Thursday, February 21, 2013

Apt613 tours the local blogosphere: An introduction

Photo courtesy of Geekgirly on Flickr

The following post first appeared on Apartment 613 on January 26.

Ottawa has an incredibly large blogging community. To help publicize this amazing body of work, Apt613 will provide a weekly round-up of some of the best posts in the city. To get things rolling, here are some websites worth reading.

With our recent Arctic-like weather, it’s easy to be overcome with January blues. Andrea from a peak inside the fishbowl, however, has some positive thoughts on our recent deep freeze, as well as revealing that Westboro Beach is a great place to go sledding. If you want to find some humour in the current freezing temperatures, blogger Gordon Dewis has some fun playing with hot water while out on his cold apartment balcony. Speaking about things to do outside in the cold, Citizens for Safe Cycling have details on Ottawa’s 2nd annual Family Winter Bike Parade that takes place this Sunday, January 27.

If you would rather stay indoors during the cold months, you can pass the time by gathering cooking tips. Recent posts include recipes for Mexican polenta, Greek salad and Portered French Onion Soup with Île-aux-Grues Cheddar. If you are more interested in rearranging your apartment, the Domicile Blog has some suggestions on how to make your condo seem larger.

With the ridiculously cold weather, it can be difficult to drag yourself outside. But if you are brave enough to venture outdoors, you should note that several bloggers have penned restaurant and café reviews. A pre-Christmas post on If Music be the Food of Love, Play On raves about Illume Espresso Bar at 1433 Wellington Street West, Unit 111. According to the review, the Illume latte is, “probably the best I have had in Ottawa.” Beer lovers looking for up-coming-coming microbreweries can head to Sheltered Girl Meets World where a post in early-January talked about Broadhead Brewing Company at 81 Auriga Drive. More recently, Jodi Lariviere, creator of the excellent foodie blog Simply Fresh, praised the Back Lane Cafe at 1087 Wellington West. (I would concur with her review; in my opinion, this café has the best brunch in Ottawa). Finally, burger lovers can read Mike Likes Burgers to find great local hamburger spots; the latest post reviews the Mediterranean Burger at Moxie’s on Riverside and Hunt Club.

Interested in what is going on in local neighbourhoods? Child Free has some recent neighbourhood gossip from Wellington Village and Hintonburg. Parents of young children, meanwhile, can read this post from Kids in the Capital which talks about Global Care Child Services, an organization that has information for drop in centres in Orleans, Blackburn Hamlet, Riverside South, Gloucester, Manotick and Ogilvie. If you want to know Vanier residents better, this profile of Gavin Lynch, a former Vancouverite-turned-Vanier resident, is worth a read.

This inaugural round-up offers only a small taste of the truly mindboggling number of blogs in this city. In the coming weeks, we hope to shed light on our city’s blogging community, as we jointly discover the amazing work being done by our neighbours, colleagues, family and friends. In the meantime, if you want to become familiar with area bloggers, this comprehensive list at Ottawa Startis an indispensable resource.

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