Trip to Toronto for some Geek Shopping

[Blind_Prophet]

Hey guys I know this a fairly niche question but I'm hoping a few people will know so here goes:

Me and some buddies are heading to Toronto for a day of money wasting but we don't really know the area so I'd love some suggestions on places to eat, geek shops to check out and just shops in general...preferably within walking distance of each other if possible.

Mainly were looking for some Dice, Dice bags, Mini Protector Bags/Cases, DnD Books, Memoribilia to line our shelves, Anime, Novelty Slippers (thats just me :P) and some cool stuff to look at. Possibly a video game store or two....mostly to kill time and waste some cash.

Open to other suggestions as well.

Thanks guys

[Mercenary Pen]

I don't know Toronto myself, considering I live on the wrong continent, but I know people elsewhere on the net who live there, so I've relayed the question... Will let you know if I get any useful information...

[Blind_Prophet]

I don't know Toronto myself, considering I live on the wrong continent, but I know people elsewhere on the net who live there, so I've relayed the question... Will let you know if I get any useful information...

Thanks Merc :D

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

YO.

You want Queen Street.
http://www.silversnail.com/main/
the Silver Snail is the prime geekery-store. I'd recommend, for a shopping-and-geekery-and-food trip, all within walking distance, that you start at, say, Bloor and Yonge, walk down Yonge to Queen, and then walk west on Queen.

[Mercenary Pen]

Quote from Errol on May 24, 2012, 16:14
Hey Mercenary Pen...

They should go to Yonge Street, and then just walk up it. :D

They may wish to start at Hairy Tarantula (http://www.hairyt.com/) (the downtown shop) and as they walk north, they'll also get to 401 Games (http://www.401games.ca/).

There are also all sorts of little crazy shops, and food places, that it may just be what they want.

:D There are other places to go, but Yonge street is a good start.

Well, one of my contacts got back to me, and this was his recommendation... he also mentioned if you're going this weekend that Anime North (http://www.animenorth.com/live/) is on, but had no idea whether you'd still be able to get in at this short notice...

[Blind_Prophet]

Well, one of my contacts got back to me, and this was his recommendation... he also mentioned if you're going this weekend that Anime North (http://www.animenorth.com/live/) is on, but had no idea whether you'd still be able to get in at this short notice...

Unfortunately I was unable to get tickets but seems Yonge and Queen is our best bets :D

[truemane]

Silver Snail is awesome. If you're in the area you should also stop by the Hairy Tarantula. It's a bit of a hike from the Silver Snail, but by transit it's super close.

http://www.hairyt.com/

It's gotten to by this crazy narrow stairway and it's this cramped little space on the second floor, off Yonge. It's awesome. I go there whenever I go downtown.

Also, along Yonge Street, if you walk up from Queen, there's also 1000000 comix.

http://onemillioncomix.net/

They have lots of stuff too. Collectables and the like.

There's one more hobby shop along that walk. Can't for the life of me remember what it's called.

But that should get you all geeked up.

My recommendation is to walk from Bloor and Yonge to Dundas and Yonge. It's a pretty short walk and there's lots to see. Especially with the weather this nice.

Then you see the Eaton's Centre. I mean, it's a mall. But they have a badass fountain on the bottom floor. You go through, you come out on Queen, streetcar to Silver Snail. Boom.

Good times had by all.

[Flickerdart]

Queen Street is best street, but Bloor isn't bad either. The BMV a couple minutes walk west of Spadina station also has a lot of used RPG book stuff on the hard-to-spot 3rd floor, and the Duelling Grounds (couple minutes west of Dufferin station) is also a pretty nice hobby shop.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Queen Street is best street, but Bloor isn't bad either. The BMV a couple minutes walk west of Spadina station also has a lot of used RPG book stuff on the hard-to-spot 3rd floor, and the Duelling Grounds (couple minutes west of Dufferin station) is also a pretty nice hobby shop.

Bloor has the benefit of having Sonic Boom at Bloor and Bathurst. I adore that store.

