Toronto shopping

[kattah]

https://duewest.ca/ also has some decent brands

[Faust]

In Toronto end of May. Let me know what's up.

[stagename]

In Toronto end of May. Let me know what's up.

Apart if things have changed immensely, Serpentine is probably the only store worth stopping by. Historically, I found prices to be on the higher end (in comparison to other retailers), though. The peeps who own the shop are usually there and can be either terrible or very friendly, based on my experience and that of others. You'll find more mainstream brands (e.g. drkshdw, ann) at a number of shops. Simon's used to have a lot of good stuff but they dropped (or have been dropped by) a number of designers and their buys have become really bad.

You can find second-hand goods near Bang Bang ice cream. I forgot the name and it isn't showing up on Google Maps but whenever I stop they have some Boris and Rick. They have two shops, one for women and a smaller one for men next to it.

Hope this helps.

[haydn]

How long and what are you looking to do? Can happily recommend some great restaurants and bars. Shopping - nothing worth going out of your way for, but stop in to visit the guys at Serpentine as they're always happy to chat (as the store is never busy).

[deadboy]

You can find second-hand goods near Bang Bang ice cream. I forgot the name and it isn't showing up on Google Maps but whenever I stop they have some Boris and Rick. They have two shops, one for women and a smaller one for men next to it.

The store, I believe, is I Miss You. I've only been in once but saw Viridi-Anne, Junya and Zam, mixed in with more mainstream designers and some real garbage clothes.

Everyone has an opinion on The Serpentine... my experience is friendly service and fair prices on Werkstatt jewelry (outside of Boxing Day, when they're awful but also flooded with hypebeast kids so who can blame them... also hard to get too mad when they have ma+ at 50% off). People here complain about the prices, but the prices are also in Canadian dollars.

Local designer Thomas Balint has opened a new shop in the west end, stocking his own stuff and I believe others including Reinhard Plank. He used to sell SZ mags in his old shop so that may be of interest.

I'd chime in with other recommendations but ever since I moved to Harbourfront and had a kid I'm more out of touch than ever, and half this forum seems to be from Toronto anyway so. I will say that Alo restaurant, hyped as it may be, is pretty incredible. You can sometimes get day-of reservations there and at other really good local restaurants with the Dinr app.

[Faust]

How long and what are you looking to do? Can happily recommend some great restaurants and bars. Shopping - nothing worth going out of your way for, but stop in to visit the guys at Serpentine as they're always happy to chat (as the store is never busy).

Yes, please - not so interested in shopping.

[wahnfrieden]

Yes, please - not so interested in shopping.

I live downtown and eat out a lot. Here're some restaurants to check out:
- Aloette (very fancy "diner" opened below Alo, which has been ranked Canada's best restaurant for a couple years. No reservations, best to come at an off hour or grab a drink around the corner.)
- Bar Raval / Bar Isabel (high quality Catalan tapas, Raval is bar style and Isabel is sit-down)
- We have a string of related Thai restaurants that are special, and I know my NYC Thai. Kiin and Pai are the best of them (Kiin is the new upscale one with unusual dishes, Pai focuses on northern Thai). There's also Khao San Road, Sukhotai, Nana.
- This city is a backwaters for pizza (besides too many fancy neapolitan places), but Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is a gem. It's better than the Detroit places that've opened in NYC, and compares well against actual Detroit. It's out of the way though.
- Assembly Chef's Hall recently opened and is a bit of a "best of Toronto". It's like the DeKalb Market Hall.

For sushi, these are both the best of the city and a good deal (for high end) if you're used to NYC:
- Yasu
- Shoushin

Bars:
- Bellwoods is our best brewery, always great stuff on tap and excellent kitchen
- Bierra Volo (specialty beer, mostly sours/farmhouse)
- Otto's Bierhalle

There's more if you have particular things you're looking for.

[stagename]

- Otto's Bierhalle

If you like Otto, the same people /Mansion etc./ are opening Soso food club soon.

[wahnfrieden]

If you like Otto, the same people /Mansion etc./ are opening Soso food club soon.

Appreciate the tip! I did not know Otto's and Mansion/Foundry were related. Their Shed show was the first thing I went to after moving here (and Jeff Mills soon after). SoSo looks promising.

