Toronto Magazine - Premier 2008 - (Page 14) Cityscape around town The future of luxury Once upon a time, luxuries were the frivolous objects of the monarchy and aristocracy: houses in the country, servants, big cars, vacationing on the weekends, caviar and champagne. But we live in a more dynamic, emotionally expressive time, and so, luxury is increasingly defined not by traditions but by how we want to define ourselves. These days, luxurious experiences come in all shapes and sizes. We reward ourselves with little luxuries all the time, but a luxury is not something you need. It’s a pleasure, and one that carries a particular kind of exclusivity. Luxury cannot be sold as consumerism because its hallmarks are discernment, spirituality, healing and getting close to nature. It’s a world of never-ending hot water, clean towels, services on-call, restorative experiences and fine food, sure, but it’s also the pursuit of enlightenment through experience. In every city in the world, luxury brands sell the same products — yet all you can buy in an airport does not luxury make. Our city has its own definition of luxury. In Toronto, the high life includes adventure. It comes from finding oddity, idiosyncrasy, something undiscovered. It means spoiling your soul. It’s the pursuit of experiences that are surprising, and above all, authentic. Toronto is a creative place that encourages its visitors to be adventuresome. A stay in a luxury hotel, a tour of our museums and galleries, a Broadway-style show and an exceptional meal can be an unimaginably exotic break. Add to your story the secrets of our dense cultural neighbourhoods, a unique shopping trip and an evening in North America’s second-largest nightclub district — all of a sudden luxury starts to take on a new meaning. www.indulgeintoronto.com Street lamps as nightlights Displays from more than 500 artists can really bring out a lot in a city. The third installment of Nuit Blanche recruits your ability to navigate the masses of avantgarde culture enthusiasts who have taken to the streets in search of the extraordinary, as the city’s museums and galleries remain open (and free) till sunrise. A record 800,000 local and visiting culture tourists traded sweet sleep for surreal dreams in 2007, and the instantly popular festival promises to refine itself towards pure moonlit art bliss. How will Toronto’s flourishing art community respond to the overwhelming demand for installations? They’ll probably have to pull some contemporary-art all-nighters of their own. www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca 14 toronto | 2008 Photos: (top) FirstLight; (bottom) Sam Javanrouh http://www.indulgeintoronto.com http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca
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