{"id":49792,"date":"2017-12-10T13:41:20","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T18:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=49792"},"modified":"2017-12-10T13:41:20","modified_gmt":"2017-12-10T18:41:20","slug":"hangouts-sarah-sleans-favourite-toronto-hotspots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2017\/12\/10\/hangouts-sarah-sleans-favourite-toronto-hotspots\/","title":{"rendered":"HANGOUTS | Sarah Slean’s Favourite Toronto Hotspots"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Singer-songwriter, poet, visual artist, occasional actress and Toronto-resident Sarah Slean gravitates towards Toronto establishments with a sense of purity. Though she\u2019s lived in Paris, Montreal, Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and even briefly toyed with settling down on a farm near Port Perry, Slean has found herself drawn to Toronto since she first moved here at age nineteen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always come back to Toronto,\u201d she tells me over half-caf cappuccinos at Te Aro, Slean\u2019s favourite coffee shop in Leslieville.<\/p>\n

Slean has spent most of her life in Toronto living in the city\u2019s west end, though she recently bought a home in Riverdale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young in the West End, we didn\u2019t even know about Roncie,\u201d she describes of how her view of the city has expanded over the years. \u201cDufferin was the far west corner, Yonge was the far east corner, Bloor was the north corner, and that was our little square.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now a firm advocate of both sides of the Don Valley River, Slean shares her favourite haunts with Ludwig Van Toronto.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Select Bistro, Toronto (Photo courtesy of Select Bistro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Select Bistro<\/strong>: Slean loves the old school elegance of this locale on Wellington St, where patrons can sip Cabernet Sauvignon in Audrey Hepburn-esque little black dresses, which reminds her of France.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel elegant there,\u201d she says. \u201cI make an effort to dress elegantly when I go. I\u2019m usually there with Jonathan Goldsmith, the film composer who made \u2018Sea\u2019 with me, and he\u2019ll wear a suit jacket and order a 12-year-old Maccallen before we even start\u2026 it feels so dignified.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Rivoli, Toronto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Rivoli: <\/strong>\u201cThat\u2019s where I got my start,\u201d Slean tells me of the Toronto landmark established in the early \u201880s. \u201cI just remember being really excited about performing and having an audience, even if it was sixty people. That\u2019s where all those feelings started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Roy
Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto (Photo: Kelly Yuen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Roy Thomson Hall: <\/strong>Slean first performed at Roy Thomson Hall in 2003 with the Toronto Symphony – her \u201cfavourite thing,\u201d as she describes. But Slean especially loves visiting the TSO\u2019s home when she\u2019s not performing, particularly for their recent initiative of performing film scores live while the movie plays.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an audience member having a listening experience, Roy Thomson Hall is the one,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve performed at Koerner and it does sound exquisite but I don\u2019t know what it is about Roy Thomson Hall\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philosopher\u2019s
Philosopher\u2019s Walk, Toronto (Photo: Daderot\/Creative Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Philosopher\u2019s Walk<\/strong>: During Slean\u2019s time as an undergraduate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, the young music theory and composition student would take refuge in the stretch of beautiful trees and benches between the Royal Conservatory and U of T\u2019s music school. Now a busy professional, she frequently returns to the area for rehearsals with the Art of Time Ensemble, Slean\u2019s pick for one of the city\u2019s most exciting things on offer.<\/p>\n

\"Sarah
Sarah Slean at Te Aro, Toronto (Photo: Sara Schabas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Te Aro<\/strong>: A bustling coffee shop at Queen and Pape, Slean loves this place for its delicious Pilot Coffee Roasters espresso and gluten free cookies. When the two of us meet here, the place is filled with milennials, young parents, and middle-aged business people alike, as a playlist of The Shins and other hipster nostalgia plays in the background.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeslieville is really hopping,\u201d she says of her new neighbourhood. \u201cWhen I\u2019m out in the West End, I always feel like I have to look a little presentable. Here, I can roll out of bed and get coffee in my pajamas,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

\"Withrow
Withrow Park, Toronto (Photo: Sarah Slean)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Withrow Park: <\/strong>An advocate for the merits of meditation, this park off Logan Ave. serves as one of Slean\u2019s favourite places to recharge. \u201cThe only way to get to your essential creative self is to subtract,\u201d she relates of her meditation practise. \u201cYou have to give the brain a rest.\u201d Slean is a huge fan of walking around the city aimlessly, where some of her best creative ideas come in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking in general, with nothing in your ears. I need to get sunlight in my eyes, especially at this time of year otherwise I go bonkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

So next time you\u2019re wandering Toronto\u2019s busy streets, keep an eye out for Sarah Slean, who might just be dreaming up her thirteenth record as she takes in the city\u2019s topography.<\/p>\n

Slean can next be heard on stage on December 12th at Harbourfront Centre<\/a>, giving back to her city by raising money for the St. Felix Centre, where Slean previously worked as a volunteer.<\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/i>
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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