Running just south of Queen St. to the west of Dufferin, Milky Way is one of those Toronto laneways worth writing a love letter about. There's excellent graffiti, people regularly use it as a quieter alternative to walking/riding on Queen, and over the years various art spaces have called the place home.

Now, the laneway could also be home to an urban garden. The Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT) & Greenest City have joined forces to acquire the space at 87 Milky Way in an effort to set up a community garden here. The two groups are launching a fundraising campaign later this week for part of the sum required to take possession of the land.

There's also a film screening and pot luck planned for June 4.

Once they've reached their goal, the two groups plan to host "urban agriculture and environmental projects that increase access to healthy fresh food, while creating opportunities for environmental learning and community connections."

Fresh off a game seven win over the Miami Heat to reach the conference finals, the Toronto Raptors are still considered major underdogs to win the NBA Championship. The team has been given 33/1 odds to win the title by betting site Bodog. That's just 2.94 per cent. Ouch.

On the flip side, the Golden State Warriors odds of going all the way have been pegged at 5/8, followed by Cavaliers at 9/4 and the Oklahoma City Thunder at 6/1. I can imagine the Raptors coaching staff won't mind this extra little bit of motivation for the team.

The odds of the Raps getting through LeBron James' Cavs in the next round goes up to 13/2, but that's still only 13.33 per cent. All the more reason to throw all our support behind this team. Cue the fairytale story.

Photo via the Toronto Raptors' Facebook page.

One of Toronto's lost architectural gems is set to be brought back to life in the form of a new brewery. Junction Craft Brewing announced today that it has secured a lease for 150 Symes Rd., a former incinerator built in 1934 under the direction of public works commissioner R.C. Harris.

It's a glorious structure that was last used as a waste transfer station and has since fallen into disuse. At 16, 000 square feet, it's an amazing site for a brewery that leaves plenty of room beyond the brewing infrastructure.

"We're very excited to be up and running there by early next year," said President Tom Paterson. "We'll be opening a facility that, in addition to a new 25hL brewhouse and increased production and distribution capabilities, will offer brewery tours, an event space, and an expanded tap room and retail bottle shop."

Bellwoods Brewery made headlines with their plans to set up operations in the former Hamilton Gears factory at Dovercourt and Dupont, and this looks every bit as impressive. The plan is to open in early 2017 after restorations efforts are complete at the building.

Photo by Patrick Cummins on Flickr.

If you've been scrolling through your Instagram feed you may have noticed cocktails with popsicles floating in them. Turns out the Pop Stand was making these at the launch of the CM Market on Bloor this past Thursday.

While The Pop Stand has been serving up Poptails at catered events around the city for a while they'll soon be available at popular local pub House on Parliament as part of their summer menu.

A photo posted by Kari (@thepopstand) on May 10, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT

In addition to Poptails keep a look out for Popsecco - a raspberry hibiscus popsicle served with prosecco and a splash of gin.

Photo by @thenewgirldar.

Toronto has gone cuckoo for crickets and other edible insects. The latest buzz-worthy product to fuel the craze comes from One Hop Kitchen in the form of bolognese sauce. The kicker, of course, is that this particular red sauce is made from mealworms. Well, that and crickets, if that's more up your alley.

Why the rage about bug-based foods? According to the company, the key is sustainability. One Hop claims that one jar of its bolognese saves 1500 litres of water compared to one made with beef. Alternative proteins, as they are sometimes referred to, are gaining in popularity, but still face significant stigma.

Toward that end, Toronto's Bevlab is hosting an upcoming workshop on the future of food and the place of insects as ingredients. One Hop's cricket bolognese will be one of a number of products on offer for attendees to try.

If you can't make it out for that, your best bet to get your hands on this unique sauce is via the company's soon-to-launch Indiegogo campaign.

