Toronto of the 1960s was a city full of neon, so even as there were less people and things to do, main streets like Yonge and Bloor were hubs of energy dotted with ostentatious signs that set the streetscape ablaze. It was entirely messy and just a little sleazy. 

Depending on how you looked at it, it was also beautiful. Streetcar lights pierced the night, movie theatre marquees could be found everywhere, and every sign was different from the next. It was like a completely different city than the one we know today.

Here's what Toronto looked like at night in the 1950s and 60s.

The corner of Yonge and Gerrard in the 1950s. Check out the marquee on the Savoy (far left).

The sparse Toronto skyline at the outset of the 1960s, prior to the rise of the TD Centre. The tallest building here is Canadian Bank of Commerce (now Commerce Court North).

Looking east on Bloor from Bathurst. The Midtown is now the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, though most of us still call it the Bloor.

Recognize the intersection? This is Yonge and Bloor before the birth of the Bloor-Danforth Line, when passengers would board east/west routes via these streetcar platforms.

Here we're looking south of Yonge St. from College with the Eaton's building on the right.

A view of the Wychwood Carhouse when it was still used to house streetcars.

Here we're looking east across Bloor from Bedford. Among the most remarkable things is the neon-adorned Swiss Chalet, the first location in the chain.

A TTC streetcar sweeper clears the road on Coxwell near Queen St.

Looking south on brightly lit Yonge St. from Gould. The Edison Hotel still had nightly entertainment and the Le Coq d'Or Tavern was a live music hot spot.

This is a reverse angle, now looking north from Dundas to Gould St. On the right is the Biltmore Theatre.

Aeroquay One was considered one of the nicest airport terminals in the world when it opened in 1964.

New City Hall looking just that in 1965.

Henry's Moore's The Archer when it was shiny, new, and patina-free.

The towering Odeon Theatre sign on Carlton near Yonge. 

Looking north up University across Richmond St. and beyond. 

The Glendale Theatre on Avenue Rd. north of Lawrence in 1968.

Friar's Tavern just south of Yonge and Dundas (pre-Hard Rock Cafe).

This anonymous intersection is actually Bloor and Dundas back in the 1960s.

The Sutton Place Hotel was the lap of luxury when it opened in 1967.

A streetcar entering the Queensway from Queen/King/Roncesvalles. Love that CIBC sign.

The Roncesvalles Carhouse looking perfectly noir-esque.

The Regency Towers Hotel on Avenue Rd. (now a crappy Howard Johnson).

Looking west on Queen St. from Bay with Nathan Phillips Square decorated for the holidays.

Restaurants for Easter brunch in Toronto act like a home away from home for many. While some larger ones take reservations and offer special meals, others merely serve as convenient meeting places for friends and family without the need for advance planning. 

Here's a selection of restaurants that will be serving Easter brunch in Toronto this year.

Antler

Step into the Canadian wilderness at this Dundas West gem. They'll be serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a special braised rabbit Eggs Benny on both days.

Cafe Belong

Find this cozy spot nestled inside the Evergreen Brick Works. It's serving Easter brunch on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cafe Fiorentina

This Danforth fave is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, so grab a homey meal here. It's closed for the holiday Monday.

Cluny

If you have a family or large group in tow, head to this Distillery District French bistro for its expansive menu. It's open all weekend and takes reservations.

Daisho

Head upstairs at Momofuku and be prepared for whatever special Easter weekend brunch menu they've prepared. They haven't revealed details yet, but last year's menu included fresh bagels, lamb sausage, scrambled eggs and smoked trout.

Dirty Food

This cheery diner in the Junction makes Caesars with beet juice and serves up chicken and waffle sandwiches. They're offering brunch Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Figo

One of the best things about Figo, other than the Italian-inspired food and beautiful interior design, is that they take reservations. Impress your whole family on Saturday or Sunday for brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Peter Pan Bistro

This buzzy spot on Queen Street West is open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature a special Easter weekend dish.

