Restaurant
The Emerson
1279 Bloor St. W., 416-532-1717 This jovial spot is the ultimate urban family restaurant: the room is filled with reclaimed curios, the space is large, the music is mercifully low, the cooks sport paper hats, and the crowd is a mix of flannel-clad parents and toddlers.

Shopping
Ransack the Universe 1207 Bloor St. W., 647-703-6675 This glorified garage sale is packed with all manner of miscellany: records, vintage clothes, Formica tables and anything else you might find in Hannah Horvath’s apartment. Reserve at least an hour for browsing.

Takeout
Brock Sandwich
1260 Bloor St. W., 647-748-1260 With two Susur alums among its three owners, this lunch counter crams pillowy white buns with things like applewood-smoked bacon, mustard-glazed pulled pork and buttermilk fried chicken drenched in fiery piri piri.

The buyer: Petra Fisher, a fitness instructor, and Chris Loughren, an energy industry worker The street: St. Clarens Avenue The Price: $885,000

Petra and her partner, Chris, had been renting a King West loft for four years when they learned their building would be converted into condos. The couple were forced to make a choice: continue renting into their 40s, or buy their first home. They opted for the latter and bid just shy of their $900,000 spending limit on a detached triplex. After removing asbestos, installing an IKEA kitchen and paying $120,000 in construction bills, they had a tailor-made condo alternative on the main floor. Petra teaches Restorative Exercise out of one of the unit’s two bedrooms, and Chris has an easy commute to his job at a downtown energy firm. Factor in rental income from the basement and second-storey units ($700 and $1,400 a month, respectively), and the couple’s total cost of ownership is comparable to what they would have paid in rent.

What’s Selling

1104 Dufferin St. Semi-detached, four bedrooms, two baths Listed for $599,900 Sold for $742,000

115 Pendrith St. Detached, five bedrooms, three baths Listed for $879,000 Sold for $870,000

751 St. Clarens Ave. Semi-detached, six bedrooms, three baths Listed for $824,900 Sold for $827,000

Takeout
Smoked and Cracked 516 Mount Pleasant Rd., 647-748-5722 Lobster rolls are the bestsellers at this nook, and for good reason: owners Michael Kash and Ron Raymer bring in crustaceans daily from Yarmouth in the winter and Newfoundland in the summer. The rolls are wonderfully simple, featuring chunks of claw and tail drizzled with hot lemon butter.

Kids’ Books
Mabel’s Fables
662 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-322-0438 The selection at this kid-lit sanctuary trumps almost every other bookstore in the city. The titles are organized according to age, making it easy for flustered adults to figure out what five-year-olds or tweens might like to read. And yes, there is a Mabel: she’s the plump ginger cat snoozing in the stacks.

Movies
Regent Theatre
551 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-480-9884 Indie cinemas are a dying breed, but Mount Pleasant East has managed to keep one of the best ones alive. The Regent specializes in second-run blockbusters and small-release foreign fare, meaning you can catch something serious in German or just watch Liam Neeson kick ass.

What’s Selling

184 Cleveland St. Semi-detached, three bedrooms, two baths Listed for $769,000 Sold for $910,013

556 Balliol St. Semi-detached, three bedrooms, two baths Listed for $799,000 Sold for $915,000

523 Soudan Ave. Detached, three bedrooms, two baths Listed for $849,000 Sold for $911,000

Child’s Play
Oaks ’n Acorns
1856 Danforth Ave., 416-425-3213 All those young parents moving into Woodbine Heights are going to need somewhere to take their kids. This recreation centre offers indoor play areas, music lessons, puppet shows, family fitness classes and a café. Though memberships aren’t mandatory, the $59 annual fee gets you discounts on classes and party bookings.

Takeout
Hole-E-Burger Bar
1050 Coxwell Ave., 647-349-9200 This burger joint gets its name from the four holes stamped into every patty cooked on the kitchen’s flat-top, a process that ensures even cooking and allows sauces to be piped directly into the meat. Supplements include bacon and chive mashed potato patties and a crispy “cheese skirt” around the bun.

Nature
Taylor Creek Park
Dawes Rd., north of Danforth Forming the northeastern border of Woodbine Heights, this thin, diagonal swath of greenery presents residents with an easily accessible escape from Toronto’s relentless urbanity. Its 3.5-kilometre hiking trail lets you follow Massey Creek from Victoria Park in the east to its western endpoint at the Don River.

What’s Selling

123 Cadorna Ave. Detached, three bedrooms, three baths Listed for $779,000 Sold for $760,000

165 Holborne Ave. Detached, three bedrooms, two baths Listed for $599,900 Sold for $590,000

17 Treadway Blvd. Detached, three bedrooms, two baths Listed for $599,900 Sold for $685,000