Drake isn't the only world-touring musician to throw a pop-up in Toronto. Justin Bieber just announced via Facebook that his merchandise will be sold at Nomad (819 Queen St W) this Wednesday and Thursday (May 18 - 19) from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Designed by Jerry Lorenzo of menswear label Fear of God, the Purpose tour merch will be available to those willing to wait in a round-the-corner line up (undoubtedly forming as you read this). A variety of exclusive Toronto gear and Nomad collaboration pieces will also be up for grabs.

A couple of weeks ago, New York City played host to Justin Bieber's pop up, offering the t-shirts, hoodies, and other styles at $30 - $360. The wildly successful stint ~swagged~ out hundreds of beliebers in clothing printed with tour dates, lyrics, and portraits of Justin. He even made an appearance on the first day, prompting many a diehard fan to cry.

If you won't be attending the shows, at least you still have a chance to snag the merch. Perhaps the man himself show up during store hours - there's only one way to find out.

Photo by Jesse Milns from the Weeknd pop-up at Nomad.

Today in Toronto sit back and let the city entertain you. Music from local hip hop fave Mark Brathwaite, Washington surf rockers La Luz and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's take on soundtrack king John Williams. There will also be lots of nudity at local playwright Salvatore Antonio's new play Sheets (the closing show at Kensington Market art space Videofag) and fireside storytelling in Dufferin Grove.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Mark Brathwaite (The Local)
• Sheets (Videofag)
• Music of John Williams with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Roy Thompson Hall)
• Fireside tales (Dufferin Grove Park)
• Unrinetown the musical (Toronto Centre for the Arts)
• REACH - All elements of hip hop charity jam (Studio Bar)
• La Luz (Horseshoe)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.

Photo of La Luz

This week on DineSafe there are no closures to report, though the St. Louis Bar & Grill on Yonge Street just south of Wellesley earned a yellow card for racking up 10 infractions from city health inspectors. Also on the list with yellow cards this week, a handful of bakery cafes including Nu Bugel, Sugar Marmalade and Jules Cafe Patisserie.

See which other establishments landed on DineSafe this week.

Via Vai (832 Bay Street)
Inspected on: May 9, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

St. Louis Bar & Grill (528 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: May 10, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 5, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Store ice in unsanitary manner.

Coffee Public (800 Bay Street)
Inspected on: May 12, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Habibiz (1939 Kennedy Road)
Inspected on: May 12, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Nu Bugel (240 Augusta Avenue)
Inspected on: May 12, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Pearl Court Restaurant (633 Gerrard Street East)
Inspected on: May 12, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

Sugar Marmalade (4271 Sheppard Avenue East)
Inspected on: May 12, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

Jules Cafe Patisserie (617 Mount Pleasant Road)
Inspected on: May 13, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

This contemporary three bedroom at 395 Montrose Avenue comes to market for $1,349,000. Rebuilt six years ago, the detached property north of Harbord Street, features a landscaped front yard and a multifaceted wood and stucco exterior.

The open main floor, almost resembling an urban cottage, is warm and inviting with a steel fireplace and a log wood staircase. There's also plenty of outdoor space with a second floor patio, a custom deck in the back, looking onto Bickford Park.

There are fewer real estate listings these days, and the spring being the best time to sell. Still, the neighbourhood is very desirable for young families and also a hot housing pocket for urban dwellers seeking a quiet enclave of semi or detached houses.

SPECS

• Address: 395 Montrose Avenue
• Price: $1,349,000
• Lot Size: 25 x 120 FT
• Bedrooms: 3+1
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $6,382
• Walk Score: 90
• Listing agent: James Van Der Borgh, ReMax
• Listing ID: C3490954

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx. 3,000 square feet
• Four skylights
• Wood staircase
• Fireplace
• Second floor patio
• Landscaped yard

GOOD FOR

Pet owners. With outdoor space at a premium in the city, it's handy to have Bickford Park, a dog-friendly space to play and meet your neighbours. In the winter, the park offers one of the best tobogganing hills in the city.

MOVE ON IF

Fans of modern architecture will debate this one. Do you love it or hate it? The exterior is not for everyone, along with a mixed blend on the inside. A wood staircase and railing, metal framing, glossy fireplace and tiling -- the home is a conversation piece.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Worth the asking? Have your say in the comments.

