You can rent boyfriends, tools, and cuddles in Toronto, but one Pennsylvania-based start-up knows you like to grab your eggs from many baskets. Rent The Chicken has expanded to Toronto, meaning you can have a temporary golden hen without all the mess of trying to decide whether to eat her or give her the den to your condo when she gets on in years.

No, this isn't another April Fools post, and it isn't a Toronto Humane Society campaign either. Chicken rental is just what it sounds like. The renting... of chickens.

Chicken renting is actually a rather complicated affair, much more complex than renting, say, a human boyfriend: $375 gets you two hens from May to October with all the peckings (from coop to water dish), and the promise of 8-14 eggs per week - most of which will end up on Bums Trading Zone unless you happen to really love your omelets.

Then deluxe chicken rental packages (more chickens) are available, as are options to step into next level urban farming with the "Hatch The Chicken Rental Package" which allows you to experience the joy of baby chicks hatching and stumbling fluffily around your home and your heart - for six months. (Amy E. Sklansky's Where Do Chicks Come From? book is yours to keep.)

Learn more about chicken renting in Toronto here.

Photo by aida_dasilva in the blogTO Flickr pool

24 Church Street is debatably one of the coolest and most unusual properties to hit the market. Asking $799,900, the Georgian-style house located near the Humber River is basically made out of wood. From the inside, it looks more like a contemporary farmhouse than an urban Toronto dwelling.

Hardwood flooring, polished ceilings, a sweeping curved staircase, and matching furniture and decor. Huff and puff all you dare--this home, circa 1853, is not going to be knocked down anytime soon, one can hope.

The interior is surprisingly large with only two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small kitchen. The wood staircase leads to a loft-style second floor with an open layout, a bathroom with a discreet washer and dryer and a shower sans curtain. It feels almost like a chic camping experience in the city's west end. Grab a s'more and take a closer peek.

SPECS

• Address: 24 Church Street
• Price: $799,900
• Lot Size: 66 x 62 FT
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $3,058.33
• Walk Score: 84

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx. 2,500 square feet
• Heated floors
• Two fireplaces
• Manicured lawn and spacious backyard
• Driveway and storage shed

GOOD FOR

Those longing for cottage country. Here ya go. A dream house under $1 million for pine-lovers alike and anyone thirsting for a northern experience near downtown Toronto.

MOVE ON IF

There's no basement. A rarity in the city as every house in T.O. is built with a basement or at least a crawl space. The property used to be a church but remains structurally sound, given its been standing tall for well over 100 years. Be weary during the winter months--it might get a little chilly, even with the heated floors and multiple fireplaces.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our House of the Week. All content and editorial selected and written by blogTO.

Do your kitchen cabinets needs a makeover? These Toronto shops stock quality goods to fill them up ranging from handmade cutting boards to enamel camp dinnerware. Whether you're looking to take your Instagram photos to the next level or simply add some flare to your kitchen, make a note of the stores below.

Here are my picks for the top shops to splurge on new kitchenware in Toronto.

See also:The best kitchen supply stores in Toronto

Old Faithful Shop
This kitchen and home store hailing from Vancouver carries unique kitchen specific items that are difficult to find elsewhere. While the prices are on the higher end of the scale, here you can find old-fashioned kettles, linen aprons and a retro bodum.

Scout
This charming gift shop on Roncesvalles carries a number of independently made local items. If your looking for artistic tea towels or wood burned cutting boards, this is the place to find them. A personal favourite of mine is the handmade pewter measuring spoons and scoops.

Drake General Store
This mix between hotel gift shop and modern day general store offers a wide range of kitchen products made by artists around the world. Here you can find a range of glasses, tea towels, serving boards and even that retro mini fridge your apartment is missing.

Lavish & Squalor
This rustic style home and clothing store on Queen West offers a wide range of cabin/cottage inspired kitchen items including Pendleton dinnerware and ceramic camp mugs. If you're looking to transform your condo into a cabin in the woods, this is the place to go.

