If you want to escape the city this summer, you won't actually have to leave Toronto to get away. That's because there's a new virtual reality lounge opening later this month.

House of VR will open at 639 Queen Street West (that's where Nuvango used to be). It's having its opening party on April 27.

This VR lounge aims to fill the same niche as adult entertainment venues such as escape rooms and board game cafes.

It'll feature 10 view units for 360-degree films and 13 play suites for VR games. There will also be an interactive art component with a colour-changing mural.

Last year, Toronto got a pop-up VR cinema at Milk Glass Co. gallery, which proved very popular.

If there's a decade that calls to mind the pure glory of urban night photography, it's the 1970s. For its part, Toronto brimmed with just enough sleaze during this period to get the heart racing when walking down Yonge St. after hours.

By the time the 1980s rolled around, things were starting to clean up, but the proliferation of cameras and high speed colour film meant that more and more people were able to capture the city at night.

When Toronto made good on the description "bright lights, big city," photographers were creeping all over our streets capturing the mood of a messy city that finally liked to stay up late.

Here's what Toronto looked like at night during the 1970s and 80s.

Queen and Spadina before the McDonald's took residence on the northwest corner. Photo by Leroy W. Demery Jr.

Recently built Ontario Place looking good at dusk.

Looking west on the 401 towards Weston Rd. Note the distance is marked in imperial units on the sign to the right. Photo via The King's Highway.

The Eaton Centre under construction.

Eaton Centre construction further south.

Biltmore's Theatre looking absolutely majestic in the late 1970s.

The Rio and Sam the Chinese Food Man on a much seedy Yonge St. strip.

A&A Records and Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum in 1982 (the year Dire Straits released "Love over Gold."

The Wintergarden Theatre and Diana Sweets further south on Yonge St.

Elm St. just west of Yonge. You can bet the interior of Barberian's Steakhouse (left side) looked pretty much the same back then.

A wide shot of Yonge St. looking south to Gould in the early 1980s.

A lost Toronto tradition. Chess games outside Sam the Record Man on Gould St.

Looking down on Yonge and Dundas from the roof of the Eaton Centre. Note the Howard Johnson to the far right of the photo.

King St. looking west from Simcoe across Ed Mirvish's empire. 

The marquee at the Royal Alex Theatre.

A perfectly moody looking Dundas West between Beverley and Spadina in the early 1980s.

Now looking the other way, still on Dundas West.

A jumbled group of signs on Yonge St. near Gerrard.

The quintessential, hand-held 1980s skyline shot from the CN Tower. 

Now zooming out and looking at the skyline from Broadview Ave. 

Quiet King St. looking east towards St. Lawrence Hall.

Record shops, strip clubs, and fast food: Yonge St. in the 1980s.Typical Junction scene in 1984. Photo by Avard Woolaver.

Kicking it at Vesuvio's in when it was still clad with neon. Photo by Avard Woolaver.

Dundas and Mavety in 1984. Photo by Avard Woolaver.

Looking up Yonge St. from Gould after the first of Sam's spinning discs went up. Photo by Avard Woolaver.

That, folks, is what "South Core" looked like in the mid 1980s. The prominent building you see to the centre-left is the Canada Post Delivery Building, which is where the Air Canada Centre is located now.

The Bellair Cafe lighting up Yorkville in the late 1980s.

The Toronto skyline in 1987. Photo by Robert Naylor.

Today in Toronto there are concerts, an event that shine's a light on Toronto's thriving start-up scene and Sheridan College's illustration show. That's just enough action to ease you into the upcoming long weekend. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year if you're in the market for a used bike in Toronto. That's because it's swap season. While bike shops across the city have already stocked up on new rides, spring is prime time to take advantage of an increased supply of used bikes on offer.

Sure, there's always a few hundred bikes to choose from on Craigslist at any given time—from beaters to road racing machines—but swaps take out some of the risk factor by having the bikes sold by local bike store staff rather than their owners. 

