Our #TransitHubbing Adventures in Toronto

Introducing What's Goin' On in Toronto!

2012-08-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

Hey #TransitHubbers,

We’ve got some exciting news for you!

Down with Webster at #YongeDundas Square (Courtesy Coca Cola Co.)

We’ve heard you loud and clear. You want to know what’s goin’ on in Toronto and we’ve got something cool for you to check out.

We’re testing a new site called go.transithub.ca! We’ve got different categories: Food & Drink, Events & Festivals, Sightings & News and Transit. We’ve also chosen four Hubs that you can check out, to start: #SpadinaQueen, #YongeDundas, #YongeEglinton and #BathurstBloor.

If you want to be the first to know, subscribe to our email updates!

Now, go out there and get #TransitHubbing! As always, let us know what you think!

Much love,

The TransitHub Team
http://go.transithub.ca

Guest Post: Live Green Toronto Festival

2012-07-23T23:31:00.000-04:00

Ionatan Waisgluss is back with another guest blog post for us! He was kind enough to hang out with us at Network Orange last Saturday. He then checked out the Live Green Toronto Festival, of which he recounts his findings below ...

- Neil Jain

Last week, the TransitHub crew posted an article outlining nine different festivals that were happening over the July 21-22^nd weekend—a true testament to Toronto’s busy summer buzz. With so many events to choose from, it was a great weekend to explore the city!

It can be hard to pick which festival to attend, but given that I was already in the area, the Live Green Toronto Festival was the obvious choice for me. If you missed this lively outdoor exhibit, don’t you worry—read on, and see what was going on last Saturday at #YongeDundas Square!

#YongeDundas Square, looking north

Saturday’s festival was organized by Live Green Toronto, a city-run environmental taskforce which has been hosting this festival since 2006.

Every year, LGT organizes a get-together for all of Toronto’s green businesses, developers, not-for-profit organizations, and—of course—enthusiasts; from what I hear, it’s only getting better and better! It was great to see Yonge St. turned into a pedestrian-friendly area between Dundas and Queen. As you can see, the turnout was great, and the streets were full of people having a jolly ol’ time! Exploring #YongeDundas from an unhurried, pedestrian perspective was rather fantastic; when you take the time to really check it out, this busy hub proves strange, beautiful, and unlike any other part of the city.

#YongeDundas Square festivities

The famous square itself was full of activity. There was music on the main stage, a good number of food & beverage vendors, and even various booths showcasing Toronto’s city services. It was a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon, and to explore what Toronto’s green scene has to offer.

Something for the family

As usual, there was even something for the young’uns. Kids got the opportunity to paint, play with worms & dirt, watch a reptile show, and attend various family-friendly presentations.

#YongeDundas Square, looking south

The Green Street Market provided visitors with a chance to buy some from some of their favourite eco-conscious brands, and to discover new ones at promotion prices. Shoppers could find everything from soaps and jewellery to solar panels and eco-friendly bottles.

Truly Local, creative entrepreneurs

The festival is a great venue for small businesses to reach their target audience. Truly Local, a Toronto-based business didn’t even need a booth—they simply walked around wearing their product, and talking with people about the benefits of home-gardening. Festivals like this provide a very necessary platform for the eco-entrepreneur, and serve as a place to exchange ideas & meet interesting people!

Back to the Roots, ideas from abroad

Other vendors found the festival useful for expanding into new territory. Back to the Roots, a California-based company was busy building local hype in preparation for their products’ introduction to Loblaws Supermarkets. Home-grown oyster mushrooms!? I’ll definitely be on the look-out for these!

Environmental Defence, something to consider

Last, but not least, the festival functions as a place for not-for-profit organizations to make themselves heard. There were all sorts of eye-catching posters on display, and many had important messages to convey. I had some inspiring conversations with people from Environmental Defence, Cultivate Toronto, Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), Sustainable TO, and a couple other green groups.

Overall, it was a great festival, and I learned quite a bit!

How was your weekend, #TransitHubbers? Did you catch any festivals? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Toronto Beer Festival coming up!

2012-07-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

Hey-o! The Toronto Beer Festival is coming up! Running from Friday July 27 to Sunday July 29, The Exhibition is the place to be on a hot weekend.

You can look forward to dozens of different beers, BBQ, live music and much more!
Get your tickets as soon as you can at beerfestival.ca

For the aficionados out there, here's a incomplete (!) list of breweries that are usually featured at the Beer Festival.

Ozawa Canada
Big Rock Brewery
3 Brewers
United Distributors
Tsing Tao
Nickel Brook
Old Credit Brewery
Lake of Bays Brewing Company
Beau's All Natural Brewing Company
Innis & Gunn
Minhas Craft Brewery
Creemore Springs
Rickards
Cameron's Brewing
Flying Monkey's Brewery
Cool Beer Brewing
McLays Pale Ale
Brick Brewing Company

Food-wise, you can look forward to all sorts of BBQ goodies from the Grilling Tent, to food venues the likes of Caplansky's Deli, Tiny Tom's Donuts, La Poutine Machine, and many more!

