The new Visitor Centre at Fort York opened this past weekend, a year late and not completely finished, but looking very much like the architectural drawings that announced the project in 2009. While the Common Ground Festival went on inside the Fort and musicians played on the temporary stage in the square outside the new centre and directly beneath the Gardiner, the public got a chance to see the new addition to the crown jewel in the city's inventory of historical properties.

The landscaping around the Visitor Centre is still unfinished and the cafe kitchen still houses the site construction supervisor's office, but the gallery spaces are finished and furnished with exhibits. Best of all, the building's exterior - and probably the thing that won the collaboration of Kearns Mancini Architects and Patkau Architects the commission - is as striking as it promised to be when they beat out three other bids over four years ago.

Built like a fort itself, with sloping walls of rust-patinated steel and vertical slits for windows in front of a "moat" of grasses, the building is tucked into what was, just two years ago, an embankment that separated Fort York's parking lot from the no-man's land beneath the Gardiner Expressway.

Inside, a long hall houses three - possibly four, including the display near the entrance - exhibition spaces, three of which are devoted to displays of World War One memorabilia from the collection of the City of Toronto Archives, including medals, badges, paintings, posters and weapons. The fourth room features Charles Pachter's War of 1812-themed pop art paintings, the only display in the building connected to the bicentennial celebrations of the war between Britain's Canadian colony and its U.S. neighbour which began two years ago.

The Visitor Centre was meant to be finished a year ago, in time for the anniversary of the battle where Fort York was on the front line, defending the town of York from invading American troops. That deadline was a victim of Toronto's development boom, however, and it took longer than anticipated to find a contractor who had the time to deliver the building on budget.

This year being the centenary of the outbreak of World War One, it was more timely to devote the lion's share of gallery space at the Visitor Centre to that conflict and its effect on Toronto. It's an excellent show, though, and the embarrassment of riches the city archives has been able to provide makes you wonder what else might be hiding in storage there, waiting for gallery space still unbuilt.

The city's long and fruitless attempts at building a city museum might find a temporary respite here, at the city's largest and highest-profile historical facility, where tourists and school trips will get a chance to view a sample of the artifacts that mostly sit in storage at the city archive building on Spadina and in warehouse spaces elsewhere. Not using at least one of the Visitor Centre galleries for rotating exhibitions of city history - military and non-military - would be a missed opportunity.

Another missed opportunity, unfortunately, is the long hallway that brings you from the lower galleries of the Visitor Centre up to the gates of Fort York, which on the opening weekend housed a sound installation and a long, very drab mural of mathematically-inspired artwork. This transition area between the modern world and the historical precinct of the Fort should be a mood-setting zone but it feels like an afterthought, as unfinished as the raw earth by the pathways outside. Hopefully it'll be given a second thought.

Toronto might be obsessed with the drama surrounding municipal politics, but there's room for improvement when it comes to engaging with the core issues that face our city. That's the idea behind a new dinner series that aims to bring together strangers to discuss the future of Toronto. 1,000 Dinners TO hopes to foster discussion about the upcoming mayoral election (and city politics in general) by bringing policy discussion to the dinner table. Whose dinner table? Well, anybody's, as it happens.

Instead of hosting one grand event for big-wigs, the idea is grass roots. Folks across the city are encouraged to nominate themselves to host 10 people for dinner (be it at home or out) and discuss crucial issues facing Toronto. The host then reports back to organizers who will gather the feedback and eventually put some of it to our mayoral candidates. If you can't host a dinner, you can also use the website (complete with a map feature) to attend a dinner.

It's that last part that's so intriguing. Discussing politics is never more engaging than when it's with strangers. While I suspect some hosts will have a few guests in mind, the event is set up to encourage interaction with people whose opinions you've yet to be exposed to. That should make for some interesting conversation.

Computer and tech stores in Toronto are dominated largely by big chains - Future Shop, Best Buy, and the swirling money vortex that is the Apple Store. There's also a world of competition from international webstores, including Amazon. But don't rule out buying from a smaller company - it can present its advantages, including lower prices on some items, quick shipping, and the possibility of price-matching.

