The Toronto International Film Festival might've wrapped last week, but that doesn't mean you should ignore the TIFF Bell Lightbox for the rest of the year, especially if you're a Star Trek fan.

To celebrate 50 years of Star Trek, TIFF is hosting a slew of events, talks and film screenings, including two free Original Series marathons this weekend on Sept. 24 and 25. To get your free ticket, just show up at the Lightbox at least two hours before showtime - the marathons both start at 2 p.m.

This Trekkie takeover runs until December 30 and includes four talks, presented in partnership with CBS and the Canadian Space Agency, as well as a series of screenings looking at sci-fi movies that came after Star Trek - highlights include Alien, The Matrix and a E.T. (if you're looking for a movie to see on Christmas Day, make it E.T.).

TIFF isn't the only organization to mark Star Trek's 50th anniversary. The Ex had lots of Star Trek programming and the new Star Trek series will start filming in Toronto some time this fall.

Will you attend TIFF's Star Trek celebration? Let us know in the comments.

Winter is coming and so are a ton of weekend TTC closures. That means you should get ready to take a shuttle bus - or the heel-toe-express - if you're running around town because it looks likes there are going to be closures for six weeks in a row, starting on the weekend of October 7.

The fun starts this weekend (Sept. 24 and 25) when the Yonge Line will shut down between Bloor and Osgoode stations. Luckily, it's supposed to be mild and sunny, so take a stroll and enjoy the fleeting warm weather.

The closures are put in effect so the TTC can complete much needed track repair work as well as the installation of a new signalling system that will allow it to run trains more closely.

Here are all the TTC subway closures slated for the rest of 2016:

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

• Line 1 Yonge-University: Wilson to Downsview closure on Oct. 7, 8, 9 and 10
• Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: Pape to St George closure on Oct. 8, 9 and 10
• Line 4 Sheppard: Sheppard-Yonge to Don Mills opening late on Oct. 9
• Line 1 Yonge-University: St George to Lawrence West closure on Oct. 15 and 16
• Line 1 Yonge-University: Finch to Lawrence closure on Oct. 22 and 23
• Line 1 Yonge-University: St George to Lawrence West closure on Oct. 29 and 30

NOVEMBER

• Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: Pape to St George closure on Nov. 5 and 6
• Line 1 Yonge-University: St George to Lawrence West closure on Nov. 12 and 13
• Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: Pape to St George closure on Nov. 26 and 27

DECEMBER

• Line 1 Yonge-University: Wilson to Downsview closure on Dec. 3 and 4

Photo by twurdemann in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Weekend events in Toronto suggest that as much as Torontonians love summer, we really, really enjoy fall as well. There are so many exciting festivals and parties happening inside and out, it'll be hard to remember the last season altogether!

Here are my top picks for events on the first weekend of fall in Toronto.

FESTIVALS

in/future (September 23-25, Ontario Place)
By far the most unique thing to happen at Ontario Place since the log ride, the in/future arts festival has been a hit. The Small World Music festival runs throughout, while performances and films in the Cinesphere change everyday. Get there before it's over!

World Cup of Hockey (September 23-25, Hockey Fan Village)
Green Day may have cancelled, but it's all good, Lenny Kravitz stepped in and everyone's excited again. Seeing folks walking around the city with jerseys from around the has been pretty fun and the games have been packed. Head down to the Fan Village near the distillery district to watch games, pose with the Stanley Cup and see pop up performances.

JFL 2016 (September 23-October 1, Sony Centre)
The Just for Laughs Festival takes over the stages of comedy clubs and concert venues all across Toronto. Big name comedians like Roseanne Barr, Trevor Noah and Tig Notaro are all set to make you laugh on opening night. Get your butt to the official website for all the acts performing during the fest.

Word on the Street (September 25, Harbourfront Centre)
Book and magazine lovers unite! The annual Word on the Street fest returns with hundreds of author events, presentations and workshops, and a marketplace that boasts the best selection of Canadian books and magazines you'll find anywhere. There loads of deals to be had and great nerdy people to meet.

YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) (September 24, Metro Hall)
100 community groups from across Toronto at your fingertips in a social space to learn about what's happening, exchange ideas and strategies to make change, and turn the tables on politicians and policy makers. This one's for the city lovers.

Pedestrian Sunday (September 25, Kensington Market)
OMG, it's the second last Pedestrian Sunday. You already know what to do. Get over to Kensington, walk around, eat, drink, people watch, dance and just enjoy being outside in one of the city's most colourful neighbourhoods.

Christie Crawl Fest (September 25, Christie Pits Park and area)
This is a new festival combining four annual events into one epic day at Christie Pits Park. The David Suzuki Foundation, Laneway Project, Bells on Bloor and Friends of Christie Pits Park
team up for a musical parade led by Lemon Bucket Orkestra, a pop-up art market, laneway crawl and a celebratory bike parade. There's also lots of food and wine.

FOOD & DRINK

Toronto Donauschwaben (September 24, Toronto Blue Danube)
Head east to the Toronto Blue Danube in Scarborough for this sausage fest. Expect a bit of an older crowd, but also some amazing traditional German food and dance group performances. Start scarfing from 4p.m. to midnight. Tickets for members are $18, guests $24 and $28 at the door.

Oktoberfest at Wonderland (September 24-25, Canada's Wonderland)
Entrance to Canada's Wonderland for this two-day beer bash is free with admission to the park. Just make sure to ride the rollercoasters before you visit. There's lots of food, beer, bands and games; all you need to do is provide the lederhosen. A day ticket to the park is $27, and festivities happen all day.

