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By Melinda M, February 27, 2010 10:37 am

This is the third edition of our new series where we profile neighborhood businesses and ask them a set of 8 questions about running their business on Ossington.

Located at 15 Ossington, just north of Queen, Silver Falls Vintage is an upscale vintage shop with art gallery Hunter and Cook in the back.

We asked Lindsay from Silver Falls Vintage our 8 questions about her business and here are her answers:

What’s your business?

Silver Falls Vintage.

How is your business unique?

I sell vintage clothing and my boyfriend Jay runs an art gallery in the back called Hunter and Cook.

How long have you been in business here?

Just over a year.

What drew you to be here on Ossington?

The action!  I couldn’t think of another spot to be really.  We got in at the right time before the rents started going crazy.

What changes have you seen on Ossington since your business has been here?

The weekends in the summer are nuts on this strip!  I used to live on Argyle Street 15 years ago and the neighbourhood was super sketchy. I would run home from the bus stop.  Now the only thing you have to be afraid of are drunken, suburbanite douchebags.

How do you see your business and Ossington five years from now?

We are closing the gallery in the spring and will be converting the space into an antique shop.
I hope Ossington gets a few more cheap, daytime food places.  More daytime business in general.

What is your favorite spot on Ossington, other than your own? and why?

I love the Vietnamese restaurant Pho Tien Thanh. I probably eat there too much……
And TAN coffee! My pal Marilyn is the owner- I probably drink too much coffee as well.

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By Melinda M, February 23, 2010 11:02 am

This is the second edition of our new series where we profile neighborhood businesses and ask them a set of 8 questions about running their business on Ossington.

Our profile today is of art gallery MKG127. Located on the east side of Ossington at Argyle Street, MKG127 is a contemporary art gallery which showcases artists from Canada and around the world.

And now, 8 questions with Michael Klein of MKG127.

What’s your business?

art gallery

How is your business unique?

I’ve had people come in and ask “what is this place ?”
I often show work that challenges people’s idea about what “art” should look like.

How long have you been in business here?

Opened June 2007

What drew you to be here on Ossington?

I thought the strip between Queen & Dundas felt like a unique, self contained little village. There were a few galleries that had located there too.

What changes have you seen on Ossington since your business has been here?

Many more places to eat & drink.

How do you see your business and Ossington five years from now?

Probably the opposite of what I would predict.

What is your favorite spot on Ossington, other than your own? and why?

I have a lot of favourites but here’s a couple I’ve been frequenting recently.
Superior Dry Cleaners, they do a great job , quick and  very reasonable, recently even did a little repair job for me for free. I had the same hair stylist for about 20 years and when he retired last year I didn’t have to look very far for his
replacement, I tried Viva Hair, got a great cut, nice price & incredibly convenient.

MKG127 is located at 127 Ossington Street.

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By Melinda M, February 7, 2010 12:15 pm

Still trying to decide how to spend your Super Bowl Sunday? If you want to watch the big game or do something less sports-oriented, here are some choices in the Ossington/Dundas area.

The Painted Lady is hosting a SuperBowl party with large screen TVs and a special menu including varieties of hot dogs. They are even conducting a football pool so you can really have something to root for.

Reposado celebrates “Superbowl Stupor” at 5PM with free munchies and $5 tall boys.

The Dakota Tavern continues with their usual live music lineup starting with Lickin Good Fried at 7 and house band the Beauties at 10p.

Communist’s Daughter hosts their regular Sunday afternoon jazz starting 4:30ish.

The Garrison’s Wavelength series continues tonight with bands playing from 9p- late.

You can check out some art at AWOL open til 5 with a new exhibition this weekend.

There are likely more events happening, but this is a start. Have a great Superbowl Sunday!

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By Melinda M, January 30, 2010 12:11 pm

The Angell Gallery is moving to Ossington. Taking over the space on 12 Ossington that until recently held Lennox Contemporary, the relocated gallery will open on Ossington on February 1. It’s not a big move for them – in fact, the former location was Queen West just east of Ossington. It looks as if they will get comfortable before their grand opening launch, now scheduled for April.

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By Melinda M, January 26, 2010 11:44 am

So we have heard about or noticed two new restaurants that are close to opening on Ossington. After a few recent closings and nothing else, it’s nice to see some forward momentum in the neighborhood.

A few sources mentioned the soft opening of  Bohmer last week during the Interior Design show. We peeked in on the weekend, and the space looks large and luxe. Some art on the walls made us think it was a gallery at first, but then we saw the bar. Don’t know when it’s opening, so if you do, please tip us off!

Second thing we noticed, a little north from there, was an awning is out for Salt, next to Libretto. Signs were up last summer noting an early fall launch, which never materialized. A wine bar with small plates, meats and cheeses? We were really upset when it looked like it wasn’t happening. Now it looks like it is! According to an article last year in Martini Boys (PR dreams, but they’re right sometimes!), Salt should open in February. Have you seen today’s date? February is this weekend! So, keep us posted and we’ll do the same for you.

