What's in the former home of the Mascot cafe in Parkdale? As it turns out, it's another cafe, featuring the same wooden bar where you can grab espresso drinks and baked snacks. Locals have already resumed their posts inside the cafe, though the massive empty space (reserved for pop-ups) still has the joint feeling a tad empty.
Read my review of The Tenant in the cafes section.
New restaurants in Toronto continued to open at a frenetic pace in 2014, leading to a "survival of the fittest" kind of climate. Veteran restaurant operators and freshmen alike were responsible for more than a few new concepts that turned out to be merely a flash in the pan.
Honourable mentions to Samuel J Moore, Ricky Ricardo's, Bero, Ardor Bistro and Hot and Spicy.
Here are my picks for the biggest restaurant flops of 2014 (so far).
Olde Town Bistro & Oyster Bar
The first casualty of 2014 was this seafood-focused restaurant, which opened in November 2013 with the ambition of attracting a more casual breed of diner than its previous incarnation, Lucien. The new concept flopped a mere three months later, and by spring, was already operating as East Thirty Six.
Ole Ole
The three-storey King East restaurant with a Spanish-meets-Mexican menu replaced Kultura in September 2013 and was gone just five months later in February 2014.
Burger Bass
This short-lived mom-and-pop operation intially attracted a great deal of attention (and unsolicited advice) on Reddit when it opened in January this past year. The online support didn't translate into sales, and by May, the burger shop was shuttered.
Sandoozles Smokehouse & Pub
Opened November 2013 and closed by June of this year, this BBQ joint just couldn't cut the mustard. Equally to blame were the gimmicky name and the fact that the menu, featuring brisket and pulled pork, didn't deliver on the promise of what real barbecue ought to be.
Estrella
Opened in the fall of 2013, this massive North York taco bar aspired to emulate the success of Big Star with a menu that "borrowed" dishes and even its design from the Chicago taqueria. Clearly it doesn't pay for restaurant operators to take the easy way out - Estrella was closed by June.
Red Sauce
I was sad to see Red Sauce go. Opened in late January of this year and closed by Labour Day, the Italian-American sandwich shop and cocktail bar (from the owners of Acadia) was home to a line-up of hero sandwiches, garlicky caesar salads and negroni on draught. Prices were a tad high, but speculation has it that the restaurant may have had other troubles filling tables.
Lucky Red
The Banh Mi Boy spin-off opened just after Canada Day with a menu featuring bowls of lo mein and deep fried dessert bao; by August, the struggling take-out concept reverted back to the trusty Banh Mi Boys menu of Vietnamese sandwiches and Korean tacos, but in September, when that still didn't draw the anticipated crowds, the eatery shut completely. Owners David, Phil and Peter Chau plan to reopen with a totally new sit-down concept, complete with bar menu.
S. Lefkowitz
Ezra's Pound was transformed into Toronto's first hummusia on a whim in March, but by mid-October, the windows of the Middle Eastern-style snack bar were already papered over.
Cleo Restaurant
In a sign that this year's prolific trend of Middle Eastern eateries has potentially reached maximum saturation in Toronto, this sit-down restaurant at Yonge and Lawrence opened in the spring, but by fall, the address already had new tenants. The Scratch Kitchen is set to open in the coming weeks.
Social Bar Cafe & Desserts
Queen West's Chococrepe underwent renovations and rebranding this year to briefly become the licensed ChocoCrepe Cafe Cocktails & Co. and then Social Bar Cafe & Desserts in July. By the end of October, the creperie was gone for good and has been operating under new ownership since as Del Ray So-Cal Cantina.
What did I miss? Add more flops to the comments below.
Meet Pachi, the mascot of the Toronto Pan Am Games. He's a friendly, jolly porcupine with 41 multicoloured quills and a Frank Rossitano-style slogan hat. And so far, between design contests, promotional merchandise, actors' fees, and foam suit cleanings (necessary), he's cost taxpayers $383,045, with seven months to go before the games kick off next July.
The Globe & Mail reports that so far, the Toronto 2015 organizing committee spent $93,232 on the kids' "mascot creation challenge" that led to Pachi's design (the winning submission came from a team of four Grade 4 kids in Markham) and $33,250 on "mascot research". From there, they spent $134,550 to pay the 17 actors that will play Pachi, as well as $26,862 on promotional stickers.
By contrast, the Globe points out, the London 2012 Olympic mascots were designed by a London firm for a few thousand pounds (though you could argue they got what they paid for there).