Thompson Diner

 The Weeknd/Selena Gomez date spot and unassuming local diner is open Saturday, Sunday and Monday for Easter brunch with $5 Caesars and mimosas.

 White Lily

This new Toronto brunch spot is small, so get there early for brunch on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. They make their own doughnuts, serve full English breakfasts and will have special menu items for Easter.

Nothing says summer quite like watching a movie under the stars. And while there are plenty of outdoor movie screenings throughout the city, none are quite as special as the Sail-In Cinema.

This year, the Sail-In Cinema returns to Sugar Beach from August 17 to 19. Moviegoers can either catch a flick while seated comfortably on land, or, if they have a boat, they can actually sail in, drop anchor and watch while bobbing up-and-down on Lake Ontario.

This year's lineup has yet to be announced, but last year's movies were Jumanji, Hook and The Princess Bride. Can they top that roster this summer? Inconceivable! 

Today in Toronto people are showing off and we're lucky for it. There are a couple of arts and technology exhibitions giving us a glimpse into our city's brilliant, creative minds. There's also a Nirvana tribute night and a boxing class inside a poke restaurant. 

We hear so much talk about condo rentals these days, the city's other most griped about living space has started to fly under the radar. I speak of the basement apartment. 

People tend to be divided on the merits and drawbacks of these living spaces. Some think that a renovated underground unit beats a rundown apartment that gets lots of light, while others rule out basements altogether. 

This unit at 82 Parkway Avenue is one of the nicer ones. It's the product of a recent reno that's overhauled the entire house, and the future tenant will be the first to live in this newly built apartment.

Like most basements, the footprint is a bit odd, but there's decent light sources and the modern kitchen and washroom are nice features that prevent the space from appearing dreary. The ceiling height is reasonable, though not suitable for the super tall among us.

You're paying for two things here: location and newness. If you really like Roncesvalles Village, nearly $1,400 a month for a basement might be possible to stomach.

Specs

• Address: 82 Parkway Ave.
• Building type: Detached residence
• Apartment type: Basement
• Rent: $1,395
• Utilities: Hydro extra
• Bedrooms: 1
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: Unspecified
• Laundry? Yes, in-suite
• Outdoor space? Backyard
• Pet friendly? Not specified

Good For

Someone who cares more about new appliances than lots of natural light. There's plenty of space here and the neighbourhood is good; the kicker is merely whether or not the basement location is palatable.

Move On If

You want more light and you don't particularly care about have a new kitchen. Even in this wild rental market, there are above ground units that can be had for less than this — just don't expect a recently renovated space at this price point. 

After the first quarter of 2017, the Toronto real estate market seems to keep getting hotter, at least according to the latest report from the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).

The TREB says that across the GTA, housing prices were up 33.2 percent compared to March 2016, increasing from $688,011 to $916,567.

While the number of listings on the market rose by around 15 percent, the number of sales grew by 17.7 percent, so the issue of demand outweighing supply remains. 

“Annual rates of price growth continued to accelerate in March as growth in sales outstripped growth in listings, said Jason Mercer, TREB’s director of market analysis in a news release.

"A substantial period of months in which listings growth is greater than sales growth will be required to bring the GTA housing market back into balance."

Last month, the average price for a detached house in Toronto was more than $1.5 million.

The top concerts in Toronto this spring sound like the greatest hits to your life. With shows from current hit makers and massive hometown names, to smaller indie pop bands and R&B singers, you'll see why springtime in the city is made for music. 

Hidden bars in Toronto are places you sometimes need to hear about by word of mouth, or discover yourself in the off-chance that you actually notice them when walking by. These are the kinds of bars where locals take their out-of-towner friends when they visit and are good options for adventurous first dates.

Here are my picks for top hidden bars in Toronto.

Bar Batavia

This sultry cocktail bar is found above Little Sister near Yonge and Eglinton. Just go up the stairs to sip on refined cocktails and chow down on Dutch-Indo snacks in a dimly lit intimate setting. 

