The Annex

The Annex is a timeless enclave of Toronto living that constantly evolves for its cyclic and diverse residential base. Students flock to this area for its proximity to U of T and the cheap food and drink. Others, like me, settle here because the neighbourhood is friendly and conveniently livable. Everything needed to run daily life is available in the Annex - groceries, restaurants, and a gamut of specialty stores. Goods and services unavailable in this neighbourhood are quickly reached by the subway and streetcar lines that cross the area.

The character of the Annex is difficult to define except through comparison to neighbouring areas. The Annex is neither rooted in heritage (Chinatown, Little Italy, Koreatown) nor trendy (West Queen West, Leslieville), resulting in a fantastic variety of businesses and residents. Most of the residences are semi-detached homes, with a mix of low-rise apartments to the east and a few high-rises sprinkled between.

During the university year, thousands of students flood into apartments and residences. This puts a strain on the local Dominion and Shoppers, but only for the first few weeks as inventories adjust. Summer months are punctuated by a prevailingly quiet and relaxed mood. Despite these two distinct phases of its yearly cycle, the Annex steadily pulses with pedestrians into the wee hours of the morning. As a result, the sidewalks here are among the safest at all hours of the day.

The main commercial strip on Bloor between Spadina and Bathurst is the heart of the Annex, with intense competition between restaurants and stores. Eating in the Annex is a breeze because there are so many cuisines offered at a reasonable price. If food isn't on the agenda, there are many stores and specialty shops ideally suited for door-to-door window shopping. Even further out to the boundaries of the neighbourhood where the rent is cheaper, great stores and restaurants have popped up.

Anchors of the Annex

For better or for worse, these are the definitive Annex establishments. The neighbourhood just wouldn't be the same without them.

Future Bakery (483 Bloor W) - Centrally located at Brunswick on Bloor, this corner is great for people-watching, coffee (refills are free yo), CAKE, and the popular student breakfast. The patio includes table service, but I prefer to sit in the self-serve area inside.

Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor W) - Cheap 2nd-run movies (and popcorn!) in a classic movie theatre--truly one of a kind in this city. For the budget-conscious or the film lover, this is pay dirt.

Lee's Palace (529 Bloor W) - Stalwart of the Toronto music scene... also houses the infamous Dance Cave upstairs. This is my favourite music stage in the city because it's elevated in front of a sunken floor--great views from all angles.

Sonic Boom (512 Bloor W) - This cavernous used-music store is the best place buy or sell used CDs. BONUS TRACK: Sonic Boom has the best window displays in the city (take that Holts). Sadly, most of the smaller used CD stores have closed in recent years.

Green Room (296 Brunswick Ave) - Clandestine no-frills bar/restaurant in the alley behind Future Bakery, this popular bohemian pub has cheap food and drink, and sports a *slightly* more intellectual crowd than you'd find at...

The Brunswick House (481 Bloor W) - Go here to get wasted and pickup sleazy members of the opposite sex. Nothing I say about this place will diminish its popularity among U of T students.

Mel's Montreal Delicatessen (440 Bloor W) - 24-hour establishment with great breakfast and deli foods. It's all about the smoked meat here though, seriously. Good place to go for some grease to balance all the alcohol.

Sushi Restaurants - Curiously, there are about a dozen sushi restaurants in the Annex. New Generation (493 Bloor W) and Sushi on Bloor (515 Bloor W) are the two local favourites, and they're often packed with lines out the door at night.

Organic Groceries - Noah's (322 Bloor W) and Organics on Bloor (468 Bloor W) provide a healthy alternative to the local Dominion. For wheat and gluten free treats, head to Kensington Natural Bakery.

Honest Ed's (581 Bloor W) - The quirkiest joint in town! Honest Ed's is a behemoth at the corner of Bathurst and Bloor. A microcosm of the microcosm that is the Annex, it's easy to get lost in the sheer amount of variety available at discount prices.

Some of My Favourite Food Options

Both on Bloor and a little off the beaten path there are tons of other great places in the Annex. Most can be found on Harbord, Bathurst, Dupont or Markham Street (a little enclave just south of Bloor that is in the heart of Mirvish Village).

Victory Cafe (581 Markham) - Located at the south end of Mirvish Village, the Vic has the best patio and burgers in the city! The servers have never rushed me here, even after one pitcher turned into 3 or 4.

Madelines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream (1087 Bathurst) - Located just south of Dupont on Bathurst, MCP&IC has great prices and the most delicious cherry pie--a steal at around $4 with a scoop of ice cream! They also have a wide assortment of pastries and biscuits, and a very cheap Illy espresso.

Harbord Bakery (115 Harbord) - An old favourite on Harbord--one of the largest bakeries in the area.

Cluck, Grunt, and Low (362 Bloor W) - A newcomer, this slow-cook joint makes a mean rack of ribs with cornbread. This restaurant will likely survive the curse of this frequently-changing corner store.

Country Style Hungarian Restaurant (450 Bloor W) - My favourite restaurant in the Annex--huge schnitzels for around $14. Save room for the crepes (apricot jam + crushed nuts, trust me).

Fresh (326 Bloor W) - Nothing says I'm being healthy today like a giant plate from Fresh and a big smoothie. I never figured out why this restaurant is so loud--who knew vegetarians were such a vocal bunch? For raw-food aficionados, there's also Live on Dupont.

Sarah's Falafel and Shwarma (487 Bloor W) - The most underrated shwarma joint in the city. It has chicken and beef shwarmas, and falafels. I prefer this over its competitors: Pita Q (south side of Bloor, West of Spadina) and Ghazale (504 Bloor W, outside Bloor Cinema)... based strictly on taste and price.

Pizza GiGi (189 Harbord) - Best pizza in the Annex is a contentious issue... a real minefield. I'd go with Pizza GiGi because I happen to like the taste of their cheese and pepperoni pizza. There's also the infamous Papa Ceo/Cora Pizza corner at Spadina and Harbord. Another good option is Magic Oven on Dupont.

For the Closet

While the Annex isn't exactly known as a shopping destination, there are a number of fashion and design stores worth a look.

For men, Theodore 1922 has one of the city's better selections of shirts, pants and suits. They also do a lot of custom, made-to-measure shirts and suits in-house.

Women in-the-know flock to Trove (on Bathurst just south of Bloor) for fun tops, accessories and shoes; Space (in Mirvish Village) for a good selection of vintage finds; and Good For Her (175 Harbord), a female-centric sexuality shop with the friendliest service and fair prices.

Photos by Tim and Tanja