Toronto traffic lanes are about to get narrower, though the process will take some time before its effects are felt throughout the city. In what is sure to be a controversial move, city planners have drafted a new policy for road widths that will bring Toronto inline with many US cities, which typically keep lanes at a width of around three metres.
"Our goal here is to continue to try to maintain [traffic flow] at safe and context-sensitive speeds," Transportation Services General Manager told the Globe & Mail. "And in the downtown core, do you need to be going 50 [kilometres an hour]? Probably not. If we can keep people moving at 30km or 40km, smoothly, they'll be ecstatic [about] that."
In addition to regulating traffic speeds, the not-so-fringe benefit of reducing traffic lane widths is that it frees up space for other usage of the allotted space, including increased pedestrian walkways and a buffer for bike lanes. That said, in a city known for its congestion, you can bet that some will see this plan as counter productive, even if mixed use streets tend to encourage no vehicular commuting.
The rollout will take place over years on account of budgetary constraints and the road painting schedule the city keeps. In the meantime, what do you think of the proposed changes?
A Toronto-based social media campaign is urging folks to feed the homeless in their communities by sliding them a slice. #passthepizza started in Toronto last month with an Instagram account devoted to sharing photos of pizza handoffs; the campaign has been gaining steam recently, with The Big Slice even kicking in a few pies for distribution. It looks like their goal of spreading hot, cheesy good deeds worldwide is paying off, with regrams from as far as Melbourne and Paris. Check out a few of the snaps below.
Disgraced CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi has dropped his $55 million lawsuit against his former employer after an out-of-court deal was reached. The Toronto Star reports that the deal, which was reached last Friday, will see Ghomeshi pay $18,000 in legal costs to the CBC. Ghomeshi launched the suit after his firing last month due to mounting allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
Earlier this month, the CBC requested that the suit be dismissed. Many familiar with the case said Ghomeshi's suit wouldn't have been permissible in the first place; as a unionized employee, he would be required to sort out issues with his employer through a grievance process instead of going through the courts.
Instead, it was widely viewed as a way for Ghomeshi to get his version of the story, in which he was framed by a jealous ex and unfairly persecuted by his former employer for his sexual preferences, into the legal system and onto the public record.
Photo by Bradley Reinhardt in the blogTO Flickr pool.
19 Maple Avenue is a classic Rosedale home that boasts many of the benefits of residing in one of Toronto ritziest neighbourhoods. The house itself is gorgeous, with historical bones and a fresh renovation that combines a sensibility for heritage with a flare for modern design (case in point: the kitchen). It's also close to transit (about a five minute walk to Sherbourne Station) and plenty of green space, not to mention a private driveway with a carport.
Yes, many of these Rosedale homes offer the complete package (or near to it), which is invariably reflected in their listing prices. This house hit the market at just shy of $3 million, which actually seems reasonable when you consider where the million dollar mark sits in Toronto.
SPECS
NOTABLE FEATURES
GOOD FOR
If you have $3 million dollars to spend on a home, there's really not much to dislike here. With 6+ bedrooms and five washrooms, space can't really be an issue unless you've procreated too often. The house is currently staged in a homey, family-friendly way, though one could easily adopt the aesthetic of the kitchen and go for something more contemporary. In other words, a Toronto power couple with three kids are the prime candidate for this address.
MOVE ON IF
Aside from the asking price, there are some potential turn-offs here, even if they're slight. The backyard isn't really a yard at all, so that might deter those with young kids. This is also not going to pique the interest of those who love open concept designs. It's an old house that's been renovated, and while it doesn't feel cramped, the master bedroom isn't all that spacious given the overall size of the home.
ADDITIONAL 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.
Today in Toronto head to the Danforth to see El-P and Killer Mike's tag team project Run The Jewels deliver thought provoking hip hop. You also can keep it highbrow as PUBLIC celebrates 50 issues at AGO Jackman Hall, and for music fans looking for something different Nonclassical Global is free at Canadian Music Centre before 6pm. If you're more in the mood for horror, Rue Morgue and Unstable Ground have you covered with a Little Terrors screening of Earth & Sky. For more events, click on over to our events section.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
Run the Jewels photo by Matt Forsythe
A piece of a popular landmark at Richmond and Spadina is no more. A graffiti removal team hired by the City of Toronto has erased the 25 metre painted tape measure that wrapped around the northwest corner of the intersection, leaving only the original engraved markings.
