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Nuit Blanche 2015: Our Guide To Toronto’s Biggest All-Nighter

Nuit Blanche 2015 is almost here, and we’re so excited! This is the tenth year Toronto will be participating in the festivities, and there’s lots to see! You can check out the whole lineup over on their official site, but we’ve cherrypicked a few of the most promising options for you right here! Continue reading

Construction Update: E Condos

It’s been a month since we last updated you on E Condos, our project going up at Yonge and Eglinton – to see our last construction update, head this way.

Things are coming along in the E8 Tower! Tiebacks have been completed and excavation of E8 is down to the dewatering elevation, meaning the dewatering process will start this week! That means we’ve hit groundwater, which we’ll have to drain before construction can continue at E8. Continue reading

Toronto Design Districts: Antique Spotting on West Queen West

We think Toronto doesn’t get enough credit as a design mecca – which is shocking, because there are beautiful things to be had and inspiring people to talk to seemingly everywhere. As the city matures, several smaller design districts have blossomed, each with their own aesthetics and cornerstone establishments. We have our favourites around town and we’ll be sharing them with you – you can check out our favourite spots on the King East strip here. Continue reading

June Construction Update: E Condos

Progress at the E Condos site is coming along faster than ever – it’s already time for another construction update! If you missed the previous one,  click here to catch up. We’ve made some major progress in the month of June and, while we’re still in early stages, the site is in great shape and moving on time.

The structural caissons in the E8 (South Tower) raft slab was completed. The shoring work at this slab is currently in progress. Excavation of the third underground floor at the South Tower is also resuming this week. Continue reading

Summerlicious 2015: Where To Eat In North Toronto

The city’s biggest warm-weather celebration of food is back, and it’s never been bigger. This year, Summerlicious has added lots of destinations around the city, including an expanded lineup way north of Bloor. We’re thrilled to see Toronto’s growing food scene expanding into Yonge and Eg and Yonge & Sheppard – and since we’ve been in the neighbourhood for a while, we thought we’d intro you to our favourite spots. Continue reading

Mapping The Concierge Service at One Yorkville

We’re proud of One Yorkville for a lot of reasons. Aside from our prime location and beautiful architecture, we’re also proud to offer one of the most comprehensive amenities packages out there. Our concierge service is unparallelled, both in the range of services we offer and the quality of our discrete, capable staff.

Any service provided by a hotel concierge will be available right in the lobby of One Yorkville. We’ll book tickets to the theatre, concerts and sporting events. We’ll co-ordinate wash-and-fold laundry service and dry cleaning, so all you have to do is drop off and pick up. Vacation coming up? We’ll book your travel tickets and co-ordinate transport to and from the airport or station – and you’ll look amazing from the state-of-the-art gym and on-site personal trainers available whenever you are. Continue reading

Coming Soon: Canada’s Largest Andy Warhol Exhibit

Toronto’s art scene, both underground and mainstream, has seen several huge names breeze into town the last couple of years – Basquiat most noticeably among them. It’s fitting, then, that one of Basquiat’s good friends is the focal point of Toronto’s next must-see gallery attraction – Andy Warhol!

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LA’s Revolver Gallery focuses on exclusively Warhol pieces for sale, but it’s owner, GTA-born Ron Rivlin wanted to take his show on the road. “Being a native of Toronto, the city holds a very special place in my heart. It is an important part of the person I am today, and I feel compelled to give back to Toronto with this exhibition,” he said.

Self portrait, Andy Warhol, 1978
Self portrait by Andy Warhol, 1978

 

What pieces can we expect to see? For now, that’s largely under wraps. What we do know is that there will be more than 120 pieces, including Warhol’s most famous works – the Campbell’s Soup cans, original silk-screen portraits of Marilyn Monroe, and Mick Jagger, to start. Though unconfirmed, we’re hoping the expansive show will include some of Warhol’s more memorable collaborations, like Keith Haring or the aforementioned Basquiat.

Arm and Hammer II by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquait
Arm and Hammer II by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquait, acrylic & silkscreen, 1985

This exhibit goes far beyond Rivlin’s personal (and enviable) collection, including pieces from other private collectors, museums, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The multi-level attraction will also include elements from Warhol’s infamous New York City studio, The Factory, as well as audio and video installations. There’ll even be an app you can download on your arrival.

