Dan Leahul is a full-time drifter, sometimes writer and recent transplant to Toronto. When he’s not out riding his bike he can typically be found lamenting over his broken bike. He is testament that a creative mind can endure a steady diet of single malt and low-sodium ripple chips.
An oasis tucked away from the busy din of its surrounding streets, the St. George campus of the University of Toronto offers an easy excuse to while away a day admiring its stately green spaces and age-old architecture. You’ll also find some of the city’s most charming cafés in the area, perfect for a study session (Wifi included), some pre-class reading or a caffeinated catch-up with a pal. [Photo: latte at Voodoo Child]
There are two kinds of wine drinkers: those that taste with their palate, and those that taste with their wallet. For those of us in the latter category, you’ll be pleased to find Toronto’s east-end offers a number of budget-friendly wine nights throughout the week, sure to satisfy your inner wino as well as your inner cheapskate.
Tiki is in, gin joints are out – that’s how Toronto’s bar trend skews. Whether you’re looking for a new locale to wet your whistle on a weekly basis or out to annex a portion of your liver to the city’s most visionary cocktails creators, for richer or for poorer, here are Toronto’s best new and notable bars for 2016. [Image courtesy of Track & Field Bar]
When choosing a restaurant feels more akin to choosing what to watch on Netflix (read: an hour or two of scrolling, scrolling, scrolling), be thankful that maxed-out, relaxed-out dining is something that Toronto does best. With an emphasis on soulful, filling food and chill vibes, surprisingly free of pretense, put on your best fashion sweats and check out some of the city’s best spots for a casual dinner date.
Long lines, entry fees, the same bric-a-brac you see at every other dang city market –yup, sounds like Christmas Market season in Toronto! This year, try straying off the beaten path and check out some festive pop-ups and alternative markets across the city, each promising truly unique, one-of-a-kind, and handmade holiday gifts. Yup, Santa would definitely approve.
For the average fella, few things remain more fulfilling than a proper barbershop hot shave. Whether priming your mug for a Movember masterpiece or merely taking some manly me-time, Toronto is stacked with steady hands skilled at the old school straight-razor.
It’s Friday night and your Movember face furniture is seriously on fleek – what are you going to do, just sit at home and not parade that Magnum P.I. cookie-duster for all to see? Heck no. Get out there, grab life by the handlebar ‘stache (okay, maybe ask for permission first) and strut your peachy-fuzzy stuff at Toronto’s most mustachioed bashes. And hey, while you’re at it, raise a few bucks for a more-than-worthy cause.
Torontonians have long treated their Sunday morning hangovers with an indulgent brunch and a boozy Caesar, thus making the city’s selection decisively competitive. If you’re still reeling on your bar tab from last night, keep calm, because knocking back a glass of the beloved Canadian cocktail doesn’t have to break the bank. Here’s are some of our fave spots in Toronto offering unconscionably cheap Caesars.
You know those super-active outdoorsy types? Every group’s got one: lycra-clad, cheeks aglow, uttering inanities like “dontcha just love winter?” Shudder. If that perpetual positivity starts harshing your nightly Netflix-pizza binge this year, try walking a mile in their showshoes. Because if you can’t beat them, (and believe us, we’d really like to) join them, and start making tracks to these TO outdoor gear retailers.
Ah, fall in Toronto: that magical season for pumpkin-spiced sweater-weather and cottage-country leaf-turning treks. And, for the first time since the crack of Joe Carter’s bat thrilled the nation in ‘93, the Blue Jays are in playoff baseball again. Bandwagon? Bah! Parade your post-season pride with unique apparel from these local TO retailers. [photo courtesy of The Drake Hotel]