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[EvilMario]

Roncesvalles is number 2 on Great Places in Canada poll. I love me some Roncesvalles, but it's shocking that it's second on the poll to me.

http://www.cip-icu.ca/greatplaces/en/places.asp?type=&prov=&sort=Votes

What an odd thing to say since at least at this moment, poverty seems much more rampant in the US.

What I mostly meant by that is while the most expensive US cities are very expensive, there are a lot of places where cost of living is very affordable living. The housing crash also made affording a home in some markets much easier. Of course, you have to find a job.

In Canada however, nearly every major city (and we have far fewer) is pretty expensive. Homelessness is a problem in both countries, but it's a silly comment for people to make that 'come to Canada, because they're a socialist country that will take care of you!'. Again, people just playing on stereotypes.

 

[added_time]

Did the bagged milk comments happen yet? In the past, I tried to explain that you can CHOOSE to buy it in a bag OR a carton but no one ever listens. (bags rule though. so cheap!)

Speaking of milk, I could really go for some of that homo-taste right about now!

 

[EvilMario]

Did the bagged milk comments happen yet? In the past, I tried to explain that you can CHOOSE to buy it in a bag OR a carton but no one ever listens. (bags rule though. so cheap!)

Three post in, and then a bunch of comments on it in the first 50 post. But this is GAF. Even if they know that it's an option, or not available in all Provinces, they'll still play to it because it's lulzfunny.

 

[cbox]

Did the bagged milk comments happen yet? In the past, I tried to explain that you can CHOOSE to buy it in a bag OR a carton but no one ever listens. (bags rule though. so cheap!)

Speaking of milk, I could really go for some of that homo-taste right about now!

I can't drink anything other than skim or 1% - everything else tastes like cream. I need my milk almost frozen and watered down.

 

[Stet]

I can't drink anything other than skim or 1% - everything else tastes like cream. I need my milk almost frozen and watered down.

I use 5% cream on my cereal. What now?

 

[Azih]

I can't drink anything other than skim or 1% - everything else tastes like cream. I need my milk almost frozen and watered down.

I can't handle lactose. Finding lactose free milk in bags is a crap shoot.

 

[EvilMario]

I can't drink anything other than skim or 1% - everything else tastes like cream. I need my milk almost frozen and watered down.

I enjoy whole milk, but we pick up 2% because not everyone in the family is lactose tolerant.

Anything less than 2% just taste like milk flavored water for me.

A few of our friends drink goat milk, since it doesn't destroy them like cow milk. And a few drink soy.

 

[cbox]

I pretty much water down any milk I have anyways, 5% cream in cereal :|

I have almond whenever it's on sale, really tasty stuff - soy I avoid like the plague.

 

[Divvy]

I pretty much water down any milk I have anyways, 5% cream in cereal :|

I have almond whenever it's on sale, really tasty stuff - soy I avoid like the plague.

Almost milk is pretty great. Though I stick to the unsweetened kind.

 

[EvilMario]

Spoiler

I had no idea his middle name was Bruce!

 

[Ultimatum]

I'm thinking about spending a year abroad at University of Toronto.

What's it like over there? (Brit here)

 

[Quick]

I'm thinking about spending a year abroad at University of Toronto.

What's it like over there? (Brit here)

Which campus? I'm assuming St. George?

 

[Divvy]

I'm thinking about spending a year abroad at University of Toronto.

What's it like over there? (Brit here)

What program are you looking to study?

UofT is a great place to goto since it's smack dab in the middle of one of the best cities in the world. Academically wise, it's a poor choice for some programs due to how incredibly competitive it is.

 

[Azih]

I'm thinking about spending a year abroad at University of Toronto.

What's it like over there? (Brit here)

Like a third of my company are British expatriates who ended up going through the immigration process. I think you'll like it here.

 

[EvilMario]

Like a third of my company are British expatriates who ended up going through the immigration process. I think you'll like it here.

If he's coming from London (or Greater London), he might even find it cheap to live here.

 

[added_time]

Like a third of my company are British expatriates who ended up going through the immigration process. I think you'll like it here.