Cold Tea

There's a doorway inside Kensington Mall with a single red light above it that reveals this popular Kensington Market bar. Here you'll find the bartenders making specialty cocktails based on your liquor preferences and the patio outside is always packed in summer.

Escobar

This secretive spot can be found on an upper level of Baro. There’s an elevator to get up there, but you’ll have to know the password to sample the cocktails and take Instagram shots of the, 'Pablo loves you' neon sign.

LoPan

Above Dailo on College, LoPan is a quaint second floor bar that you won't find on your radar unless you know it's there. Its sophisticated décor is the prime setting for a late night spent sipping cocktails and snacks.

SP184

In the alley behind Superpoint on Ossington there’s a door marked simply SP184. Step through the door and find yourself in a bare-bones industrial hangout where music, booze and pizza will keep you entertained throughout the evening.

The Cloak

Inside Marben on Wellington, this bar is entered through a doorway marked by a neon sign and then a flight of steps. Sip on cocktails while enjoying the speakeasy vibe.

The Gift Shop

Find this bar at the back of Barber & Co., a men’s barber shop on Ossington. Here you can drink some beer and cocktails even if you have no interest in getting a cut.

The Green Room

Tucked in an alleyway between Brunswick and Borden is this not so secret hidden bar. It's a popular spot among local students, thanks to its lasting reputation for cheap eats and run-down, bohemian atmosphere.

Toronto Temperance Society

This hidden bar above Sidecar on College is accessed through an unmarked black door. It's technically a private members club for those who enjoy drinking well with other civilized adults but you can also enter by e-mailing ahead.

York Station

Few are well acquainted with York Station, Fairmont Royal York's tiny bar hidden away on the mezzanine level of the old hotel. The bar takes you back to the 70s and has the feeling of an old-timey train car.

The best kebabs in Toronto can be found all over the city, from Little India to Etobicoke, North York to West Queen West. Beef, lamb, hearts, or other meats are skewered and often grilled in a tradition that connects to one of the most primal—and delicious—ways of eating.

Here are the best kebabs in Toronto.

It might be hard to believe right now, considering it's been dark and rainy for the past couple of days, but the weather's supposed to take a turn early next week.

Sunnier days are on the way, according to the latest Environment Canada forecast. On Monday, temperatures could climb to 18 C and by Tuesday, it could be 20 C. 

Before things heat up, however, we could see some snow as flurries are in the forecast tomorrow night. And Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the city because we could see significant rainfall over the next few days.

But don't despair, because there's more spring (and almost summer-like) weather on the way. 

It's that time of year again. We're opening the poll to 15 new best of categories including 24 hour restaurants, dosa, Ethiopan restaurants, steakhouses, croissants, vintage furniture stores and more. Voting ends on Thursday April 6 at 8 p.m

Take the poll here

Online furniture stores keep getting better as many start-ups figure out ways to exist beyond brick and mortar. Some of these stock a range of brands while others have more of a narrow focus.

Either way you slice it, the selection is tough to beat and while you won't be able to sit on the sofa before you buy it, at least you might be able to get it delivered for free.

Here are my picks for the top online furniture stores that deliver to Toronto.

Wayfair

Based out of Boston, this is one of North America's biggest online stores for home furniture and it features over seven million products from 7,000 different designers.

Rove Concepts

This Vancouver-based furniture store specializes in accessible and affordable hand-craft mid-century modern furniture. Their products are made in small batches with sustainable materials from around the globe.

Newell

If you're looking for unique, Scandinavian designed pieces, then Montreal's Newell is a great starting point. Their prices are cheap and they deliver direct from their select group of manufacturers straight to your door.

Furniture Maison

This online heaven based in Toronto believes in de-cluttering your life with sleek and simple furniture. It's a refreshing company to deal with that boasts modern designs and free shipping.

