We have a love-hate relationship with transit. It's true, don't deny it. It's a tense relationship, always teetering on the edge of oblivion. Will you end it? Are you better off alone? Is there something better out there? But in the end, for better or worse, it always ends up being the same. It's like a loyal spouse, a spurned lover, an abusive husband, and a veiled mistress all rolled into one. And yet, we can't live without it.
At an undisclosed location (hidden alleyway), we discover that Meghan's favourite hub is #BathurstBloor. Listen to what she has to say about all the cool things to do there!
P.S. Do you know where exactly this hidden alleyway is? First person to tell us wins a limited edition TransitHub button!
In late October 2011, the TransitHub team had the honour of inviting one of our most avid #TransitHubbers, Vipasha Shaikh (@PopsugarJunkie) to one of our Sprint Saturdays for a special visit to watch us in action. Yes, that's right, that's the same Vipasha who shared our first Transit Tale, "Aurora", and who was featured in an episode of "What's Your Hub?". Like any good #TransitHubber, she has continued to spread the transit love by writing a most epic story about her time with us for Impact.org.
Please check out Vipasha's article on us, and remember... keep on #TransitHubbing!! :)
It's @TransitHubTO's very own, Johnny Tong (@johnnytong)! Listen closely as he shares his favourite place to hang out near #YongeFinch, and why that's the coolest Hub in Toronto! :)
In this wicked edition of "What's Your Hub?", the charming Monse Rivera (@monsitein) shares her favourite hub in Toronto! Apparently WRONG Bar is all RIGHT in her books!
Get your party shoes on and head out to #DufferinQueen!
Looking for a hidden gem near the #YongeWellesley Hub? Look no further than Bar Volo, the atmospheric meeting spot just a stone's throw away, one block north. And "hidden" it truly is - you won't find a sign on the outside, so the only clue I'll give you is to "look for the ivy". Guided to this Hub by long-time #TransitHubber Simon (also known as the Baron of #BroadviewQueen), what I discovered was unlike any bar I've ever been to. But don't let me spoil all the fun, hear more about what makes Bar Volo so special in the "What's Your Hub?" video, below, then enjoy the photos from this #TransitHubbing adventure!
Carlo from Uknowa.com (@uknowa) shares his favourite hidden gems around the #BroadviewQueen Hub, including coffee shops like the Merchants of Green! Enjoy this episode of "What's Your Hub?"
We managed to track down the lovely Karen Murray (@KarenMur) in Toronto! Listen in as she talks about #BathurstKing and the cool things to do around this Hub. There's some scotch involved too!
Yonge and Sheppard is one of those Uptown Hubs that you might never think of venturing up to. It's the kind of Hub that you rarely think of, and a Hub that you might pass by on the subway everyday. But get off at Yonge and Sheppard and you'll find a Hub with a flavour all its own, and enough to do for a low-key night in the northern part of the city! From independently-run Asian eateries to one of the least busy big-screen cinemas in the city, this is a #TransitHubbing Adventure worth going on!
In this episode of "What's Your Hub?", transit advocate Gabe offers his advice on navigating the #YongeFinch Hub, including finding his favourite Japanese restaurant!
In Part 1 in this two-part series, Simon Thang, AKA the Baron of #BroadviewQueen, began his insider's #TransitHubbing guide to his favourite East End Hub. In Part 2, below, Simon shares more of the hidden gems in this part of the Toronto...
Food has found a home on Queen and Broadview in a big way. Loic was a pioneering presence in the area, opening up a gourmet takeout kitchen on a corner whose previously culinary renown was – sadly – limited to Dangerous Dan’s and The Real Jerk. Queen and Broadview really “arrived” when Food Network celebrity chef Lynne Crawford opened up Ruby Watch Co., which specializes in a daily prix fixe menu. An offshoot store called Ruby Eats opened up recently, selling gourmet ingredients to do-it-yourselfers. For the moneyed, empty-nester cardigan crowd, there’s Table 17. Additional options can be found further east (Joy Bistro, Le Canard Mort).
