The Arts & Letters Club

Once upon a time, when I was in the midst of dropping out of Ryerson University. I received an invitation to attend at Philosophy event a The Arts & Letters Club. It revolved around Careers in Philosophy and had guest speakers with a background in philosophy. Ranging from principles to dancers. I wasn't so much interested in the idea of how to find a fulfilling career that enabled one to have a background in Philosophy, but I went nonetheless. I suppose I walked away with something more than I anticipated I would; partially relating to working in the real world with a philosophical outlook. What I really remember about the event was the venue itself. What a beautiful street this building was on. What a beautiful building it was. It was in the evening and the few streets along the side walks were lined with trees that had Christmas lights (it was before/after Christmas)intertwined with the branches.

Upstairs in the room where the event was being held had easels with various paintings done by unknown individuals propped up throughout the perimeter of the room. On a slanted wall next to a window, there were small branches with flower buds dangling from a knotted string held to the wall with a strip of tape (something I had not thought of to do as a way to dry flowers).

Peeking out the window was the beautiful Elm Street with the sight I described previously. It was in a location just a short distance from one of Canada's busiest intersections, but in this building, you would never guess it.

From what I recall of the interior as I headed up the stairs, it's vibe was something like guests should be wearing crested red/green velveteen blazers with a glass of Scotch in hand. The staircase was laid with velvet runner (possibly completely off), if memory serves me correctly. The floor boards were creaky wooden panels.

Everything about it was nostalgic and filled with that kind of old spirit that historic buildings left in their prime.

Hopefully I can revisit and see what the building's true purpose is.

Quick Wiki read about the building:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arts_and_Letters_Club_of_Toronto


-Image courtesy of blogto.com