Neighbourhoods

The Annex

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  • Posted by Staff
  • October 24, 2007

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Reader Reviews and Comments

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I am always making plans to get down to College or even Queen, but for some reason I cannot seem to move away from the Annex. Something always pulls me back here.

Great post.

Posted by: Steven at January 7, 2007 10:53 AM

You've captured the ever changing face of the annex well.

I've always wanted to live in the annex since I moved back to Toronto 7 years ago. But I've never found the right place. I'm patiently waiting for the perfect annex apartment and then maybe I'll move in.... and never move out!

Posted by: Carl at January 7, 2007 11:15 AM

Also, a Ten Thousand Villages opened in the Annex in mid-November.

Posted by: Eva at January 7, 2007 12:41 PM

I used to visit the Annex in the 80s and work at the Bloor Cinema in the early 90s and I can say that the changes you are documenting here are just the latest in the constant sea of change.

I remember when Sonic Boom was still a Wolworth's with a lunch counter, when the Bloor still had a full lobby rather than the truncated one it has today and when there was a Sneaky Dee's across the road from Honest Ed's (heck I remember way back when there was a porn theatre right across the road from Honest Ed's).

I love the Annex. It's good to see that it continues to change and yet still appear to stay the same.

Posted by: Steve at January 7, 2007 6:06 PM

I got a good chuckle from a sign posted in the front window of The Beer Station. If you drink every beer they offer, which are MANY, before a certain date (I think it was in August) you win a jacket.

Posted by: Jerrold at January 7, 2007 6:46 PM

huh, so the aroma espresso bar isn't going in there after all? had they been planning on it? i'm wondering why the signs are there.

and did you read the little paper posters in the windows at the former hot spot? it looks like a standard eviction notice, but it's actually something far more amusing. so it's hard to know what's up there.

Posted by: bunnyhero [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 7, 2007 9:54 PM

@Steve: thanks for sharing those memories. I had no idea that there was a Woolworth's at Sonic Boom, or that Sneaky Dee's was up here for a while!

@bunnyhero: I think the aroma espresso bar signage is just a ruse to keep posters off the wooden boards. If you look closely in the picture above the word "aroma," there is a sign that says retail space for lease 1,700 sq. ft., so i can only assume that means the place is still up for grabs. As for hotspot, your guess is as good as mine--but those eviction posters were definitely amusing.

Posted by: Kevin at January 7, 2007 10:38 PM

I just remembered, right as I was posting my previous comment, that the little bird I spoke to at City Hall told me that 500 Bloor W has no active building permits... so no, there is no official work being done there right now at the old JJ Albany's.

Posted by: Kevin at January 7, 2007 10:43 PM

for the record, beer market is the worst place ive had to sit in ever. full of scum playing pool. crazy men trying to pick a fight talking to either your group of friends or the strongman competition on one of the billion tv's. yucky.

Posted by: michael k at January 8, 2007 2:26 AM

michael k: ya, I made some assumptions just by looking in the window. The place looks doesn't look inviting to me.

Posted by: Jerrold at January 8, 2007 7:09 AM

Good overview and update of the Annex streetscape, I lived in the neighbourhood for 7 yrs and still always come back to my old local Paupers Pub and also would like to mention the Annex landmark, the By the Way Cafe which has been there since the 70s.

Posted by: dyee276750 at January 8, 2007 8:11 AM

ZiZi Trattoria is closed!?
I loved that place...

Posted by: Amanda at January 8, 2007 9:33 AM

@Amanda: sorry, it's all boarded up now and there are posters on the front door saying that a Chinese dim sum restaurant is coming soon.

Posted by: Kevin at January 8, 2007 10:03 AM

Other food highlights for me:

Future Bakery's Cake.

Insomnia's Chicken and Avacado sandwich, and their mussels.

Fresh's sweet potato fries with miso gravy.

And almost everything at Ghazale and By the Way Cafe is delicious.

Posted by: Jerrold at January 8, 2007 10:07 AM

i was unaware that there was more to be known about the annex.. clearly one of the highest quality stretches of road in the city. But now i have a few more places to go to when the mood strikes.

KUDOS!!!

Posted by: Luke Wilson at January 8, 2007 11:11 PM

Same. I'm rarely west of Spadina, and this stretch looks and sounds great. It's definitely slated for further exploration. Thanks, guys.

Posted by: Gloria at January 9, 2007 7:45 AM

In terms of struggling business name changing, "JJ Albany's" ranks high. As if no one going to notice it wasn't a JJ Muggs anymore.

Posted by: Tanja at January 9, 2007 3:04 PM

My favourite instant giggle lives in the Annex. Weiner's Hardware.

Posted by: lee at January 9, 2007 7:13 PM

Great story...the Annex rocks.
Re: Steve's comments...I totally remember when Sneaky Dee's was across from Honest Ed's. :)

Back in the early 80's I remember my mom and I splitting a plate of french fries and gravy at the old Woolworth's luncheon counter, when Mr.T made a guest appearnce at Honest Ed's and caused a near riot at Bloor & Bathurst... and then years later there used to be an old video rental place near Robert St. where they always has a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 to rent (I was determined to kick Bowser's ass what can I say?) Oh and who can forget "Cafe Orgasmo" now Tim Hortons?

Yay Annex!


Posted by: Bridget at February 5, 2007 12:00 AM

Just wait until Aroma espresso bar is open

Posted by: David at February 23, 2007 10:00 PM

aha! it looks like aroma espresso bar may be moving in after all!

i saw this "now hiring" sign tonight:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bunnyhero/461065069/

Posted by: bunnyhero [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 16, 2007 1:18 AM

i don't know if anyone is reading the comments to this old post any more, but i just wanted to let you know that i am posting this from the aroma espresso bar right now :) they offer free wifi for customers, too (name/password for access is on your receipt).

it's quite hopping at the moment. they have a kitchen, too.

Posted by: bunnyhero [TypeKey Profile Page] at May 20, 2007 5:05 PM

aroma is incredibly busy all the time!
i dont understand how there can be 3 coffee shops all across the street from each other, each doing great business.

i live just on albany and im always at ghazale for late night delicious sauce-y shawarmas and i end up doing most of my grocery shopping at organics on bloor. i used to shop at noah's, but i neeeed fresh vegetables that are actually fresh.

Posted by: nancy at January 20, 2008 5:28 PM

The Annex...God Bless it. I could never seem to move away from the Annex either. I did time on Lowther and Vermont Ave...and I worked at SWAK (the one closest to Spadina. Met my best friend on the patio at Futures and met my wife one drunken night at the Dance Cave.
I stomped on the terra all over the Annex.

I don't live in Toronto now but think about it everyday.

Posted by: Eakie at February 20, 2008 7:11 PM

My favorite place is Vintage Video in Mirvish village. John is real nice and knowledgeable about videos. The store only sells vintage films. No renting. Check it out for the nice interior. His selection isn't as large as Bay St. Video, but it's got lots of character and a nice place to shop for classic videos of all kinds. I just moved to Winnipeg and dearly miss that store.

Posted by: Anonymous at April 1, 2008 7:09 PM

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