Anthropologie
This US-based chain is home to colourful and fashionable kitchenware. Visit one of their three Toronto locations to scoop up hand painted bakeware such as rolling pins, measuring spoons, measuring cups and bowls in every shape and size.

The Cookery
Another Roncesvalles gem, this high-end specialty kitchen store will help you create that dream French kitchen. The shop carries French made cookware and bakeware brands such as Le Creuset and Emile Henry, as well as everyday kitchen items.

West Elm
Brooklyn-based West Elm is the store to visit when you're ready to graduate from Ikea. Located in Liberty Village, they have a large collection of kitchen tools and retro appliances including a Smeg stand mixer, blender, toaster and fridge.

Easy Tiger
While kitchen may not be the first thing you think of when you hear Easy Tiger Goods, this shop actually does offer quite a few neat kitchen products. Some of my favourite items include the camp style enamel bakeware, mugs, prep bowls and tumblers.

Ecotique
Yet another Roncesvalles boutique, this eco-friendly wonder stocks a large range of wood kitchen products, perfect for the environmentally minded among us. At Ecotique you can find reclaimed wood cutting boards, utensils, spoons and serving trays.

Good Egg
This Kensington shop markets themselves on being a store for people who love to eat. And that's exactly what it is. Between the striking stock of Staub cocottes and wide range of chef knives, you can find all the cookbooks and food magazines you will ever need.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for the top shops for sweet kitchen supplies in the comments.

Writing by Marcella DiLonardo. Photo of Old Faithful by Matt Forsythe.

The High Park cherry blossoms are likely Toronto's surest sign of spring. When the sakura trees bloom, you know that temperate weather has arrived.

In what has become an increasingly popular tradition, thousands of people will make the pilgrimage to High Park to bask in the beauty of this most generous gift from Japan, but the question on everyone's minds around now is when exactly peak bloom will take place.

Unsurprisingly, it's difficult to perfectly forecast when the sakura will flower, but at this point cherry tree watchers are becoming more confident of their predictions. The High Park Nature Centre has pegged May 7-9th as the period when peak bloom will take place. If this holds true, the weekend of the 9th and 10th will be the busiest of the year in the park.

Cherry blossoms tend to maintain bloom between four and 10 days. In other words, there are often two good weekends to view the floral spectacle if the weather cooperates. Rain during the bloom period can hasten the petals to fall, as could a sudden and sharp drop in the temperature.

Let's hope neither of those things happen. It's worth noting that once the trees do bloom, it's good idea to carve out some time to check them out when the park isn't overrun by photographers. Come mid-morning on the first Saturday of peak bloom, High Park will be a snap happy zoo.

Photo by Alvin Ang

The future looks brighter and brighter at Union Station. Along with the spiffy new passenger concourse that opened on Monday, the food and retail options at the revamped station sound very promising. The soon-to-open lounge for the UP Express will feature Balzac's coffee and craft beer from Mill St., but there's far more in store as renovations continue throughout the transit hub.

Toronto Life reports that the Burger's Priest plans to open a location in the station and that Carbon Bar co-owner Yannick Bigourdan has his sights on a rotisserie chicken restaurant to cater to hungry commuters. Perhaps even more exciting, however, is news that a huge fresh food market is also planned for Union.

Word is that 30,000 square feet of space will be devoted to the project, which sounds reminiscent of the one at Grand Central in New York except on an even bigger scale. Union Station is still very much a work in progress, but the future is beginning to sound drool-worthy.

Photo by Sally Hunter in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Photo by Greg's Southern Ontario in the blogTO Flickr pool

Today in Toronto it's year 100 for 2015 OCAD grads (sorry about the pressure, sensitive ones - you'll be fine). Book at least an hour or two to wander through the hard work of OCAD's graduating classes at GradEx 100 and you'll spot names you've already noted around local galleries, as well as yet undiscovered talent. It's up until May 3.