Farm to Fork (September 24-25, Fork York)
Maybe the cutest food fest all year, this one includes talented local musicians, dance, art, workshops, as well as heritage apple pie making workshops, biodynamic wine tastings, seed saving and daily tours of the Fort's on-site heirloom garden, community gardens and beehives. An Ontario organic farmers' market and a speaker series are also happening.

2nd Annual Great Lakes Brewery Pig Roast (September 24, Great Lakes Brewery)
Celebrate the final day of Toronto Beer Week with a giant pig roast. With music from Tommy Youngsteen and activities like bocce ball and cornhole toss, how can you miss this? Especially when it's combined with $5 beers and unique cask ales all day.

SHOPPING

Toronto Comic Book Show (September 25, Toronto Plaza Hotel)
Taking place on Sunday, this is the place for comic book lovers. 60 vendors, prizes given away every hour and over a million dollars worth of the very best in new and vintage comics books. There are rare comics and books, as well as dollar bins, and it's billed as "the hottest single day pure comic book show in Ontario."

• Etsy Made in Canada (September 24, OCAD)
• Craftadian (September 24, The International Centre)
• Marjory Makers Market (September 24, Grinder)

ART

Surface II art party (September 24, Artscape Sandbox)
This very big and fun collective art gallery show and party proves that the state of the Toronto art gallery is a good one. Get to know five of Torontos best independent art galleries as they join forces for this one-night-only art fair. Everything you see is for sale.

• Emerging Toronto Artists (September 23, Super Wonder Gallery)
• Canadian Art presents free gallery talks and fall issue launch (September 24, various galleries)
• Junction Artists' Exhibition (La Revolucion)

FILM

50 years of Star Trek (September 24 - December 30, TIFF Bell Lightbox)
Star Trek talks, a full film retrospective and free marathon screenings of the original Star Trek episodes happen all fall at the Lightbox. There's also an exploration through film of sci-fi movies influenced by Star Trek. Don't forget the big Boombox party at the end of October which will be heady on the Trekki tip.

• Toronto Palestine Film Fest (Until September 25, TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Progress of Place: Black on Earth Film Series - Program 1 (September 23, AGO)
• Free Outdoor Zootopia screening (September 24, Ashbridges Bay Green P Parking Lot)

MUSIC

American Lips feat. Sebastien of DFA1979 (September 23, Silver Dollar)
Canadian rock thing Sebastien Grainger of DFA1979 returns from L.A to introduce a new band called American Lips w/ MTL's Adrian Popovich (ex-Tricky Woo) and Jessica Bruzzese, as well as their new label, Ancient Fashion Records. This is going to be a loud one, but something fun and fresh from a long-lost local music fave.

• Canada's Walk of Fame Festival (September 23-25, Yonge-Dundas Square)
• Streetlight Manifesto (September 23, Danforth Music Hall)
• Zoo Owl / Slow Down Molasses / Hush Pup / Mother Tongues (September 24, The Baby G)
• Humongous Music Sale (September 24, St. Andrew's United Church)
• Tribute to Crytuff Sound System (September 24, Bandit Brewery)
• The Proclaimers (September 24, Danforth Music Hall)
• Rhythm Express And Heavyweights Brass Band (September 25, Lula Lounge

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Runway Run (September 24, Toronto Pearson International Airport)
Get up close and personal with airplanes and go behind the scenes at Canada's largest airport at this unforgettable, one-of-a-kind run. Run a 5k or walk a 2k on the runway. Bring your bags in case you're inspired to fly away after. Hurry up and register here.

DANCING

The Big Sound (September 23, The Great Hall)
DJs Wes Allen (Under the Influence) and Matt Cully (Goin' Steady DJs/Chronologic) spin before and after the big show from The Big Sound! If you've never been to this dance night of live soul music, a celebration of the Motown era of soul, you don't know what you're missing. It's a wild dance party with ultra talented musicians and dancers.

• Watcha Sayin' (September 23, Bambi's)
• Flashing Lights (September 23, Unlovable)
• Feministry (September 23, Round)
• The Rent: Fade to black (The Beaver)
• Hey Girl Hey (September 24, The Steady)
• Electric Circus (September 24, The Garrison)
• Equinox with Dennis Cruz (September 24, Sunnyside Pavilion)
• Nerdgasm (September 24, WAYLA)
• Tenderness (September 24, The Emmet Ray)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section and have a great weekend!

Photo of PS Kensington by Hector Vasquez.

The Manulife Centre in Yorkville is about to undergo an extreme makeover. Once complete, it'll feature Toronto's (and Canada's) first Eataly as well as a new streetscape. But, it'll be losing The Bloor Street Diner.

This longstanding, somewhat swanky-looking eatery will shutter on January 9, 2017, just in time for you to grab one last hungover brunch over the holiday season.

Employees received a letter announcing the diner's closure. And when contacted by phone, a Bloor Street Diner manager confirmed the restaurant would be shutting down on January 9. He wouldn't, however, comment on why it was closing or whether or not it would reopen in another location.

Earlier this year, Bloor Street Diner succeeded in getting an injunction to block the Manulife Centre renovations and Eataly from moving in. Apparently, as Peter Neilson writes in Advocate Daily, the reno would have obscured The Bloor Street Diner from street traffic. However, as the Toronto Star reports, that legal dispute has been resolved.

The Bloor Street Diner first opened in 1981, but moved into the Manulife Centre in 1994.

Will you miss The Bloor Street Diner? Share you memories in the comments.

$1,500 gets you a decent apartment in Toronto. With that much to spend, prospective renters can expect to find one bedroom units in many of the city's desirable neighbourhoods. There are still bachelors and basement units priced at this amount, but with careful searching, both of these scenarios can be avoided.