In this episode of "What's Your Hub?", social media maven Eric Floresca (@clickeric) talks up #BathurstBloor, the cheese cake at Futures Bakery, and the cool peeps at the Centre for Social Innovation...
One of the best parts of working on a startup and journeying through the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship is the learning - learning about who you are, what you're capable of, and what it takes to get things done.
For a guest blog post that I had the honour of writing for the Impact.org entrepreneurship community, I asked myself: what is the most important thing that I've learned since starting TransitHub with the other seven Co-founders on the team? Is there a key ingredient to success, an important thought that I could leave this young and up-and-coming audience with that will help them on their own journeys? Turns out there was: the idea of passion.
Check out the article on Impact.org and remember to bring passion to everything that you do!
The first in a two-part Guide to the East End is brought to you by a #TransitHubber whom we call TheBaron of #BroadviewQueen, Simon Thang. This is insider-information at its best, people! Have fun reading about Simon's favourite hidden gems...
Trundle past the construction dust of the West Donlands on the 501 or 504 eastbound and you’ll soon find yourself on the gentle rise where King and Queen streets converge. The handsome green bridge spanning both the turbid waters of the Don River and the DVP is a familiar sight to East Enders, welcoming them home to semi’s (and, more recently, condos) in Riverside, Leslieville, and, of course, the Beach. And for visitors from other parts of the City crossing the bridge is an unmistakable physical reminder that you’re now officially in the East End.
In this special 3D edition of "What's Your Hub?"Melanie (@melgorka) talks about one of her favourite Hubs in Toronto: #CoxwellGerrard. What's the first thing you think about when you hear of this Hub? Little India? You might be surprised by what Melanie has to say ... check out the video!
This past Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, the heat turned up on the discussions surrounding the city of Toronto's vision for the future of public transit in the region. In one corner, Adam Giambrone, former Chair for the TTC and an advocate for public transit and the Transit City plan. In the other corner, Wendell Cox, Principal of Demographia, with a more holistic point-of-view on solving the city's congestion problems.
These opposing transit dynamos met head-on at the "Moving Toronto: Debate on the Future of the TTC" event held at Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management. The debate raised many questions: how will Toronto's increasing congestion impact our plan for public transit? What roles do buses, streetcars, and subways play in the mix? Why don't we just build new freeways? Each discussion forced the audience to ponder how we'd handle transit in this city.
Amongst the crowd, of course, was your favourite group of #TransitHubbers - us! - capturing the best parts. Check out the photos, videos, and tweets from the debate below, then get talking...
TransitHub is happy to bring all of you #TransitHubbers out there the very first #TransitHubbing Adventure from Ted Blanchard, affectionately referred to by us as "The Legend of #BathurstKing". This week, Ted shares his encounter with the Drake Hotel General Store, just a few steps away from this bustling Hub. Enjoy!
On a recent Sunday afternoon while tromping around King & Bathurst I was asking myself if the weather could be any nicer as I walked by Drake General Store and peered through their invitingly open door.
Five-eighths of the TransitHub Team - Cleaver, John, Arvind, Neil, and Ian, basking in the glory of our table. Go team!
Thanks to our good friends and supporters at MaRS (@MaRSDD), the TransitHub Team was able to attend a Technology, Entertainment, and Media event and panel at Ernst & Yonge (a stone's throw away from the #YongeKing Hub).
At the event, we heard a mix of interesting perspectives on investing and funding technology startups, from both entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists alike. We also met many people from a variety of backgrounds and industries, each interested in learning and sharing knowledge about the startup space. And to cap it all off, we were lucky enough to have our very own TransitHub table set up, where we showcased what we've been up to, handed out our awesome #transit buttons, and generally showed people a good time.
Overall, it was an opportunity to learn, meet great people, and share our passion for TransitHub with anyone who was willing to listen. What more could #TransitHubbers like us ask for??? ;) Enjoy the pics from the event... and keep #TransitHubbing, people!
