Honest Ed’s : Choose Your Own Adventure

Every Torontonian knows about Honest Ed’s–Hell–most every Canadian knows about Honest Ed’s. You can’t miss those sparkling lights as you drive through Bathurst and Bloor, and there’s no way to avoid that neon circus sign as you exit the subway.

Honest Ed’s is a staple Toronto store that everyone should have the chance to shop (or at least laugh as you browse through the isles) in at some point in their life. If you haven’t been before, go now! NOW. GO. we’ll wait…

When you first enter, you’ll walk into a large bright room full of shelves and hand painted sign in the familiar blue and red writing. Who paints all of these signs anyway? They must have someone that does this as a full time job, because those signs are changing all the time!

You can browse around here for a very long time, before you realize that the store is much larger than this. MUCH. MUCH. LARGER.

Honest Ed’s is kind of like one of those “choose your own adventure” books.

1. Make your way up the stair case to face the evil racks of T-Shirts in the land of bedding and clothing.

2. Head downstairs to fill your belly on snacks and dried goods, before continuing on to the lair of the light bulbs.

Okay, maybe the T-shirts aren’t evil–but isn’t that how those books always go?

Had you chosen the second option, you would now be on your way into the electronic and housewares section. This room has just about everything that you might need for your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or garage.

Best word to describe Honest Ed’s? Eclectic.

At this point in the maze of Honest Ed’s, you will come to another set of stairs. Go up one floor for office supplies and beauty products, or another level to get to another floor of clothing (children’s this time). A semi-level off of that section holds DVD’s, CD’s and other random items. Well hey–pretty much all of the items here are random.

You’ve made it to the end. Congratulations.

Take your items to the cashier and check out. You’ve successfully made your way through Honest Ed’s. Unless you’re still lost in the food basement.