Went here for my boyfriend for a date night and had a great time!…read more The store is really fun and had a huge selection of paintable ceramics from plates to massive lighthouses. We settled on a piggy bank for me and a "kitchen creature" (an animal that holds a sponge) that my boyfriend turned into a plant pot. There were some kiddos in the room which makes sense, but it was still a nice date spot. The woman helping us was very kind and helpful and gave us the whole run down. Ended up paying about 60 dollars for the two of us which is kinda pricy but worth it for the unique experience of making something of our own without having to start from scratch. Over all a fun place to stretch your creative muscle no matter the age or occasion :)

We did a little date night at The Clay Room and had a good time painting some ceramics. When you…read morecome in, you pay a fee for each item you want to paint, and then you get as long as you need to paint it. We got there pretty late (turns out just an hour isn't enough!) and they let us come in at a later date to finish our work, with no additional fees. There's additional space downstairs, but I didn't check it out. The employees are quite friendly, though our experience was entirely self-directed. There are plenty of people chatting while crafting; there are quite a few university students, probably due to the student discount. We ended up painting and firing three pieces. Sadly, one piece got chipped after firing. They did refire it, but we had to come back another time to pick it up. There's a pretty wide selection of ceramics, with a few "specialty" pieces, but it's worth noting they're Made in China designs, if you care about that sort of thing. Overall I would probably go back, with a bit more time in mind - there are plenty of great restaurants in the area to decompress, too!

I've been coming to this DeSerres for ages, and the staff are always really kind and knowledgeable…read more The prices are a bit steep, but that's to be expected of good quality art supplies. One thing that annoys me, and the reason I'm giving them 4 stars instead of 5, is that the paint price lists can be a little misleading. They always put the price for series 1 paint (the cheapest) at the top, in a larger font, then all the other (higher prices) are listed underneath. Most of the time they don't organize the paint by series number either, which adds a fun level of tedium to every visit. Besides that, it's a pretty solid establishment, and I'm glad to have a local art supply store.

Please note this store has moved closer to coxwell station: I visit their store fairly frequently…read more I like the new layout of their store. Some of their art supplies could be more competitive with the pricing of the same products from places like office depot, but the staff is quite knowledgeable, and they try to keep up with trends. They've even added supplies for acrylic poured paintings.

The Arts Market is an organized store showcasing local artists products…read more The experience of walking around to find a unique one-of-a-kind gift made me feel like I was walking inside a trendy museum. I will definitely return to check out new items.

Need a nice hostess gift our birthday present. The Arts Market has everything from handmade scented…read morecandles to vintage clothing to beeswax food wraps. Something for every taste here. A great place to browse.

Things Japanese carries assortment of authentic Japanese products…read more So much fun to browse around and everything here is just so delicate. Love the tablewares and they even have tea sets for the tea ceremony. Friendly shop owner also gave me good tip that if I forgot getting any gifts or souvenirs after my trip to Japan, I can always come by and pick up some. Good idea especially I love travelling light! I doubt my friends would have notice the different :) as Things Japanese has their goods shipped from Japan anyway!

An excellent assortment of extremely beautiful Japanese Flatware and other products. Great gift…read moreideas that are of higher quality. More expensive but but worth it in the end. Will be back.

A few years back I ordered several highly crafted journals!!! They were hard to find, sold out, but…read morethey were kind enough to locate some for me. I love them, even years later. Thank you for great service, and excellent craftsmanship. Ava Ault

Ok, admittedly, I didn't purchase anything here, but trust me I will!…read more This store is an absolute treat for the senses. I have not seen a more colourful, visually enticing store in Toronto. The fabrics are stunning! If you're looking for something authentic to decorate an Indian themed space, then look no further. They have an amazaing array of silk brocade panels in every colour and texture imaginable. Their selection of cushions, cushion covers, and window panels seems almost unending. You can purchase product off the shelves, however, they also offer custom upholstery services. One would expect that the stuff they are selling would induce some sort of sticker shock, but that was not the case, as their prices seem quite reasonable for Toronto (6 beaded/embroidered cusion covers for $25 - and they were beautiful). All in all, I would recommend this place if you're looking for something different or if you just want to browse. It's also a great place to bring someone who's visiting the city, as they're sure to pick up a little trinket to take home with them...this place is beautiful. FYI, only gave it 4-stars because I haven't purchased anything there yet, so I can't really comment on their customer service, though the ladies in the store seemed very nice.