Do a little comparison shopping at these Toronto and GTA-based sites, and buying local might end up being the best option for your next laptop, RAM upgrade, MIDI interface, or novelty spycam.

Here are my picks for the top 10 sites for buying tech gadgets in Toronto.

Canada Computers
In our informal Twitter poll of Toronto's tech nerds, this one came out overwhelmingly on top. They rival the big-box stores in terms of selection, with everything from specialty gear for PC-based gamers to home theatre items, as well as a healthy selection of refurbished notebooks, desktops and tablets. They also offer an optional one, two or three-year in-house warranty on your purchase (availability varies, depending on the item).

TigerDirect
Canada's other favourite massive electronics supplier is technically based out of Richmond Hill, but they get the nod for their focus on overstock and open-box deals and some massive daily specials. If you're looking for something specific, they'll probably have it - in addition to computers and tablets, they also delve into home goods, outdoor and fitness gear, and even toys.

NewEgg
Mississauga-based NewEgg.ca is the Canadian offshoot of a U.S.-based consumer electronics retailer; though they don't have everything the American store does (what else is new?), there's a comprehensive selection of computers and peripherals, gaming consoles, and unlocked cellphones. Shipping varies by item, but shoppers have reported lightning-fast delivery.

InfoNec
Sure, their website looks like it hasn't changed since 2006, but Markham's InfoNec is a reliable standby for do-it-yourselfers seeking computer components (processors, memory, hard drives) and add-ons like scanners, speakers and printers. There's also a selection of notebooks from ASUS, Lenovo and Fujitsu. They offer $8.99 shipping over $100.

Henry's
A reliable standby for Toronto photographers since time immemorial, Henry's still offers deals on top-quality photo gear - if you're looking for a lens, flash, bag or tripod, chances are, they'll have it. Bargain-hunters will want to check out their selection of used items (which currently stands at over 1,400). They also recently moved into smartphone and tablets (aka the cameras of the future), with a handy breakdown provided on the camera gear in each. Shipping's free on orders over $99.

Vistek
Catering primarily to photography pros, Vistek's "consumer" webstore offers a full range of DSLRs, point-and-shoots, and photo gear, as well as computer peripherals like scanners and printers. Click over to the "pro photography" section for their most intense photo gear, including elaborate lighting rigs and nigh-on-indestructible camera cases. Shipping is free over $499 (but if you're here for the specialty stuff, that likely won't be a problem).

Moog Audio
Maybe your gadget needs run more toward turntables and MIDI interfaces than graphics cards and RAM. Toronto has several audio-focused stores that let you shop their wares online, but the Queen West-based Moog Audio sets itself apart through a well-organized website and wide product scope that includes DJ gear, studio equipment, and musical instruments. They slack slightly on the fulfillment side with a seven-day returns policy, nebulous shipping-cost info and a 15% restocking fee on returns.

Play de Record
Toronto's premier DJ shop has managed to weather all of the music industry's post-MTV-era storms; they're now selling a healthy selection of DJ gear, studio equipment, and lighting rigs on their website (though you'll have to go to the brick-and-mortar store on Yonge St. for the vinyl). If you found a better deal on that mixing board or sampler online, they'll do price matching - call the store for details.

The Blueprint
This recently-launched webstore deals only in envelope-pushing, startup-created gadgets (and provides all the backstory you could ever want through their e-magazine). The current roster of gadgets is mega-small, but impressive; between their transparent speakers, smart window AC units and at-home sous vide cookers, you could pretty much build the home of the future. They also handle preorders for some soon-to-be-available gadgets.

Orchard
This Toronto-based startup makes buying and selling used iPhones simple, easy, and not at all sketchy. Phone owners use Orchard's iPhone app to wipe their old phones, assess its condition, and list them on the site; when a shopper purchases a phone, the seller sends the phone directly to you. If your secondhand phone doesn't show up as advertised, you're protected by a 30-day guarantee. Currently, you'll find a selection of iPhones 4 and newer, starting at $190.

