The Longest Yard, a Midtown Toronto institution, is set to close this spring. The pub has occupied the corner of Mt. Pleasant and Belsize for over 30 years, drawing a loyal group of regulars and politicos who flocked to the Yard for election night events. It was never an "it" spot, but for those lived in the area, it was an integral part of the neighbourhood landscape.

The patio was the most lively place on the street when I grew up on nearby Millwood Rd., and was perpetually packed throughout the late '80s and '90s. I'll always remember it as one of the first adult places that I went to with any frequency as a kid.

The pub will close on May 1st, but not before a final lobster boil and farewell party on April 25th and 30th, respectively. You can bet that the latter will be particularly well attended, as long-time patrons bid goodbye to what was "a local" in the truest sense of the term.

The decision has been made to focus on the second location of the business, which will continue on at 3313 Bloor St. West. The Longest Yard isn't the first Mt. Pleasant staple vacate the street after multiple decades. Penrose Fish & Chips, which opened in 1950, closed its doors for good in the fall of 2014.

It's hard to imagine this stretch of road without these two anchors.