This eliminates pressure sales and tends to help prevent the possibility of inadvertently buying a bike that has mechanical issues that'll haunt you later. It's also a nice way to sell a bike you don't need, though the store will get a cut.

Probably the most popular swap of the season takes place at Bateman's bike shop on April 22 and 23 at the 913 and 960 Bathurst St. locations. Note well, you need to register your bike before the swap if you're looking to sell it.

This year, there's also a chance to snag a bike from the now closed Toronto Island Bicycle Rental Company, which has been forced to liquidate its inventory by Easter. Many of the quirky two and four-seater bikes have be snatched up, but there's plenty of singles left. 

If you happen to miss the April sales, another good swap takes place at Silent Sports on June 10. This is one features gear as well as bikes, and can be a good place to check out if you're an avid rider and looking to upgrade your wheels or other componentry.

Ever heard of a micro apartment? They're more common in highly dense cities like New York and Hong Kong, but Toronto has a few of them on offer too, like this recent listing at 40 Beaty Avenue. 

It's surely a statement about how wacky the Toronto real estate market has become that a 200 square foot apartment is priced at $1,200 a month. Sure, the compact kitchen looks pretty slick, but that's a profoundly small living space by local standards.

On the bright side, the design is pretty good. A Murphy bed is basically a must in a space like this, and there's a well concealed one here. Mounting the television on the wall also frees up space, but of course that's the only option here. 

The concept of the micro apartment is intriguing, especially as the availability of affordable rentals in Toronto hits scary levels, but the enterprise becomes a bit dubious when the savings aren't really there.

Specs

• Address: 40 Beaty Ave.
• Building type: Apartment
• Apartment type: Micro/Bachelor
• Rent: $1,197
• Utilities: Not specified
• Bedrooms: Bachelor
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: Street parking
• Laundry? No
• Outdoor space? No
• Pet friendly? Not specified

Good For

Someone who really wants to live in Parkdale, doesn't care about having excess space, and who has no plans to entertain. While pets are allowed, even co-habitation with a cat seems like it'd be a tight quarters.

Move On If

Hmmmmmm... you like the idea of being able to move around in your living space? Toronto's rental market is pretty bad, but there are more spacious apartments in this price bracket, even in they don't feature some of the design features on offer her.

AGO Creative Minds: Art & Nationhood is coming to Massey Hall this month. It's discussion about the nation-state and its impacts, current global politics and how art shapes our understanding of place, history and progress. 

Want to go? We're giving two lucky a readers a chance to get in on the action and attend the event on April 21.

Check out all the contest details here.

One of Drake's favourite restaurants is about to find a home in Toronto. That's because The Cheesecake Factory will makes its debut here this fall.

The American chain restaurant famous for its huge plates of food and its cheesecake is slated to open in a 10,400 square-foot space at Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

Along with serving up the same menu it offers south of the border, it'll feature two covered patios, so you can eat your ultimate red velvet cheesecake al fresco, regardless of the season.

Toronto is obsessed with brunch, so it makes sense we're about to get a brand new festival devoted to our favourite hybrid meal.

Brunch Fest will take over 99 Sudbury from May 26 to 28 and promises to feature all sorts of brunch-time staples, such as bagels, pancakes, eggs Benedict, bacon and of course, booze.

Bud Light Radler BRUNCH FEST Presented by @tastetoronto - May 26 - 28 @ 99 Sudbury #BrunchFestTO #BudLightRadler

A post shared by Brunch Fest (@thebrunchfest) on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

Tickets ($9.95) for this festival go on sale April 19. Vendors include Lisa Marie, School and the Heirloom Food Truck. 

Like a good all-day breakfast place, this festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. all weekend. 

Grilled cheese is a lunchtime standard in Toronto and when the craving strikes there's most certainly a sandwich with your name on it nearby. Whether you're a purist or you like to get fancy with toppings, there's a diner, sandwich shop or pub ready to deliver.

Here are my picks for the top grilled cheese sandwiches in Toronto by neighbourhood.

