The Real Jerk to settle at Gerrard and Carlaw

Over a year after having been evicted from their longstanding home at Queen and Broadview, the Real Jerk has finally found a new home. The restaurant is set to take over the former Playpen space at Gerrard and Carlaw. While no official date has been set for the grand re-opening, the restaurant has repeatedly promised on Twitter that it'll be "soon." Global News puts the date at around three weeks, so that's exciting news for fans of the former Riverside staple.

The Real Jerk has initially planned to relocate to 625 Queen Street East, just a stone's throw away from the original restaurant. After securing the space on the ground level of Edge Condos, resident opposition to their liquor licence caused owners owners Ed and Lily Pottinger to rethink the space.

In some sense, the Jerk might be a more natural fit in a neighbourhood in transition. One suspects there will be more freedom to redecorate the exterior of the building given the drab strip mall surroundings, and with Queen Street well gentrified between Riverside and Leslieville, it's a safe bet that the area around Gerrard and Carlaw will see some of its own redevelopment action.