Really, really disappointed with Midoco right now. I bought a fine-tipped marker that was a shade…read moretoo blue for a project and brought it back a day later (unused) and they refused to let me exchange it for another shade (of the same brand). Midoco, it's not underwear, it's a marker and unused. I don't care what your "policy" says, I returned it a day and a half later and this is how you treat your customers? Do yourself a favour and walk another few minutes West of the Midoco on Queen. Go to Above Ground, they're 100x better in terms of stock and prices. I wish I had gone there first too, would've saved myself a lot of hassle and bad feelings over one blue marker.

This is the only place in T.O. that I have seen stocking Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks and that alone…read moreis worth the trek out to The Beach. These notebooks are like "tricked out" Moleskines. They rock numbered pages, are available in grid, graph, lined and blank, have stickers to help organize, have a table of contents page and feature high quality paper (though less impressive than Rhodia). Leuchtturm's website shows no international distributors outside Europe[1] and you can't even find a mention of Leuchtturm on Midoco's website. But none of this matters, because I am telling you: you can find these fine notebooks here. Get one. They also stock a wide array of other (lesser) notebooks, pens, craft paper, markers, art supplies for adults and children and creative gifts for the hard-to-shop-for in your life. If this store has a failing, it's the cramped layout. They have placed all the desireable items (including the Leuchtturms) within 12 feet of the cash register. There's always a gaggle of people near the entrance. Expect to find yourself apologizing and saying "excuse me" a lot when you visit. But also expect to find some cool stuff, and possibly spend way too long here. Obligatory Title Pun: It's OKEY, MI-DOKEY. (So lame, I know.) Menu Readability: I really don't care for rounded sans-serif ultra-modern lettering, and the Midoco wordmark is no exception. Need to mention: This store is superior to the Bloor street store. What this place teaches me about myself: I'm obsessed with notebooks. Help me, please. _____ [1] I hear they are distributed by Kikkerland in the U.S. I don't think this is the case in Canada or we would have seen more of these notebooks by now.

Terrible customer service and unfriendly sour faces. Been…read moreshopping there a few times before but I always get the same attitude. My last purchase was a Veja shoe and when i was at the store it seemed ok but when I tried at home with a sock it was a bit tight. I tried to exchange for one size larger and because I didn't have the box with me they didn't any to do anything about it. I didn't wear once and still sitting on my closet. I have always tried to support the local shops but I don't feel like going back there ever again. thank you so much for your good business " Good Neighbour"

Queen West meets Queen East at Good Neighbour, as they bring that hip west-side taste and retail…read moreexperience to the east end. Housed in a cute Victorian small-town cottage beside the Leslieville Pumps gas station/grub joint, the store is like a teleporter to that other side of Queen Street, that I wonder if I am even in my own neighbourhood anymore whenever I step inside. I guess it's a sign of the times in the east end, as much as it is an interesting addition to the Leslieville strip. I was forwarded a meme whilst contemplating this nonsense (because apparently no one else has yet, bloody hell), and on it, a satirical list of things purported to be signs your 'hood is gentrifying, including an "inexplicable general store." Inexplicable. General. Store. I guess that best explains Good Neighbour. True to form, the place is filled with all sorts of eclectic and stylish stuff of all random categories scattered everywhere, like greeting cards, clothes and outerwear, mugs, footwear, backpacks, cosmetics, stationery. It's sort of like a Drake General Store (or maybe even an Urban Outfitters), but with more emphasis on fashion and lifestyle goods... and less on random cheeky hipster gag gift kitsch. There's a small kids section tucked in the back by the fitting room stalls, with an assortment of dresses, toys, puzzles, and humourous books. The men's stuff upstairs kind of scares me with the quantity of soaps and toiletries for the discerning well-groomed hip man. The place itself is a marriage of curated hip(ster) tastes (oh wait, they even have a table of selected Drake General Store crap for sale), and Club Monaco chic. Thankfully like a good neighbour the folks here don't stink so much of that douchey we're-too-cool-for-thou attitude that many hipster businesses are known for--they instead stink of individual cheerful Queen West-esque personality and a level of helpfulness not normally seen in a more corporate fashion boutique. Pricey? Kinda expected that. What is not expected are the sale offers that do pop up time and time again. My sister claims she bought a pair of jeans here for less than what Hudson's Bay was charging for the same brand. But I usually end up with socks, or scarves, or cards. Or whatever. {TTC: take the 72 bus or the 501-2-3 to Queen/Carlaw}

Big fan of this type of shop, an opportunity for local artists to share their wares…read more There is also one down the street, check out both.