I think so too. Every British person I know has loved it here.

 

[Quick]

What program are you looking to study?

UofT is a great place to goto since it's smack dab in the middle of one of the best cities in the world. Academically wise, it's a poor choice for some programs due to how incredibly competitive it is.

Thinking about it again, he's probably going to end up at the St. George campus.

Who really wants to go to UTSC? I mean, really.

 

[added_time]

Toronto photo of the day:

 

[EvilMario]

Cladding is going on the L Tower now. One of the cooler looking towers going up in the city.
Here's a picture from Urban Toronto of the current progress and rendering.

I love skyline shots of this city, but with all the projects going on, it's just going to continue to get better (Trump Tower just finished, Four Seasons, Aura should be amazing). Favorite shots usually are from the lake, high up (CN Tower shot works), looking down Yonge St. You can see all the dense hubs at Yonge and Bloor, Yonge and St Clair, Yonge and Eg.

 

[added_time]

Yeah! L-Tower looks so slick! Love it!

If you like shots where you can see the skyline across the whole city then this is a good photo from a distance to illustrate how Yonge and Bloor is starting to become a massive skyline of its own. In fact there are many buildings (like 1 bloor) being built there right now. Most people that don't live in Toronto usually only see the shot from the water and incorrectly think those are the only skyscrapers in the city. Here is the photo:

In a way, Toronto's skyline is starting to look like a smaller version of NYC in the way it is shaped. New York has two main skylines - Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan. Toronto also has two big peaks with the financial district/waterfront and Yonge and Bloor.

One thing that makes Toronto seem strange compared to other North American cities is the fact that there are also many more clusters of skyscrapers other than the main two that are much further out- like Yonge and Eglinton, North York Centre and Scarborough Centre.

 

[EvilMario]

Indeed. It's really tough to appreciate the skyline as a whole, but it's one of the reasons I actually like to venture up in the CN Tower every few years. Most people think it's a tourist trap (and it is), but it does give you an amazing view of the city.

Here's a shot I have from a few years ago, looking north from inside the tower.

Original photo available if someone wants it, but it's 17mb.

 

[Roto13]

Toronto photo of the day:

I like that you post these.

I've only ever been to the CN Tower in the winter.

 

[Quick]

I've never been up the CN Tower, so there's still some novelty to me.

 

[added_time]

I've never been up the CN Tower, so there's still some novelty to me.

I go up the CN Tower once a year and I never get tired of the views.
However, my wife and I had our first real date at the CN Tower so it will always be a special place to us. So I probably love it more than most people.

 

[cbox]

I work right at yonge/bloor and it's getting much nicer indeed. Lots of huge buildings going up , and they just recently broke ground on 1 bloor.

 

[firehawk12]

I work right at yonge/bloor and it's getting much nicer indeed. Lots of huge buildings going up , and they just recently broke ground on 1 bloor.

My parents had a restaurant where 1 Bloor was going up and the fact that they kicked them out and took another 5 years to bother to do anything with the land kind of annoys me. Took them long enough.

Also, not in Toronto proper, but I found some moths in bags of rice I bought from Metro (basically screwing up my apartment for a while)... and it was like pulling teeth to get even a 10 dollar gift card from them. I should have complained more, but at that point I was happy to get anything I suppose. Off putting from a Metro perspective and I don't want to eat rice for a while.

 

[EvilMario]

My parents had a restaurant where 1 Bloor was going up and the fact that they kicked them out and took another 5 years to bother to do anything with the land kind of annoys me. Took them long enough.

I miss the cheap lunch places around the back side. Lots of little places to eat. What I miss most though is the Toby's, because it was one of the places you could actually have a decent and cheap burger in the city. They moved to Bathurst and Ossington, but they seemed to have left all the charm and friendly service at their old location.

Such a shame that one of the most 'iconic' intersections in the city has been sitting empty for so long, and businesses forced out long they had to be.