Here are some of the music acts you can look forward to.

Kreesha Turner (Friday, July 27)

The Matthew Brothers (Saturday, July 28)

Big Wreck (Sunday, July 29)

Get your tickets ASAP and don't forget to tell us how it was!

Photos courtesy of beerfestival.ca

Beaches Jazz Festival in full swing!

2012-07-22T14:30:00.003-04:00

The 24th annual Beaches International Jazz Festival is alive and kicking this weekend! There will be a lot of jazz to be heard with multiple outdoor stages and local venues hosting talented musicians from around the world. The festival runs until Sunday, July 29.

Last night, Papa Grows Funk, one of the hottest bands all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana, lit up the TD Main Stage at Woodbine Park!

Papa Grows Funk on the main stage!

The festival is spread out across the Beaches with performances at Woodbine Park,

Kew Gardens and various "Boardwalk Stages."

Also, the Streetfest which runs daily from 7:00 to 11:00pm from Thursday, July 26 to Saturday, July 28 is one not to miss! Over 40 venues will be showcasing bands all along Queen Street East. You'll start out with Samba Squad (whom we love) at the south-east corner of #WoodbineQueen and end with Bernadette Connors at Suzuki Shiatsu at #BeechQueen.

So, grab a date or a few friends, and lose yourself in musical enchantment!

Woodbine Park was packed last night with revellers!

Did you check out the festival? Did you have fun?

Festivals and events galore this weekend!

2012-07-21T15:46:00.001-04:00

There are a lot of festivals on the go this weekend in Toronto! You don't wanna miss out! Here are nine to choose from ...

Festivals are a time to celebrate!

1. Sunday Serenades: The Casablanca Orchestra will be performing this Sunday from 7:30-9:00pm at Mel Lastman Square. Just head up the Yonge line to North York Centre subway station.

2. 60 Years of Designing the Ballet & The Tutu Project: This exhibition at the Design

Exchange continues this weekend and is open from noon to 5pm. Located at the #BayWellington hub.

3. Summerlicious: Food, food, food! Last call for Summerlicious reservations at restaurants across the city! The festival ends this Sunday, July 22. Check out our Hub-based restaurant listing complete with photos and reviews. As well, read our two blog posts on the Inside Scoop and A Summerlicious Patio Lunch at Spice Route.

4. Toronto Summer Music Festival: This festival is going on until Saturday, August 4. Today, the Mentors and Fellows Concerts, Chamber Music of Brahms and Fauré is happening at 4:00pm and 7:30pm at Walter Hall, which is just south of #AvenueBloor, near Museum subway station.

5. Hot & Spicy Food Festival: This festival is celebrating its 15th year! It runs until Sunday, July 22 at the Harbourfront Centre. Look out for the Iron Chef Competition and the International Marketplace! #TransitHub down to Union station, then take the streetcar to #SimcoeQQWest.

6. Waterfront Night Market: Another food festival?! We are going to be stuffed this weekend! This one's a bit trickier to get to by transit. Go to either Pape or Union station, then take the 72B bus to Cherry Street.

7. Festival Bana Y'Afrique: Betcha didn't know about this one! The guitar, drums and other instruments will be out for this music festival. It's being held in two different locations. Passion Lounge near #GreenwoodDanforth and the Lula Lounge, just west of #DufferinDundas.

8. Beaches Jazz Festival: Woodbine Park will be alive this weekend with the sounds of jazz music! The festival continues on until July 29. To get to #CoxwellQueen, just take the 22 bus south from Coxwell subway station, or take the 501 streetcar east from Queen or Osgoode subway.

9. Live Green Toronto Festival: All things green on Yonge Street! The street is closed from #YongeDundas to #YongeQueen with lots of eco-friendly merchandise and local food products.

Which ones are you going to check out?

Waterfront Night Market at Cherry Beach

2012-07-21T14:36:00.000-04:00

This may be the perfect free downtown summer event. Inexpensive and exotic asian cuisine, live music, film, and sports events, and it's on Cherry Beach! Grab the 72B bus from Pape or Union station. Saturday until midnight, Sunday from 1-10 pm. All the details

Live Green Fest looking pretty awesome this year!

2012-07-21T13:19:00.001-04:00

Here are some photos of it at the #YongeDundas hub. Lots of tents and stalls! Fresh fruit & veggies, lots of organic stuff, and even honey!

Looking North on Yonge

Beautiful day. Great photos.

There are more photos on our Pinterest Board.

Canoeing: the perfect prescription to ease queasiness

2012-07-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

Cruising down Queens Quay, my family and I were searching for some entertainment on a scorching, clammy afternoon. Once we hit the Harbourfront, we noticed sailboats and decided to hunt down what we hoped would be affordable rentals.

