The top clubs and parties for house music in Toronto

House music in Toronto is thriving and these Toronto venues and recurring parties will let you catch DJs and producers from Canada and around the world.

You might have already heard about the fiery state of Toronto's techo scene, but Toronto's house music world has been continuously bumping along for decades.

House is diverse and can be as confusing as EDM when it comes to its actual definition. Ironically, it's one of dance music's most straightforward genres. Picture repetitive four-on-the-floor beats, high hats, a soulful baseline and if you're lucky, a vocal sample.

While Toronto has fewer strictly house music clubs and parties than before, there are still a slew of them to find and they're ready to welcome you with open arms.

House music clubs in Toronto

Bunda Lounge

Toronto house legend Yogi Patel has a residency at this Dundas and Ossington club. It's small, but mighty and the house programming is top notch.

Coda

This one is a favourite of local house DJ Deko-Ze. The sound of this room makes for the perfect environment to hear an extended house set into the wee hours of the morning.

Cube

Be ready for a fancy night out at this long, narrow Queen West club where the quality of music matches the high-end tequila. Toronto house master Jojoflores often spins here.

Nest

Both Nest and The Den receive high praise from Toronto house DJs. Expect lots of late night and early morning extended sets from locals and international guests.

Stone Lounge

Find this spot in the basement of Revival. Party mastermind Jason Palma call this underground venue one of his favourites for its sound and vibe.

Monthly house music parties in Toronto

Break for Love

This one's a night for big classic house and rare grooves with DJs like Dave Campbell, Yogi Patel and Jojoflores.

Brighter Days

The Brighter Days party is a big hit and usually features Jason Palma, Dirty Dale and Yogi Patel with music to feed your soul and lift you up!

Coconut Grove Co.

Raf Reza's music collective (they sell tapes!) throws monthly parties, often at Bambi's. They're heavy on house, but they're not too strict, so don't be alarmed if the vibe ebbs and flows.

Jungle Funk

The Jungle Funk parties usually star Toronto's Deko-Ze and guests and often end up moving to Comfort Zone for extended sets. House heads like Ticky Ty, Miz Megs and Jerome Robins are regulars.

SA Deep

This deep, soulful night focuses on the South African house sound at Bunda Lounge and is on the last Saturday of every month. DJs Dino & Terry, Mark and Yogi Patel are the regulars.

Sweet Tears

Resident DJs Tyrone Solomon and Starting From Scratch move this house music party around the city so keep an eye on the Facebook group.

by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO

Toronto bakery will make your dog a birthday cake

This is what the future of travel might look like in Toronto

Earlier this week, Canada went nuts over a Via Rail pass that would let young people travel across the country for just $150. But that innovative promotion pales in comparison to what another Canadian company is working on.

Transpod, based out of MaRS in Toronto, wants to create the world's first hyperloop system, which would make traveling between cities - like Toronto and Montreal - super fast.

The company has already gotten $20 million from investors in a variety of sectors and has offices in both Italy and France. Its latest renderings show what a hyperloop system could actually look like in Toronto. The result seems pretty futuristic.

Hyperloops, of course, are a long way from being implemented, but they don't only live in the realm of sci-fi anymore.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

Toronto Trump Tower sold for $300 million

Toronto's Trump International Hotel & Tower was never owned by Donald Trump's company. Instead, it licensed its name to Talon International and managed the building at Bay and Adelaide.

But now the 65-storey hotel and condo in the heart of the city's Financial District has been sold to its main dept holder JCF Capital for $298 million, as the Canada Press reports.

Apart from JCF Capital's stalking horse bid, no one else wanted to buy the building. A judge approved of the sale yesterday.

Since opening in Toronto, the Trump Tower has faced lots of controversy and a lawsuit.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

Broken Social Scene killed it on Colbert last night

Broken Social Scene filled the stage at the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night to perform their first new single in seven years live.

Of course, BSS brought Star's Amy Millan and Evan Cranley as well as Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw from Metric along for this late-night TV ride.

Fans of the band haven't been this excited since BSS performed a surprise set (with fireworks!) at the inaugural Wayhome festival. 

This summer, BSS is headlining Field Trip, so catch them there.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

Someone is paying homage to convenience stores in Toronto

Convenience stores dot Toronto's streetscape and nearly every neighbourhood has a local favourite.

Perhaps yours is highlighted in this documentary series that just landed on YouTube.

Convenience Stories, by Toronto filmmaker Liam Kearney, features documentary shorts that highlight the history behind some of the city's most locally famous convenience stores. The series originally appeared on Bell Fibe TV1, but now you can watch it all online.

This isn't the first art project dedicated to convenience stores. Patrick Cummins started the @convenience.to Instagram account to photograph these local landmarks. 

Some of the stores featured include Old's Cool General Store in East York and The Lucky Penny near Trinity Bellwoods.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

The Best Cannoli in Toronto

The best cannoli in Toronto perfectly marry two amazing elements to make one of the most perfect Italian desserts. These crispy cylindrical shells made of dough stuffed with sweet filling, often dusted with sugar, are some of the smallest, simplest, and most satisfying pastries.

Here’s the best cannoli in Toronto.

6 - Messina Bakery

This old-school bakery on Scarlett Road has the perfect crunchy shell lightly sprinkled with icing sugar, filled to the ends with fresh ricotta.
7 - Tre Mari Bakery

The fresh cannoli sold at this St. Clair West Italian bakery comes with a delicious custard cream.
8 - Riviera Bakery

Where else to go for cannoli than Little Italy, specifically this place where the bubbly cannoli shell is rivalled only by the smooth, sweet filling inside.
10 - Lamanna's Bakery

This Scarborough destination not only makes incredibly crunchy cannoli filled with fluffy cream, they even make a gelato out of them.
9 - Sud Forno

The bakery on West Queen West makes a mini cannoli lined with dark chocolate and filled with ricotta, pistachio and candied orange peel.
4 - Bar Buca

This elegant little Italian eatery tucked away from King West makes their cannoli in true Sicilian style. It's a bit on the small side but packed with flavour.
3 - North Pole Bakery

This proud Italian bakery on the Danforth makes their cannoli from scratch by hand, the bubbly, golden brown shells filled with custard, chocolate or ricotta selling in the thousands each week.
5 - Francesca Italian Bakery

Also in a Sicilian style, four spiced fritters are filled with sweetened ricotta and dusted with sugar at this Scarborough bakery.
11 - Nino D'Aversa

Appealing golden brown cannoli perfectly filled with a beautiful cream is available at this popular Italian bakery chain.

by Amy Carlberg via blogTO