At the tail-end of 2016, Toronto's banks and coffee shops seemed to be the target of two unrelated crime sprees. But Toronto Police have arrested and charged two suspects in connection with these incidents. 

The Lunchtime Bandit was wanted for a series of five bank roberies in four weeks on Yonge Street between Davisville and Lawrence Street West, between noon and 1 p.m.

Michael Lilly, 20, was arrested in connection with the robberies. He was reportedly charged with five counts of robbery by Toronto Police and appeared in court on Tuesday morning.

The alleged Coffee Shop Bandit was arrested on Monday in connection with a string of cafe and bakery robberies on the city's east side.

Steven Philips, 52, was charged with 12 counts of break-and-enter, 14 counts of breach of probation, and one count of possessing burglar tools. He also appeared in court Tuesday morning.

Our dispatchers play a vital role in policing. They are the super hero that deal with what they deal with daily! 😆#police#lego#dispatcherpic.twitter.com/munjtFRm06

— Lego Cop in GTA (@legocopgta) January 10, 2017

Toronto's restaurant scene is always shifting and changing as new places continue to open and close - that means we often have to say goodbye to old favourites.

This month, we'll bid adieu to Origin. Chef and owner Claudio Aprile announced on Twitter that he'd be shutting down his King Street East eatery after January 21. Apparently, he's moving onto a new, yet-to-be-announced project.

Hey friends of Origin! It's been an amazing 7 yrs! I'm working on a new exciting project. You have until Jan 21 to enjoy @origintoronto.

— Claudio Aprile (@claudioaprile) January 8, 2017

Origin opened its original location seven years ago. At one point there were also locations in Liberty Village and Bayview Village shopping centre, but they closes in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

Toronto's fashion scene seems to be off to good start in 2017. Not only did Peter Freed purchase Toronto Fashion Week with plans to resurrect it sometime this year, but Toronto Women's Fashion Week is also launching soon.

It's officially scheduled for March 9 to 14. This smaller scale fashion week - created by Jeff Rustia, who's behind Toronto Men's Fashion Week - garnered support by partnering with L'Oréal Canada and three of its biggest beauty brands: Maybelline New York, Redken 5th Avenue NYC and Essie.

This fashion week will happen in one venue (as yet unspecified), and according to a press release, it was created to "assist Canada's most esteemed designers in creating their runway looks."

In addition to this newfangled fashion week, Toronto's also home to several alternative fashion events, which happen throughout the year.

Due to its relatively young age, the TTC subway system doesn't boast the spoils of abandoned stations that cities like New York and Paris do, but there are still plenty of hidden spaces and curiosities found in our underground transit network.

The existence of some of these spots is widely known, while others remain mysterious.

Lower Bay Station (or, as the TTC refers to it, Bay Lower) is surely the best known of Toronto's hidden underground spaces. The ghost subway station was in service briefly in 1966 when the TTC tried its interlining system, which turned the city's two subway routes into three.

Lower Bay Station platform. Photo by Derek Flack.

One platform serviced the Bloor-Danforth Route, while the other was a stop on the Danforth-University-Yonge Route. The experiment failed for a number of reasons, and the lower platform was promptly decommissioned.

It now serves as an area for training exercises and film shoots, though it has also been opened to the public for events like Nuit Blanche in the past.

Lower Bay isn't the only ghost station on the TTC, though. Underneath Queen Station, there's the shell of a streetcar subway station that would likely have taken the name City Hall, but is now typically referred to as Lower Queen or Queen Lower.

It was partially built in anticipation of Queen Street transit line that was never built.

Lower Queen Station. Photo by Derek Flack.

This is every bit the dark and dank place you'd imagine it might be, but little do many people know that TTC riders pass through a part of Lower Queen every time that they transfer through the tunnel between the north and southbound tracks.

In fact, from inside the closed off area, you can see the bottom of the escalator that passengers travel on.