Sailboats and Power boats at Harbourfront Centre

Already feeling queasy from a heavy lunch and spending hours circling through the jam-packed streets
in a car, my stomach hoped all the boats were taken. To my stomachs relief, upon inquiring about rates we found out that because of the summer rush, the sailboats and power boats were all rented for the day. Ready to leave disappointed, we were stopped by a Canoe & Kayak Centre instructor who took us outside to a little picnic table where we saw a sign that had affordable rates for canoe and kayak rentals.

Kayaks available for rental at Harbourfront

Despite my uneasy stomach, I let my cousins convince me join them on a four-person canoe tour on Lake Ontario. With rates as cheap as $10 for 30 minutes and double the price for an hour, it seemed like a hard deal to refuse.

Once we made the payment, we waited for our instructor to bring us life jackets and paddles. Walking towards the dock, we geared up; locking our life jackets into place. As I stomped across the wooden planks, I realized how unprepared we were for our spontaneous trip. I was in a long summer dress with uncomfortable shoes, while my cousin was in black dress pants and a white business shirt (we had just picked him up from work!).

Safety first: For first-timers and the experienced, wearing a life jacket during all water activities is a must

Our instructor, Nick, hopped onto the boat first and held out a hand for the rest of us. He noticed our uneasiness and explained that preparation and experience for our canoe adventure was overrated. Nick claimed the experience would be exciting regardless of whether we were dressed for the part or not.

He explained the simplest way of holding the paddle and paddling. “There is no need to try and be creative with your paddling because it has worked for us and those before us for centuries. Please don’t try to outsmart the simple paddling techniques,” laughed Nick.

Once we got a rhythm going on both sides, the paddling seemed simple enough. That is when I began to look past the vast ocean to notice the majestic view of the Toronto skyline. The panoramic view of the striking city made me put down my paddle more than once to take in the grandeur of nature against the city.

The Toronto skyline looked fantastic from our canoe. The view had us awe-struck.

With airplanes taking route over our heads and ferries at a paddles distance away from our tiny canoe, I was certain we would run into a kayak or boat at some point along our journey. Thanks to Nick’s amazing steering though, we were able to tour the water and make it back to land safely.

Our crew made it back to land safely :)

After a few minutes on the canoe, all my queasiness disappeared with the exhilarating calm of the water. The affordability of the rental and helpful guidance of our instructor made the journey an easy one to take. As we climbed out of the boat, Nick invited us to come back for a two-and-a-half hour canoe tour to the nearby islands, where stand-up paddle boarding was also available. With promises to return for the cheap tour later this summer, we stored his number and bid him farewell for his next journey through the waters of Lake Ontario.

University of Toronto Ghost Tour - BOO!

2012-07-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

University of Toronto Ghost Tour - BOO!

There are more ghosts than you think haunting Toronto's oldest university. A great way to discover where they are, if you want to find them or avoid them, is to take this fun and frightening walking tour. Whether you are a skeptic, or if some of your best friends are ghosts, you can have a swell time on this tour.

Our guide Richard: suspected ghost.

We started at #AvenueBloor by the old east entrance to the ROM where we met our knowledgeable and fearless guide, Richard. He took us around campus to several spots on the 90-minute tour. We learned about a young ghost spotted in the old Planetarium called Celeste, who would be seen watching the stars with the other children. A famous axe-murder from the mid 1800s that left the victim and a door in a bad way. The story of a cookie maker who had a secret in his basement and much more!

Not the door!

Tours are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot. You can also arrange your own time for you and a group, just get in contact with Muddy York Walking Tours - they've got lots of other fun and historical tours of the city.

The site of some ghostly visions...

Parkdale like you’ve never seen before!

2012-07-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

I’m a greeter with the City of Toronto’s TAP into TO program. Through this program, I've taken guests from around the world on visits of Toronto neighbourhoods over the last three years.

Today was a special day, as one of the greeters, Alma Handzic, gave ten other greeters a captivating and inspiring visit of the Parkdale neighbourhood!

Alma, extreme right, with curious greeters. Am I the only one who didn't wear shades?

It was a muggy morning as I ventured out to #DufferinQueen to meet the group. We met at the newly constructed open space on the north-west corner.

Public space with evidence of use by skateboarders and graffiti artists

I learned so much on this visit; and it started by finding out that the TTC stop at the south-east corner of #DufferinQueen is the busiest one in the city! Who knew? And, residential construction is underway in Parkdale too.

These new lofts under development are expected to retain Parkdale's character

Alma mentioned to us that artists prefer the Parkdale area because of lower rents compared to other studio locations in the city. Here's one that she encouraged us to check out!

Studios 1266 building

As we started walking west on Queen Street, we encountered a collection of popular bars that certainly get busy in the evenings.

Clockwise from top-left: Parkdale Drink, Stones Place, Rhino and Cadillac Lounge

Next, Alma invited us in to check out The Mascot cafe, which is a cool little space with funky decor.

Pictures from The Mascot; I couldn't resist getting on the rocking horse

In contrast to the hustle and bustle on Queen Street West, the intersecting streets are tranquil with impressive greenery.

Elm Grove Avenue (ooh, I wonder what's down Milky Way?)