But how far does this same amount go in other rental markets? In some cities $1,500 in monthly rent will buy you a palace, while in others you better not expect much more than a shoebox. Compared to other North American cities, Toronto's rent rates don't seem outrageous, but they are what you might expect from a cosmopolitan city.

Here's what a $1500 apartment is like in Toronto vs. other cities.

$1475 in Liberty Village
One of the most common Toronto rental offerings in this price range is the one-bedroom condo, which you'll find located in many desirable downtown neighbourhoods. Typically in good condition and appointed with features like stainless steel appliances, these apartments are nice but small.

$1450 near Elicott St. in Buffalo
Bearing in mind that the exchange rate hasn't been factored in here, your money still goes a long, long way in the slowly resurgent Buffalo. One of the great boons for renters in this price range is the number of old warehouse buildings that have been converted to loft spaces. Expect two bedrooms and exposed brick for a grand and a half a month.

$1495 in Calgary's Forest Lawn neighbourhood
Located outside of Calgary's central core, this three bedroom monster of an apartment underscores just how different the rental market is here compared to Toronto. With 1,500 square feet of space, laminate floors, a brand new kitchen, and a patio space, this apartment could cost twice as much if it was in one of Toronto's central neighbourhoods.

$1495 near Parc La Fountain in Montreal
This listing lives up to Montreal's reputation for having some of the cheapest rent of major cities in North America. At over 900 square feet and only one bedroom, the living space is as huge as the view is nice. What you'll also find plenty of in Montreal for this price is spacious two and three bedroom units in low rise rental buildings.

$1,495 near Lincoln Park in Chicago
It's probably not a huge surprise that a $1500 apartment in Chicago looks similar enough to one in Toronto. The main difference is that Toronto has more units available in recently built downtown condos than Chicago does. Here you have an excellent location and building amenities, but not a ton of space to work with.

$1,495 in downtown San Francisco
San Francisco has a fierce rental market, as demonstrated by this nearly $1500 a month studio rental. There's nothing wrong with the unit aside from it's size. But if you want to live in such a desirable spot, you're going to have to make some sacrifices - well, that or pay up on rent.

$1,500 in Halifax
You won't find an abundance of apartment rentals for $1,500 and above in Halifax, which makes sense based on how far your buck will go in the city's rental market. Here you can rent yourself a perfectly charming and modern three bedroom house for that money. It's not right downtown, of course, but the neighbourhood is still solid.

$1,500 in downtown Vancouver
Oh, boy. It's a tough world for renters in Vancouver. This basement studio doesn't even have a stove, much less a proper kitchen. It's hard to find much to highlight here by way of positives aside from the area.

$1550 in Brooklyn
Don't even bother looking for an apartment in Manhattan for $1,500. That'll get you a room in a shared space at best. In fact, even in Brooklyn you're not going to get a whole lot at this price point. This unit says it's a one bedroom, but it's actually just a tiny bachelor. One nice touch is that it has an accessible rooftop to hang out on.

How does your apartment stack up? Let us know in the comments.

Toronto bookworms will soon have a new spot to hole up in with a stiff drink. That's because Famous Last Words Bar, described as a spot that serves "cocktails with a literary twist," is slated to open up in the Junction at 392 Pacific Ave.

According to Famous Last Words' Instagram feed, the space will feature a book wall, cocktails based on great works of literature and best of all, a scrabble tile bar.

Recently, the bar put out a call for a bartender/mixologist on Indeed. "Our focus is on high-quality cocktails and exceptional customer service in an unpretentious, neighbourhood setting," reads the posting.

"Passionate about cocktails? Love books? Want to be a part of building something from the ground up? This could be perfect for you!"

So far, it looks like Famous Last Words will feature drinks inspired by titles such as The English Patient, Fahrenheit 451 and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

With the exterior sign recently installed, you can expect the bar to open soon.

Photos via Famous LastWords Bar.

Remember when you had to detour over to Gladstone Avenue when traveling along Dufferin through Queen St? It was a century old traffic headache known as the Dufferin Jog. The city finally eliminated the jog back in 2010 when it revamped the railway overpass to allow traffic to pass underneath it, but now it's back -- at least temporarily.

When the bridge was improved six years ago, Metrolinx wanted to piggyback an expansion project onto the construction so that it would have an extra rail lane available for its projected service increase to the Barrie GO Lines that travel across the overpass.

This request was ultimately denied as then area councillor Adam Giambrone claimed that the area had already suffered for too long during the initial construction phase, which lasted five years. This was the equivalent of someone avoiding a visit to the dentist. Eventually you have to face the pain.

And so it is that the Dufferin Jog has returned as Metrolinx now works to add the fourth rail line that it put off in 2010. Dufferin is once again closed between Queen and Peel streets, necessitating an annoying detour that causes major traffic jams during rush hour.

The construction has also done a number on the arrival times of the Dufferin 29. Already a route with bunching problems, the congestion around Queen St. has made service even less predictable than normal. According to the TTC, it will divert its buses through the area until December 31st.

Metrolinx projects that the full closure of Dufferin St. might be lifted as early as the second week of October, but concedes that the overall project is going to take a full year, which means that you can expect delays through this area for a long time.

What do you think? Should all the work have been completed in one go? Add your thoughts in the comments.

One of Toronto's newest coffee shops serves the usual espresso drinks and baked goods but there's also something different here behind the scenes - it's also a co-op.

Read my profile of The Independent in the cafes section.