This unused station shell isn't the only secret that Queen Station is hiding. When the Maritime Life Building was completed in 2003, the original sidewalk staircase entrance on the north side of Queen just east of Yonge was grated over and boarded up.

Amongst other things, here you'll find a old route map that advertises the price of a Metropass at $85.75 (when purchased annually).

Closed entrance at Queen Station. Photo by Howard Brull / Unseen Toronto.

If you look down the grate from street level, you can just see a glimpse of the station from a crack in the doors used to seal it off. 

Other areas of the TTC aren't accessible for media tours and have only been seen by Commission staff and the most adventurous of urban explorers. Perhaps the most mysterious of these is "the attic" in Lawrence Station, which you can get a glimpse of when you head up the long escalators to the Bedford Park exit on the north side.

The "attic" at Lawrence Station. The sloped section is the passenger escalator. Photo by Jeff Moon.

The most thorough description of this surprisingly big area comes from legendary Toronto urban explorer Ninjalicious. It sounds like something from a Kafka novel. 

"At the top of the stairs lies a huge, dark, bizarre 'attic' to the station, containing many smaller rooms, ladders leading down to ventilation shafts and up to a street level grate in the middle of Yonge Street, overhangs where one can watch the subway pass underneath, and so much more. This area has a very tall ceiling and is as long and wide as soccer field, and it's simply breathtaking to behold."

I would not recommend actually trying to access this space, but when you take the escalator up, look for the glimpse that you get of the secret area. 

There are tons of smaller hidden areas along the TTC route like mechanical rooms, emergency exits, overflow tunnels (look east at Ossington for a third set of tracks that occasionally a train will occupy), but the last of the really intriguing unseen places related to the subway system is, of course, the transit control room.

TTC Transit Control. Photo via Advanced Inc. 

This isn't located on the subway line, per se. Rather, you'll find this "war room" at the sprawling Hillcrest complex. Naturally, it's not open to the public, though recently media have been invited in to show what goes on behind the scenes.

Management of the entire system takes place in this hive of activity where re-routing decisions are made to keep trains and streetcars running as smoothly as possible. It's a 24-hour operation, though the morning and afternoon commute are when the room becomes most active. 

Riding the TTC can be the most mundane of activities, but imagining all the hidden areas within the system is one way to add a little bit of intrigue to your commute. There are telltale signs marking the entrances to many of these secret spots, which exist just on the other side of our transit trips.

Off-roading with your jeep in Toronto is a pretty boring way to spend the day. The city doesn't have too much rugged, backwoods adventure routes to test our your vehicle's capabilities.

One driver, however thought the frozen sands of Cherry Beach were exciting enough and drove a jeep into the icy waters of Lake Ontario getting stuck in the ice.

Marine Unit & @TPS51Div responding to jeep stranded on beach/lake @ Cherry Beach Park. #54710 ^vk

— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) January 10, 2017

The occupants of the jeep, which was spotted Tuesday morning, weren't injured and according to police the driver didn't realize they had wandered onto an ice-covered area of the beach.

@TPSOperations@TPS51Div. I happened to take a video:) pic.twitter.com/E2nw1uBaXe

— Corinne Sutej (@CakePopLane) January 10, 2017

Because the jeep was stuck in about two feet of water, regular towing services were reluctant to do the job themselves. The Toronto Police marine unit was called in to finish the job and the jeep occupants will have to pay the bill for the rescue.

Today in Toronto there are a few chilled out music events, but the one you really want to get to is at Henderson Brewery where they combine unique beer and great albums. It's a monthly night of local music and brews to get you through the rest of this wet week.

A long hospital stay is never pleasant, but that's why one local entrepreneur is looking to make these experiences a little bit more comfortable for patients.

Jackie Moss founded Giftgowns, which sells revamped hospital gowns that look more like pyjamas. She was inspired to start the project after her own long hospital stay. After her visitors came and left her flowers, she realized a more practical gift would be a better hospital gown.