Beaty Avenue

People need a place to live and with homes (not condos) becoming scarce in Toronto, some neighbourhoods are building infill housing. Here's an example.

Example of modern infill housing

Parkdale is a very ethnically diverse neighbourhood and is also home to a large Tibetan diaspora. Here are some more photographs of the neighbourhood:

Man and dog hanging out outside the Made You Look jewellery store

Really narrow building housing a yoga studio. Nice wood paneling!

How about these funky bicycle stands!

This globe used to be a fountain; now it's just a globe!

Someone was having a lot of fun with paint!

Community Garden on Cowan Avenue

Cool, old-style balconies

As we were admiring this old building called Edmond Place built in 1912, Leslie Miller, a resident came up and gave us an impromptu story about it. We learned that the building was taken over by the City, abandoned for over ten years by a landlord and then rebuilt by the Parkdale Area-Recreation Centre. Now it houses those who are recovering from mental health and addiction issues.

Leslie Miller, left, advocate for social change

Another view of Edmond Place at #DowlingQueen

As we continued walking west towards #RoncesvallesQueen, we were presented with an interesting mix of restaurants, bars and vintage stores.

Parts & Labour - formerly a hardware store, now a hip and happening resto-bar.

Those poles just needed some decoration. Knitting to the max!

The Pinball Cafe, which provides arcade games for hours of enjoyment!

Spooky antique shop called Hideaway Antiques

Finally, we reached #RoncesvallesQueen and near the end of our tour! Alma informed us that the building of the Gardiner Expressway in the 1950s changed the demographic composition of Parkdale from an upscale neighbourhood to lower income as rooming houses were built.

Overlooking the Palais Royale and Lake Ontario in the background

We're at the end of our tour and Easy Restaurant is making me hungry!

And, a final reminder, from Wrongbar, when you plan to go out and party in Parkdale:

Hope you enjoyed this virtual visit! Are you inspired to check out Parkdale now?

Last call to Fringe the weekend away!

2012-07-14T12:32:00.000-04:00

Last call to Fringe the weekend away!

Sign at the Fringe artist alley directing people where to go

Don't miss your last chance to catch shows at the Fringe Festival this weekend. For all you theatre-enthusiasts out there, grab affordable tickets while you can for a unique theatre experience at Fringe 2012.

Running low on cash or a broke student? Don’t worry! The festival caters to people like you and I too. Drop by the Artist alley located by Honest Ed’s at 581 Bloor Street West (#Bathurst and Bloor). The Fringe Club is buzzing with excitement, music and artists talks for all you intellectuals out there. Saturday’s tent talk will feature tourist artist at Fringe and the talk will revolve around international theatre. (Yes, as the title suggests, theatre does exist outside Toronto). The talk will start at 4pm and will be followed by an open-mic night filled with music, dance and of course…an open bar!

In case you can’t catch Saturday’s festivities, make sure you make it to the alleyway on Sunday for the Long Live Theatre tent talk at 4pm. Some more music and drinks to follow of course and prizes will be awarded to Rootin Tootin winners at 9:30pm.

Keep an eye out for the large Fringe arrow directing you to the alley because it’s easy to miss as you rush past the flashy advertisements for Honest Ed’s.

Celebrate with Fringe as the festival wraps up!

A Summerlicious Patio Lunch

2012-07-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

A Summerlicious Patio Lunch

#SpadinaKing

Two of my favorite joys, Asian food and sunlight, complimented one another on a Wednesday afternoon at Spice Route Asian Bistro and Bar. One of the 180 (or more) restaurants participating in Summerlicious 2012, Spice Route offered an appetizer, entrée and dessert to customers for just $15 per person.

Spice Route's relaxing patio lounge on a sunny afternoon

Growing up on spicy Asian fusion dishes, my taste buds are familiar to unusual mixtures of spices but as I licked Spice Route's spicy wasabi mayo off my finger, my taste buds began to tingle. After a sip of water to simmer down the spice, I gave it another go but this time, I coupled the wasabi mayo with my vegetable egg rolls. The tingling minimized to a mere kick that wasabi usually adds to Asian food, making my selected appetizer delicious! Lesson of the meal: Just because you can't see the wasabi, doesn't mean the flavor isn't there.

The route continued to remain a scrumptious one as I moved onto the soy-ginger glazed salmon plated with a colorful mix of red and green peppers.

The restaurant's soy-ginger glazed salmon entrée laid out over a bed of bell-peppers and coleslaw.

But the best part of the meal was yet to come. Now I'm not a big fan of bananas to be honest, but I am a die-hard chocolate-lover. So, I had to order the only chocolate dessert on the menu. Well, it wasn't even chocolate really but tempura bananas just drizzled in chocolate and caramel sauce. Did I mention that I HATE bananas? But these freshly-fried, pipping bananas were like bananas that I have never tasted before. They melted right in my mouth! Did I mention they were covered in chocolate?