Perhaps you've heard of white pizza, where the toppings rest on cheese or nude dough with none of the tomato sauce you'd usually expect, but a new Italian eatery in Toronto is now doing black pizza. Infused with charcoal, the dough doesn't taste any different but supposedly it is lighter, and the look of it alone is enough to satisfy any goth, emo, or someone who's just having a gloomy day.

Read my profile of Masseria in the restaurants section.

Summer might have come and gone in Toronto, but patio season is far from over. If you're still feeling the heat, it's probably because we just experienced the hottest summer on record in the city.

The Weather Network looked at the Daily Mean Temperature, or the average between the high and the low temperature of any given day, and according to that stat, 2016 was the hottest summer ever (well, at least since we started jotting down this data).

The mean temperature was 23.07 Celsius throughout the season.

"We also had 38 days when the temperature reached above 30 degrees, more than the three previous summers all together," senior climatologist David Phillips said.

When ranked using the daily maximum temperature, summer '16 drops to second on the all-time hottest list behind 2002. Still, when you consider that it was on average 3 degrees warmer this summer than last, it confirms the sense that this was an exceptional season.

While it's going to cool down a bit over the next few days, don't put away all of your summer clothes just yet. It's apparently supposed to stay warmish out for the next little while, and meteorologists even predict the possibility of temperatures in the 20s in November.

Photo by ~EvidencE~ in the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

THIS WEEK

• Soupalicious is on this Sunday, Sept. 25 at Artscape Wychwood Barns. Tickets are $22 at the gates.
• Farm to Fork On Common Ground is this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. daily. The festival at Fort York is free to attend and will feature heritage apple pie making workshops and biodynamic wine tastings, musicians, speakers, organic food and beverage vendors and a farmers' market.
• Head to Wenona Lodge on Sunday for the Monthly AYCE Pig Roast: Tamshire Editition. The $35 dinner will feature all-you-can-eat pork with your choice of two sides and a pint of Steam Whistle or Sawdust City Lone Pine IPA.
• Speaking of pig roasts, Great Lakes Brewery will host its first annual pig and corn roast as part of Toronto Beer Week celebrations. Admission is only $5, which includes food and entertainment. Beer is $5 a glass.
• Sahtain! Palestinian Brunch takes place at District Oven on Sunday, from 11 a.m.. The buffet-style brunch is $25 and is part of the programming for the 9th Toronto Palestine Film Festival.

UPCOMING

• The 7th Annual Smoke's Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championship takes place at Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday, Oct. 1.
• Miss Thing's hosts a Luau on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Tickets are $65 for the multi-course menu featuring dishes like squid ceviche, green curry mussels and tempura cauliflower fritters.
• The Toronto Catering Showcase happening at The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon is on Sunday, Oct. 16. All-inclusive tickets ($65) are on sale now.

Know of a Toronto food event coming up? Email liora@blogto.com

Photo by Jimmy Lu.

Just when you though the worst of road closure season was behind us in Toronto, it continues. But, hey, that's a good thing because it means there's exciting stuff going on. Topping that list is the Jays push for the playoffs.

As the team starts its final home stand of the season tonight, police have put in place a number of road closures to help keep traffic moving around the Rogers Centre, which is expected to host roughly 50,000 fans.

The following road closures will be in effect for tonight's game:

• Blue Jays Way will have a partial road closure for southbound traffic, from Front Street West to Navy Wharf Court
• Bremner Boulevard will have a partial road closure, for eastbound traffic, from Spadina Avenue to Rees Street
• Bremner Boulevard will have a full road closure, for eastbound traffic, from Rees Street to Lower Simcoe Street
• Bremner Boulevard will have a full road closure, for westbound traffic, from Lower Simcoe Street to Navy Wharf Court
• Spadina Avenue will have a full road closure for southbound traffic, from Front Street West to Lake Shore Boulevard

As far as the weekend goes, Kensington Market will be closed to traffic on Sunday as the second last monthly pedestrian festival takes place throughout the day.

One ongoing road closure to be aware of is Dufferin St. between Peel and Queen, which has been shut down for construction work on the railway overpass. Drivers will once again have to jog over to Gladstone to get around the closure.

There's also a significant TTC subway closure this weekend, as Line 1 will be shut down between Bloor and Osgood stations. That will make for a little bit of a walk to get to the Rogers Centre for baseball fans, so plan for some extra travel time so you don't miss the first pitch.

For a full list of road closures and restrictions, check the city of Toronto site.

The best brunch in Toronto is the perfect way to treat yourself on the weekend. Whether you're celebrating with mimosas and maple syrup-drenched pancakes or curing a hangover with egg-topped poutine, burgers, or biscuits and gravy, there's no shortage of fantastic spots to choose from in this city.

Here are the best brunch restaurants in Toronto.

If the TTC's taking too long, many turn to ride-sharing services (i.e. Uber) as an alternative. But now, the city's starting to look into the impact these companies are having on our transit system, writes the the Star today.

Notably, according to a new report, the city's looking at using ride-sharing services to bring more transit options to those in low-density, under-served areas, or places where it doesn't make sense to run a full-size bus.

The report identifies numerous benefits for implementing these so-called microtransit solutions, such as helping people go the "first mile" and "last mile" of their trip (there's nothing worse than walking through a dark, secluded area to get to a TTC stop) and complementing existing TTC services.

Microtransit, as the report says, can also negatively effect on the TTC - it might add to congestion and could even take away riders from the city's streetcars, buses and subways.

"It may be possible for microtransit services to co-exist compatibly with public transit, but it's important, for the economic and social viability of Toronto, that microtransit not significantly negatively affect the city's public transit system nor erode the integrity of the TTC's comprehensive city-wide network," reads the report.

