The Village

I have been checking out my new hood. Its called "The Village" or "the nucleus" as someone recently told me ( implying that it is indeed, the centre of the universe). You can get everything from a latte to a Botox treatment in a 2 meter radius. It is a completely different world from my former neigbhourhood which have only nail salons and bars.

All kidding aside, the area is very expensive, but the quality of goods and services is very high. I am currently "house broke", an expression I have learned which means that the disposable income I once had is no longer available because its invested in my floors, bathroom and kitchen. So the wonderful offerings of the Village are slightly out of my reach- for now. I have been exploring the area and it has everything for the Body, Mind and Soul. Here are the places I have been to so far and my experiences with them:

Body

I went to my first TRACK Class. It is a very high end gym that offers spinning, training and a cardio class- The cost for a single class is $30. I took the first time complimentary class. I wanted to give it a go. I figured it would be okay and I would just try it out. The other thing is that I cannot afford the membership right now. It costs $240 a month for unlimited classes. If I went every day, it would be $8 a class ( like that would ever happen). For a year membership, it costs $1,950. This was all over the top for me....  Until I actually did the class. It was the best cardio fitness+resistance training class I have ever done- Hands down. I am also a runner and love the treadmill mix -I run over 2 miles and did 30 minutes of an all over weight training- a perfect match for me- I also love their marketing: " THINK NAKED". http://www.trackfitness.com/

The Mind - sort of, lets call it the head :)

I went to the salon directly next to my house. For a wash and blow dry with a junior stylist it costs $37 and for a senior Stylist it costs $47. I was in a rush and really did not have the time to do my own hair. This was a big splurge considering being house broke. The experience, however was fantastic. I was whisked away by a series of women with headsets. They ushered me to the upper level salon where I was washed, latte'd and blown out with a free 5 minute make up application all under 40 minutes. It was totally worth it! Although I would love to make this a regular experience, it was a one time deal- However, I recommend checking it out.  http://www.francescasalonandspa.com/ 

The Soul - for Real

I went to the Forest Hill Jewish Centre for my first Shabbat experience. If you have not been there, I highly suggest checking it out if you live in the area. It is a friendly shul environment filled with young people. It was very welcoming and warm. It was unlike any other shul experience I have ever had because the average age of the shabbat service attendees was maybe 25 years old ( refreshing because the normal shul experience is very grey haired). It was a nice experience and the rabbi and people in attendance were very pleasant. Oh, and the Kiddush lunch ( the food after the service) was plentiful. I could not believe the volume of mini hot dogs in a blanket that were rolled out. Here is the address and phone number 446 Spadina Road- Phone: (416) 483-0883

The village has everything you could ever want : Aroma Cafe, amazing shul, great gym- The only thing missing is a place to grab a beer after work with some friends... I see a new opportunity. Anyone want to join me in a new business and renovation project? :)