Spy Depot Security
If you're trying to outfit a secret underground super villain lair, or if you're not sure which of your housemates has been stealing your soy milk, Orfus Road-based Spy Depot Security has a vast range of surveillance gear, video and audio recorders, and hidden cameras (mounted inside clocks, pens, smoke alarm, ties, plants, teddy bears...). There's also a "novelty" selection of mini replicas of cars from James Bond movies, if you're really into that whole spy thing.

Thanks to PayPal for sponsoring this post.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite Toronto-based online tech and gadget store in the comments.

Photo of Transparent Speaker, available at The Blueprint.

The Best Portuguese Custard Tarts in Toronto are also known as pasteis de nata (or just nata for short). The heavenly sweets were invented by monks in the 14th century who, as the story goes, were using egg whites to starch nuns' habits, and ended up with a lot of extra yolks. Their sweet solution was to bake these delicious custard tarts. Lucky for us, they became a staple Portuguese sweet - and now, they're easily found at Portuguese bakeries citywide.

Here are the best custard tarts in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Portuguese Bakeries in Toronto
The Best Portuguese Restaurants in Toronto

Photo by indian nomad in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Belljar is screening Fight Club as two references you loved in high school collide. Boys wanting to start their own Fight Club while girls wanted to stick their heads in the ovens (ah, puberty) but I wanted to do both. Preferably in that order. Puppets for adults will be at John Candy Box Theatre, if you're not ready to fight humans.

At the Gardiner Museum Ed Burtynsky, Public Studio, Symphony Orchestra CEO Jeff Melanson, and Jesika Briones (MaRS) will be moderated by John McGrath in a panel about Barry Lord's new book Art & Energy. The event is free. Hot sauce fans should head to Harvest Noon to learn to make your own tasty spicetastic condiments. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Theatre: Puppettown After Dark feat. Aime Ambroziak (John Candy Box Theatre)
• Film: Fight Club (Belljar)
• Lit: Launch: Art & Energy, by Barry Lord (Gardiner Museum)
• Art: Liquid Traces (Cinecycle)
• Food: Harvest Noon How To - Hot for Hot Sauce (Harvest Noon)
• Music: Indie 88 presents: Dave Bookman's Nu Music Night (Horseshoe)
• Music: Jann Arden (Massey Hall)
• Lit: Launch for "Socialist Cowboy: The Politics of Peter Kormos" by Larry Savage (Another Story)

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

Photo via Facebook

No restaurants were shut down this week but Liberty Shawarma is fast becoming a fixture on these lists. Last week it managed to squeak by with a yellow card despite nine citations. In the seven days since it has received two more yellow cards, and continues to make crucial infractions. But they weren't the only well known restaurant to get dinged this week.

See the round-up of this week's worst DineSafe offenders below.

Fran's Restaurant (200 Victoria St.)
Inspected on: September 15, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Templeton's (319 Augusta Ave.)
Inspected on: September 15, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

HoSu Bistro (254 Queen St. West)
Inspected on: September 15, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Jody's Montreal Deli (777 Warden Ave.)
Inspected on: September 16, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Just Jerk (2675 Eglinton Ave. West)
Inspected on: September 17, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder. Operator fail to maintain hazardous foods at 60C (140F) or hotter.

Liberty Shawarma (4K Spadina Ave.)
Inspected on: September 18, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Maintain hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C.

Burgers take centre stage at this new restaurant - and with a butcher shop and bakery in the back cranking out fresh buns and hormone-free patties in-house, it's easy to see why. But their international focus (and pedigree as the sister restaurant of a European grocery store) means hoisin-glazed pork belly, Greek burgers and Balkan-style sausage sandwiches are all represented - and all just as tasty.

Read my profile of Big Butcher Barbeque in the restaurants section.

This Victorian home located at 24 Elm Grove Ave in Parkdale is chock full of charm. There are the stained glass windows, crown moulding, and the high ceilings. But the hardwood floors throughout the first floor really take the cake. No signs of a quick renovation with cheap materials here. This house has real character.

That doesn't mean it isn't without modern convenience, though. A large master bedroom is located on the third floor complete with a four piece en suite bathroom and plentiful closet space. Downstairs, the kitchen has been tastefully renovated and includes a small powder room perfect for guests. The house includes tons of modern touches rarely found in historic homes. Put simply: this house has class.

