Three talking points before saying goodbye to Toronto’s Brunswick House

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Talking points for this weekend's social chatter

Saying goodbye to the Brunswick House and hello to Boston Pizza?

So said the Harbord Village Residents' Association this week in a neighbourhood notice. In its latter years, the bar at the corner of Bloor and Brunswick in the Annex became notorious for attracting raucous crowds of students from the nearby University of Toronto. The property owner is terminating the Brunswick House's lease, and it will operate month to month until there is a new tenant. Who might set up shop? Boston Pizza is interested, the association says, if residents would welcome a patio addition.

While we may have graduated to cocktail parties and sophisticated soirées since those hazy varsity days, those of us who went to school in the city were not above a visit to the Brunny – or at least a fervent opinion of the place. Here's a guide to properly pouring one out for Ye Olde watering hole.

1. Don't knock it until you try it. "Good riddance," the more NIMBY-minded among us might say. Challenge that person by asking whether he's ever partaken of an evening there. If he's never stepped foot inside the Brunswick House, suggest a visit. Not only will he finally experience the thing he scorns, he'll also observe that drinking those cheap beer specials might help pay off that Annex mortgage much faster.

2. Forget the good ol' days. "Remember that awesome time at the Brunny when … ?" Yes, we do – we were there. Avoid the social faux pas of dwelling on those glory years. It's a conversational rabbit hole that could derail a perfectly good evening. One moment everyone is basking in nostalgia, the next everyone realizes the highlight of the weekend was a visit to Costco.

3. The Madison pub: Still alive. Remind friends that the Annex hasn't quite been saved from the horrors of the young and drunk. That other establishment geared toward sloppy students, just down the street, looks set to see a boom in business. Party on!