Mouth-watering tempura banana dessert with chocolate and caramel sauce

Enough said. Spice Route is definitely a must-try on Summerlicious' list of restaurants. The ambiance helps deliver an authentic Asian dining experience. Oh and don't forget to try the washrooms. You won't be disappointed!

Comfy inside seating area and bar space at Spice Route

Remember to check out our Hub-based list of Summerlicious restaurants and the inside scoop of five restaurants!

Festival of India

2012-07-12T12:12:00.000-04:00

So exciting! 40th annual Festival of India is going down this weekend (July 14th and 15th). So many fun things in store.

Friday July 13th - "Tearing the roof off spiritually" with a 12 hour chanting/drumming session at #YongeDundas for the Kirtan Festival.

Saturday July 14th morning - The festival will officially kick off with a parade starting at #YongeBloor hub and going all the way down to the Lakeshore. The parade will start at 11am and wind down at 2pm.

Saturday July 14th afternoon (after the parade) - The festivities continue at Centre Island with free vegetarian feast, a bazaar, face painting, yoga festival, and much more.

Sunday July 15th all day - The festivities continue with much more of the same.

Sunday July 15th (12pm to 5pm) - Yoga Meltdown. Should be loads of sweaty fun :)

Sounds like fun will be had in oodles! You can find a detailed breakdown of the arts & culture shows here.

Guest Post: On the Rocks - Boulderz Climbing Centre

2012-07-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

Ionatan Waisgluss has done it again with yet another guest blog post for TransitHub. You would think the guy loves us or something? In this article, Ionatan talks about his experience with bouldering. What's that, you ask? Well, see what he has to say, complete with pictures ...
- Neil Jain

On the Rocks: Boulderz Climbing Centre

I've recently been spending a lot of time around #LansdowneDupont, enjoying an activity known as bouldering, a unique type of rock-climbing sport. Defining this activity is rather tricky, as it shares a significant overlap with parkour, buildering, and treeclimbing. While everyone’s idea of bouldering is undoubtedly different, it shares a common thread... or lack thereof, I should say—bouldering involves no ropes!

For obvious reasons, bouldering is generally limited to smaller climbs, and usually makes use of crash pads (thick mats placed below the routes). Bouldering can be done outdoors (in natural formations or man-made structures), or in rock climbing gyms. In this post, I’ll be talking about a particular gym I’ve been hitting up in the west end of Toronto—Boulderz Climbing Centre.

Boulderz is a unique rock climbing gym because it focuses on bouldering as its main attraction. As soon as you enter the place, the first thing you notice is the odd shape of the walls. The place is full of interesting angles, including some nice caves and overhangs. The padded flooring is also well-implemented, and makes for safe landing—as important in bouldering as it is in regular climbing. The place has a really interesting and adventuresome feel to it, but also feels safe, comfortable, and really well thought-out.

The amount and variety of different holds (the things you can grab) is completely incredible. By the end of the day, you’ll have held on to everything from alien faces to corn-on-the-cob. Routes are changed up weekly, so you’re always faced with new challenges, and the climbs never get old!

Beyond being interesting from an aesthetic perspective, the astounding variety of holds forces you to use your hands in interesting ways, making use of all sorts of different techniques. Here are three very basic ones:

A jug is an easy hold, where the climber is able to use all of their fingers and forearm strength.

A crimp is a bit harder, relying mostly on the first joints of the fingers.

A pinch is even harder than that, and requires the climber to use the thumb and fingers to pinch the sides of a hold.

... and these are just the basics! The way you use your feet is equally as important, and has its own terminology, as does the way you transfer from one hold to the next!

Boulderz has routes for all ages and abilities, with features such as topout routes, a workout & stretching area, free-climbing, a mini-bouldering wall for kids, and even a climbing treadmill! All of the essentials are taken care of: water fountains, changerooms, washrooms, lockers, and so on are all available and well-maintained; snacks, drinks, and even some climbing equipment are available for purchase at their kiosk. On top of all of this, Boulderz hosts various programs, along with birthday parties, competitions, and private bookings.

Here it is! The climbing treadmill!

Everyone I’ve met here has been friendly and helpful, and the staff is fantastic! Their hours are great, and it’s easy to get there—even the music is lively and has a tribal sort of groove that’s perfect for climbing. Boulderz really is a great place to get a workout, and it’s quite a bit more fun than mindlessly pumping iron at the gym. Maybe I’ll see you there!

If you’d like to read more about why bouldering is a rock-solid activity, check out this article I wrote on the Top 10 Reasons to Go Bouldering!

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Other goodies at #LansdowneDupont

Bouldering burns a lot of calories, and you’re going to be pretty hungry by the time you’re done. Luckily, Thai Lime (just across the street) offers some of the best Thai food in Toronto. The menu is great, and the meals come in big portions; if you feel like you’ve ordered way too much, eat it anyways— you can always digest by walking west along Dupont and linking up to the West Toronto RailPath, which I explore in this article.

Highlights from Salsa on St. Clair!

2012-07-10T15:54:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, the 8th Annual National Bank Salsa on St. Clair was held in Toronto! We #TransitHubbed over to the St. Clair West strip, which was closed off for the event from #ChristieStClair west to #WinonaStClair.