The amazing Space Lady will return to Double Double to play psychedelic covers and touching originals - she was one of our top live acts of 2014, so don't miss her. You can celebrate Canadian Film Day around town, including at Rainbow Cinemas with a double bill of Pontypool and Enemy, and at Videofag with Videodrome. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Music: The Space Lady (Double Double Land)
• Art: GradEx 100 (OCAD U)
• Music: Sufjan Stevens (Massey Hall)
• Film: Canadian Film Day: Pontypool and Enemy (Rainbow Cinemas Market Square)
• Film: Hot Docs
• Film: Videodrome (Videofag)
• Games: Punk Rock Bingo (Beaver)
• Fashion: Spring Clothing Swap (Shoppe and Tailor)

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

Veteran espresso machine repair guy Tony Cavalieri wasn't planning to translate his lifelong love of cafe culture into a coffee shop of his own - until he happened upon the perfect location and the perfect bar, all in one fateful day. Now, in addition to fixing up machines in the basement, he serves traditional espresso drinks that already have the close-knit neighbourhood raving.

Read my profile of Oakwood Espresso in the cafes section.

Canadian Music Week is set to kick off its 33rd year with an expanded 10-day schedule of concerts, film and comedy May 1-10. Though it has historically been the duller, more industry-driven sister to other Toronto music fests, the list of 2015 headliners verges on the impressive - arguably snagging more big names than NXNE. We're through the looking glass, people.

A $75 wristband gives you access to pretty much everything, while single tickets or concert lotteries are available for those inclined to cherry pick. You can see our list of picks for the overwhelming fest here.

With so much to see over 10 days, it's hard to decide where to hunker down for the best music. So once again, to simplify your festival planning, we've rounded up the top CMW venues across the city that offer the best atmosphere, bring something new or have snagged the lion's share of must-see acts.

Here are my picks for the top venues to check out during CMW 2015.

See also:The top 25 shows at Canadian Music Week 2015

Sony Centre
Most of the huge names will hit Sony's stage, with a wide mix despite all falling in the rock category. See Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, John Mellencamp, a Chris Walla-less Death Cab for Cutie and Faith No More (playing here for the first time since their breakup 17 years ago). Wristband-holders have to enter a lottery for a chance to catch a high-end show in this opulent space.

Lee's Palace
Lee's is always reliable for solid bands in a casual environment. This year's big ticket is METZ's two-night stand on the eve of a new album, but the other nights entice with more punk-influenced offerings such as The Flatliners, Cloud Nothings, Single Mothers, King Tuff, and Dead Tired. If you're like me (i.e. short), Lee's multi-level sightlines are a plus, and newly rebranded The Cave is right upstairs with its own CMW roster.

Burdock
There's no better way to test drive the newest Toronto's music venue than during a major music fest. Though it's smaller, this restaurant/music hall is generating a healthy rep based on slick decor, good craft brews, and well-curated music several nights a week. Their CMW roster is impressive for a newbie - catch local indie must-sees such as Birds of Bellwoods and Dirty Frigs.

The Phoenix
Yeah, it's kinda dingy and the sound can be hit-or-miss, but the Phoenix still maintains a certain charm as one of the only mid-sized venues in Toronto. This year, CMW's plugging nostalgia post punk here with The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain. There's also a Unison benefit show featuring all the Can-con you can handle, from Kim Mitchell to K-OS.

The Great Hall
West Queen West's historic theatre escaped doom late last year with a successful petition to increase capacity. It'll be a while before we see significant upgrades, but until then, it's a luxury to catch a concert in a space that can never get too full. Celebrate the Great Hall's victory against condo-fication with the likes of Evan Dando, Rich Aucoin, and FIDLAR.

BONUS

Drake Underground
Tucked away underneath the hotel, there's a reason The Underground's considered one of the best live music venues in the city. The intimacy of the underfoot lounge makes it ideal for the smoother sounds of electro, hip hop and alt-pop, so accordingly, the CMW schedule includes East India Youth, Leon Bridges, Lapsley and Lady Leshurr. Plus the secret guest on May 9th ought to make things interesting.