 

[Rinoa]

Also, not in Toronto proper, but I found some moths in bags of rice I bought from Metro (basically screwing up my apartment for a while)... and it was like pulling teeth to get even a 10 dollar gift card from them. I should have complained more, but at that point I was happy to get anything I suppose. Off putting from a Metro perspective and I don't want to eat rice for a while.

That's so gross! I don't eat rice anymore, brown or white, I find it to just be filler. The only way I ever eat it anymore is on sushi.

 

[added_time]

Such a shame that one of the most 'iconic' intersections in the city has been sitting empty for so long, and businesses forced out long they had to be.

The reason for the huge delay was because the original company that wanted to build there "Bazis" lost their financing in the US economic meltdown since most of the money to build was to be leant by US companies.
Then the current builder "Great Gulf" bought the site from them and re-designed the tower from scratch.
I'm glad to see the work is finally under way after all these years.

 

[EvilMario]

Also, not in Toronto proper, but I found some moths in bags of rice I bought from Metro (basically screwing up my apartment for a while)... and it was like pulling teeth to get even a 10 dollar gift card from them. I should have complained more, but at that point I was happy to get anything I suppose. Off putting from a Metro perspective and I don't want to eat rice for a while.

Terrible. The No Frills (Bloor and Runnymede) near us is just as awful with everything. I never buy fruit, veggies, or meats from them. I should avoid buying bread too, but sometimes I can't help it. I've had so many products go back right away after buying them there, or find out the product you bought was rotten.. you just couldn't tell in its packaging. I mean, they leave rotting produce right out on the shelves.

Of course, No Frills near my wife's work is 'amazing' by comparison.

On rice; we eat it quite a bit, but not as much as we use to. It goes well with so much though (eggs for breakfast, easy to make curry, soups, stews, random meats). Plus the dog is addicted to the stuff, so if there's anything leftover more than a couple of days, it doesn't go to waste.

The reason for the huge delay was because the original company that wanted to build there "Bazis" lost their financing in the US economic meltdown since most of the money to build was to be leant by US companies.
Then the current builder "Great Gulf" bought the site from them and re-designed the tower from scratch.
I'm glad to see the work is finally under way after all these years.

Yep, I knew the reason why it was delayed, but I wish their was a security blanket for the businesses involved when a company comes sweeping in like that and then just drops everything. Maybe nothing could have been done, but I think the city could have made sure the fund was more reliable and not been so hasty. Alas, I don't know the gritty details, but at least it's coming around now.

On a side note, I'm impressed with how quick it seems Aura is going up (although I'm sure people in the area think of it as quite slow). I hope they're able to open up retail on the ground for it late this year, but I guess it'll probably all have to wait until 2013.

 

[firehawk12]

Terrible. The No Frills (Bloor and Runnymede) near us is just as awful with everything. I never buy fruit, veggies, or meats from them. I should avoid buying bread too, but sometimes I can't help it. I've had so many products go back right away after buying them there, or find out the product you bought was rotten.. you just couldn't tell in its packaging. I mean, they leave rotting produce right out on the shelves.

Of course, No Frills near my wife's work is 'amazing' by comparison.

On rice; we eat it quite a bit, but not as much as we use to. It goes well with so much though (eggs for breakfast, easy to make curry, soups, stews, random meats). Plus the dog is addicted to the stuff, so if there's anything leftover more than a couple of days, it doesn't go to waste.

The store has been good to me for the last 5 years, so I think this was an exception... but it was still pretty gross to think about and to actually deal with (so much cleaning had to be done and I have no idea if I got any of them).

That's so gross! I don't eat rice anymore, brown or white, I find it to just be filler. The only way I ever eat it anymore is on sushi.

Yeah, rice is my staple, so unless I go to bread, I have no idea what to eat for meals. Potatoes I suppose... Needless to say, I think I'm off rice for at least the next few days.

 

[added_time]

On a side note, I'm impressed with how quick it seems Aura is going up (although I'm sure people in the area think of it as quite slow). I hope they're able to open up retail on the ground for it late this year, but I guess it'll probably all have to wait until 2013.