“The standard blue hospital gown serves its purpose but it does very little to lift your spirits,” says Moss in a news release. “Giftgowns offer more fun while allowing for patients to have tubes and monitoring equipment attached and deal with a reduced amount of mobility caused by an injury.”

The gowns, which feature prints and slogans, come with snaps along the arms and back. They also come in both cotton and flannel.

They're currently available online ($49.95) as well as in the gift shops at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Centre and Southlake Regional Health Centre. 

Earlier this year, the Starlight Children's Foundation Canada started the Ward + Robe program and enlisted fashion designers to recreate hospital gowns for teens. The pilot project launched at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.

In the wee hours of the morning, it felt like the city of Toronto was about to blow over. As my windows rattled, I woke up with a start and then checked my phone. Environment Canada issued a wind warning just after 2 a.m. as gusts at Pearson Airport reportedly reached more 100 kilometres an hour.

The wind warning has since been lifted, but the high winds left damage across the GTA, including fallen branches, downed hydro wires and of course, many were left without power.

Were you quivering in bed as the wind howled outside? Did you wake up with debris all over your lawn? If so, you weren't alone. Here's how the city felt last night's wind storm. 

One of Toronto's most significant historical buildings is up for sale, and it could command an enormous sum.

The Dominion Public Building, located on Front St. just east of Bay St., is a curved Beaux-Arts structure completed in 1935 that was once home to the federal customs house in Toronto. 

Many know of it has the gorgeous building beside Union Station, as it shares a number of architectural qualities, but it's one of the city's most important buildings in its own right.

It currently houses offices for the Canada Revenue Agency, but was acquired by the Canada Lands Company (CLC) on January 3 with the intention of putting on the open market. No price has been put on the property, though it could fetch an astronomical sum based on its size, location, and significance. 

Speaking to the CBC, Toronto real estate developer Brad Lamb speculates that the site could become a future "mega-development," combining commercial and residential towers. 

In any case, the building itself is safe. It holds multiple heritage protections at both the federal and municipal level, and Toronto heritage staff have filed papers to preserve the interior of the building as well.

In other words, if someone with deep enough pockets and a big enough vision comes around, we could eventually have a massive downtown development that incorporates one of our most significant buildings.

OCAD University has big plans for its downtown Toronto campus. Already known for Will Alsop's landmark Sharp Centre for Design, the school has announced a series of initiatives to expand and revitalize its holdings along McCaul St. 

Perhaps the most stunning of the additions in the works is the Rosalie Sharp Pavilion. Designed by Bortolotto Architects, the stunning building will provide a dramatic entranceway to the campus across from the AGO on the southeast corner of Dundas and McCaul. 

Joining this previously announced project, is what the university is calling the Creative Campus project, which will add 55,000 square feet of space to the campus and renovate about 95,000 square feet more.

The idea to revitalize the campus has been in the works for a while, but with the recent announcement of the architects that will lead the project, progress is starting to be made.

Morphosis and Teeple Architects will collaborate on the expansion of the campus with the help of Two Row Architect, a native-owned and operated firm that will be instrumental on the design of a new Indigenous Visual Culture and Student Centre.

There are numerous other plans that the design team will tackle as well.

Chief among these is a major addition and renovation of 100 McCaul St., which currently houses the school's primary library. This will be expanded, new classrooms will be added, and OCAD U will relocate the Indigenous Visual Culture and Student Centre here from down the street. 

Other buildings in store for improvements include George Reid House, the Sharp Centre for Design, and the Art and Design Library.  Part of this work will be funded through a $27 million grant from the provincial government received last year.

The new facilities will put a premium on studio space and revitalizing the university's presence along McCaul St. It's still early days in the project, but exciting stuff is in store.

Toronto markets, pop-ups and warehouse sales in January will have you well-dressed and well-fed at the start of 2017. The Bellwoods Flea makes a big move and heads to The Great Hall, the Evergreen Brick Works has a street food market, and everyone's losing their minds over the Shake Shack pop-up at Momofuku.

