rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray Butterworth) (03/14/89)
I visit downtown Toronto for a day, maybe once every month or two. While looking around can be fun, usually there isn't a lot of time when I have specific things that I want to buy, so I have to have my destinations in mind before I go there. I'd appreciate it if people that live in the area would recommend "best" places to go for various types of purchases. My major criteria are price and selection; I don't care about trendy, or atmosphere, or such things. e.g. Theatre: 5-Star Tickets (half price for same day) outside Eaton Centre Used CDs: Vortex ($15), BackBeat ($14), Dundas, a few blocks east of Yonge New CDs: Sams, A&A, Cheapies, etc., Yonge, just north of Dundas Please reply by mail. I don't want to clog up this newsgroup. If I get sufficient response I'll post a summary in a week or two. One specific question: does anywhere still stock Addidas Tobacco shoes (size 7 please).
rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray Butterworth) (03/20/89)
Last week I asked tor.general readers for what they would suggest as
the "best" places to go to buy various things when visiting Toronto.
I'm posting the result to ont.general, since the information is
of use to visitors who probably don't get tor.general.
Thanks to:
Gregory Dudek <dudek@ai.toronto.edu>
henry@utzoo
mdfreed@ziebmef (Mark Freedman)
contact!eisen@dptcdc.uucp (Martin Loeffler)
Mike Godfrey <migod@csri.toronto.edu>
Theatre (half price for same day performance):
5-Star Tickets, outside Eaton Centre, Queen and Dundas.
Used CDs:
Driftwood records. South side of Queen, just across from Dragon Lady Comics
Incredible Record Store, west side of Yonge just south of Bloor (upstairs).
Records Revisited, south side of Bloor, west of Bathurst.
BackBeat ($14), north side of Dundas, a few blocks east of Yonge.
Vortex ($15), across the street from BackBeat.
New CDs:
Sam's, A&A, Sunrise, Cheapies, etc. Yonge, just north of Dundas.
Electronics junk:
Active surplus, Queen East of Spadina
Cheap computer software:
Clubsoft, College, south side, 2 blocks west of Spadina (beside church)
Electronic music hardware & software (Keyboards, etc):
Saved by technology, 15 Breadalbane (S. of Wellesley & Yonge)
Adidas shoes:
the Adidas store on Yonge just south of Bloor
New Books and Magazines:
World's Biggest Bookstore (Edward Street, between Yonge and Bay ..one
block North of Dundas) has an enormous selection of books and magazines.
Their software is overpriced.
Computers:
BusinessWorld (World of Software / World of Hardware) at 111 Bathurst
just north of King Street, east side of Bathurst, 2nd floor has very
competitive prices on computer hardware, software, and supplies (e.g.
3 1/2" DSDD Dysan disks for $19/box). Some of it is probably grey market
(not bought from Canadian distributors), but that's not relevant for certain
purchases.
Misc. new, used, artsy, or strange things:
If you're interested in used books (SF and others) try About Books,
right next to Bakka (both on North side of Queen st., west of University).
Actually, west Queen between Universtiy and Spadina has too many book,
comic, computer, music, etc. stores to list. Just go and walk for a day.
> From: Mike Godfrey <migod@csri.toronto.edu>
> You're in luck (sort of). I wrote this for someone else and still had
> it kicking around. You may find it of some use.
-------cut here---------
Time was when there were two great import stores in the city--The Record
Peddlar and Records on Wheels. Unfortunately, RoW has recently closed
down all of its branches for some unkown reason. Anyway there is no one
single area to go imports/boots, but I'll try to give you a few ideas.
First, check out the obvious ones, like Sam's, A&A's and the Peddlar.
Then hit Queen street (the extreme southern boundary of the Eaton Centre).
Go west along queen past City Hall, cross University Ave (a very wide street,
you'll know it when you see it). You've now hit the burgeoning "artist"
section of the city. There are a few record stores around here as well as
many used book stores (and an SF bookstore if you're into that--it's called
Bakka). The only names of stores that occur to me offhand are Kopps
Kollectibles, Driftwood Music and Vortex Records.
Once you've wandered around there, find Beverly street and walk north to
Baldwin Street. Turn east (right) and halfway along the block you'll see
a neat but small store whose name escapes me. Now after you're done there
go accross the street to the "Oh Kitchen" and have lunch (this is a must!).
Order the (at least) General George chicken and a small bowl of chile and
vinegar (actually hot and sour) soup.
Now walk back up Beverly to College (you're now due west of Maple Laff
Gardens). Walk over half a block to where the intersection where Druxy's
(a "deli") sits. Don't go in (it's pretty terrible) but instead cross
the street and go north. You're now walking into the heart of the
University of Toronto (it's truly worth a look). Walk up to the north end
of the field and make your way back to Beverly, which by now has turned
into St. George Street. Walk north to Harbord (also called Hoskin) and
turn west (left). Walk for a few blocks, past Spadina (another wide street)
on the north side and eventually you'll find Sketchy Records, another small
indie store where you may find boots.
After that, continue west along Harbord to Bathurst Street. Go north
to Bloor Street (it's only half a block). Turn west on Bloor, noting as
you go the world's most garish store display at Honest Ed's. Ed is a
local millionaire who also owns the Old Vic Theatre in London England.
Because of the lights, his store is the only man made structure that is
visible from the moon. Well, all right not the moon, but it is the only
landmark I could pick out at night from the top of the CN Tower. If you're
feeling adventurous, go in and have a look--it's like a gargantuan K-Mart.
I live about a block from there and can see the lights from my living room
window. Anyway, when you're down, continue walking west (on the south side
of Bloor) until you hit "Records Revisited" which specializes in used
records and CD's. The prices are reasonable and I buy all of my used CDs
there.
Well now you're done and best of all, you're right by the subway station
at Bloor and Bathurst. Go back to your hotel and count the goodies.
If you're really pressed for time, the just check out the Peddlar, Sam's
and A&A's. Note also that many of the record stores will close around
6pm most nights. The exceptions are the big ones on Yonge Street (Sam's
and A&A's) which will stay open quite late. You do know that nothing is
open on Sunday, right?