Free events in Toronto this week include some juicy and fascinating film screenings, an enormous Women's Day march, and the return of the adorable Sugar Shack party down by the water. 

Cafes for studying and free Wi-Fi in Toronto help to soothe your cramming woes with a friendly environment, snacks, and of course, lots and lots of caffeine. Here’s where to go to study when your Internet conks out at the last vital second or your roommate won’t stop playing Metallica.

Bodega Henriette

Located in the Upper Beaches, this cafe/bar/restaurant/corner store serves all the needs of the neighbourhood. Hearty vegetarian sandwiches are served along with upscale fare, and when coffee just isn’t inspiring enough, try an espresso cocktail.

Hale Coffee

This roastery at Dupont and Symington supplies some of the premier spots in the city with beans, and they also supply their sit-down customers with free Wi-Fi in a fun industrial environment with funky little plant study buddies and yummy sandwiches.

Bob Coffee Bar

Another late night cafe/bar combo, this one sits at Christie and Davenport right across the street from Hillcrest Park. They’re equipped with what they call “100mbps of goodness” as well as outlets for laptops and additional USB plugs for devices.

Goldstruck

This Yorkville cafe is across the street from one of the entrances to Bay station, making for a quick getaway when you need to jet to class. Try a halva or cayenne latte and enjoy the rustic subterranean gold rush vibes at the back if you find windows only provide distractions.

Offsite

This space on Dundas West is also a combo business, posing as a chic boutique for Canadian-made fashion as well as coffee, so you can indulge in a little retail therapy after your hardcore study sesh. 

Fix Coffee + Bike

How the heck are you going to get that flat fixed, finish that paper and get to school for that midterm? The answer is at Alma and Dufferin in Parkdale, where you can get killer coffee and your bike repaired at the back.

Nutbar

Do you feel all the scones, muffins, and cookies at cafes make you feel more like snoozing than studying? Get some real brain food at this cafe that makes their own nut milk and uses it in all their caffeinated beverages.

Safehouse Coffee

This cute cafe revitalized what was once an old junk shop at the corner of Dundas and Brock. In addition to coffee, they’ve got scrumptious baked goods from Desmond and Beatrice (some of which are vegan) and juices from Village Juicery.

The Independent

This spot near Queen and Spadina does great coffee and mini sammies, and offers a chic environment in which to study. Bookshelves are stocked, and the owner is even affiliated with the Writing Project, a literacy program.

Black Bear Espresso

Located at Yonge and Carlton, not only does this place serve your classic caffeinated beverages, but they also have Aussie drinks like non-caffeinated floats made with milk, ice cream, and whipped cream if a sugar rush is more your style.

Initium

At a whopping 185mbps, this cafe, beauty parlour, restaurant and bar in Markham takes the cake for Internet speed. Here you could get your hair done and chow down on an eel pizza at the same time. They’re also equipped with other equipment like a projector and a latte laser printer.

Run and Gun

This Dundas West cafe features treats Baked by Drake including mint or chamomile macarons. There’s bleacher seating with twinkly lights for getting through those chapters, and a big sturdy table for spreading out your notes and text, plus USB outlets.

Odd Espresso Bar

Though this imposing corner cafe with a bright yellow sign at the corner of Dufferin and College doesn’t exactly look small, it’s even larger than you’d think with seating for over twenty people, including a large table at the front and several at the back.

808 Social Bar

This place has super high-speed Internet in its various quirky rooms (the main one featuring a wagon wheel chandelier), as well as tons of accessible outlets. They’re doing espresso right here, serving shots with sparkling water: because coffee is great, but remember to stay hydrated!

Everyone who likes to drink has a favourite bar or pub in their neighbourhood, but sometimes an establishment chooses you. This seems to be the case with a pub in Toronto's Church Wellesley Village, which is bringing the community together one pint at a time.

The Churchmouse and Firkin at the corner of Church and Maitland  has been in business for 15 years, but it's in the last little while that it's been noticeably busier.

The patio is packed in the summer, the ground level room is full to the brim, and the second floor is also now bustling with thirsty patrons. But what gives? How did this chain manage to unite a community that's so often segregated?

