It can be tough to maintain a work/life balance that includes living healthy and exercising. Luckily Yonge + St. Clair offers a wide variety of traditional and contemporary workout options for the energetic nine to fiver.

Whether you prefer a gym-based workout or something less traditional, the Yonge + St. Clair fitness community offers plenty of options to help you strike the right balance between workout and play.

Balance Fitness – 52 St. Clair Ave E – (416) 225 2623

A Yonge + St. Clair staple since 2001, Balance Fitness combines “health and fitness in a soul-soothing, spa-like atmosphere.” Balance seeks to get their clientele into a state of healthy wellbeing through a unique four-part approach. Along with personal training, Balance’s schedule also offers after work programs like kickboxing; power pilates, and foundation training to help stabilize your back. They consider all aspects of their clients’ lifestyle when developing training and rehabilitation programs. It’s “no ifs, and a better butt.”

Ultimate Athletics – 1216 Yonge St – (416) 922 8181

Ultimate Athletics is a fitness club that aspires to be a more intimate affair in comparison to the chain gyms throughout the city. Club owners Paula Ryff and Vlad Radanovic have decades of experience and pride themselves in challenging workouts with a warm and friendly atmosphere. “We hope to have the opportunity to earn your trust,” Paula and Vlad proclaim on their site. “As our clients will attest, we’re quite serious about helping people achieve their true potential.” They offer a wide range of classes that last between 45 minutes and an hour, and are available to all skills and abilities.

Ferris 360 – 1910 Yonge St – (647) 347 7707

Ferris 360 is a gym that is focuses on providing carefully crafted, 60-minute full body workouts with their FULL360 classes. They pride themselves in offering their programing during ‘convenient hours’ for the working professional. Their programming is designed for all skill levels, 3-6 times a week.

Moksha Yoga Uptown – 1498 Yonge St – (416) 868 9642

If you prefer your exercise slow, steady, and a little steamy, Moksha Yoga Uptown is the place for you. Offering yoga, hot yoga, pilates, and a bustling wellness centre with registered massage therapy, Moksha has something for everyone to zen out to. With an extensive class schedule starting at 6:30AM, Moksha offers drop in, 5-classes, or 10-class options, or if you’re a newbie they have a $60 Intro Month Pass!

Studio³ – 1228 Yonge St – (416) 964 3939

If you’re looking to focus solely on wellness through Pilates and yoga, Studio³ is “how Pilates was intended to be.” Studio³‘s instructors are all fully STOTT Pilates certified and provide a varied portfolio of yoga and Pilates disciplines under one roof. New four-week programs are launched throughout each month, with many available in the evenings.

Striation 6 – 33 Davisville Ave – (416) 972 0599

A little north of Yonge + St. Clair near Davisville Station, Striation 6 offers an extremely flexible, pay-as-you-go approach to fitness. They also offer a slate of evening fitness classes, personal training, yoga, boot camps, and boasts an extensive collection of exercise equipment for self-directed workouts. Striation 6 also provides instruction on ‘Muscle Activation Techniques’ that aim to produce more efficient muscle contractions for injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Goodlife Fitness St. Clair – 12 St. Clair Ave E – (416) 927 8042

One of the larger, well known gyms in the Toronto fitness scene is Goodlife. The Goodlife Fitness at 12 St. Clair E is a fully equipped co-ed location and offers individual machine workouts as well as group exercise classes focusing on strength and conditioning, and cardio.

Yonge + St. Clair’s Extensive Ravine System

Toronto is home to a network of deep ravines and trails that run throughout the city, and Yonge + St. Clair is lucky to be within walking distance of many. David Balfour Park, the Rosehill Reservoir, and Mount Pleasant Cemetery frequently make top 10 lists for runners and cyclists, and link to the much larger trail network of Toronto.

JJ Bean Coffee Roasters opens today at 2 St Clair Avenue W, its third location in Toronto this year. The Vancouver company is an early partner in the redevelopment of the Yonge + St Clair intersection. Owner John Neate was initially attracted by Deer Park’s houses and neighborhood. “There are communities that I walk in and I’m happy and I want to go back. They bring me life,” he says. “There’s artists, there’s a park, there’s independent fashion, interesting architecture. Those are places I’m drawn to.”

