5 Places You Can Go to Escape Your Cellphone

In this day and age, we live by the internet and especially through social media. We eat with it, we sleep with it, and we even walk our dogs with it. For many, it takes as much as the inability to connect­­­—being physically unable to access social media—to make us log offline. Below is a list of places and events in Toronto that either do not allow for the use of cellphones or simply do not have WiFi or connection signals, giving you the ability to escape from your cellphone, even for just a few minutes (or hours).

The Subway

For just $3.00, you can travel underground on Toronto’s subway system for as long as you like (well, almost, from 6 am to 1:30 am weekdays and Saturdays, and 9 am to 1:30 am Sundays). As of now, you can ride the subway signal-free. Take a nap, read a book or the newspaper, talk to your friend or someone new; the subway technologically prevents you from using any network and instead gives you time to do those things you may not otherwise be doing.

Sam James Coffee Bar

This coffee bar is a hidden gem, located underground on the Path just outside of the St. Andrew subway station. Only open weekdays 7 am to 4 pm, they are understandably crowded during rush hour. Their amazing coffee and pastries make this small joint a great place to disconnect from your phone and reconnect to what’s more important—the food.

The Grind

The Grind is an unexpected underground vintage coffee shop that is located at Yonge and Bloor just outside of the subway station. Open 7 am to 7 pm weekdays and 10 am to 6 pm Saturdays, they offer a wide variety of healthy lunch and breakfast options as well as baked goods ranging from $2.95 to $5.99. They do, however, offer free WiFi with your purchase of food. So, if you can avoid connecting, it’s a great place to cozy up with a tea, a scone, and a good book.

Corona Sunsets Event: Off the Grid

Corona Sunsets hosts a unique annual event at Cabana Pool Bar (11 Polson Street at Polson Pier), located just five minutes from downtown Toronto. This one-of-a-kind party event takes place during the summer and asks attendees to disconnect by leaving their phone at the phone check station, encouraging them to reconnect with the party experience. Those who stay off the grid all day have the chance to receive rewards as a result. All for $20!

Become a member and keep an eye out for The Powerful Group events

The Powerful Group’s motto is “Better Conversations. Better Life.” The Powerful Group presents different events in Toronto throughout the year to encourage their members to engage in uninterrupted and intelligent conversations. As a member, you can pick the events you want to go to, which are all guaranteed phone-free. Right now, you can sign up for a free two month trial membership on their website.

Photo Courtesy of rickyysanne of Morguefile.

Ashley is an Online Editor for onthedanforth.ca and a photographer for the On The Danforth summer edition. When she’s not binge-watching Gilmore Girls (or even when she is), she’s probably drinking tea, buying pens, or ordering free samples…. You can follow her on (any) social media site @ashleyposluns.