The latest buzz, rumours, gossip and heresay from around the 'hood. We aim to seek out the awesome, feel-good stories that make you want to high five your friends.
Whether gazing out at the neighbourhood passing by or eating within the confines of ivy-covered walls, here are our five favourite east-side spots to bask in the airy glow of a gorgeous day.
Read MoreThe Burger's Priest hasn't forgotten its humble beginnings flipping patties out of its tiny original location at Queen East and Coxwell. To celebrate five years in business, The Burger's Priest made this "Straight Outta Coxwell" video.
Read MoreAfter a fire in its building forced The Brickyard Grounds to close last winter, cafe owners Lefteris and Sophie Karagiannis have been going through the painstaking process of rebuilding their business literally from the ground up once again. Now with a reopening finally set for August 27, we checked in with them about the new Brickyard Grounds, what it means to open a cafe for a second time and what we can expect from the new cafe.
Read MoreHere are our five fave finds from the August edition of The Leslieville Flea.
Read MoreIce cream upstart Milky Way hadn't even been in business an entire season before recently rebranding itself as Pizza Thick.
Read MoreMean Bao is opening up a Leslieville location at Queen and Carlaw in the former Back of House space by end of summer.
Read MoreThe plan for the revitalization of Riverdale Park East’s outdoor recreational complex has now been finalized. A series of public consultations with the local community along with design input from DTAH, the landscape architectural firm overseeing the project, has resulted in a final plan for the northeast quadrant of the beloved local park.
Read MoreAfter months of keeping passersby in suspense, Descendant Detroit Style Pizza has officially fired up its ovens and opened its doors to Leslieville.
Read MoreFrom happy-hour pints to leisurely nightcaps, patio season is in full effect. Take advantage by sitting down for a cold one on a hot summer night (or day) at one of these outdoor spots on the east side.
Read MoreStrolling past The Opera House these days you can't help but notice what a fresh coat of paint has done to cheer up the look of the historic building. Operating as a live music venue since the early 1990s, the aging exterior was in need of a renovation and improvements have been made to its facade.
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Photo: Dean Seguin
Atomic Toybot is closing down its gallery after more than four years exhibiting art and running shows in Leslieville. Part art gallery, part boutique for designer toys and exclusive books, T-shirts and nifty gifts, Atomic Toybot is about as extraordinary as bricks-and-mortar shops come nowadays.
"It was a good run and we will forever be proud of hosting the first ever exhibitions by Alex Garant, who has achieved a level of international fame that is so rare for a Canadian artist, and also the first exhibition by Cindy Scaife who has become a star with Rotofugi in Chicago, as well as the many other artists who showed with us and participated in events like Fordmania," says Cory Bartlett, owner of Atomic Toybot.
Bartlett says that although high rent is mainly to blame for the closure, art is also a tough sell in the neighbourhood.
"Having the early work of an acclaimed artist sitting in the store for a year is a testament to that fact," he says. "Our goal was always to help local artists gain exposure and therefore we never charged our artists anything to show in the gallery. It's a nice thing to do, but business-wise it can only go on for so long."
The gallery element of Atomic Toybot will reappear as a pop-up in numerous locations, according to Bartlett. In the meantime, the shop is downsizing its offering to toys, books and art prints, and will be moving into the basement of Daniel Jewellers at 1006 Queen St. E until the December holiday season.
To mark the store's move, there will be a massive sale this weekend, July 25-26.
"Unbelievably, we still have original work by Alex Garant and some other gems which will be marked down this weekend only," he says. "If you’re an art collector of art, this is something you really don’t want to miss."
Atomic Toybot is located at 978 Queen St.
Bread&Butter Designs, a Toronto-based reclaimed furniture company that specializes in wood walls, tables and benches, recently bought all of the old but still-valuable material from the infamous strip club.
Read MoreThe Leslieville Flea was sizzling last Sunday with hot weather and cool finds. Our friends at The Leslieville Flea made their top five picks from last Sunday’s edition.
Read MoreThe Leslieville BIA has proposed a new mural to replace the Alexander Muir mural at Queen and Jones.
Read MoreAfter over 50 years in business, Hastings Snack Bar has shut down. Owner John Chong is retiring from the life of a short-order cook and has closed the doors to his restaurant for good.
Read MoreDave Mottershall, the mastermind behind rotating pop-up Loka Snacks, which operates out of Riverside's Hi-Lo bar, is looking to take his business to the next level by opening a permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Read MoreLocal derrieres are in for a treat as Leslieville is set to introduce new benches that will add a splash of colour to the neighbourhood. The Leslieville bench, an iconic symbol of the area, is getting a unique makeover inspired by the neighbourhood's BIA logo.
Read MoreThis Saturday July 18 the Leslieville BIA is hosting #TOQS, a celebration of the neighbourhood's unique culture. An acronym for The Other Queen Street, the event is a chance for locals and businesses to show love for Toronto's east side.
Read MoreAfter seven years on Queen St. E, Table 17 is pulling the plug on its Riverside bistro. July 11 will be the restaurant's last service.
Read MoreWhether you're on a mission to track down that hard-to-find collectible or just want to hang out and enjoy the weekend vibes, The Leslieville Flea is a must-hit to mingle with the east side. The summer edition of the flea gets underway June 21 and runs every third Sunday of the month until October.
Read Moregoodhood is #allpointseast #eastsidelove
#eastsidelocal #eastsidetillwedie
GOODHOOD is a community-based blog dedicated to showcasing all things good about Toronto's east side neighbourhoods of Leslieville and Riverside. Sometimes beyond.