The housing around Yonge + St Clair served as inspiration for the cafe’s design, as well — including an impressive slate-styled arched roof that hangs over the espresso bar. This is in stark contrast from how JJ Bean Adelaide’s black granite counters and dark wood panels blend into the lobby of 130 Adelaide Street West, and the minimalist industrial aesthetic of JJ Bean Bartley, just east of the city at 197 Bartley Drive. The company has become known as much for its distinctive store designs, each one suited to its surroundings and history, as it is known for high-quality coffee.

After two decades of honing its specialty coffee niche on the west coast, JJ Bean is now poised to expand across Toronto. JJ Bean serves seasonal single-origin coffees and signature blends on French press and drip-filter options, and a selection of classic espresso-based beverages. The coffee is roasted to order each day at JJ Bean Bartley, which serves as roastery and commissary, where food is prepared fresh daily for each cafe to bake every morning. JJ Bean also serves full-meal options including wraps and sandwiches through its in-house artisan bread program.

JJ Bean has often been at the forefront of neighborhood regeneration in Vancouver, with many locations such as Main Street, Woodward’s, and Fraser opening in advance of community growth. But the company also stays true to its neighborhoods. Reflecting on the company’s accomplishments, Neate says “In twenty years we’ve never closed a location. So we don’t move as quickly as other people move but we make sure that where we go is going to be built to last and be a significant part of that community for many years.”

Ideally located near TTC St Clair Station and 512 Streetcars. JJ Bean St Clair will open on Monday October 31st, 2016 with regular hours: weekdays 6:00am-8:00pm and weekends 7:00am-8:00pm.

Established in 1996 by John Neate, JJ Bean Coffee Roasters exists to honour people through great coffee, service, food, and spaces. The Neate family has been roasting coffee for four generations. Family-operated to this day, JJ Bean now has 18 locations in Vancouver and three in Toronto.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.jjbeancoffee.com 

@jjbeancoffee on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

WIN A $15 JJ BEAN ST. CLAIR GIFT CARD

Like, share, and tag your friends to this image on our Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram for a chance to win 1 of 3 $15 JJ Bean Gift Cards! Winners to be announced Wednesday, November 2nd at 8:00PM!

This week the Yonge + St. Clair Blog spoke with John Neate Jr., founder of popular Vancouver-based coffee roasters JJ Bean to talk about his company, the Toronto coffee scene, and new beginnings at Yonge + St. Clair. The Neate family has been roasting coffee for four generations and in 1996 John launched JJ Bean. There are now over 20 unique locations across Vancouver and Toronto.

JJ Bean will be opening their third Toronto location in the lobby of 2 St. Clair West this fall.

Congratulations on opening your second JJ Bean location in the downtown core earlier this month! How are you enjoying the Toronto coffee scene?

The Toronto coffee scene has been fabulous! Toronto has become a second home to me – I’ve been coming here every three to four weeks now for the last year and a half, and have become very familiar with the coffee scene. I’ve met with all the major players and did extensive research before scouting out our new locations here. The JJ Bean at Adelaide and York just opened up August 12th, and it’s been great so far – it’s been a lot busier than expected.

Torontonians really love their coffee, don’t they?

 No kidding – there’s been major changes and growth in the industry. To see what’s happened here over the last few years has been great.

How would you compare the coffee culture in Toronto to Vancouver? What does JJ Bean bring to Toronto coffee culture that it’s currently missing?

In terms of the coffee scene in particular, there are a lot of really great roasters in Toronto. The knowledge of the baristas here is really impressive – it’s nice to see a lot of coffee being made here with manual machines versus automatic. Toronto baristas are getting the coffee right; they’re getting the milk right, and they’re producing great products.

What we see as a big opportunity is that not a lot of Toronto coffee shops are doing their own food. Most shops are getting their baked goods from other places. With JJ Bean, we have a commissary, which prepares all the raw ingredients, but each store is equipped with their own ovens and in-store bakers. We do all of our baking in-house.

The customers love it; there’s nothing better than fresh compared to a muffin made somewhere else, frozen, and reheated.  We’re not seeing anyone really doing that on a multi-location level.

What drew you to establish your third location at Yonge + St. Clair? What do you see in the area?

