Where To Spot The Stars
Posted August 25, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Brad Pitt’s going to be here. And Adrien Brody, Charlize Theron, Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon – the list goes on of famous faces descending on our city for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
So where should you park yourself to catch a glimpse of one of these gorgeous A-listers?
Yorkville is your best bet – easily the most celeb-packed neighbourhood in the city over the ten-day event.
Kick off your star search at the corner of Avenue and Cumberland and the Four Seasons Hotel.
Many Hollywood types make this their luxurious home away from home during TIFF. Don’t be surprised if you see a few celebs grabbing a quick cocktail in the hotel’s Avenue Bar, or a bite in the world-renowned Truffles restaurant.
Steps away are a host of restaurants and lounges where you might just feast your eyes on your favourite thesp – among them Amber, One, and Remy’s on Yorkville Ave., and a block south Dimmi, Hemingway’s and Sassafraz on Cumberland St.
There’s also the chance you’ll see an Oscar winner popping out to one of the luxe shops in the area – there are four shopping centres to choose from in the neighbourhood: Hazelton Lanes, Holt Renfrew Centre, Hudson’s Bay Centre and Manulife Centre (where Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling were spotted last week by at least one blogger). There’s also the stretch of Bloor St. West between Yonge and Avenue, home to a bevy of boutiques including Hermes, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Prada.
But you don’t have to eat or shop like a celeb to see one. Year after year one of the best places for seeing the stars is the Yorkville Starbucks. Ditto Roy Thomson Hall and the other theatres where Galas and Special Presentations are being screened – situate yourself as close as you can to the red carpet and have your camera at the ready.
Keep in mind, if you’re hoping to spot a particular actor, actress or director, that they’re likely not going to be in town for the whole festival. Your best chance of catching them is right around the date their film is being unspooled.
Here are a few other spots around town you could see a star, or several, at TIFF08:
Hotels: The Park Hyatt, with its lauded Stillwater Spa, also attracts its fair share of Hollywood royalty over the course of the festival. There’s also the Windsor Arms, Fairmont Royal York, Sutton Place Hotel, SoHo Metropolitan, King Edward Hotel, and the Intercontinental.
Restaurants and Lounges: Bistro 990, Kultura, Spice Route, Blowfish, Colborne Lane, The Drake, The Boiler House
Other: Canadian Film Centre (where director Norman Jewison hosts his annual CFC Picnic), Maple Leaf Gardens (where this year’s OneXOne gala, hosted by Matt Damon, is being held), W Studio (a rug store that transforms into a chic lounge space and party spot each year during TIFF)
Comments? Suggestions? Email tiff@citynews.ca
