M
Mackitty
Guest
Hi Irina
I am not far from you and I have kids as well.. I am going to check out your site.
I am not far from you and I have kids as well.. I am going to check out your site.
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The Junction
- Thread starter sungs
- Start date
junction_parents
Active Member
The “Junction City†Neighbourhood Meeting
Wed. April 2, 2008 at 6:30pm
Junction Forum for Art and Culture is holding the Annual General Meeting and Community Forum on Wednesday April 2, 2008.
We invite all interested individuals and organizations to participate in this information session to be held at local Junction bar, Margret at 2952 Dundas Street West (just east of Pacific Ave). We will be discussing all of the upcoming events planned for the Junction Centennial Celebrations including the Junction Arts Festival.
This is an opportunity for JFAC board members and event organizers to discuss and share ideas with Junction residents, artists, business owners, organizations and any other interested parties.
Formal meeting is to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Informal mingle to follow. Light snacks provided.
Topics of Interest:
Announcement of planned Centennial Events and activities
April 14th Incorporation Day
Junction’s place and historical relevance
Junction Arts Festival
How to get involved
Supporting Junction Artists
Support for community initiatives
What this means for the neighbourhood
Meet new people
Make new friends
Please RSVP to Lindsay Tipping at lindsay@junctionartsfest.com or phone 416 767-5036. We look forward to seeing you there!
http://www.junctionartsfest.com/2007/
Wed. April 2, 2008 at 6:30pm
Junction Forum for Art and Culture is holding the Annual General Meeting and Community Forum on Wednesday April 2, 2008.
We invite all interested individuals and organizations to participate in this information session to be held at local Junction bar, Margret at 2952 Dundas Street West (just east of Pacific Ave). We will be discussing all of the upcoming events planned for the Junction Centennial Celebrations including the Junction Arts Festival.
This is an opportunity for JFAC board members and event organizers to discuss and share ideas with Junction residents, artists, business owners, organizations and any other interested parties.
Formal meeting is to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Informal mingle to follow. Light snacks provided.
Topics of Interest:
Announcement of planned Centennial Events and activities
April 14th Incorporation Day
Junction’s place and historical relevance
Junction Arts Festival
How to get involved
Supporting Junction Artists
Support for community initiatives
What this means for the neighbourhood
Meet new people
Make new friends
Please RSVP to Lindsay Tipping at lindsay@junctionartsfest.com or phone 416 767-5036. We look forward to seeing you there!
http://www.junctionartsfest.com/2007/
rh-7
New Member
From today's Star:
http://www.thestar.com/article/347875
Connecting with the Junction TheStar.com - living - Connecting with the Junction
Tagged as the city's next up-and-coming 'hood, it hums on a gritty tone
March 20, 2008
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
Sergio Abegao has a love-hate relationship with his Junction neighbourhood.
The 32-year-old musician lives in a converted warehouse and studio space at 2783 Dundas St. W., a few blocks west of Dupont St.
Once one of the roughest sections of the city, the Junction was created in the mid-1800s at the intersection of Keele St. and Dundas St. W. and was called Toronto West Village. It got its new name, in part, from intersecting rail lines bringing supplies and workers into the industrial section of town.
Lousy economic times and a steady stream of rough workers led to drunken rowdiness until the town voted to go dry in 1903, a bylaw that was not repealed until a 1997 referendum.
While the Junction has been optimistically marked by condo merchants as the next up-and-coming patch of hipster real estate, it retains a genuinely gritty flavour. Gospel churches are still set up in converted storefronts that pepper the slightly ragged streets.
We start our tour in a mini-park on Dundas St. W., immediately west of Abegao's home. It is where he takes his Eskimo dog Millie out to play. Abegao and musical companion Tracey Adams-Thibaudeau rescued Millie from a patient on the lam from a treatment facility in the middle of the night at the corner of Spadina and Dupont in 2001.
Millie – who can be temperamental – returns home, but Adams-Thibaudeau, 28, the vocalist in their musical duo called Hibou (owl in French) joins us for our walk. Their music has a bluesy, airy, electronic sound well-suited to a 3 a.m. rendezvous on a summer patio for many glasses of wine and small cigars.
At the end of the month, Hibou heads out for its big break to the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, a massive two-day electronic blowout in its tenth year. See hiboumusic.com.