More rumours: a grocery store maybe opening soon on Ossington?

More truths: one art gallery closes, another moves in. More to come.

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By Brians, December 8, 2009 10:06 am

Last Wednesday night the Dakota Tavern, the little underground music joint which caps our row of great merchants on Ossington turned 3 years old with a party complete with great musicians.

The Dakota is really what Ossington is all about. I would consider it like a metaphor for the street itself – sometimes too commercial (line-ups and bouncers), sometimes too rowdy (yep, there are drunk people coming out), but mostly hip and accessible, and serving some great food. It’s was born like the street itself, bringing life out of an old broken down basement bar, and like the street itself has an uncomfortable but cordial relationship with the Portuguese bar that sits atop and to the south.

For my friends with kids who don’t go out much any more I always suggest the Bluegrass brunch which they serve up on Sunday afternoons. It’s a family style brunch served in front of some great bluegrass musicians, and there are always lots of kids dancing to the morning to mid-afternoon music.

One of the mainstays of The Dakota are The Beauties, who play Sunday nights. It’s a night where musicians come to listen to other musicians, and if you go often enough you might see Fiest, or Ron Sexsmith, or one of a number of talented Canadian musicians take the stage.

Last Wednesday night the audience just this crowd. Talking to a few people in the crowd I don’t think I met anyone who wasn’t a musician.  I couldn’t stay late into the set, but managed to stick around for few songs from Justin Rutledge, another regular at the Dakota.

This month every Tuesday Jason Collette (of Broken Social Scene fame) is doing a Basement Review – a multi-disciplinary variety show with poets, songwriters and great musicians.

Update: Also noticed tonight that the Crooked Star is turning 5 this week. Don’t forget to head over and wish them a happy birthday.

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By Brians, November 6, 2009 5:04 pm

Anyone who’s been hanging around Ossington for a while knows of the magic of Rolly’s Garage. But, without some community support, it may be coming to an end. But a quick vote by you may save them!

Rolly’s was an old garage – with mechanics and all, and some time ago Robin Orbeta-Lacambra took it over from her father and made it into the open art space it is today.

In a rare showing of actually trying to enforce the law, rather than impose new ones, they have been told that they need a whole lot of upgrades to make the place viable for business. And, Now Magazine is reporting that that the insurance company Aviva is looking for community building ideas, and Rolly’s garage is on the list of potential locations to get support.

So go hit up the Aviva Community site and vote for Rollys.

Also stop by the fundraiser this weekend! Let’s give them the support they need!

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By Brians, July 13, 2009 9:50 pm

Ossington is an artistic street for sure. With all the galleries and music venues art pervades the street. But it’s also everywhere, even hidden in plain view. You can walk down Ossington on any given day and not notice the large amount of graffiti, or, as it’s called “street art”.

Yesterday on a little neighbourhood walkabout I took a few pictures of the interesting art along the lower section of Ossington. Were there any good ones I missed?

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By Brians, July 12, 2009 4:51 pm

If you were feeling artsy this weekend in Toronto there was lots to do. We had Afrofest, the Fringe, and many other events. If you were into visual arts you’d probably want to hit up the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.

But you didn’t have to go all the way downtown. Here on Ossington we got a mini version of the exhibition hosted by the folks at Lennox Contemporary called The Rejects – Salon des Refuses. This was a place where those who got turned down to show and sell at the big outdoor exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square got to show off their work in a smaller, more intimate setting.

We stopped by and visited them and checked out the work of a few up-and-coming artists.We talked to Venus Lukic who told us she had applied for the show, and was turned down, but brought her rejection letter to the people at Lennox and got a chance to show there.

We also saw work by Thomas Hendry, Bill Philipovic, and Ben Stansfield, among many others.

A nice way to spend an Sunday afternoon.

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By Brians, July 5, 2009 12:10 am

There are a few places on Ossingon I haven’t been yet. And the Lower Ossington Theatre, until tonight, was one of them. It always looks tempting, but, from the street, it looks like s small, cramped space. With the Fringe on, we ventured into to see Red Machine, Part 1, one of the Fringe Festival plays.

I was definitely wrong about being cramped and small. Despite the small door, you head upstairs, and are greeted by large windows, a nice foyer for taking tickets and a pleasant and well decorated intermission area with a small area where there is a small, licensed snack bar. When were were there earlier tonight there was an interesting art exhibition on the walls which I didn’t get enough time to take a good look at.

In the back the actual theatre area is large, and was set up for the Fringe play in an L shape. There looks like there are some other workshop rooms in the hallway to the theatre, which, I suspect, are inspiring the creativity for further plays in the venue.

I’ll definitely be going back. It’s very convenient, and now that I know I won’t be sitting on uncomfortable chairs, or on the floor, I’ll be watching each of the new releases in the theatre to come.

This neighbourhood rocks. I said it in tweets earlier today, and I’ll say it again.