"It’s kind of like the Cheers of the gaybourhood," say Kelly Kyle laughingly. She's chair of the Church Wellesley BIA and co-owner of the local framing shop and art gallery Akasha Art Projects. 

Kyle is somewhat of a regular herself and has noticed the increase in traffic. She often gives up her regular bar stool, even on a Wednesday night.

She credits the vibe first and foremost as being a place where "whether you’re gay, straight, lesbian, transgender, it just doesn’t matter," she says. "You see the whole spectrum of the Village in there, and they’re comfortable."

She also credits the staff as going above and beyond, which makes a noticeable difference. "Even though they are a franchise and a chain, they really seem to have established themselves as the local pub," Kyle says. 

Mackenzie Clark, who's worked at the pub for five years distills the pub's success to the people.

"I’ve been in the industry a long time ,and I’ve never worked anywhere with so many regulars," he says. "It comes down to the community, who we've always supported, and the staff who make great connections with people."

The pub went through a major overhaul three years ago, which modernized and opened the space. And while the neighbourhood has many anchors, such as Woody's, Hair of the Dog, Boutique and Smith, it's the relaxed vibe that sets the Firkin up a catch-all for anyone in the Village.

"The Churchmouse is a place you can go that in unpretentious, where you can go to relax, be yourself and have a pint," says Scott Newnham, director of operations for the Firkin chain.

He says the Church Street location is a special one within the company and they know that. "It's very much a cornerstone of the community, and it's a really important pub for us as a company and for the neighbourhood."

They're often the first to sponsor local teams and businesses when they need it. 

Francis Gaudreault is the co-owner of The Men's Room a few doors down and believes it's because this pub digs a little deeper.

"The management team has worked to integrate themselves into the community and the staff reflect the makeup of the area." This is an important element in a neighbourhood that relies heavily on safe spaces.

In a neighbourhood that's forever changing, it might also be the fact that this pub, in the middle of all the action, remains basically the same.

"There are always changes on the street and it’s always evolving," Clark says, "but we’re a staple."

Alexandra Mackenzie got into Instagram sort of by accident. But since discovering the platform, she's developed a passion for photography that's surpassed the simple photo sharing app.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Feb 19, 2017 at 6:06pm PST

"I actually got started because my kids joined Instagram and I wanted to watch what they were doing," says Mackenzie, who goes by @alexandramack22 on Instagram. "But then I became hooked."

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on May 8, 2016 at 6:28am PDT

At first, she used her phone to capture the city. A year and a half ago, she bought her first DSLR camera.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Dec 8, 2016 at 7:40am PST

Mackenzie gets out to shoot around once a week. "I try to get up early on Sunday mornings to shoot because I like to have the city to myself in the early morning,” she says.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Feb 18, 2017 at 4:06pm PST

Her feed also features gorgeous sunsets. While she likes to shoot downtown, she often finds herself taking photos at Sunnyside Beach and Humber Bay Park.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Feb 25, 2017 at 6:57pm PST

Besides gaining more than 13,000 followers, Mackenzie also runs the popular @6ixwalks account. She co-founded it to keep doing Instameets after Toronto Photo stopped hosting them.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Jan 13, 2017 at 2:08pm PST

But even though @6ixwalks no longer hosts meet-ups, it still showcases work by local photographers. "It’s nice when you can feature the work of people who only have 500 followers or are new and are so thrilled to get a feature," she says.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Jan 8, 2017 at 5:38pm PST

Mackenzie's surprised by how many people she's met in real life via Instagram, a sentiment she shares with many of the photographer's we've profiled.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Nov 13, 2016 at 2:34pm PST

This speaks to the closeness of Toronto's Instagram community and its role as a hub for both professional and amateur photographers.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Nov 10, 2016 at 3:39am PST

For Mackenzie, it's helped her finally get into photography, something she'd wanted to try but never found time for before.

A post shared by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Oct 17, 2016 at 7:58am PDT

And her three kids are proud of her accomplishments. One time, she recalls, her high school-age son saw one of his classmates on her account. "But," she says with a laugh, "I don’t think he ever actually said, 'that’s my mom.'"  

If there's been a predominant trend in Toronto development over the last 30 years, it's the conversion of industrial lands to high rise residential housing. Before this took place, signs of industry were far more prominent in the city, often quite close to downtown.