Where will you be at CMW? Let us know in the comments. Photo of the Great Hall by Jesse Milns

The best sunglasses in Toronto are found, by and large, at specialty optical stores who have sifted through the most fashion-forward shades the world has to offer. Cheap pairs are a dime a dozen in this city (or three for $10 in Chinatown), but Toronto's best sunglasses purveyors stock quality brands, tint lenses to order, and generally treat them like what they are: A perfect mix of fashion and function.

Here are the best stores to buy sunglasses in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Eyeglasses in Toronto
8 places to find vintage eyewear in Toronto

Italian restaurants in Toronto are as diverse as the neighbourhoods they inhabit offering family-friendly trattorias, rustic osterias, casual pizzerias, and pretty much every other kind of restaurant you could ask for under the Tuscan sun.

Here are my picks for the top Italian restaurants in Toronto by neighbourhood.

See also:The top 30 pizza in Toronto by neighbourhood

THE ANNEX
Bar Mercurio offers a lineup of 15 pizzas along with rich pastas dishes like fettuccine with truffled duck ragu.

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
As its name suggests, noodles are the strength on the menu at Queen's Pasta Cafe. Highlights include butternut squash agnolotti, and the deceptively simple penne a la vodka with green peas and bacon.

BABY POINT
Queen Margherita Pizza is well versed in the traditional Neapolitan style of pizza and is a great destination when craving carb-laden classics. The margherita is among the house specialties, though adventurous eaters should try distinctive pizzas like the Roberto Scallopini with kale, parm, sunflower seeds and garlic aioli.

THE DANFORTH
Informal family style dining is what sets 7 Numbers apart from the pack. The menu is always changing, but count on selections of antipasti, primi, and secondi that have recently included light dishes like grilled sardines, and burrata with tomatoes, plus hearty pastas and mains like polpette or osso buco.

DUNDAS WEST
Chef Craig Harding at Campagnolo turns out good, honest food on well composed plates. The menu features seasonally driven fare, along with staples like fresh burrata with roasted grapes, and a delicious spaghetti all'amatriciana.

CABBAGETOWN
Pappardelle with rabbit, honey mushrooms and kale is just one of the many enticing selections on the menu at F'Amelia. The casual trattoria is perfect for gathering with family and friends whether satisfying that pasta craving or sharing salumi, antipasti and wine.

CASTLEFIELD DEIGN DISTRICT
Speducci Mercatto is primarily a butcher counter with the added bonus of a cafe. Sample house-aged selections on the salumi board, dine on prepared foods like osso bucco and lasagna or have the lunch counter construct the perfect panini with the house porchetta.

CITYPLACE
Citta is the latest venture from restaurant impresarios Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth. The menu from ex-Grove chef Ben Heaton draws on Southern Italy for inspiration offering starters like fried artichokes, pizzas topped with guanciale, pecorino and egg, and pastas stuffed with bufala ricotta.

CORSO ITALIA
Pizza e Pazzi is so popular it boasts two locations on St. Clair West. While pizzas are the main draw, the calzone fritto stuffed with ricotta, spicy salami and mozzarella di buffala should not be overlooked.

EAST CHINATOWN
Mr. Ciao isn't your average Italian restaurant. The cozy sister restaurant to BBQ-centric Triple A Bar specializes in fried pizzas and has been known to use the drippings from slow-smoked meats in its pasta dishes.

ETOBICOKE
Etobicoke is densely populated with great Italian food. On one stretch of the Queensway alone you'll find Grappa, Posticino and the casual but fun, Mamma Martino's. Cellar Door on Lake Shore is new to the fold but continues to impress with pasta dishes like the bucatini Amatriciana and a lineup of rustic pizzas.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Osteria Cieri e Tria serves up renowned Terroni dishes with a Southern Italian twist. Focused on Pugliese and Sicilian cuisines, the menu offers smoked sword fish carpaccio, arancini filled with peas and veal ragu, and house-made agnolotti filled with braised beef in a butter sage and parmigiano sauce.