Salsa on St. Clair is a true celebration of the various Latin cultures. There was a lot of dancing, music and food everywhere on a beautiful day. Here are some highlights!

Los Salsomanos - Latin Dance Company

It was packed!

Main Stage - Performance by Café Cubano or was it Latin Groove? Good stuff!

People were certainly grooving to the beat!

This is the Samba Squad! Love their energy. They drew a huge crowd!

Everyone's shy to dance though!

Here's a short clip of their performance!

We just had to buy their CD. Can't stop playing it!

Keep on #TransitHubbing, people!

Shakespeare in the Park

2012-07-07T11:03:00.001-04:00

Shakespeare in the Park is one of Toronto’s summertime gems. Now celebrating its 30^th anniversary, it runs until Sep. 2^nd and is presented by Canadian Stage (CanStage). This summer’s offering, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has been given high praise by the Globe and Mail among others. Admission is $20 or pay what you can, free for kids 14 and under. There’s food and drink for sale, but you can bring your own picnic spread. Shows do tend to sell out, so it’s recommended to buy your tickets in advance at www.canadianstage.com

Shows start at dusk and take place in the High Park Amphitheatre, easily accessible by transit in Toronto's west end.

Summerlicious restaurants: Inside Scoop!

2012-07-05T14:36:00.001-04:00

Eat! Eat! Eat!

The annual Summerlicious festival is back in Toronto this year from July 6 to 22, 2012. Prices are fixed, you get three courses along with some options, and there are over 180 restaurants to choose from.

I eat out a bit more than I should admit. The advantage, of course, is that I've had an opportunity to eat at a fair number of the restaurants on TransitHub's Summerlicious list. That makes me somewhat qualified to provide an opinion.

So, I've chosen a few restaurants on the list to give you my inside scoop on them. I am a vegetarian, so I do bring a different perspective. Enjoy!

(All images courtesy City of Toronto Summerlicious restaurants page).

1. The Host Fine Indian Cuisine // Closest Hub: #AvenueBloor

Being of Indian origin, eating Indian food in a restaurant automatically heightens my standards. Overall, I was impressed by The Host. In fact, I've also eaten at their location up north. It's nice for the occasional meal, like Summerlicious, but too rich to eat there regularly, as is the case with most Indian restaurants.

2. King Street Social // Closest Hub: #JohnKing

King Street Social is part of the Hyatt Regency. Who would've thought, eating in a hotel? Only for tourists, right? I was pleasantly surprised. I was attending a conference at the hotel and just needed a place to eat. They had a delicious sandwich and soup combo. I even went back once with friends since it was so good. Just don't order a soft drink; they cost $4.00. (A friend got bill shock!)

3. Spice Route // Closest Hub: #SpadinaKing

Spice Route is one of those must-go places if you haven't been before. They've got some funky decor, including the washrooms. (Check 'em out and just be observant.) I liked hangin' out on the patio for a friend's birthday once. It gets quite lively on the weekend. Hmm, with regards to food, I just remember having a mix of different Asian tapas. It was quite delicious!

4. Vecchio Frak // Closest Hub: #OssingtonCollege

I've only been to Vecchio Frak once. It was for a friend's birthday. Very intimate and upscale. The bill was in the hundreds of dollars for a table of eight or so, so I'm sure a Summerlicious deal would be a good way to experience this place. I wouldn't say it was any different from other Italian restaurants I've been to in Little Italy but it was very stylish.

5. Jump // Closest Hub: #YongeKing

I wouldn't normally venture in to Jump. I was fortunate to have been taken there for a work occasion. As I browsed through the menu, I realized there was nothing vegetarian. (Maybe it's changed by now.) I didn't want cause a fuss and just asked for anything vegetarian they might have. They were so kind to make a special dish for me, with rice and veggies, and it was delicious! Another one to certainly take advantage of for Summerlicious!

#TransitHubbers: What Summerlicious restaurants will you be eating at? Or have eaten at? What's your favourite?

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit

2012-07-05T01:33:00.003-04:00

Want to enjoy the outdoor weather as well as see some contemporary fine art? The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit brings you the best of both worlds. This year will be the 51st year for TOAE which is a free outdoor exhibit featuring contemporary art and craft. For three straight days from 6 - 8 July, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit takes place at Nathan Phillips Square.

This is one of the largest outdoor art exhibit in Canada held annually in July and is attended by an estimated 100,000 visitors every year.

The booth map helps you navigate around the 364 booths. Remember to use the #toae and #yongequeen hashtag. You can also follow @TOAEART on twitter.