It's almost shocking to see scenes of empty lots and warehouse buildings in areas that are now dotted with new office and condo buildings just a few decades later. There were so many old brick buildings and so much open space!

Eastern Avenue in the 1960s, when industry was still alive in Toronto.

Toronto lacked the true grit of Rust Belt cities like Buffalo and Detroit partially because it was never an industrial hub on a national level, but any city of its size showed plenty of signs of industry through the 1970s and 80s.

Condo-heavy areas like Dundas and Carlaw, Liberty Village, King West, and Queens Quay were all active industrial lands some 35 years ago, and that's just to name a few. Smoke stacks, silos, and gas tanks were all common sights back in the 1970s. 

Former Kodak Plant Toronto, 2006. Photo by Robert Burley, courtesy of the Ryerson Image Centre.

There's an undeveloped look to the city throughout this period that's alluring. The future was waiting to be written, but the signs of change were everywhere. Even as industrial lands were widespread, it's not as if the manufacturing sector was booming. 

In fact, over the next couple of decades, the vast majority of Toronto's heavy industry quietly packed it in or moved to places where it was cheaper to operate.

Now you have to really search to find industrial life in Toronto. There's still pockets of it in places like the Junction, the Port Lands, Sterling Rd., and Mount Dennis but it's fading fast. It's hard to imagine much will remain in the city beyond a couple of decades.

Make no mistake, the slow erosion of Toronto's industrial lands has made this a better and more exciting city, but the grittier city of my early memory was one you could get lost exploring for its unfinished spaces. There was something wildly exhilarating about that.

Toronto's industrial residue could be seen in the heart of the city in the 70s. This is near Queen and John.

Parking lots and warehouses on the edge of the Financial District at Front and John streets, 1980.

Dominion Coal at Mt. Pleasant and Merton, 1970s.

Abandoned Gooderham & Worts Distillery.

In the late 1970s, Liberty Village was still very much an industrial zone.

Liberty Village in the late 1970s.

Near Liberty and Hanna, late 1970s.

At the foot of Hanna Ave. (now the site of Toronto Police 14 Division).

Irwin Toys back in the days before East Liberty Street.

Looking north up Strachan Ave. beside the mighty Inglis factory, 1980s.

Closer view. The gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park can be seen in the background.

Now looking southeast at King and Strachan, early 1980s.

Massey Ferguson showroom on King West, 1980s.

Can you imagine that this is what King West (just east of Shaw) looked like 30 years ago?

Massey Ferguson offices along the south side of King West, early 1980s.

Aerial view of far more robust industry in the Port Lands, early 1980s.

Looking east along Queens Quay beyond Redpath Sugar, 1980s.

Victory Soya Mills near Queens Quay and Parliament, early 1980s.

Looking west along Queens Quay towards downtown, early 1980s.

Entrance to Maple Leaf Mills / Monarch Flour silos off of Queens Quay, late 1970s.

Opposite view.

View of the Monarch Flour site from the water, late 1970s.

Joy Oil Station and Loblaws warehouse near Lake Shore and Bathurst, late 1970s.

Toronto Roundhouse, early 1980s.

Dundas and Carlaw, late 1970s.

Opposite view of the same building from Thackery St.

Secret streets in Toronto only deserve such a designation if you don't know where to look for them. You could pass them a hundred times without noticing, but once you've been tipped off, you'll always be able to find them. And you'll want to do just that, as they are some of the coolest places in the city.

Here are 10 secret streets to explore in Toronto.

Wellesley Cottages

Tucked away near Wellesley and Parliament around a host of quaint streets lined with old houses, this hidden enclave hosts a series of workers' cottages that date back to the 1880s.

Elmsley Place

Did you know that U of T has a private street? There's a gated entrance off of St. Joseph St. that leads to Elmsley Place, which St. Michael's College acquired in the 1920s. Pedestrian access is welcome, which is a good thing — it might be one of the nicest streets in the city.

Redway Road

This one won't be a secret to Toronto's cycling community, who test their mettle by climbing one of the steepest hills in the city. This winding road leads down the ravine at Crothers Woods to the North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plant.  