From Millie's favourite park, it's a quick jog across the street to West End Offset Plate Service Ltd., a tiny, non-descript print shop that produces piles of album covers overnight, and at affordable prices.
"Basically if we have something to print we go there," says Abegao. Hibou is currently working on a new and what sounds like bizarrely complicated media package and getting a quality discount is key.
Gospel music seeps from a converted storefront next door, the Holy Spirit Trinity Church of God. The holy-roller sound – along with a little shoulder shake courtesy of Adams-Thibaudeau – sets the tempo as we head west.
What are your favourite neighbourhood joints – Millie-friendly and otherwise?
For reliable, friendly food services Abegao heads to Super Submarine. "No matter what time I go in there it is always the same guy behind the counter."
The owner often treats Millie to tidbits of cold cuts .
Abegao also frequents the Zone Stop Variety, which allows Millie to step inside.
Farther west, Rope Inn offers "World famous West Indian cuisine ... if the world was the four or five blocks around here," says Abegao.
A new family has just taken over the place and has big plans, he says.
Adams-Thibaudeau points out a record shop called Pandemonium where she likes to browse.
Where do you go for drinks?
One stop is Shoxs Tap and Grill, the first bar to serve booze in the area when the ban on alcohol was lifted. The appeal of the darkened bar is its proximity to his house, but that's about it.
"The band had a meeting there and a fight broke out," he explains. "We were outside and a bar stool flew through the opened patio doors."
Adams-Thibaudeau refers to the moment as something of a rough and tumble "classic."
What are the downsides to living in the Junction?
"Most places don't stay open past 10 p.m.," says Abegao.
There are lots of promising places that open but roll over fast for lack of traffic.
Or they open then have strange hours, like a little coffee shop/art studio called Cool Hand of a Girl. It's 1 p.m. on a Sunday when we peek through the locked glass door. The place is dark most days of the week, he says.
"Working girls" have been known to cluster in and around the alcoves near Abegao's building. He is pretty relaxed about it, but admits it's not a comfortable experience.
However, a big part of the Junction's appeal for Abegao was that it enabled him to rent a space allowing him to play music at odd hours.
It's a bit far from downtown, he says. But the 24-hour transit service is a lifesaver.
http://www.thestar.com/article/347875
Connecting with the Junction TheStar.com - living - Connecting with the Junction
Tagged as the city's next up-and-coming 'hood, it hums on a gritty tone
March 20, 2008
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
Sergio Abegao has a love-hate relationship with his Junction neighbourhood.
The 32-year-old musician lives in a converted warehouse and studio space at 2783 Dundas St. W., a few blocks west of Dupont St.
Once one of the roughest sections of the city, the Junction was created in the mid-1800s at the intersection of Keele St. and Dundas St. W. and was called Toronto West Village. It got its new name, in part, from intersecting rail lines bringing supplies and workers into the industrial section of town.
Lousy economic times and a steady stream of rough workers led to drunken rowdiness until the town voted to go dry in 1903, a bylaw that was not repealed until a 1997 referendum.
While the Junction has been optimistically marked by condo merchants as the next up-and-coming patch of hipster real estate, it retains a genuinely gritty flavour. Gospel churches are still set up in converted storefronts that pepper the slightly ragged streets.
We start our tour in a mini-park on Dundas St. W., immediately west of Abegao's home. It is where he takes his Eskimo dog Millie out to play. Abegao and musical companion Tracey Adams-Thibaudeau rescued Millie from a patient on the lam from a treatment facility in the middle of the night at the corner of Spadina and Dupont in 2001.
Millie – who can be temperamental – returns home, but Adams-Thibaudeau, 28, the vocalist in their musical duo called Hibou (owl in French) joins us for our walk. Their music has a bluesy, airy, electronic sound well-suited to a 3 a.m. rendezvous on a summer patio for many glasses of wine and small cigars.
At the end of the month, Hibou heads out for its big break to the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, a massive two-day electronic blowout in its tenth year. See hiboumusic.com.
From Millie's favourite park, it's a quick jog across the street to West End Offset Plate Service Ltd., a tiny, non-descript print shop that produces piles of album covers overnight, and at affordable prices.
"Basically if we have something to print we go there," says Abegao. Hibou is currently working on a new and what sounds like bizarrely complicated media package and getting a quality discount is key.