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

Toronto's latest fast food joint dishes out Caribbean eats that go above and beyond jerk chicken. While the spice-encrusted poultry is available in sandwiches or in three piece dinners, the real highlight is a take on a legendary fish sandwich.

Read my profile of Street Shak in the restaurant section.

Toronto's housing market seems to have been on the up-and-up for quite some time now, but that all may be starting to change, according to a new report from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

The markets in both Toronto and Vancouver look like they're topping out says the CREA. Locally, the market hasn't grown that much over the past two months.

But, don't expect the market to crash because demand is still far outweighing supply. As the the Toronto Star reports, new listings in Toronto dropped 10.3 per cent since April 2015.

"While significant home price gains may entice some homeowners in these markets to list their home for sale, the issue for many is that the decision to move means they would also be looking to buy while competition for scarce listings is fierce," writes the Star, quoting Gregory Klump, the CREA chief economist .

Photo by Lunatic Desire in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Free outdoor concerts are back for another run this summer at Yonge and Dundas square. Curated by the team at Massey Hall, Indie Fridays will take over the bustling pedestrian zone starting June 24 - September 2 at 8pm.

There's literally something for everyone this year with genres spanning hip hop, reggae, latin, soul and francophone. The price is right, the diversity is top notch, and there's still more to be announced.

Here's the full summer lineup so far.

Friday, June 24
Messenjah
Exco Levi

Friday, July 8
AA Wallace with guest vocalist Liz Loughrey
Jordan Alexander

Friday, July 15
Mehdi Cayenne
Mélanie Brulée

Friday, July 22
Radio Radio
Herencia de Timbiquí

Friday, July 29
Boogat
Los Poetas

Friday, August 5
Ben Caplan

Friday, August 12
The Heavyweights Brass Band

Friday, August 19
The Massey Hall Band

Friday, August 26
Pierre Kwenders

Friday, September 2
To be announced.

Photo by Irina No.

Toronto is getting a huge open air food and artisan market this summer at HTO Park. The Waterfront Artisan Market spreads out over six separate weekends starting May 28-29, then into June 18-19, July 1-3, July 30-Aug 1, September 3-5 and October 8-10 from 10am-6pm.

This is the same festival that made its debut at the Redpath Waterfront Festival, and was such a big hit, organizers are bringing it back on a larger scale.

Artisan vendors include jewellers, sunglass makers, photography, house and style stuff, and clothing. Food wise, there will be over 20 cook-on-site food vendors over the course of the market, Caplansky's Deli, La Fiesta, Loaded Pierogi, Come and Get it and Jamie Kennedy's Kitchen, to name a few.

Check out their website for a complete list of vendors.

Photo by Felix Mo in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor has been given an eight game suspension for punching a cheap shot to Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, according to multiple reports. Toronto manager John Gibbons was also suspended for three games after returning to the field following an ejection in the third inning.

A variety of tweets and media reports also suggest that Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus has been hit with a one-game ban following the bench-clearing fracas that ensued after Bautista's hard slide into second base in the eighth inning of Sunday's game.

Bautista has also been suspended for one game.

Anyone else praying for Jays vs. Rangers rematch in the playoffs?

As Toronto's revving up for a sunny long weekend, our city's first ever DIY motorcycle garage has opened its doors, enabling tinkerers and motorcycle enthusiasts to create and repair their own bikes.

You can find Moto Revere at 1250 Dupont Street. It's a members only club, but anyone can join for a minimum of $45 (and up to $150) per month. Those prices gives you access to the space as well as tools and workshops.

While Moto Revere comes equipped with lifts, tools and at times, an on-site mechanic, the entire operation in BYOB - bring your own bike.

Photo via Moto Revere DIY Garage on Facebook.

If you're a fan of big parties, you should probably grab tickets to the Spadina Museum's annual Great Gatsby Garden Party.

