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Our six favourite pieces from Come Up to My Room 2012 (including one we had to get on our hands and knees to see)

Walking from space to space at the Gladstone’s annual Come Up to My Room event (where the hotel surrenders its accommodations to be reimagined by a clutch of designers) is a bit like taking an absurd, down-the-rabbit-hole-type journey though the minds of several artsy archetypes. There’s the minimalist, who works with little more than white Styrofoam and LED lights; the maximalist, whose room is so packed with hundreds of abstract, laser-cut feathers it’s pretty well impossible to enter; the Parkdale hipster, whose half-shorn hair and acid-wash jeggings are more interesting than the art itself; and the conceptualist, whose work is likely very, very deep but will be likely be lost on everyone without a PhD in philosophy. That said, the show, which is on until this Sunday, is exuberantly creative, spectacularly strange, and well worth a visit. Our six favourite pieces after the jump.

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The Hype

To-Do List

November 2, 2011 | 3:05 pm

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The Weekender: Don Giovanni, Literary Death Match and six other events on our to-do list

Phillip Addis as Don Giovanni, giant pumpkins at the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair, Matthew Good

1. LITERARY DEATH MATCH TORONTO
In this singularly silly lit event, four authors (Grace O’Connell, Carolyn Black, Rebecca Rosenblum and Dani Couture this time around) give readings of their best pieces of writing. After each reading, the panel of judges (poet Ryan Kamstra, comedian Lindy Zucker and National Post books editor Mark Medley) offer up American Idol–esque commentary (more Paula than Simon) before narrowing the field to two finalists, who compete in a madcap showdown (last time involved throwing cupcakes at a poster of Margaret Atwood). November 6. $10. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635, literarydeathmatch.com.

2. THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR
Even the hippest Torontonian could use a little rodeo in their lives now and again. The annual fair is back in town, with its gigantic horses, veggies of unusual proportion, craft shopping and the ever-popular SuperDogs. We do have one small beef with this longtime Toronto tradition: why does it have to be called the winter fair? For the record, it’s still fall, and we’re not nearly ready for winter yet. November 4 to 13. $22. Ricoh Coliseum, 100 Princes’ Blvd., 416-263-3400, royalfair.org.

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The Informer

From the Print Edition

October 7, 2011 | 10:22 am

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Michelle Dean: I ♥ N.Y. (Not T.O.)

(Jack Dylan)

Dear Toronto: I’d like to say that it’s me, not you, but I’d be lying. It is you. You have no passion, no ambition. You elected Rob Ford! I’m leaving you for another city

About a year ago, in what felt like defeat, I moved to Toronto. I was looking to overhaul (some might say “ditch”) my career. I’d spent five years in New York as a corporate attorney, warring with myself from the get-go over whether I could stay in a city that I loved on employment terms I despised. When I was finally laid off and I decided to leave practice altogether, Toronto was the obvious choice for a crash landing. Though I’d never lived there, I had a lot of friends in the city, there were cultural events aplenty, and rents seemed shockingly cheap after Brooklyn and Manhattan. Maybe, I thought, I’d been crazy to stay away.

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The Informer

Opine for Business

August 12, 2011 | 12:57 pm

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Queen West named a “great place to explore” in USA Today

Resident urban creative class guru Richard Florida recently drew up a list for USA Today’s Larry Bleiberg of 10 up-and-coming North American neighbourhoods that are just booming with “new restaurants, parks and condos,” and—shocker—Queen West made the cut. Florida notes in particular the art and music scenes at the Drake and Gladstone hotels. Apparently, it “keeps getting more interesting the farther west you go.” Read the whole story [USA Today] »

The Hype

To-Do List

June 22, 2011 | 1:57 pm

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The Weekender: Samsara, TD Toronto Jazz Festival and six other events on our to do list

Coeur de Pirate, The Roots’ Black Thought and Lisa Ray

1. TD TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL
Somehow, the organizers of this annual music fest always manage to book musicians that even non-jazz fans are dying to see. Case in point: this year’s lineup, which features Aretha Franklin, The Roots and Los Lonely Boys alongside more straight-up jazz offerings like Kurt Elling and Nikki Yanofsky. The Queen of Soul kicks off the entire festival with a free concert at Metro Square this Friday. June 24 to July 3. Various locations, 416-870-8000, torontojazz.com.

2. SAMSARA (FREE!)
We have a not-so-secret love of Bollywood, but no amount of dedication could score us tickets to the International Indian Film Academy Awards this weekend. Luckily for us, there’s this free street fest. Faisal Anwar has curated a film series of old and new Bollywood dance sequences. There are also two performance stages, one dedicated to classical music and dance and the other to all things fusion. Local girl Lisa Ray will rock the runway during two of the four scheduled fashion shows. June 25. Rogers Centre, 1 Blue Jays Way, toronto.ca/iifa2011.

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The Dish

Pantry Raid

May 16, 2011 | 11:29 am

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New co-op grocery store coming to Parkdale later this year

The West End Food Co-op—the folks behind the popular Sorauren Farmers’ Market—have partnered up with the Parkdale Community Health Centre to open a grocery store at Queen and Dufferin in the coming months. We caught up with Ayal Dinner, the WEFC operations coordinator, who spoke about taking the organization in this new direction.