Gospel music seeps from a converted storefront next door, the Holy Spirit Trinity Church of God. The holy-roller sound – along with a little shoulder shake courtesy of Adams-Thibaudeau – sets the tempo as we head west.
What are your favourite neighbourhood joints – Millie-friendly and otherwise?
For reliable, friendly food services Abegao heads to Super Submarine. "No matter what time I go in there it is always the same guy behind the counter."
The owner often treats Millie to tidbits of cold cuts .
Abegao also frequents the Zone Stop Variety, which allows Millie to step inside.
Farther west, Rope Inn offers "World famous West Indian cuisine ... if the world was the four or five blocks around here," says Abegao.
A new family has just taken over the place and has big plans, he says.
Adams-Thibaudeau points out a record shop called Pandemonium where she likes to browse.
Where do you go for drinks?
One stop is Shoxs Tap and Grill, the first bar to serve booze in the area when the ban on alcohol was lifted. The appeal of the darkened bar is its proximity to his house, but that's about it.
"The band had a meeting there and a fight broke out," he explains. "We were outside and a bar stool flew through the opened patio doors."
Adams-Thibaudeau refers to the moment as something of a rough and tumble "classic."
What are the downsides to living in the Junction?
"Most places don't stay open past 10 p.m.," says Abegao.
There are lots of promising places that open but roll over fast for lack of traffic.
Or they open then have strange hours, like a little coffee shop/art studio called Cool Hand of a Girl. It's 1 p.m. on a Sunday when we peek through the locked glass door. The place is dark most days of the week, he says.
"Working girls" have been known to cluster in and around the alcoves near Abegao's building. He is pretty relaxed about it, but admits it's not a comfortable experience.
However, a big part of the Junction's appeal for Abegao was that it enabled him to rent a space allowing him to play music at odd hours.
It's a bit far from downtown, he says. But the 24-hour transit service is a lifesaver.
junction_parents
Active Member
sungs
Active Member
thanks for the post to the article rh7,
with regards to the last sentence/quote in the article
"But the 24-hour transit service is a lifesaver."
can anyone elaborate? i'm not planning on owning a vehicle once i'm in the area, strictly metropass. one concern i had was i have friends around different sections of downtown. if i'm spending a late night somewhere, what's the latest the transit goes by anywhere near the proximity of keele and dundas? reading this quote, 24 hours sounds like a godsend.
with regards to the last sentence/quote in the article
"But the 24-hour transit service is a lifesaver."
can anyone elaborate? i'm not planning on owning a vehicle once i'm in the area, strictly metropass. one concern i had was i have friends around different sections of downtown. if i'm spending a late night somewhere, what's the latest the transit goes by anywhere near the proximity of keele and dundas? reading this quote, 24 hours sounds like a godsend.
rh-7
New Member
The 313 Jane bus runs along dundas between Jane and Queen West (down roncesvalles) all night long, going right by keele.
http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/schedules/index.htm
Check out the "blue night network" link
http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/schedules/index.htm
Check out the "blue night network" link
junction_parents
Active Member
It's a 15 min walk from Keele subway station (last train 1:50 am I think) or a 5 min. jog 
I never bothered with busses, the late crowd always stinks like booze and cigarettes combined, so the whole bus reeks
I never bothered with busses, the late crowd always stinks like booze and cigarettes combined, so the whole bus reeks 
urbandreamer
recession proof
Junction parents, I'm not really Russian although I've spent some time immersed in Russian culture etc; some of my relatives have some Russian in them understand what I'm saying?
Today took a stroll through the Junction, stopping to eat at Black Jack's Grille--friendly owners (Italian) with cheap steak ($9), then went to the Maltese Bakery for some Kinnie [Noticed: the Maltese sure like going to Good Friday services! I can't relate but whatever.....] and ended up discovering a funky new place that opened on Pacific just north of No Frills--called Espresso Mi Vida they serve Jumbo Empanadas! Here's a review I just found on http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493422
Espresso Mi Vida is a new Latin American Cafe that has just opened in what used to be the Singing Scissors hair salon. They did a great renovation with lots of seating and an open cooking area so you can see all the great food being prepared. This appears to be a family business with very friendly welcoming atmosphere. They serve a variety of espresso drinks and cafe americano, regular coffee and have a variety of Latin American foods including the familiar quesadillas, empanadas, corn bread, and some unusual soups, salads, tarditional desserts, etc.