Here are my picks for the top markets, pop-ups and warehouse sales for January 2017.

Toronto's home to plenty of imported restaurant chains, mainly from the United States. Yet sometimes, we get to bring our local hotspots to the world too. While Weslodge may not seem unique here at home, it opened a brand new location in Dubai at the end of March 2016.

A photo posted by Weslodge Dubai (@weslodgedubai) on Sep 6, 2016 at 11:00pm PDT

As expected, the interior design has been lauded and the restaurant and bar (sorry, saloon), certainly looks impressive as it soars above the Dubai skyline on the 68th floor of the J W Marriott Marquis Hotel - but what else would you expect from a luxury hotel?

A photo posted by lavina israni // ezrani.com (@lavinaezrani) on Oct 14, 2016 at 8:56am PDT

Along with panoramic views, the space maintains its faux-rustic vibe with plenty steer skulls, brown leather banquettes and light wooden details. Like its counterpart on King Street, this Weslodge Saloon describes itself as American-inspired.

While people at home might not be wowed by the food, one reviewer certainly seemed pleased with his lobster poutine, despite the fact that it cost the equivalent of about $35 CAD. 

A photo posted by Weslodge Dubai (@weslodgedubai) on Oct 28, 2016 at 11:00pm PDT

This Weslodge Saloon not only served up a Canadian Thanksgiving feast last year, but it also offers up North American staples like boozy brunch cocktails. 

A photo posted by Morah Dubai (@morahdubai) on Nov 22, 2016 at 10:01pm PST

Weslodge isn't the only Dubai restaurant from Ink Entertainment and Icon Legacy Hospitality, the group behind places like Patria, Figo and Byblos. Icon also opened Morah on the 71 and 72 floor of the J W Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai. It's reportedly another Byblos, albeit with a different name. 

A photo posted by Weslodge Dubai (@weslodgedubai) on Jul 21, 2016 at 4:18am PDT

A photo posted by M A I Z Y C O L L E E N (@maizycolleen) on May 22, 2016 at 8:56am PDT

Should you wear fur, leather, or perhaps a Canada Goose jacket inside a vegan or vegetarian restaurant? One Toronto YouTuber says no - and he's not afraid to share his ardent message with others.

YouTuber Veganut runs a self-described comedy and vegan activism account. Lately, he's been sharing videos of himself in local restaurants confronting patrons wearing fur-lined parkas. 

In one video, posted on Jan. 3, Veganut approaches two people wearing Canada Goose inside Fresh - a popular vegetarian spot. He questions why they're there since they're clearly wearing fur. The diners say they can choose to eat wherever they want, including at a vegan-friendly establishment.

"You're allowed," says Veganut. "But you shouldn't be. That really offends a lot of people here who are respectful of the animals," he continues. The exchange gets quite heated and eventually, Fresh staff ask Veganut to stop harassing customers.

The video, which has more than 13,000 views, surfaced on /r/Toronto and has generated a significant number of comments from Redditors.

Demonstrations around Canada Goose have become much more commonplace in Toronto lately. Vegan activists protested the OVO and Canada Goose collaboration when it was released late last year. 

And restaurants have also been the target of guerrilla-style protests. In September 2015, for instance, the group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) disrupted diners with its animal rights message at the Keg Mansion.

Just a few short years ago, it seemed like American Apparel was the place to shop in Toronto, especially for easy-to-wear basics. But after years of financial troubles, the Canadian born, but American-based company filed for bankruptcy. Twice.

Now, as CBC News reports, Canadian company Gildan Activewear Inc won an auction to buy American Apparel for $88 million USD. 

American Apparel's retail stores weren't, however, included in the deal, and it looks like they're all going to close. 

The downtown Toronto locations, including stores on Queen West, Yonge Street and in the Holt Renfrew Centre have been liquidating both merchandise and store fixtures for the past few weeks.

According to the Financial Post, American Apparel can continue to sell its branded clothing under a 100-day license. 