The Modern Shop

Spend over $99 at this Ottawa based ompany and get free shipping. They stock a nice range of big, bold, colourful items including sofas, chairs, lighting and bedroom furniture.

Once the weather heats up in Toronto, it's officially construction season. There are already lots of projects planned for this summer, including one on Wellington Street.

As the City of Toronto announced today, from April 10 until September, there will be lane reductions on Wellington, between Church and York streets, for watermain construction work, streetcar track work and street resurfacing.

Road work will reduce lanes on Wellington Street downtown for several months. #CityofTO news release: https://t.co/UajRhiyPfI

— City of Toronto (@TorontoComms) April 5, 2017

For the streetcar track-related work, the city will close down the intersections at Bay and Wellington and at York and Wellington for a shorter period of time. These dates haven't been announced yet.

The city is encouraging drivers and cyclists to use Richmond and King streets as alternative westbound routes.

This should make for a super fun and traffic-filled summer, especially since the the Gardiner Expressway construction (the city's replacing the eastbound ramp to York, Bay and Yonge streets) will also start this month.

The TTC might have joked about renaming all of Toronto's subway stations on April Fools' Day, but that's only because the transit commission is actually rolling out a new name for one of its (soon-to-be former) terminal stations.

As of May 7, Downsview will become Sheppard West station. The TTC is making this switch early so riders get used to the new name before the Line 1 extension opens late this year.

According to the Toronto Star, this name change is costing the TTC $800,000, a price that includes the cost to change the automated announcement system as well as signage.

The TTC's 8.6 kilometre Spadina Extension is nearing completion, and you can already take a peek at the incoming Downsview Park station, which will open on the York University campus.

Curry's Artists' Materials has 10 stores scattered throughout southern Ontario. But this family-owned retailer has been on Yonge Street for more than 100 years.

However, that century-old legacy is about to come to a close as Curry's gets ready to close its 490 Yonge St., store later this spring.

Like many storefronts along the Yonge Street corridor, it has to leave because the building it's situated in will be demolished and it'll eventually be replaced with a 38 storey condo. 

"That little hub of Yonge Street has been home for us for a long time," says JM Ghent. His great-grandfather Fred Curry opened the first Curry's store at Yonge and Bloor in 1911.

By the 1920s, Curry had three locations in Toronto and he specialized in framing. During the Great Depression, however, he had to shut down his two satellite outposts but he and his daughter kept the store open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and scraped by.

After World War II, Ghent tells me, most of Curry's framers never returned home after serving in Europe, so they closed the framing department and moved into supplying drafting supplies for the burgeoning airline industry and later, they got into graphic arts.

In the 1990s, Ghent says Curry's pivoted again and decided to focus its identity on being a specialty store for artists. It moved into its current Yonge Street location in 1992 and opened its West Queen West flagship in 2014.

The arts supply store watched Toronto grow and develop over the course of more than 100 years and it changed along with the city. "It comes down to that willingness to adapt and that willingness to evolve," says Ghent of his centenarian family business. 

Renting a condo in Toronto is no easy feat these days. If you manage to find a place you like within your price range, you pretty much have to make a decision immediately if you hope to snag the 650 square foot box of your dreams.

After consulting with a few real estate experts, they shared these tips for renting a condo in Toronto.

Know your budget

And stick to it. The downtown core can get super pricey, especially these days. Penelope Graham, the managing editor at Zoocasa, stresses that if you're willing to commute, you can usually find more affordable units outside of the most sought-after areas.

Do your research

Sure, you might have to make a decision on the fly, but before you head out on a viewing, look up the building. For instance, has it ever been on the Bed Bug Registry? You can find this information before heading out and signing a lease in a condo with pest issues.

Rent control?

Check to see if the buildings you're looking at have rent control (i.e.built prior to October 31, 1991). These unicorn condos do exist, and while they might not be as shiny as some of the newer ones, you usually get more bang (square footage) for your buck and you won't face nasty rent increases.

