heated patio toronto

Someone in Toronto is renting their rooftop patio for people looking to dine outdoors

With the unseasonably warm temps gone for the year and chillier fall weather moving in, people in Toronto are on the hunt for heated patios more than ever, given that they're now the only option for grabbing a bite or drink at a bar or restaurant in the city right now.

Though the CafeTO program meant that establishments with limited or no existing patios could extend outdoor seating onto sidewalks and roadways to help with business, the City just announced that it will be nixing the popular curbside dining starting this week to accommodate snow clearing as we move into winter.

At those spots that are lucky enough to be holding on to their outdoor space, patrons will be donning parkas and gloves for patio season 2.0, braving the cold for the chance to get out and about and socialize with friends.

And, some less typical businesses are getting a little creative with their outdoor space to give residents more options for places in which to gather — like a short-term rental apartment building that has now opened its rooftop for private bookings.

The Subway Rentals mid-rise at Lawrence and Caledonia has started listing its rooftop patio as a rentable event space fit for weddings, corporate events, personal birthday or Halloween parties and family BBQs (within provincial gathering limits, of course).

"With indoor venues closing and Torontonians scrambling to reorganize their events, we decided to provide them with a solution: a small outdoor venue," the building's property manager told blogTO.

"We think it's a great opportunity for people who do not have a backyard or an open space to still be social with family and friends without it being virtually."

He added that restaurants could also use the space to cater and host their own events, which may otherwise have to be cancelled due to the recent shuttering of indoor dining spaces.

Though it's definitely a clever idea to make some extra cash and help those trying to organize an event in a time with such limited options, it's also a sign of how desperate and dire things have become for residents, as well as the hospitality and events industry.

Thankfully, the colder weather also means the end of the year is drawing nearer, and that we have the chance to at least symbolically wipe our slates clean of 2020 with the dawn of the new year.

Lead photo by

Airbnb


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