City spokesman Shane Gerard said the work was scrubbed at the request of Stephen Cruise, the artist behind the colourful bronze thimble and buttons that also populate the corner. Cruise's piece, which was commissioned by the city in 1997, included subtle tape measure markings etched into the concrete sidewalk, but artist Victor Fraser added the colours and additional details in 2006.
The work was carried out Nov. 6 and 10 at a cost of $623, Gerard said.
In an email, Fraser said he painted the chalk and tempera colours after the city failed to properly restore the original work, titled Uniform Measure/Stack, following construction of a nearby condo. He said he refreshed his work every two years to mitigate the effects of rain and snow.
It's unclear why Cruise decided to act eight years after the chalk colours were added at least two after being made aware of it by The Grid.
Fraser says he feels a "bit of sadness" over the removal. "If art is not funded by big banks or corporations in Toronto it is not valid and considered graffiti," he said. "I will not be doing it again even though many people have enjoyed it over the years. You cannot fight this kind of thing and win."
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Who says nothing interesting ever happens beyond the Don? Over the last century or so, Toronto's east end neighbourhoods have provided the setting for some of the city's ugliest history: capital punishment in the form of public jailhouse hangings, and the isolation of "idiots" and "the idle" in jail-like buildings away from the general population.
But it's been not all doom and gloom, of course. Riverdale was also home to the city's first baseball stadium, a popular place called Sunlight Park that overlooked the river, and a Leslieville tree may have inspired a poem so popular that it almost became Canada's national anthem.
Here are 10 quirky things to know about Riverdale and Leslieville.
Riverdale Park used to be a place for storing the sick and poor
In the days before effective treatments to many communicable illnesses like smallpox and tuberculosis, "isolation hospitals," like the one founded on the site of today's Bridgepoint Health, were used to keep the sick away from the general population. Prior to the Riverdale Isolation Hospital, the Toronto Magdalen Asylum built a house in the present day park for "idiots, the idle, the lewd, the dissolute." The building later became a house of industry, offering beds and shelter in exchange for labour.
The oldest occupied house in the city is on Broadview Ave.
The John Cox Cottage isn't easily noticeable from the street behind its high front hedge. Built before 1807, prior to the Gibraltar Point lighthouse and the current buildings at Fort York, the original log cabin has been expanded over the centuries, but still retains several of its original features, including a pine-shingled roof and wooden walls. Unlike its more recent neighbours, the former log cabin is orientated due east, making it look crooked.
There were (briefly) plans to build a baseball stadium in the Don Valley and Riverdale Park
Before Major League Baseball granted Toronto the expansion franchise that created the Blue Jays, this city was actively pursuing the right to form a new American League team in 1960. The imaginary "Toronto Canadians" (the name the city used in its pitch to the league) could have played at Riverdale Park in a stadium serviced by the proposed Bloor-Danforth line, but the city eventually nixed the idea for being too costly (the flood-prone Don River would have had to be diverted in some scenarios.)
People used to be hanged at the Don Jail
Before Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976, Toronto's notoriously brutal Don Jail provided the backdrop to some 34 hangings starting in 1880. The first person to be executed at the prison that year was George Bennett, who was convicted of fatally wounding senator and father of confederation George Brown following a disagreement at the offices of the Globe newspaper.
The gallows were originally located outdoors, but hangings were later conducted in a converted bathroom within the jail. Canada's last hangman used the pseudonym John Ellis. He sprung the trap beneath convicted murderers Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas in 1962, this country's last execution.
The Broadview Hotel wasn't built as a hotel
The famous Riverdale flophouse (soon to be transformed into a boutique hotel in the mould of the Gladstone) was originally home to a branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and lawyer and dentist offices before it was retrofitted for hospitality in 1907. The building was built in 1891 by soap magnate Archibald Dingman and known early on as Dingman Hall.
Colgate Ave. really is named after the toothpaste company
Colgate-Palmolive Peet Company used to operate a large factory on Carlaw, just north of Queen. The American company was founded in New York in 1806 and opened its Toronto factory, which produced toothpaste, soap, and other toiletries, in 1919. It was neighboured to the north by two chewing gum factories: William Wrigley Jr. Co. and the Canadian Chewing Gum Co. and a factory complex that produced mirrors and moulding. Natalie St. was renamed at the request of the company.