[Flickerdart]

I'm mostly there for Sushi on Bloor.

Which is a great example of why people should capitalize - twice now people have gotten lost because one of my friends would tell them to come to "sushi on bloor" - Bloor, for the uninitiated, having more sushi places than there are sheep in New Zealand.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I'm mostly there for Sushi on Bloor.

Which is a great example of why people should capitalize - twice now people have gotten lost because one of my friends would tell them to come to "sushi on bloor" - Bloor, for the uninitiated, having more sushi places than there are sheep in New Zealand.

Best Sushi Place in the entire city has to be, without a doubt, 930 Sushi, on, predictably, 930 King St West.

[Flickerdart]

Hm, I'll definitely have to swing by there then. There's an all you can eat sushi place 5 minutes from where I live though, so to go that far out, it better be really good.

[truemane]

Bloor has the benefit of having Sonic Boom at Bloor and Bathurst. I adore that store.

Also, if you're going to be at Bloor and Bathhurst, you should really stop by The Beguiluing.

http://www.beguiling.com/

It's an alternative/indie bookstore. I drop by any time I'm in the area. And not with my ten year old. Lol.

AND, if you're in that area, you might as well find Bay Street Video at Bay and Bloor. HUGE movie store. They have everything.

That's it. I'm going downtown this weekend.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Hm, I'll definitely have to swing by there then. There's an all you can eat sushi place 5 minutes from where I live though, so to go that far out, it better be really good.

It's not a sit-in place, they have, like, 3 chairs. It's take-out, but oh my god is it heavenly.

[Flickerdart]

Is there a park or somewhere else to sit nearby?

Oh, to sell Bloor some more, it has the Snakes & Lattes board game cafe, a bit west of Bathurst station. I'm pretty sure they actually have all the board games.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Oh, true, Snakes and Lattes is worth going to.

Sushi 930 is just south of Trinity Bellwoods. Like, 2 blocks south. So you have one of the best hipster-parks to hang out and eat in :D

[Blind_Prophet]

Oh, true, Snakes and Lattes is worth going to.

Sushi 930 is just south of Trinity Bellwoods. Like, 2 blocks south. So you have one of the best hipster-parks to hang out and eat in :D

Hmmmm...Sankes and Lattes sounds interesting...definately will have a look....as for the other suggestions unfortunately were not reall fans of sushi (We do love udon and tempura though :P)

[Vladislav]

Wow, I lived in (greater) Toronto for 5 years and haven't realized it's such a cool place. Almost makes me miss it.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Wow, I lived in (greater) Toronto for 5 years and haven't realized it's such a cool place. Almost makes me miss it.

That would be because Greater doesn't count. :smallamused:
My personal Toronto goes from a little past High Park to a little past Yonge, and from the waterfront to a good little bit past Bloor. I live basically smack-dab in the middle of that, and it's awesome.

[Vladislav]

Yeah, I guess I was doing it wrong.

[Flickerdart]

Having tried 930 Sushi I can definitely agree that it is a good quality sushi place, but it doesn't have all you can eat, which makes me sad.

Also it has four chairs now. :smalltongue:

[Blind_Prophet]

Hey guys thanks for the suggestions we going this Saturday and heres the MAIN places were going

Google Map Toronto Plan (https://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=20+Charles+Street+East,+Toronto,+ON&daddr=Charles+St+W+to:Yonge+St+to:531+Yonge+Street ,+Toronto,+Ontario+M4Y+1Y5+to:354+Yonge+St.+2nd+fl oor+(416)+596-8002+to:Yonge+St+to:43.65242,-79.37927+to:silver+snail,+queen+street+west,+toron to,+on&hl=en&ll=43.662563,-79.379611&spn=0.023284,0.055747&sll=43.666195,-79.382164&sspn=0.011641,0.027874&geocode=FSRWmgId_a1E-ynTuCzurTQriDEa-mtgAbp9KA%3BFQpVmgIdqKlE-w%3BFXdNmgIdAK1E-w%3BFQ9DmgIdXLFE-ynHAb2TszQriDESp0tSVqLCBw%3BFX8rmgId4rpE-ylVPnKYyjQriDE6VodSQV7d7w%3BFYAkmgIdXL5E-w%3BFUQVmgIdusRE-ylLbolQM8vUiTE-Y0MGrbf-lA%3BFSYJmgIdU45E-yF2WQiLnWGqoimHTNXG2jQriDHuXwiVO5A0XA&dirflg=w&mra=pr&via=6&t=m&z=15)

