Saturday, May 15, 2010

Location

Thanks to the generous support of Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association (OAWA), we'll be holding our tournament in the Toronto Wrestling Development Centre in downtown Toronto.
The TWDC is located in the Physical Education Building, City Adult Learning Centre, 1 Danforth Ave. (just west of Broadview).

Maps
Click for location map in PDF (Trust us, you'll need this one - the venue can be confusing!)
Click here for larger Google Map of 1 Danforth Ave. and surrounding area.

Getting there
By transit:
Take the Bloor-Danforth subway line to Broadview station. Get off and walk west (towards the bridge) along Danforth Ave.
Toronto Transit Commission website has fares and schedules.

By car
:
Take the Don Valley Parkway and exit at the Bloor-Bayview exit. Follow the signs for Bloor-Danforth, and exit going east (turn left at the lights on to Bloor-Danforth).
(If you're confused, it's because Bloor St. becomes Danforth Ave. at this point. Same road, different name.)

There's free parking in the lot behind the Wrestling Development Centre.
There's also lots of paid parking available in municipal "Green P" lots in the area. You may find street parking along Danforth, but generally there is a 2-hour limit.
You can also try your luck with free street parking on the side streets, but be warned - make sure to read all signs. Deciphering when and where you can park on side streets can be a Kafkaesque affair.

Location survival guide
Food and drink
You're in Greektown! Lucky you! Be sure to grab a bite along Danforth's bustling Greektown strip, which starts about 6 or 7 blocks east of the Wrestling Development Centre. Christina's on the Danforth (492 Danforth) has been voted best Greek food by Dine.TO (perhaps because of the live belly dancing on Saturday nights), but there are tons of others. Simply walk east along Danforth about 5-6 blocks from the Wrestling Development Centre and behold an abundance of Greek restaurants.

Also recommended:

Broadview Espresso is wonderful and closer to the event than any of the chains. Only 2 blocks north of Danforth at Broadview and Pretoria. Locally prepared baked goods and perfectly prepared espresso drinks. We'll be there picking up our morning lattes before setting up the event.
Allen's (143 Danforth) has a lovely patio and serves upscale Irish pub fare. They also have a enormous list of beers and Scotch, in case you need to drown your sorrows after losing. If you're pub crawling try Dora Keogh next door.

If you're in the mood for an epic, intestine-stretching gorgefest of meat and don't mind dropping a few bucks, hit up The Red Violin steakhouse (95 Danforth Ave). On Saturday nights you even get a salsa show! It's pricey, but you'll definitely get your money's worth from the salad bar alone.
Or try Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant (97 Danforth), which also features a flamenco show, plus delicious authentic tapas.

Globe Bistro (124 Danforth) offers a deelish Sunday brunch for the post-tournament hangover.
What's that? You're cheap/broke and you want junk food? Fine. There's a Pizza Pizza on the corner of Danforth and Broadview or a McDonalds (98 Danforth).

You're cheap/broke and you want something edible? Try the Subway (232 Danforth) or the Magic Oven just north of Danforth (788 Broadview).

Groceries
You're cheap/broke and looking for your fix of protein and fresh veg? Hit up the Loblaws grocery store on Broadview just south of Danforth. Or try the Big Carrot (348 Danforth), one of Toronto's biggest health food stores, with an in-store deli.

Drugstore/pharmacy
Whether it's a hit of ibuprofen after an armbar gone wrong, a little Pepto Bismol to settle the pre-tournament stomach butterflies, or a tampon to manage the problem of the inevitably poorly timed period and the white gi, there are plenty of options:
  • Main Drug Mart, 743 Broadview (just south of Danforth)
  • Shoppers Drug Mart, 180 Danforth
  • CIMS Drug Mart, 235 Danforth
  • City Pharmacy, 238 Danforth
Accommodations
Hampton House B&B is about a five minute walk from the WDC, and they offer a vegetarian breakfast option.