This soiree amassed lots of attention last year and it sold out quite quickly. For 2016, the Toronto institution upped the ante; it's now hosting a weekend-long event with parties on both June 25 and 26. Jay Gatsby would undoubtedly approve.

Tickets are on sale now and they start at $10, but it looks like they're going fast.

If you manage to snag one, be prepared to dress in 1920s-style garb come ready to dance, listen to jazz music, sip on giggle water and play croquet. Doesn't that just sound like the perfect summer day, old sport?

Photo by Summer Leigh in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto's only outdoor floating film event returns this summer and you get to vote on the movies that will be projected on the double-sided 40X20 foot screen.

Starting Thursday, August 18-20 at Sugar Beach, the PortsToronto Sail-in Cinema will present three films organized around the theme of Books to Big Screen. This puts pretty much every film ever up as a contender for this year's series, but who cares! It's a floating movie theatre!

Viewers will be able to nominate which films they want to see through a public vote in mid
June. The three-day movie experience attracts 11,000 people and over 100 boats floating in the harbour. So you better get there close to 6pm when gates open to get a good spot. Movies start at 8 p.m.

Photo taken by Taku in the blogTO Flickr pool.

We have an immediate opening for a Listings Editor to join our team in a full time capacity. Read on for more information about this role and how to apply.

THE ROLE

As a Listings Editor you'll spend your days scoping out new businesses and writing profiles of restaurants and bars and other types of food and retail stores. You'll be as comfortable writing about the newest pho joint as you are about cocktail bars, cafes, hair salons, furniture and clothing shops.

You'll also need to write the occasional list post and help round-out our neighbourhood directories.

The successful applicant with not only have the requisite knowledge and writing skills but also demonstrate ability to create engaging content on Instagram and Snapchat. Photo and video capabilities are also a definite plus.

HOW TO APPLY

Email jobs [at] blogto [dotcom] the following info:

• Send us a bit of information about yourself (how long you've lived in Toronto, what neighbourhoods you have lived in) and your education and work experience. A link to your Linked-In will be helpful here.
• Detail your social media (Instagram, Snapchat) prowess.
• Visit a local business (restaurant, bar, clothing shop etc.) and send us a written profile (400-500 words) to give us an idea of what your contributions to the site will be like. Please include related social media (Instagram, Snapchat), photos and/or videos if you wish to demonstrate these capabilities.
• Detail your technology prowess including what type of computer and O/S you use, your current smartphone model, photography, video and photo editing capabilities.
• Specify your minimum compensation requirements (monthly salary.)

Note: The role will require you to eat and drink all types of food including meat, seafood, pork, spicy food, vegan, gluten, beer, wine, cocktails etc.

Thanks in advance to everyone interested in applying for this role. We aim to respond to all applicants who send us a complete application as per the instructions above.

Today in Toronto Justin Bieber takes ahold of the city with his sold out two-night run at the ACC and what's sure to be an insanely busy pop-up merch shop at Nomad on Queen Street West. It's also National museum day, yoga flow starts in Bellwoods, a European book club at Type and Winnipeg's Samantha Martin.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Justin Bieber (ACC)
• Justin Bieber pop-up shop (Nomad)
• National Museum Day (Bata Show Museum)
• Yoga flow in nature (Trinity Bellwoods)
• European book club (Type)
• Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar with Sweet Alibi (Painted Lady)

Photo via Justin Bieber's Instagram.

The Toronto's craft beer passport is back. Yes, this means it'll be even easier for you to fill up on local brews this summer.

And the folks behind this beer-friendly initiative are upping the ante for summer 2016 by offering both east and west end passports. Each one is $20 and includes 20 different venues, including breweries, brewpubs and bars. New breweries, such as Bandit, Halo and Henderson, are all on the list.

Once you buy in, you can visit any of the participating establishments and choose from a list of three beers -priced at $2 for a 12-ounce pour - at each one. Well these aren't quite full pints, the passports still offer a pretty sweet deal.

The passports are valid between June 1 and November 30, so you have plenty of time to indulge.