rev:text
| - We all know that IKEA is the place for cheap-ass stylish furniture and other things you need for your home at great prices. And that navigating a store can feel like a video game, with the linear maze-like experience. In fact, to effectively and efficiently shop at an Ikea, one must attack the trip like a video game. If you know exactly what you want and to get the hell out quickly, it can be hard to resist the temptation to admire the store's many displays and products.
I have been going to the North York location long before they built the garage structure. Heck, long before the Sheppard subway and Esther Shiner Blvd. even existed. At this point, I am familiar with its many shortcuts, including ones that allow you to skip the showroom entirely. Think of them as like the 'Warp Zones' in the Super Mario games.
The highlight of any IKEA is its cafeteria-style restaurant. Never mind the famous meatballs; their pasta is fucking amazing. On a weekday, it can be had at a special price of TWO DOLLARS! Makes you wonder how this chain can make great food and sell it at lowball prices, never mind their furniture and decor. The North York location's restaurant has plenty of seating that fills up quickly on a weekend, and offers stunning panoramic vistas of the parking lot and of North York's eastern abyss.
IKEA offers a free shuttle bus service to and from Leslie subway station, although it is within walking distance from the station's bus terminal. New condo towers built across the street offers extreme store fanatics the chance to live the dream of living next door to an Ikea. In that case, who needs delivery service, or a car, or even the TTC, when you can cart your new BILLY bookcases to your place across the street?
Only in the City of Toronto, I guess...
|