Dilla
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/oct/25/toronto-canada-ossington-avenue
Streets ahead
Each week we visit an emerging neighbourhood in a different city. This week: Ossington Avenue in Toronto
Enzo DiMatteo, associate editor, Now Magazine, Toronto
The Guardian, Saturday October 25 2008
Article history
Back in Victorian times, the foot of this lost stretch on the southern edge of Little Portugal was the end of the line for the working class immigrants riding the early morning trolley to low-paying jobs in this former meatpacking district.
It was the last stop, too, for outpatients collecting their morning meds at the then Queen Street Mental Health Centre. The turn-of-the-century former Provincial Lunatic Asylum - or the ghosts of those tormented there - has long cast a shadow over the area. It's latterly been a no-man's land of strip joints and cheap rents.
Now a massive redevelopment of the grounds - and a breath of cool blowing in with the influx of club kids escaping the retail hell currently sucking what bohemia is left out of Queen West - has done the improbable and brought a little hip to this once scary strip.
The auto repair shops and sketchy Vietnamese karaoke bars still dominate this stretch of Ossington between Dundas and Queen, but restorations, cafes, vintage clothes shops and art galleries have taken up abandoned spaces alongside the neighbourhood fish stores and Portuguese meat shops specialising in suckling pig.
Arty types who moved into the area when rents were dirt cheap and a sweaty hole in the wall was the only place to get a drink are loth to utter the g-word (gentrification). But the die has been cast. On the northwest corner, above a gated alley, chi-chi lofts are going up where the down-and-out used to rent rooms in a rundown boarding house.
Down the block at Badlands Vintage, however, the handwritten Note To All Bad Guys in the window suggests a fair bit of grit is still left in this eclectic avenue. "After the store closes," it reads, "there is no cash on the premises. So breaking shit won't do shit. Oh yeah. We only take cash. Sorry, dudes!!!"
I Deal Coffee
I Deal is king when it comes to sustainable coffee. When this anti-Starbucks venue moves in, the hip is sure to follow. (Its two other locations are in the so-called "emerging" 'hoods of Kensington and Queen East.) Blends from Guatemala, Peru, Ethiopia and El Salvador are all organic, bird-friendly and co-op farmed. (We'll ignore the fact that the joint has been criticised in the past for sending customers away with takeout cups made from Styrofoam.) Recommendation: the Prince of Darkness, a blend of dark-roast, high-altitude coffees from Ethiopia and Southern and Central America.
Reposado
At Reposado it's all about the tequila, the authentic stuff, made from 100% blue agave. And the backyard patio. It can get expensive - up to C$40 a glass. No worries - there are plenty of cheaper varieties to choose from. Don't expect lime and salt with your drinks, though. Here the tequila is served straight up, and not meant to be knocked back but savoured.
• 136 Ossington (+416 532 6474, reposadobar.com).
Babel Books and Music
Like the name suggests, this noisy neighbourhood mainstay has shelves stuffed with offbeat books and rare vinyl. The only place in town where you'll find Paul Wilkinson's Rat Salad - his ode to Black Sabbath's classic years - alongside A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. A throwback to the below street-level novelty shops that added a touch of whimsy to San Fran's Haight-Ashbury before its turn to ultra-chic gay in the 90s, only with a little more natural light, Babel's unconventional stock offers hours of fun browsing.
• 123 Ossington (+416 533 9138).
LeVack Block
Exposed brick and a gorgeously finished oak bar adorned with a wrought-iron cage, this new kid on the block is making a name for itself as more than just a place to grab a pint or brunch on Sundays. LeVack's mash ups, No Label Fridays in the back room and Block Party on Saturdays are all winning converts, even among those who think the space is too upscale (a pint of imported beer goes for C$5.50). Guaranteed boogie action all night long.
• 88 Ossington (+416 916 0571, levackblock.com).
C1 Art Space
Even more than the trendy new night spots, it's the art spaces that have transformed the vibe on Ossington. C1 stands out among them for its mix of ceramic, textile and glass work - and the stuffed Tigger hanging on for dear life in the tree out front. It's done its bit, too, to provide a space for emerging artists. Other notable galleries in the neighbourhood: Lennox Contemporary (12 Ossington); Gallery At 129 Ossington (129 Ossington); MKG127 (127 Ossington); Gallery TPW (56 Ossington); Xpace (58 Ossington).
• 44 Ossington (+416 538 7999, c1artspace.com).
Sweaty Betty's
Now with longer hours but still no table service - and proud of it - this tiny, dark, former storefront art gallery started the transformation of the Ossington strip. Cool juke. Decent patio. Big on chandeliers, curtains and beaten-up couches worn out from one too many studded belts belonging to the skull-and-crossbones crowd. Here the emphasis is on drinking. The speciality? Absinthe.
• 13 Ossington (+416 535 6861), open every day, 5pm-2am.