SPECS

• Address: 24 Elm Grove Ave
• Price: $1,149,000
• Lot Size: 30 x 129
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 3
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $5,929
• Walk Score: 97

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Original woodwork and unique hardwood floors
• Spacious rooms with high ceilings
• Large backyard
• Steps to Queen Street West

GOOD FOR

Lovers of Victorian architecture. Though many Toronto homes offer glimpses of their former selves, few do so well as this one. The best of this home's original features have been maintained. Maintained being a key word here. Just because it has charm doesn't mean there are tons of renovations to be done. Character without additional construction costs - what a dream.

MOVE ON IF

You're looking for a little more modern flair. Maybe a new condo is more your style with sharp edges and clean lines. Maybe you want a little better transit access - you'll have to rely on the Dufferin bus and Queen streetcar here. Other than that, I'm not really sure. A beautiful house in a trendy neighbourhood with a large backyard. Hits all the marks, if you ask me.

MORE PHOTOS

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate for sponsoring our House of the Week.

Shawarma joints are a dime a dozen in Toronto but don't go here looking for the buy one get one free Shawarma Empire experience. Instead, this Harbord Village spot goes high-end with a roasted lamb neck on the bone as the centrepiece to their make your own shawarma platter.

Find out more in my profile of Rasa in the restaurants section.

If you had to go on official promotional videos for Toronto, you might not think a whole lot of this city. If, on the other hand, you broaden your reach and check out old music videos, art projects, timelapses and stop-motion sequences, it becomes immediately clear how spoiled we are for homages to this city. It's hard to watch any of these videos and not have at least some appreciation of Toronto, be it related to the city's beauty, its businesses, and its people. Hell, even the TTC looks fantastic in the sequences below. So if ever you're down on TO, here's a remedy.

These are 10 videos that'll make you fall in love with Toronto (all over again).

Toronto Tempo
Ryan Emond's "Toronto Tempo" might just have changed the way we view Toronto. How could one ever think of the city as bland place after watching this animated love letter. Sure, there had been timelapses of Toronto before, but this one set a new standard for how all such videos would be judged in the future.

City Rising
It's hard to imagine a more beautiful presentation of Toronto than Tom Ryaboi's "City Rising." Shot from various perches atop the city, the timelapse sequence is a reminder why rooftopping images remain so captivating, even as they've saturated our screens over the last few years.

Parachute Club - Rise Up
What to say? This is '80s pop perfection. In a video that befits the contagiousness of the song, the streets of Toronto rise up in celebration. Nostalgia at its finest.

Spoons - Romantic Traffic
The other '80s entry on this list is my favourite Toronto music video of all time. From the old red Gloucester subway trains to the big hair, it's the moodier version of "Rise Up," but every bit as gloriously nostalgic for anyone who remembers a time when Bloor Station still had yellow Vitrolite tiles.

At the End of Yonge St.
Ismail Atievand and Djabrail Tataev walked 42 kilometres south down Yonge Street from Wellington St. to Queens Quay in the space of 14 hours to shoot this hyperlapse. It's a whirlwind trip down Toronto's most iconic street and one of the more interesting video projects we've seen.

The Joy of Books
If ever you needed a reminder that independent bookstores are exciting places that make the city a more interesting place, this stop motion video from Sean and Lisa Ohlenkamp turns TYPE Books into a secret bibliographic wonderland in the hours after all the customers have left.

Toronto - You belong here
While the video quality makes it look older, this promotional video for the city actually dates back to the early 2000s. It's a bit too feel-goody without the requisite slickness that you get from something like Planet Toronto, but there's something that remains endearing about the way it pumps up the city without completely losing itself to cliche.

Around the Loop
The concept is simple: Tyler Freedman traveled from Downsview to Finch on an early morning train with his camera pointed out the front of the train. The results are unexpectedly cool, particularly the stops at each station before the train rockets down the line.

Of Toronto
Set to Lover's Spit by Broken Social Scene, Gary Samson's "Of Toronto" slows it down and takes us on a tour of iconic Toronto at just the right pace to sit back and contemplate just how much there is to appreciate in this city.