It's a double dose of "What's Your Hub?" as #TransitHubbers Vipasha (@PopsugarJunkie) and Lucy share the hidden gems around the #BathurstAdelaide and #SpadinaQueen Hubs...
This past Saturday the TransitHub team went #TransitHubbing over to #StGeorgeBloor to hunker down for some power coding and business planning - TransitHub-style.
Although we were a bit sceptical about finding a suitable place to work, what we ended up discovering was a hidden gem on the U of T campus. Inside of Woodsworth College, on the 2nd Floor, we found exactly what we needed - lots of space and chairs to lounge in, walls for us to throw up flip charts and Post-it notes, and free Wi-Fi!! What could be better!
We also had a very special visit from #TransitHubber Vipasha Shaikh (@PopsugarJunkie) and her photographer friend, Lucy, who hung out with us for a bit and even did a "What's Your Hub?" interview for us. Vipasha, who recently shared with us a Transit Tale, will be featuring TransitHub on Impact.org - a website dedicated to entrepreneurship. Looking forward to seeing it, Vipasha!
Enjoy the pics from the Sprint below. Happy #TransitHubbing!
Introducing our very limited-edition batch of TransitHub #transit buttons! Featuring the TransitHub logo, the #BayDundas Hub, and the #YongeKing Hub, we'll be giving these buttons away at a very special event later this week.
Want one? Join us on Facebook and let us know that you're an avid #TransitHubber, and they'll be yours the next time we meet! We'll also be tweeting our whereabouts throughout the week, so if you're up for some spontaneous #TransitHubbing and can find us, the buttons will be yours! Rest assured, we'll always be somewhere that's nearby one of Toronto's Transit Hubs!
Which Hubs would you like to see get their own buttons in the future?? Leave us a comment and let us know! Happy #TransitHubbing!!
Are you an entrepreneur working out of the Network Orange (@OrangeYYZ) section of the ING Cafe? If you are, you would have spotted TransitHub's very own Arvind Karir in this month's issue of Freshly Brewed News! The article covers Arvind's background and how he got involved with TransitHub - check it out below!
To view the article on Arvind and TransitHub, click on the image above
To view the Freshly Brewed News newsletter, click on the image above
In our second chapter of "Transit Tales", a #TransitHubber who goes by the name of Ms. Anonymous shares the story of her return to the world of transit. Enjoy! - John Krissilas
After a 3 year TTC hiatus (well not completely, but more specifically on a daily commuting basis) I have taken up Riding the Rocket once again. Here are some of my Transit Tales...
"The Ice Breaker" by Ms. Anonymous
My ears are involuntarily acclimatizing to the shrill of Toronto’s trains as they skate into my home station each morning. As a now ‘practiced’ commuter, I can deduce by way of the tunnel wind rushes whether the train is approaching north, east, south or westbound.
Air Canada's got a new ad campaign that's a transit-lover's dream come true. Inside the #YongeBloor Subway Station, you'll find a gallery of ads featuring TransitHubs from around the world - from Paris to Shanghai to the Big Apple. Ooohh the potential! If only we could go #TransitHubbing across the globe right now!! Check out the pics we nabbed, then take a moment to soak them in the next time you hit #YongeBloor!
Last week, the TransitHub Team was honoured to have had the chance to chat with Andrea Wahbe (@TheRunningStart), a marketing consultant and Techvibes.com contributor, about our #TransitHubbing journey so far.
The piece on TransitHub was featured on Techvibes.com this past weekend and really captured our passion and enthusiasm for what TransitHub is all about: the community and our city. Check it out!
TransitHub is pleased that guest blogger Ionatan Waisgluss has contributed today's blog post. This time around his contribution is about the "extraordinary graffiti" in an off-the-beaten track area near the Bathurst & Bloor Hub. Enjoy! - Neil Jain
Hidden alleyway near Bathurst & Bloor
Since moving to Borden Street at the start of September, I’ve been continuously exploring the Bathurst & Bloor area, always on the lookout for interesting shops, venues, places to practice parkour, and, of course, street art!
