Residents living in Toronto’s west end say they were completely exhausted after a purported nightclub opened at the base of their condo.
Loud music, a thumping foundation and sound vibrations are just three of the top complaints some residents of 803 King Street West, located near Niagara Street, have made to ordinance officials in recent weeks. They say that in June a new establishment was opened in a commercial space at street level from their building, so they spend sleepless nights a few times a week.
Bei Sun has lived on the third floor of 803 King Street for about 10 years. He said he never had a problem with noise until a few months ago, when he suddenly started playing loud music at 1 a.m.
“I heard that kind of heavy dancing and electric vibe,” Sun told CTV News Toronto. “My window, I heard a little bit of noise so I called security and they said there’s a bar downstairs that they’re opening up.”
Sun said the loud music continued week after week, making it almost impossible to fall asleep. As an employee in a long-term care home, she often works weekends, the same nights the facility is open.
“I can’t rest,” she said, adding that she has had to call in sick due to lack of sleep.
“It’s that heavy bass of music, it goes to your mind, to your heart. It makes you hyperactive. You can’t sleep in the middle of the night.”
Sun is one of multiple residents who called 311 and had order officers come to her unit to measure the noise. But so far no action has been taken.
The establishment located at the bottom of the condominium is called Hyde Social. your website has conflicting hours of operation, with one area promoting a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm, while also saying on the same website that they are open Wednesday through Saturday between 10pm
Screenshots of Hyde Social’s business hours taken from their website.
Their instagram account It also says that they are open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while also promoting bottle service and guest lists. The video shows large groups of people dancing and taking photos while DJs play music in the background.
In response to an inquiry from CTV News Toronto, a Hyde Social spokesperson said the business operates as a licensed restaurant and bar, with a full kitchen serving food and drinks.
“We strive to be good neighbors and as such, when we became aware of noise concerns, we contracted with a reputable sound company who conducted a full analysis of our operations. Our operations were confirmed to be within the permissible noise levels prescribed by city charter,” they said.
“We are also in contact with city charter officials to discuss the matter and will work with them to ensure we are in compliance with all charters.”
Angeline Putnickovich had purchased a unit at 803 King Street with her sister in May. At the time, the space where she now occupies Hyde Social was boarded up and her real estate agent said they weren’t sure what was going on in the space, but it might be a restaurant.
She told CTV News Toronto that she was “gutted” when she spent her first night in the condo on Canada Day and was kept awake by loud music.
“It really was like I was in the nightclub,” Putnickovich said, adding that it wasn’t just the music but the sound of a blaring air horn and heavy foundation that rattled his second-floor unit.
“There’s no way anyone can sleep through this,” he said. “If it’s like that every weekend or even…especially Wednesday, Thursday throughout the work week. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
The City of Toronto confirmed that it received three complaints about Hyde Social in June 2022 and is “investigating to determine if they have the proper business license.”
“This is an active investigation and we are unable to provide any further information at this time,” a spokesperson said in an email.
The business is licensed as a “food establishment,” according to a business license search.
A eating establishment It is widely considered to be a restaurant, cafe, bar or pub with seating for customers. a disco or entertainment establishment is defined as a premise where there is a dance facility for patrons and where seating is not provided for the majority of patrons. The food or drink is offered “for ancillary use”.
Spadina-Fort York City Councilman Joe Mihevc told CTV News Toronto it’s unclear if zoning rules allow a nightclub to be on the street level of a condominium board, but there are requirements in terms of noise and general behavior when inside a residential area.
He urged residents to continue to contact 311 with any concerns or complaints, as that is the only real avenue available to them from a city perspective. However, he also recognized that the enforcement of complaints by law is a much slower process than a process involving the violation of a criminal law.
“Before they start the prosecution, if they decide to go to court, they have to develop a file,” he said. “They also try to work with the property or the property owner, whichever the case may be, to rectify the situation.”
“What we really want is for people who run businesses to be successful and to do it in a good way.”
“We don’t want to go out of business, we want to make sure they obey all the statutes, so we’ll give them time to rectify it.”
Toronto real estate attorney Bob Aaron suggests that the condo’s tenants band together and take other legal action through their board of directors.
“They can issue a demand that the music stop at 1 a.m. because there is a peace and quiet obligation in the building,” he said.
“I think the condominium board has a lot of power and the city has a lot of power, which they may or may not be using, and I think the law is on the side of the residents.”
NO NIGHT CLUB NOISE
Sabrina Mancini is part of a group called No Nightclub Noise, which was formed in response to another business in the area that they say is also causing sleepless nights and anxiety. the group started a request after months of trying to deal with the establishment through city channels, such as calling 311 or contacting your local councilman.
“Obviously there is the noise of living on King Street, the trams, the traffic, etc. But I never had a problem with noise from nightclubs until February 25 of this year,” Mancini said.
It was at this time that Pizza Wine Disco opened at 788 King Street West. Residents allege that it is a nightclub “disguised” as a restaurant. They have complained of music blaring until 3 a.m., large groups of people flooding the streets, and customers who regularly invade nearby properties to urinate.
Mancini has lived at 801 King Street for about 15 years and said he’s never had a problem with the area before, even when there was a pub open on the site currently used by Hyde Social.
“It’s not just affecting our building. It’s affecting multiple buildings in the neighborhood,” she said.
Videos tagged Pizza Wine Disco, posted on Instagram and TikTok, show a bar full of people dancing at tables, as well as customers sitting down enjoying pizza and drinks. They also have a specific “nightlife” website where guests can request bottle service.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Pizza Wine Disco (PWD) said they have never used a DJ and never played music outside of their operating hours, which operate from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays.
“The City of Toronto has confirmed that PWD is in compliance with all city bylaws, including those related to noise levels. Our staff routinely and frequently take decibel readings and we have installed noise limiters on the sound system to ensure continued compliance,” they said.
“The fact that PWD is a stand-alone building means we can effectively monitor and control the volume emanating from the facility. We also have a significant security presence and increased exterior signage to ensure customers do not cause excessive noise when entering or exiting the establishment.”
The spokesperson insisted that PWD “is not a nightclub” and that it “does not have a dance floor or guest list and does not charge an “entrance/cover fee”.
“PWD has gone above and beyond to establish itself as a productive and respectful member of the community. The vast majority of our neighbors happily support our operations and have become regular customers.”
Farat Farrokhi lives in a row house right next to PWD and says he is now considering moving due to the stress the situation is causing him. He has lived in the area for nine years and told CTV News Toronto that the restaurant’s back street is right next to his room. He said he listens to loud music and after closing, customers tend to linger, talking loudly and urinating or vomiting on his property.
He has complained to 311 and communicated with various politicians at all levels of government, but when Hyde Social moved into the area, he had enough.
“I have an appointment with my real estate agent tomorrow. I’m just thinking of leaving. And it’s not a good time for me to do that,” she said.
And it’s not the only one. Mancini is also considering leaving the neighborhood he loved.
“The statutes, the tools that we have that are supposed to protect us, are really very biased toward business,” he said. “There’s nothing in them that really gives us any kind of leverage to fight the fact that there was a nightclub in a residential building, in a residential area.”
“It’s a sad awakening.”