Lightning TO
Toronto's had its fair share of spectacular lightning storms over the last few years, but I'm not sure that any of them have beaten the electric storm that hit us in August 2011. It was a bonanza. And filmmaker Jon Simonassi was on the ground to capture it all.

What did I miss? Let us know what your favourite Toronto video is in the comments.

Lead still from Tom Ryaboi's "City Rising"

The 2014 Toronto election fast approaches, with the big day just over a month away. There's already a good site for comparing the platforms of mayoral candidates, but what about city councillors? With so much of our attention focused on the mayor's race, the battles in each ward tend to fly somewhat under the radar when it comes to media coverage. That's why Position Primer, a new site from Women in Toronto Politics, should prove particularly useful to those who've yet to make a decision on their local candidate (or who don't know what ward they live in).

The site offers a side-by-side comparison of where candidates stand on crucial issues such as poverty, public services, taxation, and infrastructure in all 44 wards. Based on an online survey distributed by WiTOpoli, it's a quick way to familiarize yourself with both the political leanings and specific platforms of would-be city councillors. You won't find polling numbers here. Instead, the site summarizes where candidates stand in their own words (or those of their staff, as the case may be).

A random sampling of wards reveals that the participation rate in the survey was quite high, though there are of course numerous candidates who didn't bother to share their policies. That could be to their detriment, of course. In my ward (17, Davenport), for instance, the lack of a voice from incumbent Cesar Palacio makes the other candidates all the more desirable. It might not matter to voters who have made up their minds, but for the rest of us, this is a valuable tool to get primed for the upcoming election.

The winner of the 2014 Polaris Music Prize was announced as Tanya Tagaq last night in a decision that will go down in Canadian music history as a key moment of transition - no exaggeration needed. While 2013's quasi-shocker of Godspeed playing king-alts and refusing the prize was perhaps the esteemed, arts-driven, $30,000 music prize's more dramatic incarnation, Tagaq's win means so much more for Canadian art - and Canadian people.

Monday's awards show at the Carlu droned on as short live sets (six compared to last year's eight: an Owen Pallette rock-out, preciously quirky but golden voiced Mac DeMarco, Basia Bulat, Jessy Lanza, Shad, Tagaq) contrasted with stage prep periods that stretched so long that house band, Toronto indie cover squad Dwayne Gretzky, would stop playing, wait, and then abruptly launch into a new song.

As time dragged between host Jay Baruchel's bad jokes (without Factor most of the talented, dedicated nominees would surely be working as sandwich artists) and one horrendous, gender-speculating joke about a presenter (what?), I felt a little sorry for anyone in the sold out public gallery who'd bought tickets in hopes of seeing Arcade Fire and/or Drake, or Sonic Titan and Timber Timbre, only to find out last month they would not be performing.

(Admittedly Drake was a long shot who ended up playing the Hollywood Bowl instead, but I did see a floor plan for the gala bearing his name, crossed out in red by some disappointed hand.)

Yet in the media sections and around the room, every in-the-know attendee kept muttering the same mantra. "Wait until Tagaq performs."

After Jessy Lanza's gorgeous, bass-heavy performance (and introduction from her mother rather than indie celeb or media pundit) refreshed the room with a new energy and Shad and Lights' surprise duet got everyone grinning, Tagaq took her time setting up the stage with a huge back up chorus dressed in black. All the waiting was worth it.

There's no way to describe Tagaq's music without the risk of making it sound dull. Throat singing, contemporary-traditional, experimental, vocal explorations - yo, most Canadians are like "change the channel" right here. But as it is when you see any artist who breaks away from known generic constraints and sounds to create a force that is uniquely driven by the power of her own vision, Bjork-collaborating Tagaq has to be experienced to be understood.

And this, not the $30K, is the greatness of Tagaq's Polaris win: now the grunting, screaming, Francis-Bacon-painting emulating diva (you might entice your friends by linking "death metal" with "r&b"), more mainstream-famous for supporting the seal hunt than as an indie musician, will have her unique artistry thrust into the spotlight. Pitchfork wrote their first entry tagged Tanya Tagaq last night, and the Polaris Prize legitimately lived up to its claims that it cares only about an album's "artistic merit."