Photo Credit: DGriebeling

2012-07-03T23:53:00.002-04:00

See a show at the Toronto Fringe Festival

The Toronto Fringe Festival is Toronto’s largest theatre and performance festival. The fun starts this week and runs Wednesday July 4to Sunday July 15 at venues across the west end of Toronto. Check here for all the venues http://fringetoronto.com/fringe-festival/maps/

Having fun at The Fringe Club behind Honest Ed's #BathurstBloor

The main hub of activity is #BathurstBloor where you’ll find The Fringe Club in Honest Ed’s Alley at 581 Bloor St W. Here you can find out information about the shows and festival, minge with the artists, get food and drinks, see cabaret shows and much, much more! http://fringetoronto.com/fringe-festival/fringe-club/

And that’s just at The Fringe Club! The Fringe Festival is all about the shows - 140+ productions are featured at 25+ venues. There’s something for everyone, with musicals, comedies, family programming, drama, dance, improv and even the site specific productions that take place in unexpected locations like backs of cars or down hidden alleys.

The Fringe is a great festival because all shows have full artistic freedom, they are uncensored and all the ticket sales go right back to the artists. You will definitely see something unexpected.

Get your tickets here! http://fringetoronto.com/fringe-festival/

And see you out there Transithubbers.

Guest Post: Rocket Man by Adham Fisher

2012-07-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

I am very excited to introduce Adham Fisher, or should I say "Rocket Man"? Adham is a global transit celebrity of sorts; trying to break the Guinness record of visiting each station in London and New York. In this post, he shares his experience of rocketing through Toronto earlier this year. Phew, talk about a #TransitHubbing Adventure!
- Neil Jain

Adham Fisher near the #YongeDundas Hub (Credit: Geoffrey Crosse)

As part of my subway tour of North America in April 2012, I went to every Toronto subway and RT station as quickly as possible (2 hours, 46 minutes and 1 second) using Guinness World Record rules for London and New York. No other rapid transit record exists with Guinness, but that is just one of those things ...

I had no expectations of the subway before I arrived. On my previous two visits – pre-transit record days – I don’t believe I even used it. Every transit system is different; I have no expectations before riding one for the first time, no matter how much I research. Toronto was full of surprises: the brevity of the Sheppard Line, for example. And the fact that weekly tickets are valid from Monday to Sunday only. Due to the amount I would be using the TTC, I thought one of those would be the most economical. But I landed on a Tuesday and departed on Sunday. When I started to research on Wednesday it was too late to buy the ticket for that week – only the next – so I had to obtain daily ones. Other networks with weekly tickets on which I have travelled allow people to use them for any seven consecutive days. TTC day tickets are surprisingly large and unwieldy, in comparison to London ones (around credit card size). Paris squeezes the technology down even further.

Ticket size comparison: Toronto, London, Paris

These are merely observations, not negatives by any means. In fact I cannot think of a single negative thing during my stay, having been invited to a meeting with the TTC, asked to appear on The Morning Show and been on the Bloor-Danforth Line in rush hour when several commuters were reading the Metro newspaper with me on the front page.

On the cover of Toronto's Metro newspaper

Unfortunately I did not have time to ride the length of the famous 501 streetcar route, and I hope that will be done at some point.

Scarborough Town Centre was my local TransitHub, and probably the most memorable one because I went there most often. Having hardly alighted at any stations – researching a subway can be very time consuming – I can’t say much about TransitHubs, except that Queen has a lot of activity and stations at ends of lines tend to lead into large interchanges with buses. I could explore the surrounding areas of TransitHubs. I think that is the best way to learn more about what is in a city; go and walk around places. I do like exiting stations for the first time as I wonder what will greet me as I rise to street level.

What is my ultimate transit mission? I don’t have one. Or perhaps it has not been disclosed to me yet. But I can tell you that I am releasing a compilation album called the Métro EP on July 9.

Metro EP Cover

Featuring the music of me and other individuals under the name 1000 Stations, it is about different transit systems of the world. And there is a piece written for your very own Toronto Subway.

Adham

Adham Fisher, from Leicester, England, raises eyebrows by staying on public transit much longer than necessary to visit each station on subway systems in the quickest possible time. His most challenging venture has so far been staying on the New York Subway for 23 hours, 11 minutes and 24 seconds. In April 2012 he landed in Toronto to ride the Rocket, and became a "minor celebrity" in the process.

Editor:

Links from Adham: cribbit.net/adham.asp and twitter.com/directiontravel.
Press release for Adham's album can be found here.

Canada Day Fireworks

2012-07-01T13:36:00.003-04:00

Canada Day is a great day for #TransitHubbing! Sunday July 1st to party and Monday to rest.

With that in mind, here's a list of some great spots to catch fireworks tonight.

Number one spot is of course in Ashbridges Bay (#CoxwellQueen hub). You sit the close that you can feel the air quiver from the explosions and if the wind is right, the fireworks ash actually lands on you! (Don't worry it's not hot.)

Mel Lastman Square (#YongeFinch hub) will have live music. Great food. And of course fireworks!

Downsview Park (#DufferinSheppard hub) is always a great place for spectacular fireworks.

Of course we wrote about our favourite Toronto Rib Fest just earlier today. A bit farther away at Centennial Park (#RathburnEglinton hub). But you know what can definitely mix? Ribs and Fireworks, that's what.

