For those who sorely miss the venerable Ballenford Books, Swipe Books has stepped forward to create a store-within-a-store to fill the void left after the former landmark institution closed it doors. Currently, Built Books offers Toronto's best selection of Architecture and Urban Design publications. It can be found at 401 Richmond Street West, just east of Spadina Avenue. Their website features a blog that discusses new acquisitions as well as architectural issues in Toronto.

In celebration of its new issue covering how Toronto "embraces, endures and ignores the coldest days of the year," the venerable Spacing Magazine will host a release party for its Winter 2011 edition on Monday, February 21, 2011. The event will be held at the El Mocambo (264 Spadina Avenue - the corner of Spadina and College) starting at 7:30pm. Existing magazine subscribers pay $5 at the door; $10 for others (however this gets you a copy of the new issue too). The event promises games and prizes for attendees.