ask him about The Captive's Cannes reviews, why the film didn't screen at TIFF, what it feels like to have two films playing in Toronto at the same time, and more.

Why did you choose not to screen The Captive at TIFF?

I decided not to screen The Captive at TIFF at the urging of my wonderful distributor, eOne. They felt that that particular weekend (September 5) would be a great time to open the film nationally, since there didn't seem to be much competition. They were right. The Captive is far and away my strongest opening ever, and has outperformed all expectations. The team at TIFF had seen the film and it was actually invited into the Festival, but we all made this choice together. Everyone wanted to do what was best for the film.

How do you think audiences will receive this film compared to your most recent features Chloe and The Devil's Knot?

I think audiences will have a very different response to The Captive than they had with Chloe. The Captive is a much more radical film in terms of the storytelling, moving back and forth over eight years. Chloe is a character study between two complex women, and I really focused on their relationship in a different way than I have in The Captive.

There's no doubt that Chloe is a sexier movie, and that the erotic energy in The Captive - by necessity - is completely withheld. This being said, I think there's a lot more tension in The Captive, though it comes from a much more unexpected place. Chloe is centered on a certain realism, and The Captive functions more like a dark fairy tale.

The film got mixed reviews at Cannes. Were you surprised by the reaction? What do you take away from that kind of feedback?

I was surprised by the critical response at Cannes, but I really felt that the public response - where we received a ten minute standing ovation at the premiere - was a better indication of how the film would play. It's hard to say what I've taken away from the critical feedback, since it was generally so extreme and not particularly constructive.

I feel that The Captive takes huge risks, and I'm extremely proud of what the film manages to accomplish. It's using many different tones and genres and mixing then together, sometimes in a violent and unexpected way. It's unlike anything I've ever made.

For Atom Egoyan fans what film in your catalogue would this be most similar to and why?

For my fans, I think this film is sort of a cross between The Sweet Hereafter, Family Viewing, Exotica and Where the Truth Lies, with about 5 per cent of Calendar and an unhealthy dose of the pilot I did for Friday the 13th. Or maybe it's what you get when you mix those films together and make a film that takes place at Niagara Falls.

Your films often touch on the subject of children being killed or harmed. Why is this a theme you keep coming back to?

I promise that this will be the last film I make about kids being harmed or killed. Certain things that happened to me in my own life have made this an obsessive topic, but I feel I'm ready to move on.

Lead image from The Captive

The top 10 po' boy sandwiches in Toronto

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po boy sandwichPo' boy sandwiches in Toronto are becoming less and less rare - Louisiana's favourite twist on a hero sandwich is turning into a hot menu item (literally). Superior (IMO) to your average submarine, a classic po' boy benefits from its hot filling - typically luscious fried seafoods or saucy torn meats - layered into a crusty bun and dressed up with slaw or fresh toppings.

While once a rare commodity on Toronto menus, these sandwiches have been adopted by sandwich shops, taverns and even fish mongers. And, while the name po' boy might be short for "poor boy", don't be fooled - these sandwiches aren't exactly cheap though still worth every penny.

Here, in no particular order, are my picks for the top po' boys in Toronto.

Billy Jack's Po Boy
This Etobicoke eatery offers the largest selection of po' boys in the city. Choices include deep-fried oysters with bacon, shrimp and catfish (fried or blackened), while the seafood-averse can opt for pulled pork, sliced beef, grilled chicken or Andouille sausage. There's also a fried green tomato version and Acadian poutine loaded with fresh-cut fries, curds and a coffee-infused red eye gravy. Order a 6" shorty ($9.95) or 8" behemoth ($11.95).

The Tavern by Trevor
A little more upmarket than your average tavern, this local on Spadina plays up contrasting textures and temperatures when it comes to this hero of a sandwich. The po' boy ($10) is comprised of creamy, cold shrimp salad paired with battered and fried chunks of pickerel on a fluffy bun.

