Guest post by Andrea Grant – who certainly doesn’t let her gills and fins get in the way of cycling around the capital all summer long. It’s hot out – we know. You’re uncomfortable and sweaty – we can tell. You’re stuck in the city with only a bike and some bus tickets, and your only post-work saviour is a cold shower, a Slurpee, and the air-conditioned comfort of your grocery store. Right, Ottawa? No way. Here at Apartment613, we’re surprised by how many of you car-free folks are still... | Continue reading article

A professional sexual health educator with an alarming lack of tact, Nadine Thornhill is used to airing out other people’s unmentionables. Her sex column, Dirty Laundry, runs the last Friday of each month on Apt613. To ask your questions, or to say hello to Nadine, contact her at dirtylaundry613@gmail.com. For the full smorgasboard of Nadine’s musings check out her blog, Adorkable Thespian. _________________________ Dear Dirty Laundress When partners have been together for a while…let’s say 3, 4, 5 years – how do you keep things interesting in bed and in... | Continue reading article

Sun, heat, and a long weekend add up to one thing: gelato (they also add up to patios, but math was never my strong point). Gelato is ice cream’s Italian cousin: sexier, more sophisticated, and – just to add insult to injury – less fattening. Since the May long weekend marks the perfect time to indulge in the ultimate summer treat, we’ve asked Ottawa’s Twitterati to let us know who they think makes the best gelato in town. The fact that I live one block from Truffle Treasures has apparently... | Continue reading article

Posts and photos by Jennifer and Don at FoodiePrints Almost a month ago, we were approached by Apartment613 to do a pho round up, having blogged numerous posts on the subject of Vietnamese noodle soup in Ottawa. Apartment613′s Ryan Saxby once referred to us as “pho obsessed.” After some thought, we agreed to participate. We decided to visit five pho noodle houses in Ottawa, all recommended by friends or colleagues. Practical, low cost, and satisfying, Ottawa is blessed with a large number of pho noodle houses. Pho is a popular... | Continue reading article

Cupcakes: they’ve taken Ottawa by a storm. Critics and supporters alike have been seen to swoon after just one bite. They’ve been referred to as “the latest and greatest fad to hit the baking world since sliced bread,” “a gift from the gods,” and “cakes – but tiny!” In essence, cupcakes are a personal, not-for-sharing decadence. Curious about this tiny trend, local filmmakers from Dawghaus Studios sought out the secrets behind each cupcake lovingly created in our capital city. Bakers from Isobel’s, L’Oven and Auntie Loo’s, along with Ian Capstick... | Continue reading article

A professional sexual health educator with an alarming lack of tact, Nadine Thornhill is used to airing out other people’s unmentionables. Her sex column, Dirty Laundry, runs the last Friday of each month on Apt613. To ask your questions, or to say hello to Nadine, contact her at dirtylaundry613@gmail.com. For the full smorgasboard of Nadine’s musings check out her blog, Adorkable Thespian. _________________________ Dear Dirty Laundress, I work for a small company in an equally small office. I’m really attracted to one of my co-workers and I’m pretty sure she’s... | Continue reading article

We poked, prodded, measured, and quantified the wares from eight Ottawa pizza joints – all in the name of delicious, delicious science. Every respectable urbanite needs a good, easy and cheap pizza in their take-out repertoire, and this episode of Apartment613 Science! strives to arm you with the information you need to make informed pizza decisions. To set the scene: a team of eager Apartment613 editors and volunteers show up armed with a bottle of wine and enough cash to order a pizza. We develop a shortlist of pizza places,... | Continue reading article

Ipsos Reid made the headlines last month when it reported that for the first time ever, Canadians are spending more time online than in front of the boob tube. Consequently, sitting in a coffee shop with a Macbook on display is no longer the preserve of wanna be writers or stressed out students, but has become an acceptable pastime for anyone with a taste for celebrity gossip or  sassy cats with bad diction. I expect that sooner or later, access to wireless within city limits will become as ubiquitous and... | Continue reading article

A professional sexual health educator with an alarming lack of tact, Nadine Thornhill is used to airing out other people’s unmentionables. Her sex column, Dirty Laundry, runs the last Friday of each month on Apt613. To ask your questions, or to say hello to Nadine, contact her at dirtylaundry613@gmail.com. For the full smorgasboard of Nadine’s musings check out her blog, Adorkable Thespian. _________________________ Dear Dirty Laundress, Are all lubes created equal? Or should one consider different lubes for different lubing needs and purposes? Slippery When Wet Before I answer your... | Continue reading article

By long-time Ottawan, Samantha Everts, who ended up out west for love but quickly came back to the city she loves. A while back, my best friend decided to cut his teeth on the open mic scene of Ottawa. Having worked on his own stuff for a while he still wasn’t brave enough to go it alone, so I dutifully padded along. Disclaimer- this research has been conducted over the last few years. The first place we hit up was the now closed Elephant and Castle in Rideau Centre. It... | Continue reading article