Toronto Trip March 2011 Day 2 March 3

LAST UPDATED: October 26, 2025
 

This is the 2nd in a series of posts dealing with my 2011 trip to Toronto and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”. 


Okay, lots to cover.  In the interest of time I won't mention places that weren't open when I passed them or which weren't there any longer (unless there's a story to tell).  Also, assume that if a place is mentioned twice or more that it's a different branch.  Also assume I only bought stuff where noted

This morning I was supposed to go to a convenience store for the people I was staying with (Aidan and Josh) but they hadn't opened for the day.  Aidan and I walked to a Subway in Korea Town on Bloor where I bought a breakfast sandwich.  Continuing east on my own I visited Doug Miller Books (which seemed to be in a high security area), Indigo (same company as Chapters), Maison/Presse Internationale (that was on a side trip to Yorkville before turning to Bloor), then Rogers.  Passing Castle Frank Cres. (luckily not Frank Castle Cres. because I don't think the world is ready to have a street named after the Punisher), I crossed a bridge where Bloor becomes Danforth and visited Book City, Presse Internationalle, Greek City (Greek videos etc; owner wouldn't let me concentrate), Re-Reading (strong smell of incense; isn't there supposed to be an incense taboo?), Rogers, Blockbuster, Circus Books & Music (bought some horror DVDs), Comics & More (the cheap boxes where on shelves making them hard to look through), then walked south down Greenwood and west on Gerrard (bought DVDs at Jumbo Video),  then north on Pape where I visited Atomic Age Comics and tried to visit Pape & Dingwall (accidentally walked in not realizing it was closed; my impression of the guy was that he probably found customers an annoyance even when open), briefly west then south down Carlaw (visited Don's Convenience to look at the DVDs), south to Queen St E, where I went west and checked out Queen & Jones Pawn (very claustrophobic), then west east and visited In the Groove.

[NOW: Doug Miller Books moved across the street. Blockbuster is now defunct. Rogers has left the video rental business. The Presse Internationale locations above, Greek City, Comics and More, Jumbo Video, and Pape and Dingwall Books are now closed. In never smelled incense in subsequent visits to Re: Reading]

I took a streetcar west and visited Kops, BMV Express (bought a graphic novel and a couple books on comics), HMV (bought Dark Skies complete series DVD), Silver Snail Comics, then lunch at Bon's Submarine.  Continuing on west visited Criminal Records, Outer Layer, Cosmos Records, Frantic City Records, Eyesore Cinema (bought a DVD), Rotate This, 2Q Video, Type Books, Black Dog Video, I headed north along Ossington (visited Frantic City Books), west on Dundas (Monkey's Paw Books), back to Ossington to College St, went west and visited Marquee Video, then a trolley east to Queen Video. Walked to Ammo Video (bought DVDs; they were having a clearing out sale), Dragon Lady Comics (bought lots of comics), MVP Master Video Production (all Italian), then walked south to Bellevue (Dension) Square; unfortunately the Al Waxman statue (late actor best known for King of Kensington and Cagney & Lacey) had graffiti on it.  Went back north to College where I visited She Said Boom! then took a streetcar once more east.  I visited the Legislature grounds, apparently on the University of Toronto property (I don't know enough of ON politics to speculate if the people there have spent much time in the educational areas).  I continued east to Yonge and headed south. I visited Play De Record, Hairy Tarantula Comics, HMV (largest one in Toronto), BMV Books (bought DVDs), the inaccurately named but still large World's Biggest Bookstore (now owned by Chapters) (latter two on a brief walk east on Edwards), back to Yonge: Future Shop, then Dundas Square, Toronto's equivalent of Times Square (large neon signs, ticker tape messages, and the like); it was sundown then so I good time to see that.


[NOW: All transportation this day Toronto Transit Commission. The streetcar was almost for sure the 501. Bon's Submarine, BMV Express, Criminal Records, Frantic City Records, Black Dog Video, Frantic City Books, Marquee Video, Ammo Video, Dragon Lady Comics, MVP, Play De Record, that branch of Hairy Tarantula, World's Biggest Bookstore, and Future Shop are now closed. HMV, 2Q Video, and Queen Video chains are now defunct. Silver Snail Comics moved to Yonge St then another location on Queen St. Eyesore Cinema and Monkey's Paw Books moved to Bloor St. The graffiti has been cleaned from the Al Waxman Statue. That She Said Boom! moved a couple doors down]

I walked south some more to King and then headed west.  I briefly checked out the PATH underground city (a bit of a maze and not a terribly interesting one) and Canada's Walk of Fame (roughly 30 stars give or take).  I took the subway back to College Yonge and this time headed north on Yonge, having dinner at McDonald's. Then NDJ Books, One Million Comix (nearly bought an extremely thick $70 hardcover until I realized that if you skip the ones I already have in some form, I'd be paying about $2 and issue for the rest and didn't think I could justify that so I charged my mind mid-Interac). Then Eliot's Bookshop, ABC Book Store (bought some comics), Monster Records (got there just as they were closing for the day; closing forever Mar 11), Sunrise Records (the sun was long gone by the time I reached this).

[NOW: I overlooked part of the Walk of Fame and it's expanded since. NDJ Books, One Million Comix, Eliot's Bookshop, and that Sunrise Records, like Monster Records, are now closed.]

Heading west along Bloor, visited BMV Books, Queen Video I think, Book City (bought a couple used books; I told the guy which page I found the price bought he had trouble finding the price anyway, Seekers Books.

[NOW: That Book City is closed.As noted above so is the Queen Video chain). 

I then decided to return to Aidan and Josh's place but on my way to the subway visited Sonic Boom Records (much bigger than their unrelated Seattle namesake; bought a few cult movies including Troma movies, then took the subway "home").
 
[NOW: This branch of Sonic Boom moved twice and is now on Spadina, merged with the other branch.]