Fish St. Market and Open Kitchen
The midtown fishmonger will let you pick your seafood to be fried up (or grilled) and stacked on a crusty baguette. Hovering around $14 per order are popular picks like calamari, shrimp and cod, while oyster and lobster fluctuate with market price. When in season, you'll even find soft shell crab. Po' boys come overflowing with roasted peppers, mushrooms, corn and slaw and are finished with spicy chipotle mayo and tomato jam.

Market St. Catch
The Buster's Sea Cove spin-off located next to St. Lawrence Market offers two po' boy sandwiches made of lightly breaded, Cajun-seasoned oysters ($10.95) or shrimp ($9.95). Built on house-baked herb focaccia buns, these seafood sandwiches come dressed with tartar sauce, chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion and dill pickles. A side of coleslaw comes with each order.

Fresco's Fish and Chips
This Kensington Market chippy offers po' boy sandwiches among its roster of fried fish specialties. The lobster po' boy ($8) is an easy favourite offered at excellent value - it's for that reason that you'll often find it out of stock. Your Plan B: The shrimp ($8) or fish po' boys ($7), which come served on puffy buns slathered with chipotle mayo and dressed with coleslaw.

Brock Sandwich
The sandwich shop on Bloor offers a mighty fine fried shrimp and giant squid po' boy ($10) dressed with spicy slaw, tangy tomatillo sauce and sprigs of fresh cilantro. Sides are extra, including Yukon Gold paprika fries ($3.50), in case you're craving even more spice) and truffled poutine ($6).

John & Son's Fish and Chip Shop
Here, the oyster po' boy starts with a soft French bun and gets slathered with habanero-lime mayo and topped with a spicy poblano slaw. Enjoy the sandwich with a choice of fries or salad for $12 or pony up $2 more at the adjacent restaurant.

The Wren
At this year-old Danforth saloon, where the menu is built around twists on southern and Mexican classics, the oyster po' boy ($18) is built on a crusty bun loaded with crispy fried oysters and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickled red onions and tangy horseradish mayo. Enjoy fries on the side, or sub in a salad for an extra dollar.

The Local Gest
This Cabbagetown pub, located in the former Ben Wicks, serves a beer-battered, deep fried haddock and shrimp po' boy ($13.95) loaded onto a ciabatta and embellished with cooling lettuce and spicy red salsa to give it a little bite. Fries or salad are included on the side.

Pacific Junction Hotel
The lightly dusted and fried oyster po' boy ($13) at this King East establishment are loaded onto a traditional crusty bun with housemade remoulade, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. Sandwiches come with a choice of homemade chips or lettuce wrap.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite Toronto spot to grab a po' boy sandwich in the comments.

Photo from The Tavern by Trevor by Jesse Milns

The Leafs ranked worst sports team in North America

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Toronto maple leafs worstESPN loves to beat up on Toronto, having already ranked our city the worst in North America for professional sports back in 2011. The American sports network is back it, having just ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs the bottom of the barrel out of 122 sports franchises across the NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL. Yes, that would be dead last.

Are the Leafs really that bad? While the team failed to make the playoffs last year in a rather spectacular late season nosedive, their on-ice stats don't even put them near worst in the NHL. That, however, is only a part of ESPN's ranking system. Here are some of the categories they use: affordability (122), bang for your buck (122), title track (121) players (120), coaching (113), fan relations (117), stadium experience (109), ownership (105).

The rankings come courtesy of a number of decorated research firms, so it's difficult to brush off the Leafs' position as American bias (the second last team was the New York Knicks). Based on the criteria at hand, it seems clear that immensely popular teams that are both expensive to watch and not consistently successful on the ice/field are going to struggle for high marks (the Raptors, for the record, come in at 74th).

What do you think? Are the Leafs really the worst sports franchise in North America all things considered?

WORN Fashion Journal calls it quits after 10 years

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worn fashion journal torontoWORN Fashion Journal, the Toronto-based independent style magazine beloved by fashion nerds the world over, has announced it will be hanging up its hat after the next issue. The news, announced by staff this morning, comes just on the heels of the mag's 10th anniversary (and a matching commemorative anthology). No reason was given for the shutdown, but the news was met by countless WORN fans (including yours truly) rending their thrift-store garments in agony.