[Faust]

Thank you, guys. By the way, I am coming to interview Iris van Herpen on stage at the Royal Ontario Museum. Come if you can. Should be able to say hi after the talk.

https://www.rom.on.ca/en/whats-on/iris-van-herpen-in-her-own-words

[stagename]

Thank you, guys. By the way, I am coming to interview Iris van Herpen on stage at the Royal Ontario Museum. Come if you can. Should be able to say hi after the talk.

https://www.rom.on.ca/en/whats-on/ir...-her-own-words

Sadly in mtl but hit me up if you make it this way. Have a blast!

[Faust]

I live downtown and eat out a lot. Here're some restaurants to check out:
- Aloette (very fancy "diner" opened below Alo, which has been ranked Canada's best restaurant for a couple years. No reservations, best to come at an off hour or grab a drink around the corner.)
- Bar Raval / Bar Isabel (high quality Catalan tapas, Raval is bar style and Isabel is sit-down)
- We have a string of related Thai restaurants that are special, and I know my NYC Thai. Kiin and Pai are the best of them (Kiin is the new upscale one with unusual dishes, Pai focuses on northern Thai). There's also Khao San Road, Sukhotai, Nana.
- This city is a backwaters for pizza (besides too many fancy neapolitan places), but Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is a gem. It's better than the Detroit places that've opened in NYC, and compares well against actual Detroit. It's out of the way though.
- Assembly Chef's Hall recently opened and is a bit of a "best of Toronto". It's like the DeKalb Market Hall.

For sushi, these are both the best of the city and a good deal (for high end) if you're used to NYC:
- Yasu
- Shoushin

Bars:
- Bellwoods is our best brewery, always great stuff on tap and excellent kitchen
- Bierra Volo (specialty beer, mostly sours/farmhouse)
- Otto's Bierhalle

There's more if you have particular things you're looking for.

Thank you. What are the best neighborhoods to simply stroll around? What’s your SoHo, West Village, Williamsburg, brownstone Brooklyn, etc,

[stagename]

Thank you. What are the best neighborhoods to simply stroll around? What’s your SoHo, West Village, Williamsburg, brownstone Brooklyn, etc,

Yorkville is posh/expensive
Queen and Dundas West is gentrified hipster
Downtown is clubbing douche
Geary ave is 5-7 bars/restaurants of post-banned-illegal-musical-venues-turned-hipster
Kensington market is neo-hippies
Roncesvalle is rich bobos
leslieville is like pretty much like Roncies
Spadina is chinatown
College between dufferin and spadina-isch is little italy
Bloor West is, hum, poorer.


I moved out 3 years ago I'm not sure where authenticity lives anymore, if it does.

usually I brought friends for an afternoon walk to dundas and dufferin (where I lived)(an alternative route could start at queen west and dufferin), stroll east til ossington avenue, walk down on ossington, then stroll east on queen west til a bit before Spadina (like Augusta), go north to go to Kensington, then go east to Spadina to show Chinatown and then come back on College going West. Then maybe some time in Yorkville for shopping.

There are things happening on the East end but I didn't live there so I'm less kwnoledgeable.

Also: https://www.blogto.com/neighbourhoods/

[Faust]

Yorkville is posh/expensive
Queen and Dundas West is gentrified hipster
Downtown is clubbing douche
Geary ave is 5-7 bars/restaurants of post-banned-illegal-musical-venues-turned-hipster
Kensington market is neo-hippies
Roncesvalle is rich bobos
leslieville is like pretty much like Roncies
Spadina is chinatown
College between dufferin and spadina-isch is little italy
Bloor West is, hum, poorer.


I moved out 3 years ago I'm not sure where authenticity lives anymore, if it does.

usually I brought friends for an afternoon walk to dundas and dufferin (where I lived)(an alternative route could start at queen west and dufferin), stroll east til ossington avenue, walk down on ossington, then stroll east on queen west til a bit before Spadina (like Augusta), go north to go to Kensington, then go east to Spadina to show Chinatown and then come back on College going West. Then maybe some time in Yorkville for shopping.

There are things happening on the East end but I didn't live there so I'm less kwnoledgeable.

Also: https://www.blogto.com/neighbourhoods/

Sounds as bad as New York, haha!

[Lex1017]

Enjoyed the talk yesterday Faust. I loved how you emphasized that Iris' work was about making ideas come to fruition through resourcefulness, thought out design, and craftsmanship as opposed to the futuristic impossibleness that the media may paint it as. Very inspiring stuff. The exhibition was amazing. It was so cool to touch the materials that she used. Made me appreciate the final form it a lot more. It being paired with Philip Beesley's work blew my mind. Seeing inorganic things behave that way really made me rethink what is possible. Have to go back and see it again.