An employee at the American Apparel on Queen West, which is looking pretty sparse, said the store will remain open until they sell off all of their stock, likely at the end of January or early next month. 

The mid-century shopping mall, once a cornerstone of development in Toronto outside of the densest downtown areas, is set to become an endangered species, if it doesn't already deserve such a designation. 

Throughout the city, midsize retail plazas and shopping malls are feeling the pressure of redevelopment as Toronto's population grows and its urban core intensifies. The one that's drawn the most attention is surely the Galleria Mall, but it's just part of a wider trend.

As retail powerhouses like Yorkdale repeatedly expand and power centres continue their rise on the outskirts of the city, many old school neighbourhood malls are in crisis. The divide between have and have-not shopping centres is growing rapidly.

Redevelopment signs are now place prominently around Galleria Mall. Photo by Derek Flack.

This isn't a Toronto-specific development. The New York Times recently wrote about the challenges facing American malls as traditional anchor tenants like Sears and Macy's make their retreat across the country. Often it's just not possible to fill the vacant spaces they leave with new tenants.

Part of this is a design issue. Shopping centres built in the 1960s included massive spaces for department stores. As these close due to changing retail trends, re-purposing the square footage isn't always possible. Popular corporate brands are stringent about the locations they're willing to occupy. 

The Galleria managed to land a Planet Fitness in the space once occupied by Zellers, but this was one of the discount retailer's smaller locations (part of the reason it never became a Target). Try putting a fitness centre in a sprawling Sears location. Even a big one wouldn't take up a whole floor.

The former Target location at the Stockyards is still empty. Photo by Derek Flack.

That's just one of the problems that's faces malls that lost Target locations. Even the Stockyards, a mall-power centre hybrid with lots of prime retailers, hasn't been able to fill the space vacated when the American chain gave up on its Canadian experiment. 

Still, Etobicoke's Honeydale is Toronto's only dead mall. Others hang on as valuable community hubs even in the absence of in-demand retailers. Over and above Planet Fitness, for instance, the Galleria remains viable in the face of redevelopment because of useful stores like Rexall, Dollarama, the LCBO, and Frescho. 

These mini-anchors bring the necessary foot traffic to keep the mom and pop shops afloat, if barely. 

Abandoned No Frills at Etobicoke's Honeydale Mall. Photo by Vic Gedris.

Honeydale Mall's fate was sealed, on the other hand, when the No Frills location packed it in, leaving area residents no reason to visit the half occupied shopping centre back in 2013. While redevelopment plans are stalled here, they won't be forever.

With the speed that Toronto's growing, there's not much room for dead malls, something which is a blessing rather than a curse.

There's a strong argument to made that mid-century shopping malls should be converted to mixed use developments before they become irrelevant blights on the urban landscape, though there's always a cost when novel local retailers are forced out by raised rents. 

Rendering of proposed Galleria Mall redevelopment.

Toronto's white hot real estate market makes certain malls very attractive to developers. This is the case with the Galleria, which is still a bustling place most days of the week, even if it sometimes feels like a time warp back to the 1970s.

The location and value of the land for condo redevelopment with ground level retail is just too high. Nowhere is this more obviously on display than along Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough. 

A slew of redevelopment proposals here call for a total re-working of the suburban landscape into a series of mixed use developments marked by high rise towers and ground floor retail.

Rendering of proposed redevelopment of Golden Mile Shopping Centre.

In 10 years, Eglinton Square and the Golden Mile Shopping Centre will likely have been replaced. Should these proposals be approved by the city, you can bet that a trickle effect will lead to redevelopment of other shopping plazas found between them.

What's more remarkable to imagine is how many other aging shopping malls will be earmarked for redevelopment over the next decade.

With its prime location directly across the street from a subway station, you'd imagine Lawrence Square would be a target. Ditto for Shopper's World at Victoria Park and Danforth, though it might take longer to happen. 