The mag was beloved for its brainy, historically-obsessed take on the fashion world; instead of breathlessly dissecting current trends, following runway collections, or even bothering to tell people how they should dress, WORN devoted that energy to dissecting the role clothes have played and continue to play in society.

You'd find encyclopedic rundowns of men's hat styles or the uniforms of Mad Men-era flight attendants, interviews with avid vintage collectors, musings on how clothing is used to define class and gender - and if there were multi-page editorial shoots with models, they overwhelmingly featured vintage clothing.

WORN's last order of business will be the release of their final double issue (#19 and #20), which is now available for preorder, and a final issue launch party. (Don't miss either.)

The PATH gets a slick new espresso bar

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m square coffee TorontoIf you work in the PATH you're going to want to leave yourself an extra five minutes to get to work - a brand-new espresso bar has just opened up in a former jewelry store underneath the Sheraton Centre. In addition to brewing up lattes on a glowing, gorgeous espresso machine, they've got honey-coated chai tea from Australia, hot cocoa made with melted French chocolate, and some carefully-chosen picks from some of Toronto's favourite bakeries.

Read my profile of M Square Coffee in the cafes section.

New pizza spot serves up top notch classic slices

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plizza torontoThis new takeout spot near Dufferin Station specializes in gourmet slices and Italian sandwiches. Both have their merits, though the sandwiches tend to be a bit light on meat and toppings. The real winner here is the more classic pizzas with tomato sauce, which is light and tangy and makes for an excellent slice.

Read my review of Plizza in the restaurants section.


The top 10 places to sneak a nap in Toronto

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nap torontoLife in Toronto would be greatly improved if we seriously considered the siesta as an official thing, but given that it won't happen in our lifetime, I thought I'd take a stab at rounding up some public places suitable for napping in this city. The criteria is pretty basic: relatively comfortable seating, some privacy (or at least anonymity), and relative quiet. In short, you're unlikely to find a perfect place to snooze without heading home or laying down some cash, but there are places that will allow you to do so if you're particularly exhausted.

Here are 10 places to sneak a nap in Toronto.

Royal York Hotel
Many hotel lobbies have chairs suitable for napping, but as is the case with other entries on this list, you ideally want to find somewhere that you might go unnoticed for a while. The second floor couches at the Royal York might not always fit this bill, the place is big enough that it's possible to be taken for a weary traveller. Do bear in mind, you'll be more likely to blend in if you're dressed decently.

The TTC
This one is rather obvious, and many of us are guilty of falling asleep on our commute home. But if you're actually looking to ensure that you get a bit of shut eye, try making it to the front end of the train on the Bloor-Danforth Line (2) during the middle of the day. If you get lucky, you can grab the two-seater beside the driver, where you're pretty much guaranteed to be left alone. Head east for the lowest possible number of passengers.

EJ Pratt Library
A lot of people recommended Robarts Library when I poked them about this list, but you need to flash your U of T student card to access the stacks, so I'd try EJ Pratt Library instead. It's far nicer and typically quieter. Rest your head on your carrell and catch a fews Zs. Bonus: there are even couches on the second floor.

Brookfield Place
This one comes from a reader tip. If you head down to the food court, there is a corridor between section 161 and 181 that has seating for about 20 people. It's relatively secluded (as much as any place can be in the Financial District) and the seats are comfortable enough to allow you to drift off if you find yourself in a state of exhaustion.

Sugar Beach
Sugar Beach makes this list on account of its chairs, which allow you to get about half reclined and its umbrellas, which are necessary to block out shade when hoping to snooze for a little while. It's also mostly quiet (though not when a delivery is underway at Redpath Sugar), the sand is pleasant to cover your feet in, and you likely won't get robbed. All good things.