THE JUNCTION
Warm Italian hospitality is what you can expect at Nodo from the moment you're seated and served complimentary lupini beans. Highlights on the menu of fresh pastas include wild boar ragu over gnocchi, and a peppery cacio pepe. The wine list is commendably affordable too.

LIBERTY VILLAGE
Bar Vespa is a sleek setting to nibble on show stopping spreads of salumi and formaggio. Alternately you can enjoy hand crafted pizzas topped with original combinations of ingredients like say, Brussel sprouts and pancetta.

LITTLE ITALY
In a neighbourhood flush with Italian eateries, my choice is the oft overlooked and off the beaten path, Black Skirt. The Southern Italian restaurant serves rustic fare like white Sicilian anchovies with crostini and pasta dishes tossed with crushed pistachios.

LESLIEVILLE
Kitschy and eclectic, Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant dishes out giant meatballs, fritto misto, pastas and meaty entrees. What's not to love?

NORTH YORK
Camarra is a family owned and operated pizzeria and ristorante on Dufferin where locals flock to fill up on house-made noodles and customized pizzas.

KENSINGTON MARKET
Pizzeria Via Mercanti in the heart of Kensington Market slings stellar wood-fired pies topped with goodies like potato and pancetta or rapini and sausage.

KING EAST
Mangia & Bevi is home to simple pleasures like salads, pastas and pizzas. Try the biancho funghi pizza loaded with mozzarella, gorgonzola, mushrooms and brown butter.

KING WEST
Buca, helmed by chef Rob Gentile has earned a solid reputation for refined takes on rustic dishes. While the offerings change seasonally, recent features have included hand-cut pork blood pasta with n'duja, rapini and smoked burrata as well as, a pizza dressed with lamb pancetta, potatoes and taleggio cheese.

OSSINGTON
Enjoy traditional wood-fired Neapolitan pies made to the exacting standards of the VPN at Pizzeria Libretto. Aside from classics like the Margherita, look forward to thin crust pizzas topped with delicacies like duck confit and bosc pears or white anchovies with roasted garlic and chilies.

RIVERSIDE
Tommaso's Trattoria is an east-side stalwart where pasta-centric specialties include house-made manicotti and gnocchi al pomodoro.

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE
Pizzeria Defina isn't the only Italian restaurant on Roncy, but it does offer one of the most varied menus. The focus is on pizza but it's worthwhile to try out other wood-fired favourites like stuffed portobello mushrooms and fennel flavoured chicken wings.

PARKDALE
At Porzia in Parkdale, chef and owner Basilio Pesce puts out lovely plates of crostini topped with nudja and ricotta, tuna carpaccio, and chicken liver agnolotti.

QUEEN WEST
Fusaro's Italian Kitchen is home to generously portioned pastas, panini and pizzas. Find the place bustling at lunch hour as locals flock to eat veal parm sandwiches and mozzarella-filled arancini doused in sugo.

SCARBOROUGH
Fratelli Village Pizzeria does more than just pizzas. The tempting selection of pizzas includes 20 varieties, but there's also risotto offered three ways (mushroom, seafood, or with ground beef and peas), as well as, hearty pasta dishes and meaty entrees.

ST. CLAIR WEST
The menu at Ferro Bar Cafe is expansive listing an impressive array of pastas, risotto, pizzas and secondi. House favorites include the grilled calamari with crispy polenta and a luxe linguine in white wine sauce with lobster, scallops and snow peas.

WEST QUEEN WEST
Terroni is the perennial favourite on this fertile stretch of Queen West. The kitchen represents the regional cuisines of Italy with great reverence and uncompromising quality. Just don't ask for cheese on your spaghetti in canna a mare.