This report, as the Star notes, is going before the TTC board on Wednesday so it's still way too early to tell what the city will do with it and whether or not they'll initiate some sort of microtransit pilot project.

What do you think of microtransit? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by PJ Mixer in the blogTO Flickr pool.

$750K won't buy you a brag-worthy house in Toronto, but this price point is a radical improvement on the $500K starter-home. If you're willing to buy a semi-detach home in an area that's more up and coming than it is established, it's possible to find some quite nice properties, even if space is always at a premium.

Here's what a $750K house looks like in Toronto.

$709,000 near the East Danforth
Located a short walk away from Victoria Park subway station, this three bedroom semi features new laminate floors and a mostly clean slate to decorate upon. Recent renos mean this isn't a fixer upper, but the property could use some love to make it more inviting.

$749,000 in the Junction Triangle
The Junction Triangle is a neighbourhood set to go some major changes, and could be a great place to buy. This three bedroom home on Symington is your prototypical Toronto semi with an open concept main floor and the bedrooms on the upper level. It hasn't been staged with a whole lot of care, but it could be quite charming with an attentive and tasteful owner.

$759,900 in the Upper Beaches
It's the first time this home has been listed on the market in 56 years, and boy does it ever show when it comes to the interior. While it's been well maintained, the design throughout the home is obviously dated. Not the strange configuration of the back yard as well, which is next a laneway where the garage is located.

$779,000 near Islington and Bloor
This looks like a townhouse condo, but this three-bedroom home doesn't come with monthly fees. It's a relatively new build and will appeal to those who aren't interested in renovations over and above a fresh coat of paint. The master bedroom takes up the third floor, which is great for privacy, and the three bathrooms meet modern demands for convenience.

$799,999 on Davenport Rd.
This two-storey home at Davenport and Dufferin features four bedrooms and a den, which is an upgrade over many of the homes in this price range. The layout is, however, a bit bizarre in that it was formerly broken into apartments, so there are three kitchens and three living rooms (though one of them is quite small). The best bet would be to use this as a live/rent property.

Would you buy any of these homes if you were in the market? Share your thoughts in the comments.

People from Toronto are a passionate bunch, especially when it comes to our city. We already know it's the centre of the universe and humbly boast about its virtues whenever we venture out of town. And of course, we also complain about it as much as we can. From the Red Rocket to Degrassi High's most famous alumnus, Torontonians love to obsess over the city they call home.

Here are the 10 things we're super passionate about.

Worrying about whether or not we're a world class city
Toronto's grown a lot over the past decade, so much so we regularly come out on top in various lists that rank the best places to live in the world. But we're still so worried about whether we stack up in terms of business, art and architecture. The minute we stop worrying, we'll have answered the question.

The Blue Jays
The Jays might not be having quite the season as they did last year, but our city still obsesses over them. Nearly everyone owns at least one piece of Blue Jays swag, regardless of whether or not you're just an October bandwagon jumper.

The TTC
We both love it and hate it and constantly complain about it. Even though it rarely gets us anywhere on time, we still rely on it daily.

Taking pictures of the skyline
Plenty of cities are in love with their skylines, but skyline porn hits the next level in Toronto thanks to the C.N. Tower.

Movies/TV shows filmed in Toronto
Toronto often stands in for big American cities, so it's fun to spot ourselves in Hollywood movies, like the Oscar-winning Spotlight, and TV shows such as Suits. Many of us went to see Suicide Squad, even after it got skewered in reviews.

Poutine
Poutine might be Montreal's thing, but we've kind of adopted it too. From Smoke's to Poutini's, purists can get their fill of fries, cheese curds and gravy. But it's also easy to find hybrid dishes like poutine pizza and breakfast poutine on menus across the city.

Bike Lanes
Toronto's obsession with bike lanes can likely be chalked up to a deeper source: the urban/suburban divide. Residents who live in dense downtown areas champion bike lanes like there's no tomorrow, while car owners in the former boroughs often turn their nose up at the loss of vehicular road space. In any case, there's always fierce debate.

Our real estate market
Whether it's new condos, rapidly inflating house prices, or the possibility of a foreign buyer's tax being implemented here, Toronto conversations invariably turn toward the subject of our runaway train of a real estate market.

Patios
Since it's cold and windy for so much of the year we really value our summers - and there' no better way to celebrate the warm weather than hitting up a favourite local patio.

Drake
Drake is Toronto's ambassador, and whether you like it or not, he's helped make the 6ix cool. He's given the Raptors new life and has provided our city with a pretty stellar soundtrack. And he is just, like, everywhere.

What'd we miss? Let us know in the comments.

Writing by Amy Grief and Derek Flack. Photo by Crhis Seifert in the blogTO Flickr pool.

A Toronto jeweller has hit it big after tweeting Kanye West his latest necklace design. Maison Raksha, the man behind Toronto Grillz, began creating 14k gold I Feel Like Pablo necklaces after Yeezy dropped his album, TMZ reports.

Raksha then reached out to Kanye via Twitter saying he made a chain for his wife Kim Kardashian, and that it could be hers for just $500. Ye took notice and got his stylist to reach out with one simple request: the necklace should just say Pablo.

Easy enough, the designer obliged the request and created the necklace for Yeezy himself. So far the necklace has been spotted on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, throughout the Saint Pablo tour, and in paparazzi shots of Kanye out and about.

You might even say the Toronto-made necklace is Kanye's favourite thing right now.

Would you dish out $500 for a Pablo necklace? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via @maisonraksha.