Annex

Brewhaha dishes out a parmesan crusted grilled cheese sandwich that is stuffed with tomato and bacon and served with house made ketchup kettle chips.

Beaches

The Jack'd Up Grilled Cheese at the Hogtown Smoke is a monster of a sandwich featuring orange and white cheddar as well as Monterey Jack with whisky-infused pulled pork, beer-braised onions and red peppers between thick-sliced bread.

Bayview & Leaside

The Millwood Melt specializes in nostalgic cheese sandwiches and offers the option to customize or embrace one of the signature house melts like The Tuna Kahuna or The Hamelot.

Cabbagetown

House on Parliament is home to the Grilled 4-Cheese Sandwich featuring fontina, provolone, grana padano and asiago on potato bread with roasted tomato relish. You also have the option to add double smoked bacon.

Danforth

Riverdale Perk offers a Grown-up Grilled Cheese, which is done on seven-grain bread with double-cream brie and honey-roasted pears. There's also the Guinness Bacon Grilled Cheese is made with aged white cheddar, caramelized granny smith onion chutney and beer aioli.

Dundas West

The Federal does a simple and sumptuous grilled cheese sandwich with pear and chutney. Be sure to dip it in their house-made ketchup on the side.

Financial District

Grilled cheese is a favourite on the lunch menu at Bannock. Here the sandwich features O&B artisan challah and is elevated with apple, bacon jam and pickled jalapeno.

Photo by Jesse Milns at Cut the Cheese.

Junction

Half a dozen types of grilled cheese sandwiches, which all come with a pickle spear and popcorn, are on the menu at Cut The Cheese. There's The Classic with a pinch of herbs and the Big Bad Wolf with fried pork belly.

Junction Triangle

The TuckShop Kitchen knows how to make a good sandwich. Their grilled cheese comes with cheddar, Swiss and gruyere cheese and layered with fresh spinach, sun-dried tomato chutney and roasted red peppers.

King West

Satisfy cravings for grilled cheese sandwiches at almost any hour of the day courtesy of Thompson Diner. Their Three Cheese Melt comes with cheddar, provolone and swiss on challah bread.

Koreatown

White Brick Kitchen serves up a classic four-cheese grilled cheese with a choice of a side at lunch. House-made tomato jam is the standard accompaniment, while hickory-smoked bacon is optional.

Leslieville

Brooklyn Tavern boasts a grilled cheese sandwich with pork carnitas on their brunch menu. Each order includes slaw and fries, and there's the option to crown it with a fried egg.

Liberty Village

Little Kay's Favourite Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a staple on the menu at Mildred's Temple Kitchen. Grilled onto sourdough bread, the sandwich stars melted aged cheddar and mozzarella with apple-tomato relish.

Photo by Jesse Milns at Maha's.

Little India

Maha's is best known for its Egyptian brunch, but on the lunch side of the spectrum is the Date Grilled Cheese, featuring dates sautéed in butter and added to a blend of gouda, havarti and swiss before being pressed between egg bread and drizzled with honey.

Little Italy

Aunties & Uncles makes their grilled cheese on challah and serves it with a house-made ketchup. Upgrade with bacon for a salty bite.

Ossington

Rashers specializes in all things bacon related and their grilled cheese sandwich is no exception. The Apple & Maple Grilled Cheese features maple glazed smoked strip bacon with aged cheddar and apple chutney on white bread.

Queen West

Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches are what Melt Grilled Cheese does best. The menu offers almost a dozen different sandwiches including the Mac Attack stuffed with mac 'n' cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, bacon, garlic mayo and ketchup.

Riverside

The pulled pork grilled cheese is a favourite on the menu at Prohibition. The deluxe sandwich starts with grana padano-encrusted sourdough and is loaded up with confit pork, house-made BBQ sauce, maple cheddar and raspberry-jalapeño compote.

Roncesvalles

The grilled cheese sandwich at Cardinal Rule features a four cheese blend pressed between slices of challah. Smoked ketchup is essential for dipping, or opt to spice things up with the killer house hot sauce.