And for all the rock&roll-light swagger of "STFU" notices and creative interpretations of the blazer being thrown around at the gala, there was the actually bad-ass move of projecting name after name of missing Aboriginal woman for the duration of Tagaq's set. As our country fucks up left and right, the Polaris gala actually served as a reminder that Canada could lead not only in the arts, but in the arena of trying to be good human beings.

David Dacks of Toronto lauded experimental venue the Music Gallery explains part of the importance of Tagaq's win.

"What amazed me about Tanya Tagaq's win was that this album wasn't an outsider pick. Plenty of mainstream media knew about her and had already been won over by the sheer force of her musical will. They supported the record for what it was: an adventurous, unabashedly innovative tour de force that represents the vanguard of Canadian artistry.

But at the same time, by the act of rolling out names of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, her performance resisted being an uncritical validation of Canadian social and cultural norms. I hope the world sees that this country's culture industry can support artists who simultaneously exemplify traditional and forward-thinking ideas in their music; artists who make Canada proud while also expressing uncomfortable truths about the system we live in."

In a hopeful mood brought on by the end of last night's ceremony, I'd posit that as young music journalists and musicians take over from the old guard (after all, who can afford the old guard?), the shift away from the blandness of the CanCon which Indie88 resolutely holds in its strong baby-grip is becoming more than an underground movement. Rejection of these plaid-adorned norms was a common theme at the prize, with many presenters emphasizing experimentation, diversity, and activism as important themes in the albums they introduced.

Who better to embody this rising shift in Canada's cultural (dare I say indie) landscape than uncompromising and mind-blowing musician and activist Tayna Tagaq. I'll sign off with some words from Marie LeBlanc Flanagan of Weird Canada.

"In a culture swallowing itself in safe, marketable music, and a nation claiming to be a leader while systematically ignoring murdered and missing aboriginal women, a win for Tagaq's incomparable Animism is a heavy step forward, and a win for us all. Grunt on."

MORE PHOTOSPhotos by Jesse Milns.

Aubrey Jax is using the #posi hashtag sparingly on Twitter.

Vienna must be doing something right--the Austrian city regularly places near the top in lists of the worlds most liveable cities thanks its low crime rate, excellent public transportation, and tourist attractions. Toronto occasionally makes an appearance on these types of list, but Vienna is a perennial contender.

Like Toronto, the Central European city public transit system relies heavily on trams and buses. The Austrian surface rail network is one of the largest in the world, but it appears to avoid many of the pitfalls that hamper streetcar service in Toronto, like traffic, narrow streets, and slow boarding times. Instead of favouring drivers, the road rules are more democratic, giving priority to the masses aboard public transit.

Unlike Toronto, Vienna has found a way to build a large subway system over the last 40 years and discovered that staying up until 6 a.m. on the weekend isn't such a bad thing, especially when it's planned correctly.

Here are 5 things Toronto could learn from Vienna.

How to operate an attractive, world class streetcar system
Vienna has 29 urban tram routes that spiderweb out from the city centre to the inner suburbs. Thanks to a strictly observed set of rules, Vienna's more than 1,000 trams are kings of the road: private vehicles must yield to public transit at all times and in many cases trams have right-of-way over cars. Like in Toronto, road vehicles must stop to allow riders to safely board and disembark, but the passing of a stopped tram, even one with its doors closed, is only allowed at a crawl.

The widespread availability of reliable public transit is a boon for the people who ride it and an incentive to those that don't. A single fare works out slightly more expensive than the TTC equivalent, but monthly and annual transit passes in Vienna are heavily discounted. Unlimited travel on buses, trams, and subway costs $48.20 a month or $520 a year. As a result, the car ownership rate in Vienna is low--roughly 385 in every 1,000 people owned a car in 2013. In Toronto, that figure was around 470 in every 1,000 in 2003.

Best of all "delays are rare."

Get mathematical about bike sharing
It might not seem like it, but planning a successful bike share network requires some serious number crunching. As Eric Jaffe writes at City Lab, the problem can be likened to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: too few bikes in a station and not everyone can ride, too many and there's no space for returning cyclists. The number needs to be just right.