Fall events, parties, parades and activities in Toronto are, in many ways, more exciting than those in summer because there's a fun mix of indoor and outdoor happenings. There are major shows and conferences in the city, and epic hikes to be made through colourful ravines and valleys both in and just outside of the city.

Here are 41 things to do this fall in Toronto.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Eat and drink at Oktoberfest
We created a handy guide to the best Oktoberfest events in the city to make planning/drinking/eating/dancing/prosting easy. Most major breweries take part and even create custom pint glasses and brews for the occasion. Toronto is so awesome, we even have a vegan Oktoberfest party.

Party in a gallery
We all know that the First Thursday parties at the AGO and Friday Night Live at the ROM are the best ways to tour the institutions. Friday Night Live is every Friday starting September 30 with entertainment always freshly announced. On October 6 Kardi will spin at the AGO along with some sort of drag musical pop-up.

Stay up super late at an all night art party
Exhibits, installations, performance pieces, projections... there's so much weird and wonderful stuff going on across the city during Nuit Blanche, the now non-Scotiabank sponsored all-night art fest. The best way to navigate is to leave your place, and get lost from sunset to sunrise.

See some art in the park
This one's always a fave, not only because the Queen West Art Crawl doesn't seem as contrived and expensive as others, but because it happens in Bellwoods and you have no choice but to walk really slowly and enjoy all the local pieces and projects. On October 1-2 get a coffee and walk around isles of paintings, photographs, sculptures and arts and crafts to fill your shelves or improve your walls.

Beat your face at the makeup world's biggest gathering
Join world leaders in makeup at the most important gathering of makeup artists on the planet. It's IMAT, and it runs from October 1-2 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. From Oscar and Emmy winners to global editorial artists, meet a network of experts and watch the pros. See the latest products and see some impressive demos.

See the world's best photos
The traveling exhibition of prize-winning entries assembled by World Press Photo is on display at Brookfield Place from October 4-25 and will make your jaw drop. Admission is free and the building is open from 9a.m. - 9p.m. It's the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest and features everything from the beautiful to the disturbing.

Check out an international performance festival
Rutas runs from October 5-16 at Daniels Spectrum and includes performances from artists from Colombia, Bolivia, New York, New Zealand, Venezuela, Argentina, and Switzerland. The Pan-American festival features performances, master classes, cabarets, concerts, film, art exhibits and a "multi-day conference on issues arising from the artistic programming." Tickets are $25.

Gather 'round and listen to a story
There are storytelling events almost every night somewhere in the city. Some are dramatic, some are heartwarming, some are sexy and some are scary. The Moth, a very well known travelling series arrives in Toronto at Massey Hall October 6, but if you can't make it out to that big one, keep an eye on The Raconteurs and Tinder Tales.

Catch a fantastic fall concert
Drake, Adele, Sia, Miguel, The Arkells, Tegan and Sara, that's just a few of the exciting names coming to Toronto this fall. From big stadium events to smaller club shows, take a look at this list and don't miss out.

Hear some new tunes at a fall music festival
Venues all across Toronto will be blaring music from November 15-20 for Indie Music Week, which boasts concerts, a film fest, conference and awards show. For more new sounds head to the X Avant XI fest for some advanced electronic sound shows in an acoustically breathtaking space (October 14-16).

Learn how to dance in heels at the View dance convention
From beginners all the way to music video level pro's, the Views Dance Convention is the behemoth of dance conventions. Yanis Marshall will be teaching classes - you might remember him dancing in heels all over the place - and though it costs $100 per dancer, this is the kind of conference that changes a dance lover life. It all goes down October 15.

Browse and dream at Art Toronto
Take a stroll and fantasize about filling your walls and shelves with beautiful pieces at Canada's largest international fair for modern and contemporary art. Lots of Toronto galleries are showing at Art Toronto, and it's a chance to see what's what in the world of art right now. It runs October 28-31 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. A regular ticket starts at $20.

Check out a big geek culture festival
The Unplugged Expo on October 15-16 at the Westin Harbour Castle delivers the latest in geek culture. There will be everything from a Just Dance competition, to a masters of cosplay competition, a Harry Potter room of requirement and a Japanese video arcade. See their website for the full nerdy schedule. It'll make you feel like a kid again just reading about it.

Curl up with a good author
The International Festival of Authors is October 20-30 at the Harbourfront Centre with 11 days of readings, interviews, artist talks, roundtable discussions, public book signings and a bunch of special events. This year they welcome 200 Canadian and international participants and they'll highlight graphic novelists. The website has the full lineup of people appearing and events.

Drink something one of a kind at Cask Days
From October 21-23 find your way down to the Evergreen Brick Works for the 12th annual Cask Beer festival. Cask ale is unpasteurized, unfiltered and naturally carbonated beer that is served direct from a barrel. There will be 400 varieties to try over the three days.

Get educated and happy at the Everything About Sex Show
The 17th Everything About Sex conference of sexy panels, classes, vendors and entertainment happens October 21-23 at the Direct Energy Centre. Fashion shows, seminars on proper spanking techniques, an erotic circus, and oral sex tips will help everyone in the relationship, or those who are single and ready to mingle like a pro. It's a $20 day pass or $25 weekend pass.

Get inspired at TEDxToronto talk
TEDX is happening October 27 at Koerner Hall and you can check out the impressive list of speakers on their official site. Symbols and Signs is this year's theme, and is the country's largest event features talks and discussions that push for actual change. In addition to the one-day main conference of panels and performances, there's a mountain of content online.

Get scared stiff at some major Halloween events
October is one creepy month. There's Boo at the Wychwood Barns, the Canada's Wonderland Halloween Haunt,Halloween on Church Street on the 31st, Screemers down at the CNE, the Night of Dread and a host of post-Halloween pumpkinparades.

