Weekend events in Toronto include a solid handful of dance parties, concerts and major ongoing cultural events as well as a handful of (mostly free) Oscar parties and screenings.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make finger lickin' good fried chicken? Now you can thanks to the world's first KFC Cooking School. 

On March 12, KFC is offering classes where you can create your very own bucket of the Colonel's finest, but don't get too excited; the class won't reveal KFC's elusive 11 herbs and spices.

The classes are happening at at 2383 Kingston Road in Scarborough. Tickets for the school will go on sale February 27 through a website KFC Canada will be launching soon.

The Evergreen Brick Works already thinks about sustainability, but now it's getting ready to make one of its biggest buildings even greener.

On March 1, the Brick Works will work with companies EllisDon, Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions, CRH Canada and designers at LGA Architectural Partners to revamp its kilns building - the 53,000 space that hosts major events such as Cask Days.

The goal is to make it accessible to visitors for up to 10 months of the year (up from six) and to also give it a neutral carbon footprint. Evergreen also hopes to minimize its carbon footprint during the construction period.

This means the building will get lots of new features to make it as environmentally friendly as possible.

Its south side will be enclosed by the end of March, while construction will continue on the north end of the building. 

Once it reopens, it will serve as a community gathering space and will also include a gallery and classroom.

Among the various advantages to condo living, a gorgeous view is on the top of many people's list. This 42nd floor unit at 65 St. Mary has one of the better ones out there, looking across U of T and Queen's Park before the tall buildings of the skyline rise in the distance.

The suite makes good use of its vantage point, with sweeping southward views from a number of rooms, and two separate balconies to grab some fresh air. Living here will surely feel like hovering atop the city most of the time.

That's a good thing, as the interior itself is — dare I say it? — rather pedestrian for the price. Perhaps it's the cookie-cutter staging or the ill-placed column in the dining room, but it just doesn't look particularly inspiring, even if it's clearly a nice place to live.

I'd imagine that someone with a solid design sense could fix this in short order, though. There's tons of space and natural light to work with; it just needs a bit more pizzaz.

Specs

• Address: #4201 65 St. Mary Street
• Price: $1,850,000
• Bedrooms: 2 + 1
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Walk Score: 99
• Transit Score: 100
• Maintenance Fees: $849.29 
• Listing agent: Tatiana A. Konkina
• Listing ID: C371188

Good For

Criticisms of the staging aside, this condo will have broad appeal based on the fact that it could be turned into a three bedroom if you dispensed with the office/den. That's a good size for the area. Anyone who likes gazing upon his/her city in awe will also be partial to this one.

Move On If

You want more character. It's not just the furnishings that make this unit look a bit anonymous. If you're looking for a warm-hued space that you can accentuate with nice lighting, this one will pose challenges. 

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

Toronto's seen its fair share of protests in the weeks since Donald Trump took office south of the border.

The latest aims to pressure iconic Canadian brand Hudson's Bay to drop Ivanka Trump's fashion line. Nordstrom previously announced it'd stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories and before it shut down, Shoes.com did too.

According to the CBC, a group of 14 Toronto women who call themselves the Peeved Beavers will dress up like Donald Trump before protesting at the Hudson's Bay locations at Square One and at the Eaton Centre. 

Along with this protest, as CBC notes, many have been calling a #baycott (a boycott) until the Bay drops Ivanka Trump-branded items.

And the Huffington Post reports that as of yesterday, the #grabyourwallet campaign lists the Bay as one of the top 10 most boycotted companies by those who oppose Donald Trump.

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.

Read it and weep, would-be home buyers. Toronto has just passed another real estate milestone, as the average price for all newly built homes has exceeded $1 million.

In the past, this was only true of new detached homes, but now it's the whole lot of them.

According to the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD GTA), "the average price of new single-family low-rise homes, which includes detached, semi-detached, row and townhomes, increased to a new record of $1,028,395" in January.

That marks a 25 per cent increase for new low-rise housing in the Toronto area in just a year. For more context, BILD pegs the average price of a new detached home at $1,316,325. Rewind a decade and that price was $444,368.

Meanwhile, "the average price of new condominium apartments in stacked townhouses and mid and high-rise buildings in the GTA reached $507,511 in January, also setting a new record," according to BILD's data.

As it's done in the past, BILD chalks these price increases up to low inventory across the GTA. "Overall there were 13,053 new homes in builders’ inventories across the region in January compared to 31,461 a decade ago," reads the BILD report.

Not everyone supports the low supply theory, however. BMO Chief Economist Doug Porter recently made waves when he said the Toronto area housing market is in the midst of a bubble, where prices have become "dangerously detached" from sound economic principles.

