Manhattan Strip Clubs: Oh, Canada, when did you get so cool?
For a younger crowd that likes to dance, head to The Social (1100 Queen St. West), a hipster nightspot. Check local listings for concerts at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern (368 Queen St. West), where Canadian acts such as The Band, Tragically Hip and Bryan Adams got their break.
For after-bar noshing, try Poutini’s House of Poutine (1112 Queen St. West) for Canada’s favorite post-club chow, which is hand-cut fries, squeaky cheese curds and piping hot gravy poured over top.
LESLIEVILLE
A once poverty-stricken neighborhood between downtown and the tony Beaches neighborhood, Leslieville has been revitalized, revamped and not so subtly gentrified with condos, restaurants and coffee shops. Its gritty past lives on in smoky bars, decrepit gas stations and the iconic Jilly’s strip club, yet remnants of those times are fading. No trip is complete without a visit to Dangerous Dan’s Diner (714 Queen St. East), a dive that serves some of the city’s juiciest burgers, with thick slices of bacon and two eggs on top.