A few other stores I noticed running through on google street view B. Zone Games, Panasonic Theater, A Costume and Theatrics store, theres also a bunch of cafe's,etc. spaced out along the way with a big concentration off them at college/carlton st. , sugar mountain, a few joke/novelty shops , a cool looking gril place called "Hoops", Tutti fruitti, 401 games and of course about 10 starbucks, perfume stores, shoe stores, porn shops,corner stores,loan stores, etc. lol...oh and the worlds smallest futures shop and thats just a quick look.

Unfortunately Snakes and Lattes is too far for us to walk along...we probably won't bother walking to queen street either we'll probably just drive to Silver Snail...IF we have money and energy left :P

Have I missed anything?

[wizuriel]

If your going be around 401games Hairy T (http://www.hairyt.com/) might be a fun place to check out. Though it is next to impossible to find and whatever you do don't have your cellphone out if you go there. There is also World's Biggest Bookstore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Biggest_Bookstore)


Though I would personally strongly recommend trying to go by Snakes & Lattes.
Honest Ed's is also right by there (always fun to navigate around, it is just like how the Scott Pilgrimm comic describes).

[wizuriel]

If your going be around 401games Hairy T (http://www.hairyt.com/) might be a fun place to check out. Though it is next to impossible to find and whatever you do don't have your cellphone out if you go there. There is also World's Biggest Bookstore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Biggest_Bookstore)


Though I would personally strongly recommend trying to go by Snakes & Lattes.
Honest Ed's is also right by there (always fun to navigate around, it is just like how the Scott Pilgrimm comic describes).

[Blind_Prophet]

Why no cell phone for HairyT?

Any hints on finding it...since its is so elusive

Oh and HairyT,onemillioncomix and silver snail were the main reasons for going to toronto...everything else will just be randomly walking into anything that looks interesting

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Mmm, driving down to Silver Snail might not be so well, it's hard to find parking down-town...

[darkblade]

It's a few days late for this thread but so you don't feel bad about missing HairyT take a look at this. (https://maps.google.ca/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=354+Yonge+St.+toronto&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x882b34ca98723e55:0xefdd5e415287563a,354+Yo nge+St,+Toronto,+ON&gl=ca&ei=EGbWT73aJubH6AGm3a2CAw&oi=geocode_result&ved=0CAsQ8gEwAA)

Now take a look at it on Streetview. It's the door between the Tattoo Parlor and the wholesale clothes store. I lived near there for years and kept missing it.

[Blind_Prophet]

Heh no worries DB we did end up finding it we knew its general location so a quick search with 5 people eventually found it.

I'd say out of the stores we went to the best were 401 Games and Silver Snail but HairyT was definitely worth the stop

I came out of Toronto with the following

- 3 Dungeon Tile Sets (Swamp, City and Dungeon)
- A Bunch of minis including a Gollum Mini I got for a buck
- A Nice Dice Bag
- Really Heavy Metal Dice
- A few other sets a dice
- A big handful of loose D4s & D6s
- A Wii Classic Controller Pro for 15$
- A Red/Yellow D20 that I saw a set of a while ago and can't find anywhere

I'm still looking for a nice pair of novelty slippers (the realluy big squishy kind) and a case w/foam inserts for protecting minis (Any suggestions?) and some plushies (I was hoping to find a Chocobo, Tonberry, Moogle or something else cool) also Dwarven Forge...I was REALLY surprised that no one carried it...also Dice Bags seemed to be in short supply except for at 401games