WOODBRIDGE
Oca Nera is an unassuming hidden gem on Islington south of Langstaff Road. While the menu changes seasonally, the wild boar bolognese gnocchi is a staple, as are the fresh oysters brought in from Rodney's.

YONGE & EGLINTON
Doppio Zero, SIP, Zucca, Grano, and Lil' Baci are all strong contenders in this neck of the woods, but I've always favoured Grazie. I've never had a bad meal here, and I can't be the only one - Grazie has been around forever (er, 1990), so it must be doing something right.

YORKVILLE
Sotto Sotto has recently reopened just two doors down from where three-alarm blaze destroyed its former home. Yorkville residents and A-list celebrities alike can rejoice, once again Mama's bolognese is back on the menu.

Lead photo from Bar Vespa.

What did I miss? Disagree with my selections in the comments.

Two years after the Beverley Hotel made a red-hot debut on Queen West, reaching for the Drake, Thompson and Gladstone's respective crowns, things appear to have cooled off. The kitchen hasn't been the same since former chef Eric Wood left last year - but it looks like their art collection is keeping people talking, for better or for worse.

Earlier in April, patron Ritu Bhasin tweeted out photos of the artwork in the hotel's ladies' room - a photo series of female dolls in various compromising positions with male dolls, including one with its underwear pulled down while a male doll holds a camera. (Didn't we all love playing "Terry Richardson" as kids?)

When Bhasin demanded the removal of the images, hotel representatives replied a week later to laugh the complaint off. (Literally - their response on Twitter was "haha lol".) Regardless of the actual artistic merit of the pieces, you gotta admit - that's no way to get repeat patrons.

@Ritu_Bhasin haha lol

— The Beverley Hotel (@beverleyhotelTO) April 27, 2015

Should the Beverley Hotel pull these images? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via Ritu Bhasin on Twitter.

The once-seedy Metro Theatre has been slated for transformation into a fitness centre for months - now, the exact plans for the space have been unveiled. The X-rated theatre, which has been on Bloor St. for 75 years, will be transformed into a rock climbing gym, which promises to boast the tallest indoor climbing walls in the city.

Basecamp will include 7,000 square feet of climbing space, reaching a height of 40 feet, which will occupy what was once the main hall of the theatre. The walls will include a variety of features, incuding overhangs, face climbing, and slabs, to cater to new and advanced climbers.

The space is the brainchild of Matthew Languay, a mechanical engineer and avid climber who spent five years searching for the perfect spot. Though the space is being overhauled, the theatre's existing marquee will remain intact as a tribute to the theatre.

To get the facility off the ground, Languay is launching a Kickstarter campaign, featuring perks like day passes, lessons, discounted memberships, and climbing parties.

Check out more renderings of the space below:

Renderings via Basecamp

The top dance parties this month in Toronto signify spring is here, because big commercial EDM events like the GoHard tour are starting to occupy the former Ontario Place grounds. Not only are we finally getting opportunities to dance under the sun again, but the club scene is also heating up with the opening of Nest (formerly Ryze), which should make the late night party scene much more competitive over the coming months.

And on a more sombre note, you can expect to see many retired ravers at the tribute party for Dr Trance, which promises to be one of the most fun funerals you've ever been too.

Here are my picks for the top dance parties in Toronto this May.

The Black Madonna (May 8, Black Eagle)
Breakandenter have joined forces with the Black Eagle to bring The Black Madonna back to town for an eclectic night of disco, house, and techno. The Chicago DJ is also a longtime resident of the legendary Smart Bar, and brings with her a deep understanding of underground dance music history. 10 pm, $10.

Danny Tenaglia (May 17, Nest)
The last time NYC house music legend Danny Tenaglia played Toronto, it was as part of the closing parties for the Guvernment. This time he's back to play an epic marathon set for the opening weekend celebrations for Nest. 10 pm, $30.

Electric Island (May 18, Toronto Island)
Electric Island is back for another season of all-day electronic music events on Toronto Island. This year kicks off with a back-to-back set by the Martinez Brothers and Seth Troxler, as well as performances by UK house hero Steve Lawler, Lee Burridge, and more. 1 pm, $39.50.