There's a complex subway interchange under Danforth and Greenwood
Traveling between Greenwood and Donlands stations, subway riders might notice a strange tunnel veering away to the south. No, it's not a secret subway line, it's a short access track that connects the main line with the Greenwood subway yard. A split-level wye allows trains to enter or exit service from either direction. The short yard access tunnel travels a few blocks south before emerging in daylight.
No-one is sure if the Maple Leaf Forever tree is for real
The story goes that Alexander Muir was inspired to write his beloved poem Maple Leaf Forever in 1867 when a leaf from a Leslieville maple tree came to rest on his clothes, but there is little evidence it was the one that blew down last year. Muir was a Leslieville school principal and no doubt walked past numerous maple trees in the neighbourhood. A plaque erected in 1930 by the Grand Orange Lodge of British America appears to be the first to make the link to the tree at Laing Street and Memory Lane.
Riverdale used to have a railway station
Opened in 1896, Riverdale railway station was located on De Grassi St., just north of Queen. In 1904, a collision between a streetcar and GTR express train just south of the station killed three people and injured 18 more, leading the city to raise the rail corridor and build an overpass at Queen. Riverdale station was closed in 1932 and demolished 1974, but evidence of the station is still visible. There is a disused set of buffers and some old signage behind Jimmy Simpson Recreation Centre.
Toronto's first baseball stadium was located in Riverdale
Sunlight Park (officially the Toronto Baseball Grounds) was built in 1886 southwest of Queen and Broadview, close to the Don River. The stadium, which had stands four storeys high and room for 2,250 spectators, was home to the "Torontos" team, later renamed the Toronto Maple Leafs. Admission was 25 cents, according to the historical plaque. The park was named Sunlight Park after Sunlight Soap Works, which was located within view of the field where the BMW dealership is today.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: City of Toronto Archives (as marked,) Toronto Public Library, 981-3-1
Want to catch a game (or scarf down a snack)? This brand-new sports bar, the creation of a dream team of Toronto restaurateurs, is a complete slam-dunk. In addition to a strong lineup of craft beer, you'll find classic gameday snacks like cheese-smothered nachos, pretzels and footlong dogs, but their sandwiches might just take the MVP title.
Read my profile of The Contender in the restaurants section.
Greeting card designers in Toronto cater to folks who appreciate the charm of a handwritten note. If you're the kind of person that prides him/herself in picking out a nice card for someone and would easily fork over a $5 bill (or more) for good design, you'll love to browse through the work of these designers.
Here are my picks for the top greeting card designers in Toronto.
See also:The best stores to buy greeting cards in Toronto
Smitten Kitten
Smitten Kitten's cheeky slogan "crush-worthy papergoods and gifts" succinctly summarizes their company. Their best-selling collection, Tomfoolery, features a monochrome illustration with a humorous one-liner printed in gold foil. The cards are printed on thick coloured cream card that scream "quality!" Available at various retailers across Toronto (including I Have A Crush On Your, their home base).
Gotamago
Gotamago's cards are distinguished for refreshing design concepts ("All Star Couple"), funny puns ("You're the One Pho Me") and stunning watercolour illustrations. This "Warm Wishes from Toronto" card is particularly apt for an afternoon of writing to long distance friends and doing away with the winter blues. Available at various retailers across Toronto.
Flakes Paperie
Cards at Flakes Paperie are beautifully screen-printed and feature popular motifs like foxes, macaroons and pink flamingos sketched out in ink. Architecture lovers: be sure to check out their collection of cards with mid-century modern houses. Available at various retailers across Toronto.
Sea & Lake
Put simply, the cards at Sea & Lake are hilarious. Their designs focus on typography and feature one-liners such as "Uteruses Before Duderuses" and "I could have just texted you instead (that's how much I care)". Expect to find greeting cards with soft, tasteful colours, a signature of Sea & Lake. Available at various retailers across Toronto, including Scout.
A & C Cards
For cards that are as cute-as-a-button, look no further than A & C. Their watercolour designs center on adorable characters of all ages, with rosy cheeks and a point nose. The cards also star animals like cats, dogs and oh-so-huggable bears. Available at the Good Egg.
Brockton Village
If you love the look of hand-painted but not always watercolour, Brockton Village greeting cards are the one for you. Their greeting cards sport varying motifs from dapper-looking cats to bicycles and bowties. Apart from their greeting cards, also check out their popular Taste of the Worlds calendar. Available at Scout.