Other than mega shopping centres like Yorkville and Fairview, all of Toronto's mid-century malls are potential targets for intensification as the urban population grows, the retail scene shifts, and the housing market soars.

The best new bars in Toronto prove there’s one thing Torontonians love to do, and that’s drink. Of course, when we love doing something, we want to do it well. The saloons on this list are raising the bar when it comes to how we imbibe our chosen poisons in this fair city.

These are the best bars that opened in Toronto during 2016.

Today in Toronto, it's all about learning while having fun. The Philip Cheung show at Circuit Gallery is a good starting point; it'll let you see the fascinating United Arab Emirates coastline. You can see the show today, but the opening reception is on Friday. There's also a Beatles course and a bash at Handlebar that's sure to be a good time.

Coworking and shared office space in Toronto is now abundant with facilities in many neighbourhoods across the city. These membership-based venues allows teams or individuals to hunker down in bright and beautiful work spaces with loads of perks.

Here are my picks for the top coworking and shared office spaces in Toronto by neighbourhood.

Chinatown

The Centre for Social Innovation is the organization's original location (they have two others in Regent Park and The Annex) and is in a restored warehouse with lots of natural light. You have to be a member to use the space and perks include wifi, free coffee, AV equipment and 24 hr access.

Corktown

Herman Miller designer chairs are interspersed throughout desks, private boardrooms and furnished offices in the sunny loft known as Verkspace. They also have front desk services available in case you're having an important meeting or expecting a package while you plug away.

Dundas West

Foundery offers high-speed internet,two private conference rooms, two full kitchens, a rooftop patio, public art gallery, and a cafe. A great place for small start ups of individuals looking for an active work spot. $25 day passes are also available.

Financial District

With two locations, one on University and the other on Yonge Street, IQ Office Suites are the perfect spaces for startups. Their well appointed coworking spaces including private offices, hot desks, conference rooms, lounge areas and reception.

Junction Triangle

Fold is a coworking space specifically geared for architects and designers. The custom built desks allow for a large personal work space, they have their very own sample and resource library, laser printer, mixed use spaces and heated floors.

King East

One of three locations, Workplace One near King and Parliament offers a variety of coworking membership packages. You can rent a lounge, meeting room, office or desk to collaborate and innovate beside exposed brick walls and big bold windows.

King West

Brightlane offers loads of working environments inside their 30,000 square foot, three-floor space. 11 meeting rooms, lots of natural light, wifi, bike storage, wellness room, beer and a rooftop with a BBQ are all perks to membership.

Koreatown

Shecosystem is a women-focused coworking and wellness space in the city. Not only do they provide a flexible, 1650 square foot coworking space for female identified folks, but you also get access to the shared or private desks, phone booth, massage table and multi-purpose studio.

Leslieville

District 28 on Logan includes a more traditional communal work space, but you're also next to their beautiful event spaces, bar, bistro and coffee shop. It's like a little village that knows how to get things done. They also have a screening room and editing suites.

Liberty Village

A place to surround yourself with other independent thinkers in a non-cubical environment, The Fueling Station offers desks, meeting rooms and virtual offices. There are boardrooms, cleaning services, shared kitchens and office socials. It's a wide-open, brick and beam space.

Little India

Artists, environmentalist and social entrepeneurs will like the Riverdale Hub. It's a spot that houses the Social Gardener Cafe, Riverdale Gallery, unique rental spaces, and environmental initiatives. They host edible gardens and rentable offices and desks.

Little Italy

Makeworks offers memberships for startups and freelancers, as well as prototyping services with laser cutting, 3D printing,and CNC cutting projects. Some really great stuff has come out of this common work place.

Markham

Located in the Olde School House in Markham Village, The Village Hive offers affordable offices spaces outside of downtown Toronto. They offer shared desks, meeting rooms, and all types of wellness classes and courses as a bonus. It's a big, bright inspiring space to network and get to work.

