The Bowery: New York Meets Toronto
Uniq Lifestyle Entertainment is well-known amongst city dwellers for producing some of the most sought-after vibes in nightlife. Maro, Brant House, Cheval, The Ballroom, Cobra: these are all venues with a King West meets, well, Uniq flavour. Same goes for The Bowery, named after New York's famed boutique hotel, which is the company’s foray into the restaurant-meets-nightclub realm.
The Bowery opened at 55 Colborne Street last summer, touting a farm-to-table menu, a vibrant decor, and an of-the-moment chef. During TIFF, the space really gained traction amongst the city's trendsetters, hosting events like War Child's 'gala' and the after party for Machine Gun Preacher.
A couple months after launching, The Bowery's underground concert venue opened up, and laid a stage for bands and DJs to perform intimately with the tastemaking crowd. From here, Uniq cemented the just-east-of-Yonge Street spot as a King West extension. It falls in line with other venues by the hospitality group. Instead of creating merely another space for parties and the like, they amass destination venues where the experiential aspect of nightlife gets remolded.
There have been many changes since The Bowery's opening, sure, and many still to come. But what's great about this spot is that it's Uniq's first real foray into the restaurant world, and they've done a successful job at coupling it with a trendy nightclub/lounge atmosphere and late night party vibe.
The Bowery in New York was a staple, cultivating a loyal following of local celebs, hipsters, and fashionistas from pretty much every walk of life. Thus far, Toronto's Bowery has aligned itself as a non-King West joint, but one that attracts a King West crowd, though those barriers are starting to crash down as it gains prominence. Who knows, in a year or two, Toronto may have its very own New York-like scene with The Bowery... An homage to the supperclubs of NYC past.