Wise Words
Three college students mounted a Kickstarter campaign that resulted in this Toronto-based greeting card company. Wise Words offers greeting cards featuring inspirational quotes, as well as a modern portrait of the legend renowned for the quote. Of note are their box sets: Trailblazers (think Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln), Creatives (Shakespeare and Andy Warhol), Visionaries (featuring Albert Einstein, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs) and Star Performers (Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley).
Pablo Panda
For the pop culture junkie, there's Pablo Panda. Celebrity faces grace the their cards, edited with some pop-art style imaging techniques. It's hard to look at their Carlton Banks card without your thoughts going to "It's not unusual to be loved by anyone..."
Sweet Peony Press
Letterpress lovers rejoice! Sweet Peony Press offers simple and chic letterpress cards, mainly in black and white. Graphite pencil illustrations, fun fonts and quasi-mandala-like designs are some of the things you can expect.
Queenie's Cards
Queenie's Cards is awesome because of their knack for personified objects and puns. For example, an illustration of a deviled egg sporting a moustache is paired with the line "you're a handsome devil"; on another card, a little sashimi person declares to a bottle of soy sauce "you're my soymate."
Did I miss any? Leave your favourite Toronto-based greeting card company in the comments.
A circuit of cheap eats in Scarborough isn't complete without a stop at this take-out spot near Midland and Lawrence. Skip the roti here but make sure to load up on some greasy doubles.
Find out more in my review of ACR Hot Roti in the restaurant section.
Toronto police have arrested and charged disgraced CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi. In a news release, police said the former Q host surrendered to police on Wednesday morning. He was charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking to overcome resistance, and is set to appear in court this afternoon.
Ghomeshi was fired from the network last month after allegations of physical and sexual abuse began to surface. Police opened an investigation at the end of October.
Toronto is one of the best cities in the world to be a student according to a new report in the Guardian. In a global ranking of student-friendly cities, our fair town comes in at an impressive ninth, up four spots from last year's report. Other cities to make the top 10 include Paris, Melbourne, London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Boston, Tokyo, Montreal, and Seoul.
The primary factors measured in the study were affordability, desirability, academic standards and job prospects. The brief writeup devoted to Toronto indicates that our high ranking has much to do with the desirability metric. That makes sense given how well the city tends to fare in global livability rankings and the like. It might, however, come as surprise to York U students making the positively bone-chilling walk between Vanier and Stong.
Photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Jian Ghomeshi was released on $100,000 bail in a court appearance Wednesday afternoon, after being arrested and charged by Toronto police earlier that morning. The disgraced CBC broadcaster appeared in court to face four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking to overcome resistance - which, according to the criminal code, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Ghomeshi, who was described as tired-looking by onlookers, wore a white shirt and dark blazer and stared straight ahead through the court appearance. Ghomeshi must live with his mother as part of his bail conditions, as well as surrender his passport and remain in Ontario. His next hearing is scheduled for January 8.
(Update: 1:55pm): Jian Ghomeshi's lawyer Marie Henein says that the former Q host will plead not guilty to the charges, and will address allegations against him "fully and directly" at trial.
Photo by Ryan Bolton.
Black Friday 2014 sales in Toronto will shove thousands of shoppers into shopping malls and big-box stores, each on a hero's quest to buy a vaguely-discounted Kitchenaid mixer. There's going to be deals aplenty at the city's chain stores, with shopping centres offering extended hours and special deals, but if your thing is buying local, these retailers will help you get your hands on some sweet, sweet discounts.
Here are my picks for the top Black Friday sales in Toronto for 2014.
Future Shop
Like many big retailers, Future Shop is doing Black Friday-style deals early. In addition to tons of deals on big appliances, you can score discounts of up to $250 on Macbooks and between $20 and $50 on iPads.
Best Buy
Best Buy's deals for Black Friday weekend are mostly middling, but you'll find solid savings on TVs (hello, $328 for a Philips smart TV) and their own set of iPad deals.
H&M
H&M promises items starting at $5 at their numerous GTA stores, plus up to $300 off their purchases for the first 100 people in line.
IKEA
Find daily deals Friday through Sunday, including $59 Poang chairs, at both the Etobicoke and Vaughan locations.
Target
The mega-store is offering a number of door-crashers, including an Xbox/Assassin's Creed bundle at $349, plus a $50 Target gift card (regularly $399) and gift-card-with-purchase deals on iPads and iPad minis. Makeup junkies will want to stock up on Pixi cosmetics - everything's 40% off.
West Elm
The decor chain - including the Liberty Village store - is offering scaled deals that go all the way up to 25% off on $1000 purchases, as well as up to 70% off clearance.