Rainbow Cinemas
Few places are better for napping during the day than movie theatres -- just make sure to pick an atrocious romcom that will bore you into oblivion (and definitely no action flicks; the sound will wake you). That said, who wants to pay much for the chance to not watch a film? One of your best bets for a cheap snooze is Rainbow Cinemas at Market Square. The cinema is cheap enough that you won't stay up worried about what you just spent on a nap.

Centrepoint Mall
Centrepoint Mall is one of a number that feature hyper comfortable chairs that demand sleep. In fact, it's impossible not to sleep if you decide to take a moment's pause in them. Perhaps the gentle rhythm of fellow sleepers (all over the age of 60) is contagious, but there is a snooze power here that's very strong. Be careful: you might lose the afternoon.

Toronto Reference Library
Any library could have made this list, but I'm partial to the Reference Library for its sheer size. The public nap requires anonymity, and big spaces tend to allow one to slip into the background. This is true at the Reference Library if you hug the edges of the building (the fifth floor can be nice and quiet during the day) and hunt down an unoccupied table. Needless to say, don't bother around exam time, as the place is absolutely packed. For libraries with more comfortable seating, try Deer Park, Northern District, Bloor Gladstone, or really any other one on this list.

The AGO
The trick with having a snooze at the AGO is picking where you're going to sit/slouch. Darkened rooms featuring video installations are a good bet, but only if the chairs within have back rests. Another good bet is on the first floor immediately north of where Frank restaurant is located. This quiet section of the gallery features a few comfy chairs that you can sink back into. Put a book in your lap to ward off the security guards.

Toronto Music Garden
I've tried to keep outdoor spaces off this list, as there's really only a few months of the year that you can comfortably nap in Toronto. But, for my money, the area around the Toronto music garden, which features some nicely secluded benches is one of the best options. There will often be classical music playing to lull you into a slumber, and the people passing by the waterfront path are far enough away so as not to bother you.

Got a favourite place to sneak a nap in Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

The Best All Day Breakfast in Toronto

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breakfast torontoThe best all day breakfast in Toronto doesn't adhere to a strict cut-off that typically defines morning menus though for this list we're considering all day meaning places that serve breakfast up until at least 3pm daily. Want to eat scrambled eggs or pancakes on a Wednesday afternoon? No problem! Looking for late-night waffles? Try our list of the best late night breakfast or the best 24 hour restaurants instead.

Here is a list of the best all day breakfast in Toronto.

See also:The top 50 brunch restaurants in Toronto


Yuzi Sushi

Gay divorce on stage at Buddies in Bad Times

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gay divorce torontoIn 2015 it will have been ten years since same-sex marriage was legalized across the country, after a wave of court decisions in eight provinces and one territory all but tipped the scales. Ten years and counting ahead of our neighbours to the south.

It's no wonder then that playwrights and theatremakers in the decade since have begun to explore what this new ritual has meant for queer communities -- marriage and matrimony but also, inevitably, infidelity and divorce. Freda and Jem's Best of the Week considers one such couple on the verge of parting, separating themselves from a life long-lived together alongside their two teenage children.

There's a lot of heart in Lois Fine's complex family portrait. Oftentimes raw and vulnerable, it reaches further than it's able to accomplish in considering individuals at a time of immense struggle. Musical performances that accompany Jem's journey, while beautifully rendered by Lorraine Segato, cannot help but feel hokey and in a number of critical scenes the dialogue seems overwritten.

Jem (Kathryn Haggis) is a butch dyke who wears her identity like a badge of hard-fought honour. After meeting Freda (Diane Flacks) in a bar and taking her home, she can't believe her luck at finding an ideal mate. Their relationship, now 21 years on and with two teenagers a part of the deal, starts to show cracks after the two women drift slowly a part and more quickly towards divorce.

Most engaging are monologues in which Jem describes how she embraced her butch identity. As a form of survival and as a role in a functioning family unit, the butch stereotype is exploded open by Fine. The queer umbrella produces a vibrant range of voices and it's exciting to see a character so rarely explore on our stages. I wish the play had been more about Jem and her complicated relationship with the butch identity.