Get into a fall film festival
It might seem like TIFF is the only major game in town, but our city boasts some spectacular alternative film fests that give us the chance to see some amazing films of all genres from around the globe. After Dark, ImagineNative, Planet in Focus, and Blood in the Snow are some of our faves

Support Toronto zines and underground culture
Canzine is a festival of zine culture and underground art takes over the AGO on October 29. From 1-7p.m. Admission is free and you'll see workshops, a vendors marketplace, and a live zine race. Spend the afternoon with some of the city's most creative and daring artists and authors while supporting the art of print.happening this season.

Don't get your brains eaten at a Zombie walk
Zombie walks are growing in popularity. So far, you can expect to run for your life on October 29 in Brockton Village and in the St. Clair West neighbourhood. There's also a walk planned for October 30 in Kensington Market. Get ready to get bloody, even if you're just watching from a distance. You never know with these walking dead folks.

Live your barnyard fantasy a the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Nothing says fall like an afternoon surrounded by baby pigs and goats and award winning cows and horses at the Royal Winter Fair. There's also the Craft Beer Awards, chef competitions, an art battle and a rodeo. It all goes round and round like a lasso from November 4-13 at Exhibition Place.

Listen to your fave podcast live
Our first podcast festival is happening November 18-20 at the Hot Docs cinema. It'll feature live episodes of your favourite audio shows like Gimlet's Science Vs., Criminal and CBC's Sleepover with host Sook-Yin Lee. The full lineup is announced here on September 26.

Shop 'till you drop at the One of a Kind Show
Save yourself the trouble of traditional retail and get to the One of a Kind Show. This enormous clothing, crafts, and art show with endless rows of unique, local, handmade items. From November 24 to December 4 grab a $13 ticket and shop like it's nobody's business or watch a talk or workshop on the main stage.

Get jolly at the massive Xmas market coming to Nathan Philips Square
Everyone knows about the Distillery District Christmas Market. It's like a Christmas movie set, it's so lovely and festive. Well they're about to get some competition with this huge holiday market dropping at Nathan Philips Square from December 8-23. There aren't many details about this one yet, but the buzz around it is electric, so you can bet it's going to be huge and proper with that cute skating rink nearby.

THINGS TO DO THROUGHOUT THE FALL

Party at the new Sound Academy
Toronto has a couple new music venues worth checking out this fall. First there's the new Sound Academy, which is now called Rebel. It's been revamped and will include four different spaces. There's also your new favourite grungy rock club, Baby G. The guys behind The Garrison and Sneaky Dee's bring you this new space with a capacity of 170.

Go indoor rock climbing
Fight the urge to plant yourself on the couch! Put on something stretchy and get climbing! This climbing gym has massive, colourful walls for all skill sets - from beginner to advanced - and auto belays that allow you to climb without a partner. Prices are comparable to other gyms - student/youth day passes are $19 and adult day passes are $23.

Take in a much-anticipated art show
There are 10 art shows this fall that are very much worth checking out. So throw on your favourite sweater, comfy shoes, grab a coffee and head to these galleries to see some thought provoking works. They're happening at both big institutions and small galleries.

Learn some new tricks at Toronto's indoor bike park
It's in Markham, but this massive indoor bike park will make you feel like summer never left. Ramps, tracks, tricks, it's a place to feel like a kid again and goof around on two wheels. You can watch a pro fly around the place. There's a women's only night, and and old guys night if you're feeling stiff these days. It's the perfect place to learn some new tricks before summer '17.

Practice your paddle skills at Toronto's newest ping pong bar
Spin is no longer the only ping pong party spot in town. Smash Ping Pong Lounge has super high ceilings and endless elbow room. They have tons of tables and lots to eat and drink.

Scope out the new shops at Toronto Malls
Our city's malls have all pretty much decided to turn up this season. The Eaton Centre recently welcomed Uniqlo, Sak's and Nordstrom's, Yorkdale is expanding with a second Muji and even Hazelton Lanes has a new look and name.

Get creative at one of Toronto's new woodworking studios
There are many, many easy to access creative workshops in the city these days. But I gotta say, the Junction Workshop and the Unplugged Woodshop on Carlaw are personal faves. Learn from the masters, meet like-minded builders and make something cool that you could never do in the garage at home.

Go skiing indoors
Winter is coming, so you might as well get ready early so you can hit the slopes like you never left. The Axis Freestyle Academy is an indoor skiing facility gives you opportunity with a 20,000 square-foot facility located near the Vaughan Mills shopping centre. There's a dry slope, and a 4,000 square-foot trampoline area, which will naturally include foam pits.

Eat at the poop cafe
This is perhaps the most anticipated cafe opening of 2016. Cushioned toilets? Poop-themed treats served in tiny toilet dishes? What more could you want? There's no official open date for the Poop Cafe yet but judging from the photos on their Facebook page, they're ready to let it all out soon.

Visit the world's oldest LGBT bookstore, now with a cafe and bar
Glad Day bookshop is the city's oldest bookstore, and it's also the world's oldest LGBT bookshop. It's now about to become even more with a brand new space on Church Street that will include a cafe and a bar. They'll still be selling books and magazines and offering readings and author talks. They'll just also be hosting big gay parties on weekends as a bonus.

Check out Toronto's new crop of gaming bars
Sports and gaming bars Good Game, Raiders and Power Up Game Bar are giving us more ways to hang out and enjoy drinks with friends. But you're the type that enjoys your video games a little more retro, there's a whole host of arcade-style video game bars in the city too.