BMO highlights unprecedented demand as the driving force behind the city's wildly rising real estate prices, rather than short supply. Either way, at present, the picture looks bleak for first-time buyers.

Home office furniture in Toronto is easier on the wallet than the corporate offerings. And since more of us are working remotely these days, it's a good thing there are plenty of Toronto stores offering up desks, chairs, shelving and storage that is both stylish and functional.

Here are my picks for the top home office furniture stores in Toronto.

BLVD Interiors

This Canadian owned store on Queen West focuses on fun and trendy pieces. They have a solid collection of desks, chairs, shelving and storage. The price is usually just right and the staff can help with layout ideas. 

CB2

This Queen and Bathurst store offers a tightly curated office line that is modern and easy on the wallet. Find desks, lighting, shelving and simple storage ideas. 

Design within Reach

This King East destination is a bit pricey but sometimes beautiful home office furniture doesn't come cheap. Find chairs and desks from design legends Eames, Starck and Thonet.

EQ3

This Canadian chain with locations in Liberty Village and on King East stocks a wide variety of desks, chairs, lamps and office accessories.

Gus Modern

This popular store above Style Garage on Ossington has a small collection of modern desks, chairs and storage solutions.

Ikea

There's no way the Swedish furniture giant couldn't make it on this list. For those on a budget they're an easy go-to for home office things like desks, chairs, storage and lighting solutions.

Modani

This store in the Castlefield Design District carries contemporary office desks, chairs and accessories. Think metallics and white leather, clean lines and good prices.

Morba

This Queen West institution is jammed packed with items for the home but they also have a collection of mid century modern and contemporary office chairs, desks, shelving and storage.

Queen West Antique Centre

You never know what you're going to find at this Parkdale shop but for those looking for office furniture that's a little less cookie-cutter, it's worth stopping by to try to score a vintage desk, one-of-a-kind chair or salvaged medical shelving. 

Staples

It might be Toronto's most ubiquitous office supply chain but for those who favour substance over style there's a more than adequate selection of office chairs, chairmats, desks and filing cabinets.

International Women's Day is on Wednesday March, 8. And to mark it, the organization International Women's Day Toronto will host its annual march through the city on Saturday, March 11.

The event, which has already garnered lots of interest on Facebook, will begin at 11 a.m. in U of T's Medical Sciences Building. The march itself will then commence at 1 p.m. and will conclude with a fair in Ryerson University's Student Learning Centre.

The history of International Women's Day dates back more than 100 years. According to the organizers in Toronto, it "is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future."

Along with this march, rally and fair, various groups and organizations will be hosting events throughout Toronto to mark and honour International Women's Day. 

One of Toronto's most beautiful buildings has hit the market for the grand sum of $1. Just don't expect the former Bank of Toronto at 205 Yonge St., to sell for anywhere near that price.

Designed by landmark Toronto architect E.J. Lennox in 1905, the bank was built in the neo-classical style with a remarkable domed roof, terrazzo floors, marble walls, and striking Corinthian columns that face Yonge Street.

It's one of two glorious old bank buildings that'll be injected with new life as the Massey Tower rises above them. Nearby 197 Yonge St. is also one of Toronto's iconic historical structures. 

As for the listing price, it's basically an auction. Real estate agent Shawn Abramovitz argues that this pricing strategy also hints at the difficulty of putting a value on such a unique property. 

The building has actually been vacant for about 15 years. There was recently interest from a buyer looking to open a boutique hotel and museum here, but they never reached a deal with owner Thomas Farrell. 

You'd hope that a future buyer would have something similar in mind, though. The heritage protection on this building will limit many future uses, but who would really want to purchase a building like this and not show off its finest features?

With dramatic changes happening on the street right now, the time has come for new lease on life for 205 Yonge. Something remarkable could be done to reanimate this building. Let's hope its buyer feels the same way.

Toronto ranked as one of the most innovative cities in the world, according to a new report from the Melbourne-based organization 2thinknow.

According to the 2016-2017 Innovation Cities Index, Toronto ranked eighth out of 500 cities worldwide.

As CTV News reports, 2thinknow grades each city in three categories - cultural assets, human infrastructure and networked markets - to determine its overall potential for fostering innovation.

London, New York and Tokyo took the top three spots, respectively. Montreal came in at 19 and Vancouver ranked 24th.

The best veggie burger in Toronto proves that animal-free patties can still be flavour-bombs of deliciousness. Made with ingredients ranging from quinoa and soy to lentils or cheese-stuffed portobellos, you don’t even have to be vegetarian to appreciate how great these meatless creations taste.