While there is an inherent sadness in seeing a loveless couple remember their happier moments, the play is less successful charting the relationship history. Their teenage children Teejay (Stephen Joffe) and Sam (Sadie Epstein-Fine), played with enjoyable vigour by the two young performers, rage and storm with no real nod to how the future will unfold, same goes for Freda's briefly mentioned affair. The kids, as they say, are alright?

Thompson stages the play well on a functional set from Camellia Koo. The kitchen table is literally and figuratively the centre of the family and its reflected in the design. Segato's music expresses thoughts buried deep inside Jem but it's hard to overlook how unnatural a fit it feels in production.

Haggis commands the action, digging down deep to find Jem's vulnerability and anger. Flacks is a strong counterpoint, which makes it challenging for audiences to choose sides. In that regard, the play's successful.

While queer divorce is a dirty reality in the shadow of shiny, new queer marriage, this play would have been stronger had the focus been about Jem's butch identity.

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Freda and Jem's Best of the Week, written by Lois Fine and directed by Judith Thompson, runs at Buddies in Bad TImes until October 5.

Photo by Tanja-Tiziana.

Everything worth knowing about opossums in Toronto

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toronto opossumWhat's the size of a large house cat, has a long rat-like tail, sharp fangs, and a face like a psychotic rodent? It's the opossum, of course, the weirdest and hardiest creature in Toronto's urban menagerie.

Sightings are rare, but the city is home to a small population of the strange looking marsupials. When an opossum appears, the reaction is often fear and confusion.

Michelle Mendlowitz is a ceramic artist who works out of a studio on the Danforth near Woodbine. One evening, close to midnight, what looked like a large, white rat came running in through her open door. "I was glazing and I had the door open because it was hot," she says. "I saw something run in through the corner of my eye, and I was like, 'what was that?'"

"I walked outside and there was a couple standing across the street and they were just pointing. I was like, 'err... was that a raccoon?' and they were like 'nope.'

'Oh, was it a cat?'

'Nope'

'What is it?'

'I have no idea.'"

The creature, perhaps frightened by the noise of the street, hid somewhere in the building, but no-one could find it. Another witness identified the mystery creature as an opossum (or possum, if you like.) "I tried banging and then I looked a little bit online and it said that if you scare it it plays dead and makes itself smell like its dead, so I was like 'maybe that's not a good plan.'"

David Sugarman, a wildlife expert from the Ontario Science Centre, says Mendlowitz read correctly about the opossum's propensity to fein death.

"It is real and it's not planned, it's not like they are playing dead," he says. "First of all they will do other things to try to scare off a potential threat like hissing, and bearing their teeth and stuff, trying to look a bit scary. But if that fails they actually faint. It's actually losing consciousness."

"It can last up to four hours, but it's accompanied by some interesting other behaviours. Their eyes are open, their mouths are slack, they're drooling. They release a bad smell from their anal glands."

Yuck.

The opossum's bizarre physiology includes forked penises and twin uteruses, unusually large jaws and teeth, and a formidable immune system capable of staving off bites from venomous snakes like cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. Botulism bacteria and ricin are also ineffective, Sugarman says.

The immunity to poisonous snakes hints at the opossum's origins in the southern parts of the United States and into Mexico. Southern Ontario and parts of British Columbia near the U.S. border are at the extreme north of the marsupial's range, making them a relative rarity in Toronto.

Mendlowitz's trapped opossum was eventually caught in a live cage and released in a nearby ravine.

The reason they thrive in the city, Sugarman says, is their ability to eat just about anything. "They'll live wherever there's food and being super omnivores like raccoons they can live off almost any kind of food: dead animals, rotting fruit ... if there's a plentiful supply of that stuff then they will be able to live." He thinks mild winters and abundant food scraps will allow the population to grow.

"If things continue the way they do, we may gradually see them becoming more common."

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Tony Alter/Creative Commons

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