 

Marilyn Monroe portraits, 1962
Marilyn Monroe portraits by Andy Warhol, silkscreen, 1962

In the exhibit’s 6-month run, Torontonians can also look forward to event series and lectures.

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Eight Elvises by Andy Wahol, 1963, silkscreen

A similar, but smaller-scale, Warhol exhibit also run by Revolver saw upwards of 50,000 attendants in two months – so make sure you stop by this one! Find it at 77 Bloor St W from July 1 to December 31. See you there!

Been to a great art event we should know about? Tell us on Twitter! 

 

Toronto Green Initiatives: Evergreen Brickworks

Toronto is a rapidly changing city, and among all the construction and improvements, our green initiatives can get lost. One of the most significant efforts comes from Evergreen Brickworks. Though you probably know it as an event space, their team has been consistently hustling to solve the problem of urban sustainability for all of us.

 

We believe we can solve even the most pressing urban environmental issues by bringing diverse people together, inspiring them with possibilities and engaging them in identifying solutions and taking action. The need has never been more urgent. – Evergreen Brickworks

 

Though all of Evergreen’s initiatives strive for the greater good, they focus their efforts in four key areas.

CityWorks

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This arm of Evergreen focuses on creating sustainable, liveable cities. It’s estimated that in ten years, the population of the GTA and Hamilton will be over 9 million. In the intervening years, we’ll have to build new housing and infrastructure capable of supporting our booming population. CityWorks is a think tank and lobby group that creates alternatives to traditional city planning and brings awareness to them. If urban planning solutions and transportation interests you, check out We Are Cities, their nationwide idea-generating campaign writing the next chapter of Canadian cities.

With aging infrastructure and a booming population, transportation has quickly become an issue every Torontonian has an opinion on – and for good reason! Harnessing the power of conversation has made public transit and gridlock front-burner issues in City Hall – but Evergreen believes conversation can help create a solution, not just highlight a problem. Enter Move The GTHA, a conversation hub for public and private organizations interested in solving this problem together. Check out their work or pledge your support!

Children

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Evergreen’s childrens programs aim to bring the great outdoors to urban kids. With the belief that understanding nature will create more confident and empathetic people, Evergreen encourages the greenification of playgrounds, creating new projects like the Watershed Champions for kids to participate in, and holding affordable day camps so every kid can get a taste of the outdoors. Urban greenspace is definitely in short supply, so if you believe Toronto’s kids should get outside a bit more often, see how you can help.

Greenspace

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The great outdoors doesn’t just benefit kids – everyone in a city benefits when there’s more fresh air and open space. Part of the magic of Evergreen Brickworks is experiencing the almost undisturbed nature in the middle of a city – and we agree that recreating this experience all over Toronto can only mean good things for all of us. Evergreen uses a variety of programs to encourage this, including urban gardening, farmer’s markets, and larger initiatives like the Lower Don Project.

More than 250,000 people live in the Don Watershed, and it’s growing more quickly than ever. They’ve added new and enhanced trails, revitalized neglected green spaces, added public art, gateways and access routes, as well as creating an educational program to reintroduce people to Toronto’s expansive ravine system.

Food

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Ontarians are lucky to live in a naturally fertile region – local produce and meat abounds most of the year. However, with faster and cheaper foreign options flooding our market, it’s more important than ever to support local farmers and keep our food production right here at home. Evergreen Brickworks’ Toronto farmer’s market is year round, and has added more than $3.5 million to our economy, all of which goes back into supporting Ontario’s farmers. They also offer classes on growing your own food and how to cook with local groceries, which makes fresh and affordable eating accessible to even more people. If you have a passion for local and sustainable eating, check out their food programs for meaningful ways to get involved.

Evergreen Brickworks may serve the GTA exclusively, but Evergreen’s initiatives have outposts all across Canada. This network has the ability to affect change in many areas of our lives and wellbeing, which makes Evergreen a crown jewel in Toronto’s plan for a greener tomorrow.

Are you part of a green initiative we should know about? Tell us on Twitter!

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