Here are the best veggie burgers in Toronto.

Toronto's taco market is certainly saturated, but that doesn't stop crowds from lining up outside the pint-sized Seven Lives in Kensington Market. But soon, you'll be able to get your Gobernador fix at another popular restaurant destination.

Seven Lives is teaming up with Kinton Ramen for a pop-up in the second floor Kintori Yakitori space at 668 Bloor St. W.

While there are a few Japanese-inspired flavours on the menu, many of the dishes are quite similar to those available at the original Kensington Market location.

A post shared by KINTON RAMEN (@kintonramen) on Feb 22, 2017 at 1:26pm PST

Along with tacos, this Seven Lives will serve alcohol. Expect cocktails like lychee margaritas and micheladas as well as tequila and mezcal.

The pop-up will be open on Fridays and Saturdays starting March 3.  

Free events in Toronto for March 2017 are kind of a big deal. Not only does The Real Housewives of Toronto premiere, but there's a sugar shack pop-up, a Woman's Day march, the St. Patrick's Day parade and a party celebrating Toronto's birthday. 

Don't look now, but Jarvis St. might be Toronto's next condo corridor in the making. With projects popping up all along Yonge and Church streets, now developers have their eyes on what was once one of Toronto's most beautiful streets.

The area around Jarvis and Dundas has already witnessed a number of development proposals, but now the activity has started to increase further north near Gerrard St.

As Urban Toronto reports, the latest proposal to be filed with the city calls for a 50 storey tower at 319 Jarvis, which is currently the site of rather rough-looking Comfort Inn. It'd be the tallest building in the area by a landslide if it gets built.

It'd also add a retail component to a stretch of the street that's sorely lacking it right now. At present, the area is mostly filled with lower priced downtown hotels that don't add a ton of character to the street.

Less dramatic height-wise is another recent proposal for 280 Jarvis at the northwest corner of Gerrard. This one made waves on account of the notorious current tenant of the site, the so called "Hooker Harveys," which looks like it'll be (temporarily) spared in the architectural plans.

It comes in at 25 storeys, which should make it a bit easier sell to city planners. Urban Toronto rightly points out that one of the issues 319 Jarvis will face at double that height is shadows casting on Allen Gardens at certain points of the year. 

In any case, these two developments in the Gerrard area signal that the high rise push is on its way north along Jarvis St. This very well might be a good thing, given that the street has become progressively more drab since its glory days as mansion-filled street. 

Jarvis could use a makeover, and new condo developments might just be the catalyst for change here. 

Bars with pinball games are skyrocketing in popularity in Toronto right now. What accompanies drinking better than loud noises, flashing lights, and racking up millions of points?

Head to one of these watering holes for a decent pint (some even brewed on site) or a fun cocktail and prove you’re a pinball wizard.

Tilt

A monster of its kind in Toronto, this Annex place is an pinball lover’s dream land. Chow down on veggie pub food with your pint.

Farside

This East Chinatown spot is doing old school all kinds of right, featuring not only a pinball game but VHS projects and DJs spinning vinyl. Complete this blast to the past with a slice of birthday cake (even if it’s not your birthday) on a Spice Girls plate.

The Greater Good

This bar on burgeoning industrial street Geary from the people behind Get Well features the same huge range of craft taps, cans and bottles and North of Brooklyn pizza plus pinball upstairs in the huge, airy, loft-like space.

Shacklands Brewing

Located up near St. Clair West in an excitingly mysterious area right next door to pals Rainhard Brewing, this brewery makes their own Belgian-style beer, fit to be enjoyed in the nostalgic space filled with old toys, a piano for anyone to play loudly, and a pinball game.

Henderson Brewing

Another brewery but much larger, this one located on equally weird Sterling Road, here you can enjoy a UPA, Henderson's Best or Food Truck beer brewed on site and linger over one of two pinball machines.

Round the Horn

With pinball as well as Super Nintendo, a patio, and a hotdog-based menu, this Roncesvalles watering hole is a comfortable little getaway. Release your inner child even further munching on free candy at the bar.

Roxy on King

Not only does this resurrected King Street bar once known simply as Roxy Bar have a pinball machine, they also boast seven pool tables, a ping pong table, and foosball. Their full food menu of bar basics like pizzas will keep you drinking and playing all night long.

The Artist Project turns 10 this year, and to celebrate, it's throwing its usual sprawling multi-disciplinary art show at the Better Living Centre on the Exhibition Place grounds.

Unlike Art Toronto, this art fair actually features affordable work - apparently pieces start as low as $50, and I saw many that ranged between $150 and $300.

While walking through row upon row of art might seem daunting, there are cash bars on site to keep you going and plenty of local and international talent to get acquainted with.