The world's top mathematicians are working on algorithms to control the surprisingly complex distribution of shared bikes, Jaffe writes, including Günther Raidl from the Vienna University of Technology. Raidl has produced a set of dizzying equations that, despite their complexity, are only able to provide "approximate" solution for the Austrian city, which locates its bike stations at or near public transit stops (an idea Bike Share Toronto should borrow.)

Develop a subway expansion (and financing) plan
Since the 1970s, Vienna has been building out its modern era subway (U-Bahn) at an impressive rate. As of 2013, thanks to regular, predictable investment, the network recently surpassed the TTC subway in terms of ridership and physical size: 80 kms of route over 5 lines and 104 stations. In 2010, the daily ridership of the U-Bahn was 1.46 million, considerably more than Toronto's 902,000 in 2013, despite the city having roughly a million fewer inhabitants.

The city's subway and tram networks are geared towards the common goal of moving people conveniently and on time. "The combination of all modes creates a customer-friendly and attractive public transport network," Vienna's city councillor in charge of transit, Maria Vassilakou, said in July while announcing a fresh 10-year expansion plan.

Go 24-hour, even if it's just on the weekend
In Austria's capital (which doesn't exactly have a reputation as a party city,) bars and clubs are allowed to serve alcohol until 6 a.m. As a result, the transit system also stays up late to ensure everyone to get home safely. The U-Bahn runs through the night on Fridays, Saturdays, and public holidays alongside the city's night buses. Right now, the TTC runs until 1:30 a.m., an annoying 30 minutes before last call.

Embrace massive outdoor markets
Perhaps in fear of unpredictable winter weather, the majority of Toronto farmer's markets tend to retreat indoors or shut down completely during the winter months. Vienna doesn't benefit from a tropical climate (snow is common and the temperature regularly dips below freezing in winter) yet the world-famous outdoor Naschmarkt stays open year-round.

The 1.5 km strip of restaurants and fresh food stands is the largest in Vienna, and on Saturdays the produce vendors give way to a massive, unpretentious flea market. The official website boasts "antique weapons, records, china, clothes and ... books." Like the food market, things start early, around 6:30 a.m. Surely with Canada's world famous winter culture Toronto could do more outdoors when the weather gets cool.

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

Images: Pedro Szekely, kaffeeeinstein, Cha già José, Daniel Stockman/Creative Commons

When the Chapters flagship at Richmond and John closed down in April, questions immediately began about what would take over that enormous, three-floor slab of prime downtown real estate. Rumours persisted that the space was being eyed by Michael's, a North American chain of craft supply and framing stores, for a downtown location. Looks like it's official; signs are now up in the window of 142 John St. announcing the craft shop's impending arrival.

It's not a terribly sexy retail addition to the strip - a shop stocked with embroidery hoops and silk flowers lacks the cachet of, say, a Uniqlo, or a Uniqlo. But the selection and convenience of a big-box shop will likely be welcome to many downtown crafters: Though Toronto has plenty of specialty shops for art supplies, beads, and fabric, and OCAD's population is already well-served by DeSerres and Aboveground Art Supplies, Michael's promises to be a true one-stop shop, with a focus that ranges from baking to scrapbooking to knitting to woodworking.

There's no opening date announced yet for the new shop, which will join existing area locations in North York, Scarborough and the Stockyards. Will local artists change their shopping habits? (Does being stuck behind some granny paying for her crochet needles in pocket change count as suffering for art?)

St. George Street is one of the shortest roads we've devoted a historical post to, stretching just a few kilometres between College and Dupont. And yet it's obviously one of the city's more important streets given that it's the primary north/south corridor through the University of Toronto. Thanks to the presence of the university, St. George has been a crucial thoroughfare in Toronto for a century.

It hasn't, however, been quite so densely built up as it is today. The north end near Dupont, for instance, was only developed in the first place by the turn of the century. The area around Bloor and southward was a bit different story. By 1909 the northwest corner of College and St. George was already blessed with the Carnegie-gifted Central Library, the Gooderham family had at stately mansion at Bloor (now the York Club), and the street was packed relatively tightly with homes.