Rosedale

Amongst the line-up of pub foods served by The Rebel House, the classic grilled cheese is a favourite. The standard sandwich is done with two types of aged cheddar on French bread grilled until golden brown in shallot butter. 

Scarborough

The Working Dog Saloon is a great place to unwind with a beer, and at lunch hour it's made even better with the option to enjoy a classic grilled cheese for just $5.

St. Clair West

The Stockyards excels at everything it does, no matter if it's a burger or fried chicken. The grilled cheese is no exception. The sandwich is grilled on a a flat top and features smoked cheese, sliced green apple and caramelized onion between slices of thyme-scented sourdough.

West Queen West

The Gladstone Hotel serves up a sourdough grilled cheese sandwich at lunch. Served with fries or salad on the side, each order features Monforte Providence cheddar and apple.

Yonge & Eglinton

Uncle Betty's Diner does its Ultimate Grilled Cheese  on either white or brown bread with melted cheddar, a slab of mac 'n cheese and a choice of grilled veggies, pulled pork or all-beef meatloaf drizzled in roasted garlic aioli.

Yorkville

Flo's Diner devotes an entire section on its menu to gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. The classic made on egg bread and includes a choice of salad, soup, slaw or fries. Other options include the addition of tomato slices, bacon, ham, bacon and tomato or peameal.

Toronto's Downtown Relief Line isn't supposed to break ground until 2025, but the city shared a new alignment for the project, which will see the incoming subway route pass through Leslieville.

Instead of traveling north/south via Pape Avenue, as originally planned, the DRL will run beneath Carlaw Avenue. This would cost more money, but an updated figure hasn't been released yet. As CBC reports, the project is already hovering around $7 billion.

Mayor John Tory held a press conference about this update today and the city presented the new Leslieville alignment at a public information session last week.

A map of the new proposed subway route on Carlaw Avenue.

According to last week's presentation, the Carlaw alignment better integrates into the mixed use area and can help support growing business and residential developments in the neighbourhood. 

It also provides the best opportunities to connect to DRL to SmartTrack.

Regardless of the benefits, there are bound to be concerns from local residents. Aside from the construction nightmare that will ensue on the busy thoroughfare, the route seems to cut right under the local Morse Street Junior Public School as well as homes on Morse Street.

It's been a long time coming, but HMV's biggest Canadian store will bid Toronto farewell this week.

On Friday, April 14 HMV will close its flagship Toronto store at 333 Yonge St., as early as 3 p.m., according to a staff member.

That employee also warned well-wishers and bargain hunters to drop by early that day because they expect it to be busy with lots of deals available on the remaining CDs, DVDs, clothing and other merchandise.

End of days at HMV 333 Yonge Street #Torontopic.twitter.com/KngBYeKh8K

— Cam Gordon (@cam_gordon) April 7, 2017

Store traffic hasn't slowed down and this location saw a surge in sales since HMV announced it would be closing all of its Canadian stores earlier this year. "It feels like Christmas times three in here everyday," the HMV Yonge Street staff member told me.

There's no word yet on who will be taking over the expansive Yonge Street space.

Ashbridges Bay Beach in the Beaches looks a little different after the heavy rainstorms earlier this week. Some say it appears as if a new lake has been created thanks to the waves that pushed water ashore.

A post shared by 陳婷婷💃 (@tingting.chan) on Apr 10, 2017 at 12:40pm PDT

As CBC reports, this is the worst flooding the area has seen in about 50 years and crews are working to try to stop further erosion and to protect the Leuty Lifeguard Station - a heritage structure - and the boardwalk.

A post shared by Tiina Rodgers (@tiinawith2iis) on Apr 9, 2017 at 12:43pm PDT

Part of the sandy beach volleyball courts are also underwater, but according to CP24, the city hopes they'll be dry by the time for volleyball season, which starts next month.

This part of the beach actually used to be underwater and part of Lake Ontario. 