One of the things that I really look for in a great location is a place that can be busy Monday-Friday, driven by the 9-5 office crowd, but that can also be supported by a neighbourhood community on the weekends. Vancouver has a lot of areas like this, but Toronto is fairly scarce with these locations. There’s a lot of disposable income in the residential areas around this intersection that can support good retail on a 24/7 basis. Yonge + St. Clair seems like it will be a great fit for JJ Bean.

When searching for the next new location – I always try and look for emerging areas: ones with big upside and potential. With what Slate is doing, and what the Weston family is planning, I really believe the Yonge + St. Clair area is going to be totally revitalized in the coming years.

For people that have yet to make it out to one of your Toronto locations, are there any places they can try JJ Bean coffee?

 Absolutely! We have a couple of locations right now serving JJ Bean roasts. 5 Elements at Avenue Road and Davenport serves our coffee, and we’re supplying all the coffee for Dark Horse’s Cold Brew. A large part of our plan in Toronto is to have a thriving wholesale business so this is only the beginning.

When can we expect the Yonge + St. Clair JJ Bean to open?

We’re hoping to open in the first week of October. Originally we planned for an earlier opening, but we’ve seen some delays due to what we‘re doing at that location. The building’s office lobby was recently completely renovated and has impressively high ceilings – we’re actually building a house inside of the space, and while it’s taking a little longer, it looks absolutely fabulous.

Oh wow. That sounds really cool.

 Yeah, we’re really happy with it.

I’m really excited to check out the space when it’s done. What’s your recommended first drink and snack for a JJ Bean newbie like myself?

Well, I personally think that people should have a traditional cappuccino and a butter tart. And if a butter tart is too sweet for your tastes, our croissants are some of the best in Toronto. The muffins we bake are about three times larger than the one’s at Tim Horton’s –  our Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffin is probably our most desired baked good.

Fantastic. Thanks John.

 Thanks so much.

National Post’s Chris Selley said he ‘was downright astonished at the state of the joint.’ City Councillor Josh Matlow said it’s now just ‘a place between Yonge and Eglinton and Bloor.’ Vice President of the Deer Park Residents Association David Cameronsmith told the paper ‘it’s just gone to hell in a handcart.’

Yonge + St. Clair has been overlooked for decades, but it wasn’t always that way. It was once regarded as a vibrant and bustling place – it was a scene. It was the home of Glenn Gould; it was a fashion centre; it was fur coats and martini drinking. It has always been the gateway to some of Toronto’s most prominent neighbourhoods. It sits on top of an important transit hub. It is historically important. All of the ingredients are there to create a neighbourhood that is again a destination in and of itself.

As reported by Bisnow, Slate Asset Management has acquired 8 office towers in the heart of the neighbourhood, including those that occupy the 4 corners of its namesake intersection.

‘We have an opportunity’, Lucas Manuel of Slate Asset Management, told the National Post, ‘to make some big and fast and consolidated changes to the neighbourhood, which is our goal.’

And the changes are indeed coming fast.

The first phase of development at 2 St. Clair East has begun under the direction of award-winning, San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler. An 8-storey mural by Sheffield’s renowned Phlegm now adorns the western wall of 1 St. Clair West. Vancouver-based independent coffee roasters JJ Bean are set to open one of their first Toronto retail outposts in a custom-built house in the lobby of 2 St. Clair West. And this is just the beginning.

Future plans include renovations to building lobbies and exteriors, modernizing every elevator in the neighbourhood, and bringing sweeping changes to the public realm and streetscape pedestrian experience. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life at Yonge + St. Clair. In attracting ‘the types of tenants who can support an improved retail base’ Slate hopes to breathe new life into the neighbourhood’s 9-to-5 rhythm and take the energy up to 24-7.

‘My wife and I live in the area’, David Hopkins of restaurant consultants The Fifteen Group tells National Post, ‘and we certainly don’t go to Yonge and St. Clair if we’re looking for somewhere to eat.’ This echoes a familiar sentiment. But through the reinvention of the 4 corners Slate is confident they can change that tune. And the newly proposed patio and restaurant space at 2 St. Clair West is a leap in the right direction.

Countless neighbourhoods across the city have successfully reinvented themselves with much more than a tired public sentiment working against them. Yonge + St. Clair is in a unique position to capitalize. Lucas is adamant that ‘[t]his is not a flipping strategy… It’s an own forever strategy.’ And with enough property to effectively act as their own business improvement area Slate not only has the passion but the means to make good on their promise.