Beechwood Drive

This one runs along the opposite side of the Don Valley, tucked off of O'Connor Drive. Its secret status owes mostly to the fact that it leads only to the Toronto Police dog services facility. If not for that, it'd make the perfect spot to park on a romantic drive.

Glasgow Street

Possibly one of the coolest streets in Toronto,  you enter off of Cecil Ave. and walk north until you encounter a row of Second Empire houses across from a hidden parkette. The whole time you'll feel in on an urban secret.

Kensington Place

One of a few hidden laneways in Kensington Market, this one is probably the most interesting of the bunch. A short laneway opens to a collection of eclectic homes the likes of which you won't encounter anywhere else in the city.

Fitzroy Terrace

Located just a few minutes walk south from Kensington Place, Fitzroy Terrace is home to the oldest house in the Market. Right beside it is Gradient House, a revamped cottage designed by Superkul Architects. It's like a mini history of Kensington Market in the span a few metres.

Glen Baillie Place

Blink and you'll miss the entrance to this cul-de-sac off of bustling Spadina Ave. in the heart of Chinatown. If you do manage to find your way here, you'll encounter a collection of colourful row homes that harken back to late 19th century Toronto.

Benlamond Drive

Quite possibly the most secret street in Toronto, this one doesn't appear on Google Maps, but if you follow along Glen Oak Drive after Benlamond Ave. you'll see the street sign marking this most private of laneways.

Bisley Street

Another one that's nearly impossible to spot unless you know exactly where to look, Bisley St. looks like another anonymous back lane way off of Verral Ave. near Carlaw and Queen streets. It's much more than that, though, as there's a row of 19th century houses that call this home.

Events this week in Toronto shine a light on the city's monstrously talented DJs, women, bands, comedians and artists. Along with the 500th Art Battle at the Great Hall, there are plenty of fun reasons to leave the heat of your house. 

Toronto the good has been laid to rest in a new tourism campaign, which promotes the city as Canada's downtown.

The video spot from Tourism Toronto positions the city as a place to "let your guard down" and makes Toronto look, dare I say, cool.

Of course there are the obligatory references to Bautista's bat flip, the Raptors and Drake (the campaign tagline is "the views are different here"), but the video also shines a spotlight the city's diversity and openness by showcasing Pride and our various multicultural neighbourhoods.

The video, developed by J. Walter Thompson, will launch south of the border, with more campaign ads rolling out later this spring. 

This campaign is a rapid departure from how the city used to market itself. In the 1980s for instance, Toronto tourism videos played into typically Canadian tropes with images of snow, skating and cross-country skiing. Not so in 2017. 

Cirque du Soleil's 41st original production will debut this fall and it's getting its world premiere in Toronto.

Titled Volta, the new show revolves around a character named Waz, a popular game show host who's lost touch with reality because of fame.

It's an existential journey about being yourself featuring a series of thrilling situations (and jaw dropping acrobatics, obviously) that help Waz come back down to earth.

Torontonians will be the first to see the show and also hear the original score, M83 is composing. The band will act as musical composers and directors for the new production, which seems like a good futuristic pop fit. 

Cirque will once again we setting up their stage under the big tents in the Port Lands. Their previous show, Luzia, was a must-see.

Volta will premiere on September 17, 2017.

The best bread in Toronto proves that baking isn’t just an art, it’s a science. All across our city bakers get up at ungodly hours just to provide one of the most basic staples in all of our pantries, so we can make anything from our morning toast to midnight sandwiches on raisin, olive, multigrain, rye, pumpernickel...the list goes on.

Here’s the best bread in Toronto.

This week on DineSafe one of Toronto's most famous steakhouses landed seven infractions from city health inspectors. Also cited for a second week in a row was one of the city's most well known brunch destinations.

See which other restaurants got yellow cards on DineSafe this week.

Kwan (808 York Mills Rd.)

• Inspected on: February 27, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: Employee failed to wash hands when required and operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Barberian's Steakhouse (7 Elm St.)

• Inspected on: February 28, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods.

Old School (800 Dundas St. West)

• Inspected on: February 28, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Edo (2901 Bayview Ave.)

• Inspected on: March 1, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Miss Korea (687 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: March 1, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Failed to protect food from contamination or adulteration.

Pho Orchid (124 Chestnut St.)