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The Hype

To-Do List

March 16, 2011 | 12:42 pm

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The Weekender: Onegin, Canada Blooms and six other events on our to-do list

The Fantasticks, Canada Blooms and Miss Lasko Gross at Graphic Details

1. CANADA BLOOMS
Walking through the grounds of this huge flower-focused festival is like bypassing the last weekend of winter and all of spring and jumping right into summer. We’ll be hanging out in the six acres of fully blooming gardens, pretending it’s July. With lectures, demonstrations and even gardens curated or inspired by Juno-winning artists like Ben Heppner and Jully Black. To March 20. $18. Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, 100 Princes Blvd., 416-263-3322, canadablooms.com.

2. MONTPARNASSE
A hit at 2009’s SummerWorks festival, this remount is racy and thought provoking at the same time. Set in 1920s Paris, it follows two Canadian expats living in the titular ’hood and working as nude models: one’s the archetypal libertine; the other decidedly more self-conscious. But that’s where any dependence on formula ends. Writers Maev Beatty and Erin Shields, who also play the two women, chip away at the audience’s assumptions about each character at every turn. March 17 to April 2. $15–$35. Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave., 416-504-7529, artsboxoffice.ca.

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The Hype

To-Do List

February 9, 2011 | 12:38 pm

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The Weekender: Heart, Nature Unleashed and six other can’t-miss events

1. HEART
Remember when rock star sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson sent John McCain’s campaign a cease-and-desist letter after he used their hit song “Barracuda” to introduce then-running-mate Sarah Palin? That’s just one of the many reasons this stalwart band is awesome. Their Friday concert, part of the sisters’ 35^th anniversary cross-country tour, will almost certainly include a 2011 take on “Barracuda,” as well as all the other hard-rock anthems and power ballads the Wilsons are known for. February 11. $65–$115. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., 416-872-4255, masseyhall.com.

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The Hype

High Art

January 28, 2011 | 4:35 pm

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Come Up to My Room preview: get a sneak peek of the Gladstone Hotel’s annual design show

“Dollar Store Triptych” by Mark McLean (All images: Stefania Yarhi)

We were lucky enough to get an advance look at some of the work being set up at the Gladstone Hotel for Come Up to My Room. Some of the artists and designers have taken more radical approaches than in previous years, including the erection of huge installation pieces and maybe a little social commentary on the Dollar Store. Check out some of the exhibitions here, with our slide show »

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The Hype

To-Do List

January 26, 2011 | 1:01 pm

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The Weekender: Winterlicious, Barrymore and six other can’t-miss events

1. CONNECTING: TORONTO IS AN AWFUL CITY
As part of the ROM’s regular Connecting series, Toronto Star urban affairs columnist Christopher Hume expounds on gridlock, pollution and—shudder—transit. Counterintuitively, Hume also explains how the much-yearned-for “better future” is happening right now. Jan. 28. $50. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, 416-586-8000, rom.on.ca.

2. WINTERLICIOUS
The most delicious part of winter is here! In addition to the prix fixe menus at some of the city’s best restaurants, there are 14 extra foodie events, including a maharaja-themed evening at the AGO, a Chinese New Year celebration at Spice Route and an Iron Chef–style competition at Fort York between C5′s Ted Corrado and Beast’s Scott Vivian. Jan. 28 to Feb. 10. toronto.ca/special_events/winterlicious.

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The Goods

From the Print Edition

January 13, 2011 | 4:00 am

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Good Stuff Cheap: 100 items under $10

We scoured this booty-filled city and scooped up its best deals

Start the slideshow »

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The Goods

From the Print Edition

December 21, 2010 | 1:36 pm

12 Comments

Great Spaces: DIY domestic bliss

For one artistically inclined couple, a late-night foray into on-line dating led to DIY domestic bliss By Siri Agrell

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The Hype

To-Do List

November 3, 2010 | 10:30 am

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The Weekender: Royal Winter Fair, Day of the Dead Festival and six other events on our to-do list

Giddy up! (Images provided by the Royal Winter Fair)

1. CAPTURE THE FLAG (FREE!)
The suit-filled streets of the financial district get a Newmindspace make-over during this huge game of capture the flag on Bay. Teams get 10 minutes to plan before the game starts; organizers suggest bringing cellphones (for strategizing) and flashlights (it gets dark just after 6 now). Nov. 6. 8:30 p.m. Southwest corner of King and Bay Streets, newmindspace.com.

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The Hype

To-Do List

October 27, 2010 | 11:50 am

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The Weekender: nine things on our to-do list (yes, including Halloween events)

1. CINDERELLA: ROCK THE BALL
The annual fundraising gala for the Canadian Opera Company, Operanation is always a place to see and be seen. This year’s bash is a rock ’n’ roll take on Cinderella that was inspired by the upcoming production of La Cenerentola, the Gioacchino Rossini opera based on the fairy tale. Think, all the city’s PYTs, amazing food and cocktails and, oh yeah, a joint COC/Broken Social Scene performance. Oct. 29. $150. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231, coc.ca.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

August 20, 2010 | 11:01 am

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Jonathan Demme to host art exhibit at Gladstone Hotel during TIFF

The westward movement of TIFF action this year continues with Jonathan Demme’s prized collection of Haitian and Jamaican art on display at the Gladstone Hotel from September 7 to 16. The director (Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married) has a soft spot for Haiti. In the 1980s, he purchased a painting by a Haitian artist at a New York gallery, visited the island several times, made friends, learned Creole and later shot a documentary about Haitian journalist and activist Jean Dominique. The film, 2003′s The Agronomist, will be screened at the Gladstone on September 12 at 2 p.m., with all proceeds from ticket sales ($20 each) going to the Haiti relief fund.

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