"Ashbridges flooded as a result of waves from recent storms," Matthew Cutler, a spokesperson for Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, told CP24. "These kinds of changes in the waterfront are quite natural."

What's open and closed Good Friday 2017 in Toronto will help you sort out your day. Whether you need to do some last minute shopping before the Easter long weekend, looking for something fun to do, or just want to pick up groceries for dinner, this will be your ultimate guide.

Here's what's open and closed this Good Friday in Toronto.

General
 

Closed

• Municipal buildings
• Banks
• Libraries
• Canada Post office

Open

• The TTC will operate on a holiday service schedule

Photo by Hector Vasquez at Saks Food Hall.

Food
 

Closed

• It's worth calling ahead to restaurants before heading out.
• Most major grocery chains will be closed on Good Friday with a few confirmed exceptions listed below.

Open

• Fresh & Wild (2294 Bloor St. West) - 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Fresh & Wild (69 Spadina Ave.) - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Galleria Supermarket (7040 Yonge St.) - 24 hours
• Galleria Supermarket (865 York Mills Rd.) - 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Loblaws (60 Carlton St.) - 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Pusateri's (1539 Avenue Rd.) - 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Pusateri's (2901 Bayview Ave.) - 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Pusateri's (57 Yorkville Ave.) - 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Rabba (various locations) - 24 hours
• Saks Food Hall (176 Yonge St.) - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The Food Depot (115 Dupont St.) - 24 hours
• The Kitchen Table (10 Queens Quay West) - 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• The Kitchen Table (389 Spadina Rd.) - 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• The Kitchen Table (595 Bay St.) - 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• The Kitchen Table (705 King St. West) - 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Whole Foods (87 Avenue Rd.) - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Bloor Street Market (55 Bloor St. West) - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Metro (444 Yonge St.) - 24 hours
• Fish and chip shops will be in their element on this customary fish-eating day. Check out our best of list for where to go.

Photo by Hector Vasquez at Halo Brewery.

Drink
 

Closed

• LCBO
• Beer Store

Open

• For a complete list of indie bottle shops in Toronto, see this directory. Holiday hours are provided where applicable but we advise calling ahead to confirm.

Photo by Hector Vasquez at Yorkville Village.

Malls
 

Closed

• Bayview Village
• CF Fairview Mall
• Dufferin Mall
• Scarborough Town Centre
• Sherway Gardens
• Yorkdale Shopping Centre
• Square One Shopping Centre
• Vaughan Mills

Open

• CF Promenade (1 Promenade Cir.) - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• CF Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St.) - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Hillcrest Mall (9350 Yonge St.) - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Ave. E.) - 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Toronto Premium Outlets (13850 Steeles Ave. West) - 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Yorkville Village (55 Avenue Rd.) - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• CF Markville (5000 Hwy 7) - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Photo by End User at the Gardiner Museum.

Attractions
 

Closed

• Canada's Wonderland

Open

• Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. West) - 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• CN Tower (301 Front St. West) - 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Hockey Hall of Fame (30 Yonge St.) - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (288 Bremner Blvd.) - 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• The Ontario Science Centre (770 Don Mills Rd.) - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen's Park) - 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• The Toronto Zoo (2000 Meadowvale Rd.) - 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Gardiner Museum (111 Queens Park) - 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Movie theatres

South Core is a neighbourhood on the rise, literally. The area south of Front Street will soon be home to a number of new skyscrapers, including the Bay Park Centre with two office towers that'll both be around 50 storeys high.

These buildings, at 81 and 141 Bay St., won't be ready until 2020 and 2023, respectively. However, CIBC announced today that it'd be leasing approximately 1.75 million square feet of office space at Bay Park Centre to create an urban campus for 15,000 of its GTA employees.

The bank has exclusive naming rights on the two buildings designed by WilkinsonEyre and Adamson Associates, so it'll introduce its rebrand in the coming months.