Think fast

In this rental market, you don't have the luxury of time. If you like a place, you need to ready to submit an application and all the required paper work as soon as possible.

Come prepared

Bring all your paper work with you when viewing a place, including your credit report, references and employment information. To be safe, make sure your references are ready and available to vouch for you whenever a landlord calls.

Bring your chequebook

Along with your paper work, come armed with your chequebook so you can provide first and last month's rent when submitting your application (if necessary).

Be flexible

To secure my own condo, I had to sign a lease for two weeks earlier than I had wanted to. But, in the end, that's how I got my place and it seemed like a better option than offering up more rent per month or potentially engaging in a bidding war.

Know your rights

Even though it might seem like it, you don't need to bend to your potential landlord's every whim. As a tenant, you have rights, so if something smells fishy, check out the Residential Tenancies Act.

Find out what's included

Don't assume that all condo units come with a parking spot, a locker and access to awesome amenities. And let's say your place does come with a parking spot and you don't drive, clarify whether or not you can rent it out to make some extra cash.

Use a realtor

If you're looking for a condo and not a purpose-built rental, consider working with a realtor. They have better access to what's on the market and if you get a unit listed on MLS, you don't even pay their commission.

As the warm weather slowly starts to move in, Toronto seems to wake up and so too do our city's farmers' markets. While some plowed through during the winter months, many kick off in the spring, like the East Lynn Park Farmers' Market.

However, one vendor will be absent this year. East of York Gourmet Food Co., announced on Facebook that it wouldn't be "allowed to partake" in the Danforth-area farmers' market this year.

"It is with a heavy heart that I inform our followers that we will NOT be allowed to partake in this years East Lynn Farmers Market, reads the note. This was not our decision. We loved having the longest lineups and weekly sellouts."

East of York makes pakoras, samosa, soup, curry and other Indian and seasonal fare. Co-owner Ashvin Gehani said he didn't have anymore information on why they were excluded, other than what was shared on Facebook. 

"I don't have the luxury of time, nor do I beg for inclusion. So we just have to move forward as best as we can!" Gehani says.

In the post on Facebook, Gehani notes that they were the only business at last year's market "owned and operated by people of colour."

Commenters weighed in on Facebook sharing their disappointment and surprise in the news. "This is a shame," wrote Sue Mackellar. "Always saw your booth very busy."

"Not sure why Farmers Markets Ontario would want to exclude any business that enhance(s) the event and experience for the community," said Janice Lepper.

It seems Gehani and the local community is in the dark about why the business was excluded but answers aren't forthcoming.

Decisions about vendors come from the province-wide Farmers' Markets Ontario (FMO) organization and not the Danforth East Community Association, which runs the entertainment side of the East Lynn Park Farmers' Market. And FMO isn't talking.

When reached for comment, FMO's executive director Catherine Clarke said over email, "The decision to decline East of York’s application is an internal decision and cannot comment any further."

Last June, thousands trekked out to an abandoned power plant for a 10 day multi-disciplinary arts festival. Along with the various performances, there was even a pop-up French restaurant located in the Hearn Generating Station's old control room.

It might be hard for Luminato to top last year's festivities, but organizers knew they had to go all out for the event's 10th anniversary. Now, they're taking the festival in a new direction.

"There’s a changed funding structure and so what we’re doing is we’re refocusing, we’re really thinking about how the festival needs to start the second decade of its life," says new artistic director Josephine Ridge.

As the Globe and Mail notes, provincial funding for the festival is expected to decrease. Last year's edition was also incredibly expensive. "The Hearn was an enormous undertaking and from a financial perspective, it’s not a repeatable one," Ridge explains.

For 2017, Luminato will be back downtown and like in previous iterations, much of the programming will be in David Pecault Square - the public space named after the festival's late co-founder.