North York

Endless coffee, an open pantry, two other locations, 24 hour service, a games room, technical support and all types of private rental rooms, Northspace is a creative hub for people looking to collaborate and meet other people. A place with lots of colour, cool furniture and after-work activities.

Queen West

Bright offices soaked in sunlight and steps away from a vibrant shopping and entertainment district you'll find Workplace One's Queen West location. With high ceilings and loads of communal tables, they also offer private offices, meeting rooms and a lounge rental.

Regent Park

The Centre for Social Innovation's Regent Park location provides a variety of workspaces for "socially charged projects, including private offices, private desks, and Hot Desks." Complete with mixed furniture and all types of warm private and public spaces, there's also an event space and programming happening throughout the day and evening.

Riverside

The Eastroom is a membership based, co-op connecting work and culture in one spot. You won't want to leave. A spot for creative professionals you'll quickly meet others working in the art, design and tech fields in this beautiful space. Lots of plant life, leather chairs and stunning private work rooms are available.

St. Lawrence Market

Across the street from the Market, Workhaus boasts 8,000 sq. ft. of bright, brick and beam space. Creators and startups enjoy the old Toronto charm this space has to offer along with it's slightly more traditional office feel. Internet, coffee and beer on tap are all included in the flexible memberships.

Wallace-Emerson

Digital professionals, creatives and entrepreneurs meet at LabTO. Increase your remote working or small business growing in this creative space complete with comfortable chairs, skylights, custom desks, and anytime access.

West Queen West

Acme Works on Niagara Street fully embraces the co-working movement with refurbished, 8,600 sq. ft. industrial space. Everything from the floor, to the walls, to the decor are designer and make for a beautiful spot to have meetings or get creative. They have phone booths, meeting rooms and 24 hour surveillance so it's super safe for all.

Toronto loves its Raptors, and over the past few season, we've had plenty of reasons to celebrate our local basketball team. And now we might play host to another basketball league.

Ice Cube, yes, the rapper and actor, is starting up the Big3 basketball league. It'll brings together former NBA players to compete in three-on-three games.

All eight Big3 teams will travel to one city at a time and each team will play four mini games all on the same day - game play's slated to begin on June 24.

Coming this summer: Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin are back playing ball. https://t.co/dN6HLC4qVjpic.twitter.com/YKeiCdGDzc

— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) January 12, 2017

As Billboard reports, each team will have five players and the season will last for 10 weeks. The games won't be timed; instead, the first team to get 60 points wins.

League co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz told the New York Times that along with Seattle, New York and London, Toronto is among one of the cities that Big3 might visit.

NBA stars joining the league include Allen Iverson, Mike Bibby, Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Kenyon Martin, Jason Williams and Bonzi Wells.

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

Open now

• Japanhako, a new Japanese yakitori spot at 712 Bloor St. W. in Koreatown, has just opened.
• Allwyn's Bakery's Yonge & Sheppard location is now serving up jerk chicken, oxtail and other Jamaican favourites in the food court at 4750 Yonge St.

Recently reviewed

• Appalachia BBQ
• Forno Cultura (First Canadian Place)
• Garni Bakery
• Cider House
• Donlands Diner

Opening soon

• Godspeed Brewery, a brewpub by former Dieu du Ciel! brewmaster Luc "Bim" Lafontaine, is set to debut sometime this spring at 242 Coxwell Ave. (at Gerrard St. E.).
• Deep dish pizza joint Double D's seems poised to open any day now.
• Jen Agg's much anticipated Kensington Market venture Grey Gardens is expected to open within two weeks (a timeline that's roughly confirmed by the progress documented on Instagram).

Other news

• The Black Hoof will be closed temporarily for the remainder of the winter as light renovations and a new prep kitchen are installed in the space. These changes will also lead to the expansion of Cocktail Bar across the street.
• Branca has just launched a late-night tiny bar inspired by the ones found in Tokyo's Golden Gai. From midnight until last call on Fridays and Saturdays, it can be found behind the Frida Kahlo print curtain of the restaurant.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to editors@blogto.com