Results tagged “torontolife”

Christmas marketing tip from the mid-1980s: if you’re an Italian denim label who wants to push the newsboy/urchin look to tony Toronto shoppers, recruit the most sullen batch of models you can find that look good in loose shirts and suspenders.

One month ago, we reported on Toronto Life Square's quiet transformation into 10 Dundas East, the result of the magazine's struggle to get their name removed from the flailing project that dominates the northeast corner of Yonge and Dundas. Digital signage around the building was being changed (to a much worse design), though "Toronto Life Square" signs still lingered—as the name did on the building's website.

David Miller's announcement on September 25 that he would not seek re-election took many by surprise—including, no doubt, those at Toronto Life. With the big expanse of time between the time articles for the magazine are finalized and the time the completed publication is actually distributed (a delay typical of monthly magazines), the November issue is only now beginning to land in the mailboxes of subscribers. Somewhat awkwardly, it features a full-page look at how Miller stacks up against six possible competitors in the mayoralty race he took himself out of three weeks ago, complete with each one's odds of winning against Miller. And we quote: "A lot of people think David Miller stinks, and not just because of the 39-day garbage strike. But do any of the other likely candidates have what it takes to knock out Toronto's top dog?" The answer: yes, all of them. But only because he knocked himself out first.

What do you get when you put together three four-year-olds, a box of crayons, and a white sheet of paper? The new signage inside of Toronto Life Square.

We here at Torontoist love pointing out other people's mistakes because we are perfect angels and love to lead by example. So you can only imagine our delight in catching this rare, fabled, double-dipper of an error.

Remember Contact? It was made in 1997 and was adapted from a weird Carl Sagan novel about extraterrestrial life and faith—ergo, starred Jodie Foster, plus a pre-indie fame Jena Malone. She's an outer space–obsessed girl who grows up to be a SETI scientist, receiving alien transmissions while searching for proof they exist, and eventually falling in love with one. It's among the greatest science fiction films ever made, which does not mean that it's good. It's terrible.

Seven months after axing Chatto's Digest (not to mention all their other blogs), Toronto Life has launched a new food blog. Daily Dish promises to "[serve] up the latest gossip from the city's restaurant scene, from openings and closings to celeb-sightings and food trends." As Online Editor Matthew Fox explains in the blog's inaugural post:

Toronto Life has stepped in it again.

In the current issue of Toronto Life, Philip Preville attempts to argue for a big-box store in Leslieville. It's no easy task, but Preville's argument is pretty sound, resting on convenience (it'd be close to where people live), location (what else is going to go in its place?), cost (cheap!), and—oh yes—the environment (less driving = less pollution). Preville also says about the smartest thing we've yet heard about the development, which is that "instead of trying to keep the downtown big box free, we’d be better off figuring out how to make large-format retail compatible with a mostly walkable, constantly improving, ever-greening city in which many people still shop in their cars." NOW's Susan G. Cole obviously takes issue with Preville's argument—as many surely will—but the best argument she can muster in reply is to say that Wal-Mart, the crown jewel of the project, are just a bunch of fascists who want us all to conform. Um, okay.

Is Toronto a dangerous city? And is it getting worse? This week for Metrocide, Torontoist is examining a sea of homicide data and trying to come up with conclusions based not in fear or fantasy but fact.

While we were browsing Toronto Life's newly-blogless website, we got all excited to see that August's print edition will contain an item by Carl Wilson about Fauxreel and "the murky world of profitable graffiti." But we couldn't help but notice the magazine's presumptive cover story: an article about how "violent crime is migrating downtown," our "acclimatization to it," and how "Toronto is learning to live with the gun."

Earlier this week, Toronto Life killed off their blogs. The move was a surprising one, especially since the magazine was one of the few local print outlets that had finally started to figure out how to create interesting and original content online that was separate from but complimentary to what could be found in print.

Well, that didn't take long: Toronto Life has pulled the plug on Philip Preville's City State blog, on James Chatto's Chatto's Digest, and probably on Doug Bell's Spectator, too. Chatto was gone as of June 19, and today Preville wrote a post on City State that first read (in our RSS reader, at least) that "City State is being discontinued as of this post, as is its sister blog, Doug Bell’s wonderfully amusing Spectator, so go say your farewells over there, too"—but that now makes no mention of Spectator. Preville goes out with a plea for humour from our city and our mayor (and a slight dig at Spacing), a grumpy-guss complaint about construction on his street, and a plea for Kyle Rae to become mayor. Alright, then.