• Inspected on: March 1, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Pizza Flora (167 Roncesvalles Ave.)

• Inspected on: March 1, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 6, Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Dog & Bear (1100 Queen St. West)

• Inspected on: March 3, 2017
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

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

It's a tale as old as time in Toronto. After a building's sold, rent goes up for existing tenants.

That's what happened to Tommaso's Trattoria in Riverside. The Italian restaurant on Eastern Avenue will close at the end of this month after an eight year run.

"The rent is nuts," says owner Tommaso Conti. He's not going to sign another lease to stay in his current spot now that the building at 400 Eastern Ave., has been sold.

"We’re looking to get another location, but I’m not ready to pay $20,000 per month," he continues.

For now, he'll focus on Villa Conti, his 100-acre farm and winery in Northumberland County. 

Tommaso's Trattoria is near some of Toronto's biggest film studios and its hot lunch table is popular with those in the industry. 

You could be forgiven for thinking that Toronto had turned the corner on winter and is now set to glide into spring, particularly with another day of double digit temperatures in store tomorrow.

There is, however, a good chance we'll see at least one more heavy dumping of snow before this season is truly over, and that could come as early as the beginning of next week when forecasters are calling for the possibility of 15 centimetres of snow.

Given that we're a week out from this blessed event, it's still possible that temperatures will climb a few degrees and deliver us heavy rain instead of snow, but right now, the Weather Network is predicting the latter.

It wouldn't be too surprising. Toronto typically gets 20 centimetres of snowfall in March, which is just slightly less than February at 27 centimetres.  

The leaning house of Leslieville is no more. After a windy night last week, a home under construction nearly blew over.

No one was injured in this incident at 63 Leslie St., but neighbours voluntarily evacuated just in case.

This past weekend, crews demolished the warped wooden frame. It's unfortunate for the new homeowners, but hopefully the next building that goes up here will stay sturdy and in place. 

Toronto rock royalty is helping Field Trip celebrate its fifth birthday at its annual Fort York music festival.

With a deliberate concentration on Toronto bands, artists and comedians, alongside favourite acts from the past five years, Field Trip announced its headliners today, and they include Broken Social Scene, Feist, Hannah Georgas, A Tribe Called Red and Badbadnotgood. 

French rockers Phoenix also return along with Timber Timbre, Thundercat, Pharcyde and Cloud Nothings. 

On June 3 and 4, festival goers can also expect local food vendors and family programming (kids under 12 get in for free).

"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," says Aaron Miller, programming director at Arts & Crafts and Field Trip.

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

Happy birthday, Toronto! One hundred and eighty-three years ago today, the town of York incorporated as the city of Toronto. 

Nathan Phillips Square played host to a birthday bash this past weekend and Toronto got a swanky new tourism video in honour of its special day.

But besides eating a peameal bacon sandwich or snapping a photo of the CN Tower, how should you celebrate Toronto's birthday? Some took to Twitter to share their suggestions.

Toronto's Trump International Hotel and Tower has seen its fair share of action.

From a supposedly wobbly antenna to a major protest, the hotel and condo building never fails to attract attention, especially now that it has a glow-in-the-dark light installation running up and down its spire.

However, it didn't get any love, or bids, from potential buyers in a court-run sale.

According to Thomson Reuters, the ownership of the building will likely fall to its main debt holders.

"No qualified bids apart from a stalking horse offer of $298 million were received for the luxury hotel and condo property by an initial deadline, the receiver, FTI Consulting, said in a letter dated Feb. 21 and seen by Reuters on Monday," reads the report

"As a result, the Receiver has determined that the Stalking Horse Bidder is the Successful Bidder," the letter continues.

On behalf of developer Talon International Inc., Trump licenses its name and manages the building at Bay and Adelaide.

On Saturday night, Geary Lane played host to Zeenok’s Space Bar and Grill, a biannual sci-fi costume party.

Similar to a murder mystery party, you pay $45 for a ticket a few months in advance and receive a character to portray, with wants and needs that intersect with other characters.

On the night of the party, Zeenockers dress up and come prepared to pretend while partying.

