Drinks
The Yukon
1592 Queen St. W., 647-348-8400
Young couples—newly mortgaged up to their eyeballs and in need of a stiff Pimm’s—frequent The Yukon. A pressed-tin ceiling and bookcases stacked with vintage records create an air of dignified hipness, as do the drinks, which are mixed with premium tinctures.
Treats
Glory Hole Doughnuts
1596 Queen St. W., 647-352-4848
Ashley Jacot De Boinod worked as a sous–pastry chef at Buca and Scaramouche before she opened her Parkdale doughnut shop in 2012. She turns out addictive flavours like s’mores and Cinnamon Toast Crunch; vegans go crazy for the egg-free chai brûlée.
Garden Supplies
Crown Flora
1233 Queen St. W. (rear entrance on Gwynne Ave.), 647-861-5799
Part flower shop, part accessories boutique, Crown Flora has a shabby-twee, Brooklyn-esque aesthetic. Mason jar terrariums are Crown’s specialty—learn how to make your own self-contained ecosystems in one of their workshops.
The buyer: Doug Sanford, Retired orchestra conductor The street: O’Hara Avenue The Price: $695,000
Doug had been living in Saskatoon with his wife, Toronto native Joanne, and their infant son. “We’d been talking about moving to Toronto for a couple of years,” Sanford says. “Just before Christmas, I called my agent and said, ‘I’m flying in tomorrow, so clear your schedule—because I’m here for two days and I’m going to buy a house before I leave.’ ” He made an offer on a detached Victorian the following day. The house was in good enough shape that the whole family could move in a month later, but it was affordable for a reason. The interior is dated, with a tiny kitchen the Sanfords hope one day to turn into a mudroom. The plan is to overhaul the building piecemeal, a process Doug thinks will cost $150,000 or more—a bargain, he believes, for the privilege of living in a rapidly developing area.
Groceries
Fiesta Farms
200 Christie St., 416-537-1235
An indie-ish alternative to the major grocery stores (like the giant Loblaws around the corner on Dupont), Fiesta draws in shoppers with its large selection of local, organic and specialty products. The roster includes dainty Dufflet pastries, Rowe Farms meat and a dairy section lined with glass bottles of milk.
Stationery
Hanji Handmade Paper and Gift
619 Bloor St. W., 647-349-2095
Step inside Hanji, and the bustle of Bloor Street is replaced by the serenity of a Seoul gift shop. Alongside the racks of textured paper, shelves carry enough crafting supplies to satisfy a Pinterest junkie: stationery sets, Japanese washi tape (basically prettified masking tape) and notebooks.
Home Decor
PIMLICO design gallery
643 Dupont St., 416-538-0909
Named for the famed Pimlico Road design district in London, this Dupont spot is the place for artsy home accessories like Pylones mugs and pressed glassware from Portugal. Highlights include Tahir Mahmood’s sculptural lamps and Skultuna’s solid brass bowls, jewellery and candle holders.
Books
Ben McNally Books
366 Bay St., 416-361-0032
Ben McNally stands as one of the city’s last remaining wood-panelled, chandelier-lit shrines to literature. The store’s selection is eminently browsable, ranging from classics to recent award winners to a handful of guilty pleasures. It’s quiet and tranquil and everything a great bookstore should be.
Restaurant
Momofuku
190 University Ave., 647-253-8000
At Noodle Bar, the least expensive of Momofuku’s three restaurants, classic pork ramen is the specialty. Upstairs, Daishō offers family-style platters of porchetta, short ribs or pork butt. And at Shōtō, a black granite bar with just 22 prized seats hosts decadent 10-course meals.
Gym
Equinox
199 Bay St., Commerce Court West, 647-497-5158
In these celeb-obsessed times, it’s smart business to build a brand on Cameron Diaz’s calves and Will Smith’s six-pack. At star-favoured fitness studio Equinox, buff Bay Street types sweat it out and indulge in A-list amenities like a spa, juice bar and merch shop with Stella McCartney workout gear.
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