Streets ahead
Each week we visit an emerging neighbourhood in a different city. This week: Ossington Avenue in Toronto
Enzo DiMatteo, associate editor, Now Magazine, Toronto
The Guardian, Saturday October 25 2008
Article history
Back in Victorian times, the foot of this lost stretch on the southern edge of Little Portugal was the end of the line for the working class immigrants riding the early morning trolley to low-paying jobs in this former meatpacking district.
It was the last stop, too, for outpatients collecting their morning meds at the then Queen Street Mental Health Centre. The turn-of-the-century former Provincial Lunatic Asylum - or the ghosts of those tormented there - has long cast a shadow over the area. It's latterly been a no-man's land of strip joints and cheap rents.
Now a massive redevelopment of the grounds - and a breath of cool blowing in with the influx of club kids escaping the retail hell currently sucking what bohemia is left out of Queen West - has done the improbable and brought a little hip to this once scary strip.
The auto repair shops and sketchy Vietnamese karaoke bars still dominate this stretch of Ossington between Dundas and Queen, but restorations, cafes, vintage clothes shops and art galleries have taken up abandoned spaces alongside the neighbourhood fish stores and Portuguese meat shops specialising in suckling pig.
Arty types who moved into the area when rents were dirt cheap and a sweaty hole in the wall was the only place to get a drink are loth to utter the g-word (gentrification). But the die has been cast. On the northwest corner, above a gated alley, chi-chi lofts are going up where the down-and-out used to rent rooms in a rundown boarding house.
Down the block at Badlands Vintage, however, the handwritten Note To All Bad Guys in the window suggests a fair bit of grit is still left in this eclectic avenue. "After the store closes," it reads, "there is no cash on the premises. So breaking shit won't do shit. Oh yeah. We only take cash. Sorry, dudes!!!"
I Deal Coffee
I Deal is king when it comes to sustainable coffee. When this anti-Starbucks venue moves in, the hip is sure to follow. (Its two other locations are in the so-called "emerging" 'hoods of Kensington and Queen East.) Blends from Guatemala, Peru, Ethiopia and El Salvador are all organic, bird-friendly and co-op farmed. (We'll ignore the fact that the joint has been criticised in the past for sending customers away with takeout cups made from Styrofoam.) Recommendation: the Prince of Darkness, a blend of dark-roast, high-altitude coffees from Ethiopia and Southern and Central America.
Reposado
At Reposado it's all about the tequila, the authentic stuff, made from 100% blue agave. And the backyard patio. It can get expensive - up to C$40 a glass. No worries - there are plenty of cheaper varieties to choose from. Don't expect lime and salt with your drinks, though. Here the tequila is served straight up, and not meant to be knocked back but savoured.
• 136 Ossington (+416 532 6474, reposadobar.com).
Babel Books and Music
Like the name suggests, this noisy neighbourhood mainstay has shelves stuffed with offbeat books and rare vinyl. The only place in town where you'll find Paul Wilkinson's Rat Salad - his ode to Black Sabbath's classic years - alongside A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. A throwback to the below street-level novelty shops that added a touch of whimsy to San Fran's Haight-Ashbury before its turn to ultra-chic gay in the 90s, only with a little more natural light, Babel's unconventional stock offers hours of fun browsing.
• 123 Ossington (+416 533 9138).
LeVack Block
Exposed brick and a gorgeously finished oak bar adorned with a wrought-iron cage, this new kid on the block is making a name for itself as more than just a place to grab a pint or brunch on Sundays. LeVack's mash ups, No Label Fridays in the back room and Block Party on Saturdays are all winning converts, even among those who think the space is too upscale (a pint of imported beer goes for C$5.50). Guaranteed boogie action all night long.
• 88 Ossington (+416 916 0571, levackblock.com).
C1 Art Space
Even more than the trendy new night spots, it's the art spaces that have transformed the vibe on Ossington. C1 stands out among them for its mix of ceramic, textile and glass work - and the stuffed Tigger hanging on for dear life in the tree out front. It's done its bit, too, to provide a space for emerging artists. Other notable galleries in the neighbourhood: Lennox Contemporary (12 Ossington); Gallery At 129 Ossington (129 Ossington); MKG127 (127 Ossington); Gallery TPW (56 Ossington); Xpace (58 Ossington).
• 44 Ossington (+416 538 7999, c1artspace.com).
Sweaty Betty's
Now with longer hours but still no table service - and proud of it - this tiny, dark, former storefront art gallery started the transformation of the Ossington strip. Cool juke. Decent patio. Big on chandeliers, curtains and beaten-up couches worn out from one too many studded belts belonging to the skull-and-crossbones crowd. Here the emphasis is on drinking. The speciality? Absinthe.
• 13 Ossington (+416 535 6861), open every day, 5pm-2am.
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