There is no secret that Toronto has a huge arts community but did you know we have a huge craft…read morecommunity as well? Rather than wait for the holidays to find a well-made, one of a kind piece owner Daniel Cohen wanted to create a space to give artists and crafters a space to sell their goods year-round. The market itself is big and beautiful with a well-curated list of up to 40 vendors ranging from crafted paper goods to delicious smelling bath good to vintage clothes. If you're just looking to support local artists or looking for a new place to support, this place should be on your radar.

What you cannot get at Tap Phong Trading Company down the street.. you can probably get them in B &…read moreJ Trading Company!! Love to browse around and look at all the junkie merchandises... Great selections of incense.. Ommmmm I am ready for my yoga mediation sessions!

A great place to buy stocking stuffer toys. The most fun I ever have shopping for Christmas…read morepresents. And Cheap! What's not to love?

My favourite watch broke on a Thursday night as I was preparing to leave for Europe the following…read moreTuesday. Took it to Jim at Danforth Jewellers on Friday morning. He had to order new parts for it and said it would be ready on Monday. As good as his word, it was ready at noon Monday. Thanks Jim!

I'm reminded to write this review of "service" that I received here over a year ago, because today,…read moreI went to a watch repair store where they undid the "repair" that Danforth Jewellers effected on my watch. I first went here because I wanted to support a local business where I could regularly get my watches repaired, cleaned, and at the time, I was also looking for an engagement ring. I wanted to see how they handled my watch business, before I gave them my other jewellery business. In short, this is how they struck out with me: Strike 1: I brought in an expensive watch, described the problem of water seepage into the interior, and asked them if they could repair it without me having to bring it in to Birks for a more expensive repair. The owner, Jim, said no problem. He said that they wouldn't supply original parts so I accepted that that was the reason for the lower repair cost than Birks. However, the replacement parts that he and his watchmaker did use were a crown and stem that stuck out so much and didn't fit properly, that you'd wonder how people who call themselves "professional" jewellers could accept this as a job well done. See photo: the crown juts out about 2 mm and doesn't close flush with the side of the watch. I thought, well, I've already committed myself and paid almost $700 for this repair, but at least the repair will stick. (Yes, that much! Read on to see if I got my money's worth.) Strike 2: Not more than 6 months later, I saw condensation under the watch face. I brought it back to Jim, explained that he guaranteed his work for a year, and asked him to repair it, as the seal should have been repaired so that no moisture got in. He held on to the watch for over a month, and when I called, he said, "Oh yeah, it's here." Thanks for remembering to call your customer back. Strike 3: At just past the year-mark, the watch just completely stopped working. The second hand wasn't even running--nothing, nada, zip, zilch. At this point, it was past the year warranty on his labour, but frankly, I just didn't want to deal with Jim anymore. I called it a $700 write-off, and figured I'd write my Yelp review at some point. I never wanted to deal with Danforth Jewellers again. Oh, wait, there were more than 3 strikes with this place: While I was waiting for the original repair to be done on this watch, I brought my daughter's Swatch watch in one day, asking if Jim knew what was the problem with it no longer running. I had seen some Swatches in his display case, and he *claimed* that at one time, he was "Canada's top-selling retailer of Swatches", so I thought he might know a thing or two about Swatches. Figured it would save me a trip downtown, since he was such an expert, right? Strike 4: He told me that someone had sold me the wrong-sized battery. They had not. (I checked with the official Swatch store at the Eaton Centre later, and they said the battery was fine.) Strike 5: He told me that it was a well-known fact that Swatches stopped running if sunscreen was transferred from the skin to the back of the watch and then to the interior. I asked at the Swatch store. They said no one at Swatch had ever heard of such a thing. They looked at the watch, tested it, and said it must have been a one-off defect on that watch, so they gave me a brand-new replacement watch, since it was within the year warranty. So Jim's explanations about the wrong-sized battery and the sunscreen were interesting, to say the least. So what did the two watch incidents tell me? A) Expensive watches do not fare well here; $700 buys you the bare minimum until the warranty runs out. B) Even less expensive Swatch watches don't get a good treatment here. Whatever explanation is given here, even trained Swatch representatives have never heard of. These incidents showed me that I could never trust this place enough to buy my ring there. Since then, I've used my energy to tell my friends and neighbours (and Yelp) to also take their jewellery-buying $$ elsewhere.