From June 14 to 25, there will also be performances and parties at venues across the city, including at the Drake Hotel and the new Drake Commissary, the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre, Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, and even at the Don Montgomery Arena in Scarborough.

Ridge isn't completely writing off the Hearn - it might become part of Luminato programming in the future - though the festival will probably never live there again.

This year, Luminato opens with a free performance called Tributaries produced by Denise Bolduc and Erika Iserhoff from Native Women in the Arts. The performance will feature Indigenous music and dance.

"It’s very important, I think, for the festival to provide the opportunity for Indigenous artists to have their voice and to help us frame the discussion and the dialogue around the acknowledgement of the history," says Ridge.

The Famous Spiegeltent.

For the remainder of Luminato, a travelling tent dating back to 1920s Belgium will fill the square in King West. It's called The Famous Spiegeltent, and it'll feature a slew of local and international artists from various genres. Ridge describes the tent as intimate and beautiful.

That sense of intimacy seems to translate to the rest of the programming as many of the scheduled performances don't seem to match the scale of shows we've seen in previous years. But of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The contemporary dance ice show Vertical Influences by Montreal's Le Patin Libre should prove to be a big draw, considering this might also feature a free DJ skate party.

There's also the world's biggest hip hop dance festival Breakin' Convention, shows at the Drake and The Great Hall and a video installation by Shaun Gladwell called Skateboarders vs Minimalism on the docket.

Niall McNeil in King Arthur's Night. Photo by Tristan Casey.

In terms of world premieres, Luminato will debut Canadian company Signal Theatre’sBearing, which is described as a dance opera. The festival will also present its latest commission King Arthur’s Night, a musical featuring a cast of actors living with and without Down's Syndrome.

While the Unsound Festival, won't be returning this June, Ridge confirms Luminato will be bringing it back to Toronto at a later date. "I think that Unsound has contributed fantastically to broadening our reach," she says.

Over the past two years, it did indeed seem to bring out a different - dare I say more millennial - crowd to the festival. 

Ridge had a relatively short timeline in which to program Luminato this year, but for 2018, 2019 and beyond, she's hoping to increase the amount of collaboration between local and international artists.

This year's festival might look different, but Ridge stresses that's because Luminato's changing, along with the city.

"It’s a complete rethink, which I think is totally appropriate, given the fact that the city is not the same city it was 10 years ago, the world’s not the same as it was 10 years ago," she says.

"A festival has to remain relevant."

Now we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out this June.

Luminato tickets go on sale today.

If you need a new bike, you should probably head to Centre Island next weekend. That's because the family behind Toronto Islands' bike rental company is closing up shop and selling off its stock.

According to CBC News, Vimla and Hari Rao ran the Island bike rental service for 32 years. However, after a request for proposal process this February, the city awarded the bike rental contact to another undisclosed business.

The Rao family isn't sure why they didn't get the contract this year, and as CBC reports, they've reached out to the city's ombudsmen office to find out.

As it stands, the new company can start renting out bikes on the Islands as early as May 1.

In the meantime, the Rao family will sell its inventory, including single ($75) and tandem bikes ($100) as well as the iconic four-seat quadricycles or "Flinstone cars" ($800). The sale runs from Apri 14 to 16.

Jeopardy seems to have a thing for Toronto sports teams lately, and this obsession couldn't come at a better time because we're finally being recognized as a bona fide sports city. 

One Jeopardy contestant, however, might not be in the loop after dropping the ball during last night's final Jeopardy. The Toronto-centric clue was: "The animal on this NBA team's primary logo peaked about 75 million years ago."

Smh Lady #Jeopardypic.twitter.com/mtA0Q590bP

— Raptors Nation™ (@WeTheNorth__) April 6, 2017

The correct response was naturally, "what is a Raptor?" The contestant in question put down, "what is a timberwolf?" 

Unfortunately, she wagered all her money ($17,200), so she lost all of it in the final round of the game.

But at least the Raptors were victorious yesterday! They beat the Detroit Pistons 105-102.