They are located at 392 Pacific Avenue just south of Dundas on the west side of the street.
Future plans are to establish an art gallery for Latin American art exhibits.
Today they had this damn good codfish soup--best soup in Toronto?
Also, Sweet Potato organic market is open--rather pricey though.
Today took a stroll through the Junction, stopping to eat at Black Jack's Grille--friendly owners (Italian) with cheap steak ($9), then went to the Maltese Bakery for some Kinnie [Noticed: the Maltese sure like going to Good Friday services! I can't relate but whatever.....] and ended up discovering a funky new place that opened on Pacific just north of No Frills--called Espresso Mi Vida they serve Jumbo Empanadas! Here's a review I just found on http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493422
Espresso Mi Vida is a new Latin American Cafe that has just opened in what used to be the Singing Scissors hair salon. They did a great renovation with lots of seating and an open cooking area so you can see all the great food being prepared. This appears to be a family business with very friendly welcoming atmosphere. They serve a variety of espresso drinks and cafe americano, regular coffee and have a variety of Latin American foods including the familiar quesadillas, empanadas, corn bread, and some unusual soups, salads, tarditional desserts, etc.
They are located at 392 Pacific Avenue just south of Dundas on the west side of the street.
Future plans are to establish an art gallery for Latin American art exhibits.
Today they had this damn good codfish soup--best soup in Toronto?
Also, Sweet Potato organic market is open--rather pricey though.
junction_parents
Active Member
to urbandreamer
I've been to both places (Mi Vida and Sweet Potato and many others), love them all, there is also a brand new cafe opening in a few weeks called "Crema" at Quebec and Dundas, gorgeous old building being renovated, lot's of natural light, I can't wait.
Junction is really coming out of its depression, yes many think that it's losing its old "charm" due to the new condo developments in the area ("options for homes" and "Victoria lofts"), but it's also attracting more businesses, Junction is coming to life again, I love what I see.
I still have to explore the Little Malta area
I've been to both places (Mi Vida and Sweet Potato and many others), love them all, there is also a brand new cafe opening in a few weeks called "Crema" at Quebec and Dundas, gorgeous old building being renovated, lot's of natural light, I can't wait.
Junction is really coming out of its depression, yes many think that it's losing its old "charm" due to the new condo developments in the area ("options for homes" and "Victoria lofts"), but it's also attracting more businesses, Junction is coming to life again, I love what I see.
I still have to explore the Little Malta area
urbandreamer
recession proof
Crema Coffee Company
3079 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6P 1Z9
(416) 767-3131
I saw some guys renovating the space yesterday. J.P, what's the lowdown? The concept? etc?
Is Cool Hand of a Girl still open?
3079 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6P 1Z9
(416) 767-3131
I saw some guys renovating the space yesterday. J.P, what's the lowdown? The concept? etc?
Is Cool Hand of a Girl still open?
junction_parents
Active Member
It's hard to tell what the concept will be but I can already tell that it'll be very roomy LOL I have a Phil&Ted stroller, so I look at places from accessibility point of view now, I wish I had more to report. The Cool Hand of a Girl is still open but just on weekends I think..
Junction parents, I'm not really Russian although I've spent some time immersed in Russian culture etc; some of my relatives have some Russian in them understand what I'm saying?
yep!
I'm pretty mixed as well, like most Eastern Europeans, we have the blood running through our veins of every invading army.
My grandparents were born in Austria-Hungry. My parents were born in Italy and they grew up in Yugoslavia before moving to Toronto. They never moved from the family house. The borders shifted on them after every world war.
Lilibet
Active Member
The Junction Centennial Celebrations 1908-2008
I thought this was neat.
http://www.thejunctioncity.com/
I thought this was neat.
http://www.thejunctioncity.com/
M
Mackitty
Guest
Funny I know Sergio.. LOL
Irina I keep meaning to sign up at your forum.. hopefully we can meet eventually.
urbandreamer
recession proof
Is this (future home of) Crema Coffee Company? (In the window reflection.)
What hipster shop is gonna rent this store front? (I just called the number: it's $2000/month. Will it be a Gap Kids? lol.)
I also like the looks of this place: but will it last?
What hipster shop is gonna rent this store front? (I just called the number: it's $2000/month. Will it be a Gap Kids? lol.)
I also like the looks of this place: but will it last?