"City State," writes Toronto Life's Philip Preville in his first post on the magazine's new blog of that name, "will try to take some of the piss out of this town."

Photo by Lex in the City.

Start with the caviar and hazelnut foam. Next, try the bacon-stuffed tangerine segment appetizer, and follow with a palate-cleansing sorbet of kiwi and heirloom tomato purée. You'd be a fool to miss the rock lobster meatloaf, which is served atop an oasis of fig and cucumber gelée. Finish with a candied beet root custard and a tassé of chipotle-scented espresso. Bon Appétit!

Your reaction to snow depends on the circumstances. The frequency of dumps the city has received so far this year has caused grumbling about blocked streets, dirty mounds higher than the average citizen and many a wish for spring to speed up its arrival. Conversely, as long as the roads outside the city are passable, lovebirds, families and outdoor enthusiasts looking for an escape from the city have headed up to Muskoka resorts like Hidden Valley to enjoy activities made possible by the white stuff.

Imagine what the Caddy would think of this month's snowfall. The car wouldn't bother waiting for a driver to take in the greyhounds before the next storm strikes.

An ornately set table. A fine bottle of pink sparkling wine. A bouquet of flowers purchased in a hurry on the way home from the office. A filter on the window to simulate a blue moon. Andy Williams crooning "Moon River" or the 101 Strings playing "Light My Fire" in the background. All of the necessary mood-enhancing ingredients for a cozy tête-à-tête on Valentine's Day.

Shouldn't every mall should include a place to pose against an elegant concrete wall with your favourite magazine or a romantic hidden spot to meet that lawyer you're having an affair with while their spouse shops?

SEPT. 28, 2006: Torontoist publishes "Two Peas In A Pod," a poorly considered article making fun of Eye and Now for both deeming Nuit Blanche significant enough to feature on their covers the same week.

After reading today's ad, Torontoist is certain of one thing—modesty was not a key element of the "Yorkville style," especially when it came to attracting dancing queens and boogie kings looking for a place to strut their stuff. The neighbourhood had a cluster of disco floors waiting for John Travolta wannabes to demonstrate their dance skills and soak in the attitude. One might have been lucky enough to see celebrities like Sonny Bono indulge in the Yorkville way of life!

Nobody likes to be stranded during the holiday season due to car trouble. Whether it's a dead battery, unexpected snowfall, or executing a 180-degree spin into the ditch alongside the 401 on the way back to the city, inclement weather and Murphy's Law often combine to make this a busy time of the year for auto clubs like CAA. Even beloved weekend movie hosts occasionally require their assistance.

A short but sweet season's greeting for you from some of CBC Toronto's mid-1970s personalities. Dig those frames on young Hana Gartner! The passage of time has made it hard to determine if the "oh yeah" was part of the original ad or a sarcastic comment by a previous reader.

The holiday shopping season has descended upon the city, along with an early blast of winter. This combination may lead shoppers to unconsciously purchase items to cure their winter blues, even if the calendar shows that fall has a few more weeks to go. Today's ad offers a prescription from Simpsons and Esprit to keep free-spirited souls in an ecstatic mood come February. A trip down to the historic Queen Street department store promised...

The arrival of Toronto Life in the mailbox each month is something to look forward to, except for one thing: the ridiculous payload of advertising that comes with it. Now, we understand that magazines generally lose money on subscriptions, and Toronto Life's $24 annual fee is worth every penny, but we think that Toronto Life is starting to look more like Toronto Life Square. Subscription card "blow-ins" and heavy-stock ad inserts are extremely unpopular...

There used to be a sign above a video arcade that proclaimed "Yonge Street is Fun Street." Back in the 1960s and 1970s, much of that fun was to be had at the many bars and clubs that lined the street south of Gerrard––Le Coq D'Or, Steele's Tavern, Friar's Tavern, Zanzibar Tavern and so on. Depending on the venue, you could listen to music, dance the night away or catch a striptease. Today's advertiser...

Mid-1970s diners expected a certain level of ostentation when eating at finer Chinese cuisine establishments. Decor was touted as much, if not more, than what went into one's mouth. The atmosphere diners were promised at today's featured restaurant hints at a feast for the senses.

After decades of being situated as an icon of Queen Street West, it has been revealed that Citytv will be moving to a new high-profile location: Dundas Square.