On Observing Toronto
Notes on observing Toronto at a human pace.
Life at 6ix is a long-running idea that’s finally being given the time and space it deserves.
At its core, this is a project about observing Toronto as it actually exists — not just through headlines or highlight reels, but through its daily movement, quiet moments, and changing rhythms. The name comes from the city’s nickname, but also from a simple idea: paying attention at the edges of the day, around 6 AM and 6 PM, when the city shifts gears.
This won’t be a traditional news publication. There are already plenty of places to find breaking updates and hot takes. Instead, Life at 6ix will focus on city notes: what’s changing, what’s lingering, and what it feels like to move through Toronto over time.
To start, this Substack will be writing-first. Short posts, observations, links to local stories, and occasional photos when they fit naturally. The goal isn’t frequency for its own sake, but consistency without pressure.
Over time — likely into spring and summer 2026 — this project will expand into visual work. Walking videos, ambient city footage, and photography will become part of the mix, released when the city itself offers something worth documenting. There’s no rush to get there. This project is meant to grow at a human pace.
Life at 6ix isn’t about performance or polish. It’s about noticing. About documenting a city in motion without trying to package it into something it isn’t.
If you live here, you’ll recognize it.
If you don’t, you’ll get a sense of what it feels like to move through Toronto day by day.
That’s it. That’s the project.