Photos of the street from the 1900s to the 1950s remain bizarre, though. Prior to expansion of U of T, St. George doesn't a whole lot different than other residential thoroughfares of the time. That all changed in the 1960s and '70s when the university razed the residential properties to make space for buildings like Sidney Smith and, of course, Robarts Library. The latter would radically transformation the street into the scholarly nexus that it is today. Take a look at the sleepy corner in the late 1940s and imagine what a massive development the library was and is.

Say what you will about Robarts, but it's nothing if not an ambitious building. It's a product of its time to be sure -- university campuses across the country are marked by Brutalist structures from the '70s -- but it has a certain flair that makes it unique. It also acts as a focal point for a street that anchors our most important academic institution. It should be bold.

PHOTOS

Looking north towards Dupont in 1904

Toronto Reference Library, College and St. George, 1913

Intersection of Harbord, Hoskins and St. George, 1913

St. George and College, 1913

York Club, Bloor and St. George, 1924

St. George looking north to Bloor, 1936

Harbord and St. George, 1944

St. George north of Russell, 1948

St. George north of College, 1948

St. George looking south from Bloor, 1949

St. George north of Harbord, 1949 (the street has now been widened)

St. George and Harbord, 1949

St. George and Harbord, 1949

St. George in the 1970s

Robarts late '70s (or early '80s)

St. George and College (looking west), 1983

Photos from the Toronto Archives

Photo by Gardner in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto fans of dance and choreography will have the moment in their (autumn) sun with TUDS, the Toronto Urban Dance Festival. If you're getting ready for the Halloween spirit, Toons on Tap's life drawing session will feature that instant cliche of costumes, the Black Swan. Not sure if Natalie Portman was available to model but I'm comfortable starting that rumour.

CSI's pop-up marketplace is back for goodie-hunters (need some mittens?) while at Pilot PMR Robyn Doolittle, Christopher Eby, John O'Leary and more will muse on what is a Doug Ford, and how can we manage the Doug Ford crisis. Full crisis mode all the time, that's the spirit. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Dance: Toronto Urban Dance Culture Festival (TUDS) (Winchester Street Theatre)
• Booze: 5 O'Clocktails (SAVAC)
• Lit: All Lit Up Launch (Gladstone)
• Fashion: CSI Pop Up Market: Fall in Love (CSI)
• Politics: Doug Ford is my Co-Pilot (Pilot PMR)
• Art: Fatherland launch (AGO)
• Comedy: OUTrageous (Yuk Yuks)
• Lit: Biblioasis Turns 10: The Toronto Edition with IFOA (Harbourfront Centre)
• Art: Toons On Tap - Session 57: Black Swan (Round)

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

Photo via TUDS on Facebook

The Drake General Store, the gift shop offshoot of Toronto's favourite (notorious?) boutique hotel, has spread around the city like woolly, kitschy wildfire since first opening in 2008. But though they've spread as far north as Yonge and Eglinton and invaded downtown Hudson's Bay locations with pop-up shops, they've never actually brought their retro Toronto tees and high-design home goods past the Yonge St. meridian.

Until now, that is: Good Neighbour, a brand-new shop coming to Leslieville, has teamed up with the Drake to give east-enders a general store all their own (obviously, that's not counting Leslieville Pumps, located right next door). The boutique, set to take over a converted house that was once a former Degrassi production facility, will include a dedicated mini-store for the Drake: "It's basically a little store within a store - the best of the Drake General Store as we see it," says staffer Sam Jalees.

The Drake imports will be appearing alongside their own selection of denim, footwear, home goods, and gifts; there's also a collaboration with Summerhill decor shop Love The Design in the works, though it's not yet known what that form will take. Look for a soft launch for Good Neighbour as early as this weekend.

Photo via Good Neighbour on Facebook.

This newly opened bar on West Queen West lets guests select from a hand-picked collection of cured meats, cheeses and olives. The ample by-the-glass wine list and atmospheric lighting make it an ideal date night destination, while the kitchen open nightly 'til midnight should attract some late night attention, too.

Read my profile of Nuit Social in the restaurant section.