Bathurst & Bloor is a fantastic intersection. Most people know it for the iconic Honest Ed’s, which now incorporates Sonic Boom, Hero Burgers,and The Wine Rack; it’s worth visiting for its sheer size, if not for its fantastic deals. For additional awesomeness near this intersection, check out Midoco’s incredible selection of arts & crafts novelties, have a drink at a bar named after a disorder of your choice (Insomnia or Amnesia), or see what’s playing at the Bloor Cinema.
"Transit Tales" is a brand new series focused on your #TransitHubbing adventures and encounters on the subway or streetcar. In our very first chapter, Vipasha Shaikh (@PopsugarJunkie) shares the story of her very first ride on the subway, and her chance encounter with a girl called "Aurora". Enjoy! - John Krissilas
"Aurora" by Vipasha Shaikh
This story’s old. It’s really old. It’s from when I was in Grade 9, almost four years ago. I had finished my first grade of high school, and I was gearing up for a summer of epic volunteering. I decided to volunteer Downtown, because I hadn’t really gone there before. So I applied to be a volunteer at Fringe, and I got in! I was happy - thank god for that 100% acceptance rate.
Within two days, I had my first shift, and I had to ride the subway all the way to Bathurst Street for it. This was my first subway ride, so I was excited and I didn’t want to screw up. That meant that when I got to Kennedy Station from the RT line, I asked this to an auburn-haired chick who was sitting beside me:
‘Hi, this subway goes down all the way to Kipling right?’
Saturday night was Nuit Blanche (#snbTO) night in Toronto, a sunset-to-sunrise event that celebrates art through exhibits and installations spread throughout the city. Picture this: crowds of excited people, mesmerizing pieces of strange and compelling art around every corner, and TTC street cars filled to the brim. Of course, what better way was there for people to zip from Zone to Zone than the transit system?
With that it mind, we grabbed our October metropasses, wrapped ourselves in our warmest coats, and rushed out to join the hordes of insatiable art-goers. What we found was sometimes shocking, sometimes intriguing, sometimes hilarious, even, but always fun enough to make us want to keep going. And after such an invigorating night of walking and #TransitHubbing through the city, even a 20 minute wait time for the northbound subway train (yeeep!) didn't spoil our mood.
Below are the highlights from our Twitterific evening, for all you #TransitHubbers out there. Just remember that the next time Nuit Blanche hits Toronto, you'll have TransitHub to keep you company! Happy #TransitHubbing, people!
We at TransitHub are thrilled to feature our first guest post from our #TransitHubbing "Foodie Correspondent", Nhi Tran (@n2t2). Not only is this Nhi's very first restaurant review, it's her first blog post... ever! Show Nhi some love and read about her delicious adventure at Wvrstat the Portland and King Hub... - John Krissilas
There are a number of great restaurants in the King West neighbourhood, one new restaurant is Wvrst located just west of King and Portland.
I decided to try Wvrst one evening to see what all the hype was about. When you walk into the restaurant you notice large wooden tables and benches in the centre of the space and the kitchen and bar are located along the walls. The concept of the restaurant is pretty causal, we were handed a menu when we walked in, you can choose from various types of sausages in the display window or order one off the menu. After you order they encourage you to find your own seat where they will bring your food and drinks straight to your table.
Toronto is known for many things and the abundance of cultural festivals is certainly one of them! As a festival buff, I try to make it to as many as I can throughout the year.
During the weekend of September 16 to 18, two exciting European festivals were held. The Polish Festival took place in the historical Roncesvalles Village on Roncesvalles Avenue between Dundas Street West and Queen Street West. The Ukrainian Festival was held in the Bloor West Village on Bloor Street West between Jane Street and Glendowynne Road.
As expected, food, music and performances took centre stage although I did come across some quirky displays as well. Check it out ...