Here are 30 exciting artists you can check out in Toronto this weekend 

Toronto loves its summer music festivals, but with so many in recent years, it can sometimes be hard to choose which one to attend.

One music fest definitely stands out from the rest thanks to its deep love for this city. It's Field Trip and even though it hasn't announced its 2017 lineup yet, it's promising  that this year will be all about Toronto to help celebrate its fifth year.

"As a life-long Torontonian, I try to mirror the ethos of the city in the programming," says Aaron Miller, programming director at Arts & Crafts and Field Trip.

"We want to put our flag in the sand and say this is 'Toronto's music festival' as much as any one event can proclaim that. We really want to find ways to back that up with the programming."

The festival will take over Fort York from June 3 to 4 and might be Toronto's most Toronto music festival of summer 2017.

Past years have included Robyn, Santigold, Broken Social Scene, Holy Fuck, Basia Bulat, The Constantines, The Arkells and Charlotte Day Wilson, but the 2017 lineup will feature many local heroes. 

"We're bringing back some of the favourites from the last five years, some new stuff, but some exciting local stuff," Miller says. 

Miller admits that he knows what he's up against with the larger scale festivals happening in and around Toronto, which is why he felt it was more important than ever to focus on local acts. 

"We really want to reflect the diversity of Toronto in the programming and the way that the festival functions and interacts on the site," he say of the Field Trip, which includes music, comedy, food and family-friendly programs. 

"This year feels diverse and we've put a lot of thought into every act and made sure there is something for everyone."

It was the feud that launched what felt like a thousand transit-related etiquette debates. Of course, we're talking about the recent YouTube video depicting one of the nastiest verbal altercations many of us have ever seen on the TTC.

In regards to this feet on seat debacle, most agree that both parties were in the wrong. But outside this trial by social media, the TTC has its own rules, regulations and bylaws and it, of course, issues fines if you break them.

I hope that guy got a fine for putting his feet on the seat, BUT the woman was wrong to sit on them. Lots of poor etiquette on the #ttc

— Lucie 💕 (@pink_lolly) February 22, 2017

"By far, the most common infractions we find (and that we ticket and warn for) are fare related," said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green via email. 

There are plenty of other ways to get dinged while riding the rocket. According to the TTC and its regulatory bylaws, here are some of them:

• Refuse to pay fare - $235 ticket
• Improper use of transfer - $235 ticket
• Unauthorized sale, exchange or give away of transfer - $425 ticket
• Failure to control animal on transit system - $235 ticket
• Unauthorized crossing or entering upon subway tracks - $425 ticket
• Wearing roller-skates or in-line skates in or on TTC property - $235 ticket
• Placing foot or feet, laying on or soiling a seat of a vehicle - $235 ticket
• Lying down on TTC property - $235 ticket
• Failure to wear shoes, boots or sandals on TTC property - $235 ticket
• Urinating, expectorating or defecating on TTC property - $235 ticket
• Shining light at operator or passenger - $235 ticket
• Fighting on TTC property - $235 ticket
• Interference with ordinary enjoyment of transit system - $235 ticket
• Travel on exterior of vehicle - $235 ticket
• Leaning out of window of a vehicle - $235 ticket
• Improper use of passenger assistance alarm - $425

Ping pong bars in Toronto have multiplied over the years. Gone are the days when it seemed like the marriage of table tennis and drinking might be just a fad. Now the city is bouncing with a handful of solid destinations to practice your forehand smash. 

Here are my picks for the top ping pong bars in Toronto.

Spin

This 12,000 square-foot space on King West boasts 12 ping pong tables, two rooms, two bars, and a full food menu and cocktail list. It was the first of its kind when it opened in the summer 0f 2011.

Smash

Similar to Spin, this Riverside ping pong spot has two bars, two floors and 12 ping pong tables. There's also big screen TVs, a smattering of tables, and plenty of pub grub to eat if your friends are playing for too long. The second floor of this venue can be rented out for private events and parties. 

 Whiff Waff

Is 'whiff waff' the sound of a ping pong ball bouncing across a table? Head up to this sports bar and Asian-fusion restaurant in Richmond Hill and find out. Inside the 6,000 square-foot space are rows of ITTF standard ping pong tables that can be rented by the hour.  

Roxy on King

This space includes pool tables, a pinball machine, TVs, a full kitchen and bar and ping pong. It's a charming spot to bring friends, and it has some killer natchos.

Batch

There's a lot going on inside this Victoria Street bar in the Financial District, but it never feels stressful or too full. The downstairs section features a ping pong table and can be reserved for private functions.