While CIBC seems excited about consolidating its Toronto operations and moving its headquarters here from Commerce Court, for most of us, the really cool part of this project is the one-acre park that'll traverse the train tracks and connect the two buildings.

Thankfully, according to a CIBC news release, it'll be open to the public. As the Toronto Star reports, there will also be a new GO terminal going in at 81 Bay St. Metrolinx and developer Ivanhoé Cambridge announced this in 2014.

The best peameal bacon sandwich in Toronto has gotta be good, because its main ingredient was invented right here. Called peameal because this cured bacon made from pork loin was originally rolled in ground yellow peas, this luscious meat is now rolled in cornmeal for a crispy, fatty filling in what’s arguably Toronto’s signature sandwich.

Here's the best peameal bacon sandwich in Toronto.

The 6 might be on a wave, but it looks like Fring's - the restaurant Drake's associated with - got carried away after it got its liquor license suspended for violations such as promoting "immoderate consumption."

Social media satirist Chef Grant Soto posted a photo of the restaurant's yellow liquor license suspension notice to Instagram.

I'm very upset. I'm starting to think FRINGS isn't actually closed… https://t.co/vSFZzENftE

— Chef Grant Soto (@ChefGrantSoto) April 12, 2017

Apparently its license is suspended from April 6 to 13.

@fringstoronto will be closed for renovations from April 6th-12th! We are open from Monday to Wednesday this week so book a reservation while you can!

A post shared by FRING'S - Toronto (@fringstoronto) on Apr 3, 2017 at 2:52pm PDT

Frings on the other hand, announced on Instagram that it was closed for renovations from April 6 to 12.

If you're searching for lunch in the Financial District, it's easy to get lost wandering amidst the PATH's seemingly endless number of food courts.

Come summertime, however, you can take an escalator out of this subterranean labyrinth to dine al fresco thanks to the various markets that pop up all over the downtown core.

For the second year in a row, there will be an outdoor food court and market at 150 University St. Last year it was called the Front Street Foods Market at Adelaide Place, but this year it'll have a less cumbersome name: Adelaide Eats. 

Adelaide Eats, by Toronto Market Co.and Dream REIT, will be open on weekdays from June 1 to July 28 and it'll keep serving food until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

The list of vendors hasn't been announced yet, but in 2016 participating restaurants included Holy Chuck, Fresh, Chimney Stax and The Rolling Pin. 

Today in Toronto, it's clearly a Thursday before a long weekend. The city's bars and clubs are bursting with dance parties, concerts, talks, and the first outdoor backyard bash at Cold Tea! 

Step aside regular warehouse sales because this month Toronto is getting a clothing sale unlike any other inside an east side film studio.

This is huge wardrobe, clothing and costume sale will feature an endless list of items from Guillermo De Toro's horror series The Strain. It's on April 29 and 30 at Cinespace Film Studios at 30 Booth Avenue.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, you can pick up a selection of vintage and gently used designer and name brand clothing and accessories as well as clothes featured in The Strain and other TV series (there's no word yet on exactly which series they are.)

The series, which is wrapping up its final season, takes place in modern day, so the clothing will be up-to-date; the special effects accessories on the other hand could be out of this world

Entry is $5 or free for kids under 12 for this sale put on by the The Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design. You can check out the CAFTCAD website to see what pastsales looked like.

After it began to sell off its stock of bicycles, the family-owned Toronto Island Bicycle Rental company learned yesterday it wouldn't need to shut down after all.

Earlier this month, the city of Toronto awarded the contract to rent out bikes on the Islands to a different organization.

However, as the Toronto Star reports, the successful bidder for this contract withdrew, so the city went with its second choice: Toronto Island Bicycle Rental, which has been renting out bikes, tandem bikes and so-called Flintstone cars on the Islands for the past 32 years.

Toronto Island Bicycle Rental cancelled its inventory sale, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want to score a great deal on a new bike.

You'll be able to start renting bikes on the Islands starting on May 1. And thanks to the fact that they already sold off a number of bikes, the rental company will have a new fleet for this year.