There is absolutely no way the retail is opening up this year. 2013 at the earliest. Rumours say that an Apple Store is the front-runner to be the lead tenant.
I can't stand Apple Stores since they remind me of a hospital but I can see how it makes sense for the location.

edit: oops you said Aura.... I misread your post and thought you were talking about 1 bloor

 

[EvilMario]

City's final offer rejected by union. Here comes the strike.

There is absolutely no way the retail is opening up this year. 2013 at the earliest. Rumours say that an Apple Store is the front-runner to be the lead tenant.
I can't stand Apple Stores since they remind me of a hospital but I can see how it makes sense for the location.

edit: oops you said Aura.... I misread your post and thought you were talking about 1 bloor

lol, if they had 1 Bloor opening retail this year, I would be really impressed!

 

[Rinoa]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1125770--toronto-police-involved-in-east-end-shooting?bn=1

WTF is going on here?

 

[Beez]

City's final offer rejected by union. Here comes the strike.



lol, if they had 1 Bloor opening retail this year, I would be really impressed!

Always bad news, I wish something would look up for this city soon. :-/

 

[crimzonflame]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1125770--toronto-police-involved-in-east-end-shooting?bn=1

WTF is going on here?

Doesnt surprise me. Toronto and York region cops are jabronis.

 

[EvilMario]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1125770--toronto-police-involved-in-east-end-shooting?bn=1

WTF is going on here?

Pretty scary all around. Will wait to see the final report on it, but shooting someone being held down point blank never sounds good.

 

[Zombie James]

City's final offer rejected by union. Here comes the strike.

Ford an Co. just being fucking greedy. A three year pay freeze is a huge concession for a union to make. And:

Ferguson accused the city of being a bully but said CUPE negotiators, who have agreed to more than 40 of the city’s proposals, will remain at the table trying to make a deal.

Forty concessions already agreed to. Forty, and it's not good enough for Ford. Fuck this idiot.

 

[Rinoa]

Shooting point blank, more than once... and that many cars+cops? Seriously?

 

[EvilMario]

Shooting point blank, more than once... and that many cars+cops? Seriously?

Paging boogie

 

[lunarworks]

City's final offer rejected by union. Here comes the strike.

Didn't Ford campaign on ending labour strife?

 

[EvilMario]

Didn't Ford campaign on ending labour strife?

He campaigned on finding the gravy. And by God, these city workers should be making minimum wage and should be on three month contracts only!

Usually I think the unions hold too much sway in the city, but Ford's policy is pretty laughable.

 

[added_time]

Always bad news, I wish something would look up for this city soon. :-/

There are always great things happening in the city. The news just never talks about it since bad news gets the ratings.

 

[lunarworks]

He campaigned on finding the gravy.

No, he campaigned on subways. It's all about subways.

 

[StevieP]

No, he campaigned on subways. It's all about subways.

"The Gravy Subway"

An electable platform for his next 4 years?

 

[BigJonsson]

The Zoo put the sole survivor of triplets on display today

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Shooting point blank, more than once... and that many cars+cops? Seriously?

he's a real badass

 

[Kraftwerk]

The Zoo put the sole survivor of triplets on display today

:"(

 

[firehawk12]

I miss the cheap lunch places around the back side. Lots of little places to eat. What I miss most though is the Toby's, because it was one of the places you could actually have a decent and cheap burger in the city. They moved to Bathurst and Ossington, but they seemed to have left all the charm and friendly service at their old location.

Such a shame that one of the most 'iconic' intersections in the city has been sitting empty for so long, and businesses forced out long they had to be.

Missed this. I actually met the owner of Toby's a couple of times - my parent's place was two doors down and we had to go on the roof to do repairs to our ever aging exhaust system (ugh... the landlords were horrible now that I think about it).

It's funny when you think about downtown being gentrified, but it's starting to feel that way. You still have a few small restaurants and stores around the intersection, but the actual intersection is inevitably going to be four giant plazas on each corner.

(I really wonder how Stollery's can hold out... they must own the land or something).

 

[Roto13]

"The Gravy Subway"

An electable platform for his next 4 years?

Subways are still trains, bro.