If you liked the guest post on the street art of Rush Lane by Ionatan Waisgluss, we've got good news. There's even more street art activity afoot near the Spadina and Queen Hub, this time on the street itself. From the corner of Spadina and Queen, walk east on the north side of Queen St. and you'll find a random assortment of vivid imagery and establishment-challenging depictions, many of them by street artist Tyler Elijah Hallett. Below, enjoy our #TransitHubbing Adventure down this sidewalk gallery. Then see the art in person before it's all power-washed away...
In this dark and spooky episode of "What's Your Hub?", we talk to Carolyn Van, partner at thirdocean and foodie extraordinaire, about #AugustaandCollege, Kensington Market, and jumbo empanadas!
The Bathurst and Queens Quay Hub rests at the bottom-left corner of the lakeside sector of Toronto's transit system. Venturing past the usual harbourfront fare and into this idyllic part of the waterfront community is like venturing into another world. Relaxing gardens, sweat-inducing basketball courts, and little-known parks will greet you when you get there. But nestled within this Hub is another hidden gem of the artistic kind: the paintings, photographs, and performances at the Arcadia Artist Co-op's Arcadia Gallery, open every Saturday afternoon...
A quick note to all you #TransitHubbers out there! While TransitHub aims to be a community for commuters, there's an awesome film festival for commuters, too: the Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), an underground "silent" film festival happening now until Sept. 18 on a TTC subway station screen near you.
Tomorrow (Wed. Sept. 14), however, there will be a special event at the Drake Hotel (just a few blocks away from the Gladstone and Queen streetcar stop): a special panel discussion on urban screens as an art form at 6pm.
In addition, the Drake Hotel will also be hosting a looped screening of all of the 1-minute films from TUFF from 11am to 5pm over the weekend (Fri. Sept. 16 to Sun. Sept. 18). So you've got another reason to head over to the lively Gladstone and Queen Hub.
The details are below, and we hope to see you there. Happy #TransitHubbing!
One of the biggest challenges that startups founded at Startup Weekend can sometimes face is building on the huge amount of momentum that the 3-day competition ignites. Think about it: mind-bendingly tight deadlines, shoulder-to-shoulder collaboration, midnight coffee runs - how can our team of eight possibly recreate the experience of participating in the productivity-pushing competition? This question led our talented group of TransitHubbers to introduce a new, Startup Weekend-inspired element of how we work together which we call "Sprint Saturdays"...
Great #TransitHubbing news this week as TransitHub was featured on the global Startup Weekend Blog! The Startup Weekend community spans cities all across the world, and hopefully this post will get more entrepreneurs and tech-savvy individuals excited about the idea of TransitHub coming to their city. Below is the post that was featured, titled "How Startup Weekend Brought the TransitHub Team Together":
TransitHub is pleased to welcome a guest blogger today, Ionatan Waisgluss. We hope you enjoy his contribution about street art in Toronto, specifically, Rush Lane near the Spadina & Queen hub. - Neil Jain
If you happen to find yourself in the Queen and Spadina area, just south of the magic of Chinatown, you’re only steps away from a guerilla art gallery of astounding proportions. Half a block south of Queen St., stretching from Spadina Ave. west to Portland St,, there is a series of laneways known as Rush Lane, or Graffiti Alley. Within this very walkable area, you can find all shapes, sizes and styles of guerilla art on surfaces ranging from the railings of fire escapes to oh-so vulnerable brick façades.
In the very first episode of "What's Your Hub?" we talk to TransitHub Team member Neil Jain about the dynamic #SpadinaandBloor and Thursday night sidewalk salsa!
Today, the Eaton Centre unveiled its brand-new food court called the Urban Eatery! It's gotta be the most upscale food court in the city.
It's lunch time! Feed the masses!
Located at the Yonge & Dundas hub, the food court features your regulars including McDonalds, A&W and Subway as well as some lesser-known brands such as Urban Herbivore, Shanghai 360 and Amaya Express. Each joint has their own unique decor, even KFC!