DJ Craze (May 23, Adelaide Hall)
Miami's DJ Craze is one of the most technically proficient party rocking DJs around, and brings a turntablist approach to his eclectic mixes of Miami bass, hip-hop, dancehall, drum'n'bass, trap, and whatever else he can scratch and cut into the mix. 10 pm, $15.

Brennan Green (May 30, Wrongbar)
Former Toronto resident Brennan Green returns from NYC for a visit. Expect a quirky mix of left-field house, oddball disco, and assorted weirdo dance floor sounds. It'll also be a good opportunity to see how much Wrongbar's renovations have changed the club. 10 pm, $10.

Follow Benjamin Boles on Twitter: @benjaminboles

Bikes on Wheels has boasted a busy Kensington Market location for years, but after a stint on Queen West, has now settled into its second location on Dundas West. Catering primarily to commuters, here you'll find everything you need to outfit a city bike, from baskets to saddles.

Read my review of the new location of Bikes on Wheels in the services section.

Amateur boxing is alive and well in Toronto. World Boxing Wars host licensed boxing events around the city that anyone can attend. The latest was this past Saturday at the Royal Canadian Legion in Etobicoke with 10 bouts on the card, plus one exhibition match.

If you've ever watched a professional boxing match and thought "This is kinda boring, why aren't they doing anything?" you won't see that here. Fights are short: boxers only have three to five rounds to get a win. Plus, amateurs don't have the calculated precision of the pros, resulting in exciting fights with lots of action and heart.

Have a look inside the world of amateur boxing in Toronto in this photo gallery.

Writing and photos by Matt Forsythe

Today in Toronto Jay Leno is in town telling funnies, while fashion hunters can embark on the 2015 Vintage Crawl, with about fifty vintage stores around the city participating. Juiceboxxx will be bringing the weirdness to Double Double Land in Kensington Market later on.

Gallery TPW is re-opening in a new space on St Helens Ave, continuing the gallery scene's push to western frontiers, while Jesse Harris' new show will open up at Cooper Cole. Analogue Gallery is opening its Women in Rock exhibition for the Contact Photo Fest, which officially starts tomorrow. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Comedy: Jay Leno (Massey Hall)
• Art: Gallery TPW Grand Opening
• Fashion: Vintage Crawl Toronto Spring 2015
• Film: Toronto Jewish Film Festival
• Music: Juiceboxxx (Double Double Land)
• Art: Jesse Harris (Cooper Cole)
• Comedy: Level Up (Social Capital Theatre)
• Photography: Women in Rock (Analogue Gallery)
• Music: Halifax Pop Explosion x Last Gang Records (Drake)

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

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• Cocina Economica, the new east side establishment from Playa Cabana opens today, Thursday, April 30 at 114 Berkeley St.
• Via Vai, a new wine bar and Italian restaurant located at the base of the Burano condo at 45 Grosvenor St., is now open.
• Oh! Original Hot Dogs at 406 Bloor St. previewed their premium tube meats via gloryhole last weekend, and now they're officially open to the public. Expect a second location to arrive in Liberty Village in the near future.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• The Vegan Duchess
• Buster Rhino's
• Track & Field Bar
• Oakwood Espresso

OPENING SOON

• Opening May 15 in Liberty Village at 107 Atlantic Avenue, suite 100, The Craft Brasserie & Grille is soon to offer 120 beers on tap (75% from Ontario craft brewers).
• Grab and go lunch counter, Picnic is opening another location in the concourse of Exchange Tower at 130 King St. West.
• Perfect Pint Public House is in the works at 1469 Gerrard St. East.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com
Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

NOW Magazine has put its building at 189 Church St. up for sale. The property, which hit the market earlier this month, is expected to fetch in the neighbourhood of $8-$10 million according to one local real estate agent.