Toronto Rib Fest in Centennial Park

2012-07-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

What better way is there to celebrate Canada Day than with a Rib Fest?

Granted, Centennial Park is a bit too far from any of our usual hubs (#EglintonCentennial?), but how could we miss out on a place that has rib cook offs, live music, fireworks, beer, and just general good old Canadian fun?

We'll have correspondents on site "documenting" the day's events :)

Getting there by Transit is a bit more complicated as it's off the main subway lines. But you can still get it done rather simply by going to Royal York stop on the Bloor Line. From there just grab the 48 Rathburn bus. They have a dedicated route to Centennial Park.

Rib Fest is on all the way through this long weekend.

Guest Post: Adventures on the West Toronto Railpath

2012-06-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Guess who's back #TransitHubbers? Ionatan Waisgluss, with yet another post! This time he recounts a fascinating story about his adventures on the West Toronto Railpath. I'm sure you'll be as inspired as I was!
- Neil Jain

Toronto is a city full of hidden gems; the more I explore it, the more I appreciate what each neighbourhood has to offer. Recently, I discovered the West Toronto RailPath (WTR), which—in addition to being a destination in itself—allows for leisurely travel between two areas of Toronto. The pleasant trail spans roughly 2 km, from The Junction to the northwest corner of the downtown.

The trail, formally opened in October of 2009, is a wonderful stretch to explore. Trail highlights include derelict buildings seen from unusual angles, sporadic art pieces (metal installations by artist John Dickson), various native plantings for the nature geek, and some of the smoothest pavement in Toronto—perfect for everything from wheelchairs to kick-scooters. The path is also crossed by various other transportation routes, forming some fascinating urban topography, and resulting in the sort of dead space that graffiti artists tend to love.

The eerie remnants of the Canadian Hanson & Van Winkle Company Ltd.

Frontier #1 (a public installation by John Dickson)

A happy heart and some urban tranquility, tacked onto a pole.

Street art loves these dead spaces.

Layers of cultural modification.

Interesting style.

Big, goofy, and charismatic.

Comics-inspired, fantastic!

A rat-sized piece.

The path ends rather abruptly, and leaves you at Dundas St. West & Sterling Rd. I must admit, there isn’t much to do around there, but heading back north makes for an interesting walk.

You get to pass by the Toronto headquarters of Nestlé.

There’s even a little bit more street art.

Walking up Sterling Rd. is nowhere near as exciting as walking down the RailPath. Luckily, plans are underway to expand the RailPath in the near future, making our wonderful city even more interconnected. I haven’t heard how long it’ll take, though I’m certainly looking forward to it! In any case, I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and that you make use of this beautiful part of the city. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Happy adventures,

--Ionatan Waisgluss

Blackburn Brothers at #SpadinaKing

2012-06-26T15:24:00.003-04:00

Looking for something to do tomorrow? Well there's hot blues action as part of the Jazz Fest happening at Joe Mama's at the #SpadinaKing hub.

Blackburn Brothers lay down some mad blues and R&B. I'm very excited!

See more of our jazz fest guide here.

#TransitHubbing guide to the Jazz Festival

2012-06-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

We have awesome tips and guides for what's going down for the Jazz Festival this week!

Saturday June 23rd

Get The Blessing @ 5pm - a Jazz rock quarter from England at Nathan Phillips Square (#BayQueen hub)
Lorne Lofsky Trio @ 6pm - a blockbuster international jazz band at Chalkers Pub (the #AllenEglinton hub)

Sunday June 24th

Carn Davidson 9 @ 5pm - an awesome band of JUNO award nominated jazz artists (#UniversityQueen hub)
Chase Sanborn Trio @ 12pm - experience distillery district (the #ParliamentFront hub)

Monday, June 25th

Chloe Watkinson & The Tall Grass @ 10pm - 60s R&B favourites, soul rarities, and funk at Grossman's Tavern (the #SpadinaCollege hub)
Roy Hargrove's RH Factor @ 8pm - famous trumpeter, composer, and arranger at the Toronto Star Stage at Nathan Phillips (the #BayQueen hub)

Tuesday, June 26th

Bill Frisell and Ensemble @ 7pm - a star studded cast of musicians playing at the Harbour Front Centre (the #SimcoeQueensQuay hub)

Wednesday, June 27th

Blackburn Brothers @ 8:30pm - blues, soul, and R&B at Joe Mama's (#SpadinaKing hub)
Leslie Yonge Trio @ 8pm - $10 cover, but a total deal to watch these guys play and have awesome drinks at Hotel Ocho! (#SpadinaQueen hub)

Saturday June 30th

Gord Sheard's Brazilian Jazz Experience @ 5pm- a great romp through Brazil's jazz influence at Nathan Phillips Square (the #BayQueen hub)

Sunday July 1st @ 4:45pm

Diana Salvatore - did someone say Mafiosa Motown? Yes! It's at Nathan Phillips (the #BayQueen hub)

Roy Hargrove (courtesy: torontojazz.com)