I visited Zeenok’s late on a Saturday night. The action was already well underway by the time I got there. The warehouse-esque space was decorated like an interstellar-rave-meets-The Jetsons-on-MDMA with a full bar, crazy lights, and a constantly-spewing smoke machine.

There were costumed players manipulating characters, completing missions, and avoiding death (which exists as a brief time out in the back of the party space).

Back on Earth, I chatted with one of the founders, Cory Reid. He explained that Zeenok’s originally started with a group of friends back in the ‘80s.

The first parties took place at the house of the other founder, Andreas Krebs and were basically just an excuse to dress up and have fun pretending with other friends.

Now, the parties have exploded into full events that take months of planning. All of the characters are created by a team of writers and kept in a huge spreadsheet to record the wants and intersecting relationships of the numerous characters. They also have a crew of people to design the space to make it feel as authentic and fun as possible.

Back in space, controversy had emerged. Someone was slaughtering a (stuffed) pig to find a special bracelet. There was a marriage. There was alleged sabotage. There were gooey entrails that somehow seeped out of an adorable stuffed pig that sadly reminded me of Babe: Pig in the City. There was even more smoke.

Paying heed to the zoo hypothesis, I simply observed as the characters played on into the night.

Though each player receives a pamphlet with all their character information (including wants/point of view, which faction they belong to, other characters they know), the night works especially well because of the commitment to characters and the costumes.

There was a regal woman in a fully metallic outfit quietly conspiring to poison someone. There was an excited man in an intricate robe stabbing someone while yelling “MURDER!”.

There was a quiet woman in a black sweatshirt with a coffee stain trying not to make eye contact with anyone in case they thought she was playing and tried to kill her (just me).

The organization of Zeenok’s is also a major factor in what makes it such a successful party. Putting it one step above some countries, Zeenok’s has a fully functional economy with Z Bucks. They can be used to gamble or buy small things like invincibility necklaces (though unfortunately the bar only accepts Canadian currency).

By the time I left, I was already fully on board to attend the next Zeenok’s as a character. “It’s fun, it’s social, it’s like being in space”, said Dave, whose costume involved being fully ensconced in various flora.

It was his fourth time attending Zeenok’s and he had explained to me that he had started the night as a light projection of himself but then was able to trap someone in a room in exchange for freeing himself and joined another faction. “It’s just fucking nuts.”

Among the many neighbourhoods in Toronto undergoing transformation courtesy of high-rise residential buildings, a particularly interesting one is Davenport Village.

Thanks in part to the presence of the 24-hour Coffee Time on the northeast corner, the intersection of Dupont and Lansdowne has always been a bit seedy, but over the last decade, the surrounding area has undergone profound change with the opening of the Foundry Lofts and the rise of Fuse Condos.

The latter are nearing completion, while the area around the Foundry Lofts continues to grow with the Brownstones5 townhouse complex immediately to the south along Lansdowne, between Dupont and Davenport.

Now, there might be another massive development set to redefine the neighbourhood. Urban Toronto reports that Fuse condo developer Neudorfer Corporation has proposed three new rental towers on the site immediately north of its initial two condo towers on Dupont.

Collectively, the high-rise apartments would bring over 1,000 units to the area spread across buildings of 32, 28, and 24 storeys. These numbers will surely draw questions from city planners about whether or not the neighbourhood can sustain such a dramatic increase in density.

It's probably silly to discuss this new proposal in too much depth without also noting that the Galleria Mall redevelopment is only a few hundred metres away. How that plays out will surely have bearing on the future of Davenport Village.

The Dupont corridor is under heavy development pressure, and decisions on individual projects will likely take into consideration the wider picture, including the street's ability to handle a significant increase in traffic.

On the bright side, the amenities in the neighbourhood have started to fill in since the condos and townhouses first appeared.

When the Fuse development is complete, a Metro and Shoppers Drug Mart are expected to open, a new library is on the way just west in the Junction Triangle, and restaurants and cafes are starting to carve out a presence here.

A hundred years ago, this area was defined by the railway and heavy industry. In a decade or so, it's likely to be marked by a slew of residential skyscrapers and new retail.

Today in Toronto, it's going to get noisy. There are several raucous concerts to shake up your week, including the great return of Save Ferris, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Ladyhawke. There's also Harry Potter trivia if you need something a little quieter.