OUT OF TOWN

Visit a stunning provincial park
Ontario provincial parks beckon during the fall with their stunning foliage and magical sunsets. There five essential parks you've got to see to believe. And check out this handy fall colour report to visit at peak times!

Visit a small town
There are five small towns you should really see this time of year. They're so adorable it hurts, and they're so close it's strange most of us haven't ventured out to them. Places like Gravenhurst, Aberfoyle - a vintage-lover's dream - and the gorgeous scenery of Wellington will capture your heart and calm you down.

Take an epic hike
There's no better way to breathe in that crisp fall air, small all autumn goodness and get a little dirty than by taking a hike. While some might consider walking through the Eaton Centre a trek, I highly recommend skipping out of town just a short distance to get to these five epic spots. You'll see the GTA in a whole, beautiful new way.

See the fall colours in some severely underrated spots
There are 10 spots in the city, beyond the traditional fall colour watching zones, that you've got to see to believe. Why not go even further off the beaten trail and see them in some non-traditional hangouts? These low key places will have you taking in the beauty of autumn without the crowds.

Visit a cidery near Toronto
While downtown does have it's own dedicated cider bar, and there are plenty of places with the tart drink on tap, you'll find the real good stuff just a short drive outside of Toronto. Some of my faves include Applewood Farm, Beaver Valley and Tawse. A fun way to get your fave cider directly from the source.

Did I miss your favourite fall activity? Let us know in the comments.

Top photo by Scott Wilson in the blogTO Flickr pool.

One of the strange things about living in Toronto is that despite the fierce pride the city takes in some of its landmarks, other extremely important buildings tend to get overlooked. Perhaps it's a 1970s thing. It was a period of rapid expansion in Toronto, but the architectural style of the day has fallen out of favour.

Such is the case with the Cinesphere. Prior to its temporary rebirth via the in/future festival, it's sat as a lonely relic of a different era on the waterfront. While early talk of its demise as part of redevelopment plans for Ontario Place was quickly silenced, the very thought of demolishing such an icon is ludicrous.

One of the reasons, I suspect, the Cinesphere doesn't get all the love it so richly deserves is that since the closure of Ontario Place, the theatre is thought of in purely architectural terms. The glowing golf ball-like structure still catches the eye, but like most futuristic designs of this type (e.g. Montreal's Biosphere), the appeal has an element of kitsch.

The more ambitious a building is, the more easily it falls into this trap as it ages. But the funny thing is, the Cinesphere never stopped being a marvel. Yes, IMAX eventually became popular across the globe, but to this day there are few theatres that can match the thrill of the purpose-designed dome on Toronto's waterfront (digital IMAX just doesn't cut it).

If more people knew that IMAX was born in Toronto and found its first permanent home at Ontario Place, it also seems likely that our collective esteem of the building would be enhanced. The Cinesphere is less a a historical curiosity than a cinematic legacy in this city, which is one of the reasons why its rebirth via in/future has been so wonderful.

The organizers have returned one of Canada's film treasures to the screen in the form of North of Superior, the gorgeous movie that first demonstrated the power of the huge screen and film stock. The Graeme Fergusson feature wasn't entirely lost before in/future, but it hasn't been easy to find online (in any reasonable quality) nor has it been a fixture on other IMAX screens.

Yet, this is where it all started. Donald Brittain's Tiger Child, which showed at at Expo '70 in Osaka, was the first IMAX film ever made (and produced by IMAX co-founder Roman Kroitor), but North of Superior had such a longstanding run at the Cinesphere that it introduced the masses to the form.

When Ontario Place opened in 1971, initial park attendance sagged. That wasn't the case at the Cinesphere, though. While the rest of the grounds were quiet on opening weekend, there were huge lineups to witness the modern marvel of cinema that was IMAX.

Today IMAX is a global brand and cinematic fixture, and scores of big money films shoot in the format, even if only for the most dramatic scenes. In no small way, the success of the form can be traced to its first permanent projector at Ontario Place.

Let's remember how dazzled we once were at this profound graphic invention that called Toronto home.

Photos from the Toronto Archives, Ontario Archives, blogTO.

There's nothing quite like walking up 20 flights of stairs after a long day of work. But taking the stairs is a common activity for many of Toronto's condo dwellers.

In July, The Canadian Press revealed Canada's elevator crisis. In Toronto alone, 9-1-1 received 2,862 elevator rescue-related calls. More elevators mean more problems, writes the Canadian Press, noting that there's been a 10 per cent increase in the number of elevators in Ontario over the past five years.

When the elevators at Aura - Canada's tallest residential building - went down on July 25, CBC reported that we have a shortage of elevator technicians. And without enough technicians, elevators sit stationary for longer than they need to.

This snarky-sounding contest sprung up recently at a building in the the Canary District. Apparently the elevator has been out-of-service since July. Maybe a fireman poll would actually be an efficient solution.

And while broken elevators might be annoying, these outages make buildings inaccessible and they can also be dangerous, especially in an emergency. Torontoist writes that it's already difficult for paramedics to reach people in high rise buildings thanks to small, slow elevators - these problems only get worse if elevators break down.

Perhaps we're noticing this problem even more now because of the influx of taller and taller buildings. Elevators need to service a greater number of floors and people. According to Toronto Life, between 2003 and 2013, there were 118,000 development applications filed within Toronto's core.

And in many parts of the city (including the Yonge and Bloor, for example) we can see soaring towers spring up. So we'll have to wait and see whether these stalled elevators start moving any time soon.

Photo by Katrin Ray in the blogTO Flickr pool.