Forever 21
Forever 21 is doing a scratch and save deal - 15%, 20% or 25% - plus half off all clearance merchandise.
LOFT
Ann Taylor's little sister brand, with locations at the Eaton Centre and Yorkville, is doing 30% off everything.
Nine West
New markdowns are being added at this shoe chain at up to 50%. plus 30% off sale items.
Sportchek
Find up to 60% off at the sporting goods chain from now until December 1, including snowboards, sneakers, workout gear and cold-weather clothing.
Gotstyle
All suits are 30% off at the Bathurst and Distillery locations, as well as selected women's bags, shoes, denim.
Holt Renfrew
On Thursday and Friday, shoppers at Holt's Yorkville and Yorkdale locations can save up to 40% on select designer fashions, accessories and footwear.
Jenny Bird
The Toronto designer is unloading her jewelry and bags at 50-70% off at a sample sale, held this Thursday and Friday at 174 Spadina Ave. Joining her will be fellow Canadian designer (and founder of The Coveteur) Erin Kleinberg.
Indochino
The Vancouver-based bespoke suiting company's pop-up at King and Spadina is offering custom-made suits on massive sale. Depending on material, suits are between 10% and 40% off.
Peacock Parade
On Thursday and Friday, the sample sale site is teaming up with eLuxe for a pop-up at the Burroughes Building (639 Queen St. West). Score up to 95% off designer pieces from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Prada and Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Tiger of Sweden
From Friday through Sunday, buy one regular priced item at this Swedish chain's Ossington location and get the second item (of equal or lesser value) at 50% off. Additional items are 25% off.
Gallant Bicycles
From now until Sunday, everything at the store is 30% off, and you can get $300 off your very own customized bike.
Fresh Collective
Get up to 75% off selected pieces at the Queen St. and Roncesvalles locations of this local handmade-fashion chain for Friday only.
Korry's
The Danforth menswear favourite has sport jackets on for 50% off, outerwear at 15% off, and everything on the second floor is priced to sell.
Opticianado
Get 10-50% off glasses at our pick for Toronto's best eyewear store.
Energia Athletics
This Danforth fitness studio and shop is offering 30% off everything, from yoga gear to running shoes.
EXTENDED MALL HOURS
Eaton Centre - 6am to 9:30 pm
Yorkdale - 7am to 9:30pm
Sherway Gardens - 7am to 9:30pm
Dufferin Mall - 8am to 10pm
Shops At Don Mills - 7am to 9pm
Fairview Mall - 7am to 9pm
Square One - Hours vary by store
Did I miss any? Leave your top pick for Black Friday sales in the comments.
Photo by Ian Mationg in the blogTO Flickr pool.
The best late night cafes in Toronto are a haven for freelancers and social types who prefer their evening libations to be of the caffeinated, but perhaps non-alcoholic, variety. Board game cafés (Snakes and Lattes and For The Win are some examples - more here) are great places for nighttime coffee drinking, but the spiritedness of the gaming precludes café culture of the more erudite or casually social sort. Instead, this is a list of cafes with extended hours so you can keep working, reading and talking with a cup of joe.
Sometimes cocktails and other alcoholic drinks get added to the menu as night falls, while other locations stay true to their coffee shop roots and just keep pumping that caffeine until they close. And if those late coffees keep you up all night, I take no responsibility.
Here are the best late night cafes in Toronto.
See also:
10 bars to read at in Toronto
The top 10 coffee shops that serve booze in Toronto
It's been a while since we've posted a timelapse video of Toronto, but the wait will have proved worth it once you take a look at this new sequence that shows off the majesty of our city's skyline. The title is, of course, apt. This is an unabashed example of skyline porn, where the video is most concerned with offering a feast for the senses rather than an underlying narrative or theme.
This is the latest effort from Ryan Emond, who many will recall shot the wildly popular Toronto Tempo and Planet Toronto videos. The production quality on those offerings was very high, but this one somehow manages to top even those.
If you fell in love with the SkyDome (yes, SkyDome) sequence in Emond's first video, you'll crack a huge smile when you see what's in store here. Shuttling through TTC subway tunnels at hyper-speed is also fun -- and very different from the humdrum commute we collectively suffer through.
Toronto might not be the most beautiful city in the world, but arguments against the aesthetic merits of the place will find plenty of contrary evidence in the video below. Here's a little SFW porn for you.
Toronto Skyline Porn from Ryan Emond on Vimeo.