Ah, Parliament and Carlton, an out-of-the-way Hub if there ever was one! Although hopping on the eastbound streetcar at College Station may not seem like the best of choices, once you arrive at this Cabbagetown Hub a few minutes later, you'll have no regrets! Located on a beautiful strip featuring trendy shops and a variety of tastes, this Hub with the "small town" feeling is definitely worth the trip - an excellent #TransitHubbing Adventure!
It somehow managed to escape us once before - rocketing through the subway tunnel at full speed, offering us only a glimpse.
But on Tuesday, August 30, 2011, the goddess of transit finally smiled kindly on us. Not only did we get to see the sparkling, brand-spanking new TTC train - we got to ride inside of it, too - if only for a few stops.
Enjoy the blurry, but genuine, photographic evidence of this underground legend!
At the Buskerfest (@BuskerFestTO) street performance festival near the Jarvis & King Hub in Toronto, we had a spontaneous #TransitHubbing Encounter with a Latin-inspired band called DrumHand, a group of sugar-powered children, and a unicyclist horseman gone wild...
One of the first questions that every Startup Team (as well as every business, period) should ask themselves upon beginning their journey as a Startup: "What does success look like?"
Defining what each team member sees as a successful goal for 2 - 5 years down the road not only serves as a beacon on the horizon for everyone to aim for, but as a motivating force that lets everyone know: we're thinking big.
In mid-June, after the adrenaline of our amazing Startup Weekend Toronto experience had finished rushing through our veins, the TransitHub Team got together to map out our very own "Vision for Success". Here's what we came up with...
Spadina and Queen is a lively Toronto Hub that runs round-the-clock. At the intersection of the Entertainment District, the Queen St. shopping strip, and China Town, you'd expect nothing less! But there's a little-known fact about this Hub that has so far remained a secret... until now. every Thursday evening, Spadina and Queen isthe meeting place of your very own team of TransitHubbers, working hard to deliver TransitHub to you and your friends. :) Where do we meet, exactly? At a relatively undiscovered cafe/bar called Hotel Ocho, for a weekly #TransitHubbing Adventure...
Lower Simcoe and Queens Quay doesn't seem like your typical Hub, off by the waterfront and away from the city proper. And the harbourfront strip itself may not be many local Torontonian's first choice when it comes to spending a lazy summer weekend - it's too touristy, you might say; been there, done that, you might think to yourself. But the truth, my dear TransitHubber, is that this lakeside Hub is one of the best places to spend a beautiful summer afternoon. With the bustling new Harbourfront Centre, there will always be a festival or two to enjoy, a food tent to peruse, and some live music to listen to!
It prowls the Yonge-University-Spadina line, seemingly appearing out of nowhere before disappearing without a trace. It doesn't take passengers, but rather speeds by on its own, hoping to slip past unnoticed. Before you're able to catch a glimpse... before you're able to snap a photo... it's gone.
Every story has a beginning. Every racetrack has a starting line. Every baby... must first be born.
Sit back, relax, and keep some munchies handy, as I tell you a tale. This is an origins story, one that's sure to become a legend passed down from generation to generation. This, my dear friend, is the story of the weekend that TransitHub was born...
Day 1: The Pitch
Our story begins, of course, at the Toronto Edition of Startup Weekend, which was held from June 3 to 5, 2011. It's a three-day Dragon's Den/Apprentice-style competition that is one part development marathon and one part business incubator. It's a veritable who's who of the startup community. But most of all, it's a contest, mortal combat between challengers from every realmimaginable, from business and development to marketing and design. Fight!
Welcome to the very first blog post from the very talented (and from what people tell us, exceptionally good-looking) TransitHub Team. We're extremely excited to share with you, the future TransitHubbers out there, the latest goings-on and happenings with the team and the city.
On this site you'll find:
The latest news about TransitHub's development
The crib notes on what TransitHub is all about, and how it will rock your world
A little bit about that fabulous-looking team mentioned above
An invitation to connect with us and join the TransitHub community
Finally, we're really looking forward to sharing with you our #TransitHubbing Adventures - our journeys to some of the known and not-so-well-known Transit Hubs around the city - and hearing about the #TransitHubbing Adventures of your own.