Toronto's venerable alt weekly has been wading through turbulent times in the print industry suggesting this move might be a play to cash in on a key asset amid flat to declining ad revenue. Alt weeklies are facing challenging market conditions across the country. The Grid shuttered last summer and Calgary's FFWD bit the dust in March.

In an internal email dated April 14 co-founder Alice Klein sought to re-assure staff that the sale wouldn't have any profound impacts on the company in the near term. She wrote:

Here is some surprising information: the NOW building is up for sale starting today. But don't panic. The sale terms include a two year lease-back to allow us plenty of time to find a new NOW home for the future.

A move is on the long-term horizon because, as we all know, we are not fully inhabiting this expansive commercial space. And, of course, change is the name of the game at NOW, at this time. So maybe this isn't such surprising news after all.

Are you surprised by the news? What do you think is the future for alt weeklies in Canada?

Photo via Spacelist

The top events in Toronto for May will open doors for you, whether an early glimpse of an indie band on the rise, a new comic book artist or character to cosplay and geek out over, or a voyeuristic peek into what keeps Toronto ticking.

Also don't miss the Eastern Breeze Film Fest, plus annual date-oriented celebrations May the 4th ("Star Wars Day") and Cinco De Mayo (May 5).

Here are my pics for the top events in Toronto this May.

Contact Festival (May)
Beginning on May 1 and covering more or less the whole month of May (depending on the gallery), the Contact Photography Festival is the largest event of its kind in the world, which is pretty impressive even if only a fraction of it will interest most. Galleries great and small participate, with the opening at MOCCA as a highlight every year. Check out our full preview here.

CMW (May 1-10)
Canadian Music Week is back with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Joey Bada$$, Death Cab For Cutie, Alvvays, Billy Talent, Metz and hundreds more playing in venues across the city. The main thing is the music industry conference, but there are film and comedy components, and the Indies Music Awards. Check out our full preview here or see which venues are the best to stick to here. MF

Pages UnBound (May 7-10, Randolph Theatre)
Toronto's newest books & lit festival, self-described as "A Literary Festival for the 21st Century" is back for one weekend in May. The festival merges voices from the worlds of books, film, and digital media. Hit the launch on the 7th at CSI Coffee Pub.

TCAF (May 9-10, Toronto Reference Library)
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is an indie comic fan's dream, with tables upon tables of graphic novels, art prints, and much more, plus a host of special guests. If you need more geek, Bit Bazaar is the same weekend at Bento Miso.

Drone Day (May 9)
Drone Day is not only a celebration of music that sounds like harmonizing refrigerators: it's a tribute to Canada's free spirited non-commercial and fringe musicians, with events criss-crossing nearly all provinces and territories. The event was launched last year by Weird Canada's Marie Claire Flanagan and Toronto has a lot planned.

Electric Island (May 18, Toronto Island)
Electric Island is back for another season of all-day electronic music events on Toronto Island. This year kicks off with a back-to-back set by the Martinez Brothers and Seth Troxler, as well as performances by UK house hero Steve Lawler, Lee Burridge, and more. BB

Inside Out (May 21-31)
While Inside Out make a name for themselves with screenings year round, film lovers know the best time for queer cinema in the city is the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, marking its 25th anniversary this spring. Watch the trailer here.

Anime North (May 22)
The vendors, speakers, performers, and stars are the glitz of Anime North (shout out especially to all the local talent) but it's truly the geeky fans and the devoted cosplayers who make it one of the year's best spectacles and fan gatherings.

Doors Open (May 23)
You know the deal: Toronto's historical or otherwise closed-access buildings will open the doors to the public. Ready your neck for looking up, and don't forget to bring a DSLR or you'll feel left out.

Bike Month (May 25 - June 25)
Less an event than an excuse to party with your best two-wheeled friend for thirty days, bike month will see events popping up city wide including May 25th's Bike to Work day. Stay tuned for more bike-centric events in our upcoming preview.

Contributions by Ben Boles