If you’ve checked out the City of Toronto’s website for details about the upcoming Wintercity festival (the annual city-sponsored winter street festival) then you’re bound to have been as impressed as I was at the amount of musical talent that they’ve managed to round up. Big names like Philosopher Kings, Sloan, Mobile and New Pornographers are sure to attract masses. But also featured are bands like Spiral Beach, who opened for Tokyo Police Club back in December, and Brian Byrne, of second generation I Mother Earth fame.

All shows will be held in front of City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square between January 26 to February 4. Bring your skates and enjoy the shows!

Like any commuting university student, I know what a 25 minute subway ride really means: naptime. Though getting a seat at all on the rush hour train is a challenge, picking the right seat can really make the difference between a strained neck and some refreshing shut-eye. First, any seat that aligns your line of sight with the length of the train is a good seat. This is important to avoid that embarrassing swaying that tends to occur when you’re half conscious while the train is decelerating, which leaves you looking mighty silly and the person beside you feeling mighty annoyed. Second, there is one particular seat on the train that is PERFECT for sleeping (shown in picture). This isolated seat allows you to sleep with minimal disturbance from other passengers, offers a wall to lean against, and gives you a place to prop up large items like umbrellas while you doze off. Happy hunting and sleeping!

For more tips on how to ride the TTC well, see the TTC Subway Rider Efficiency Guide. Three cheers for transit enthusiasm!