On Wednesday, May 11th, The Grid was launched. It was a classic launch party at Queen and Bathurst, in the old Burroughes Building, complete with a line-up to get in, by invitation only. The 6th floor warehouse style space was packed to bursting with trend-setters, eagerly consuming mixed drinks from a seemingly endless set of serving stations, all offering something unique to get the buzz going fast. Not to worry the MADD crowd, Zip Car was on hand as a valued sponsor, offering free rides home.

It was so refreshing to see the energy of the crowd, eager to particpate in the launch of The Grid, whose bold new graphic design puts NOW to shame, and appears to be aimed in equal measure at Toronto Life, or shall I say advertisers eager to reach the restaurant-going, high end beverage consuming, nightlife-loving, upwardly mobile urban sophisticates.

“We feel like there’s a need for a city magazine that’s accessible and focused on the needs of people in their 20s and 30s,” says Laas Turnbull, the publisher and editor-in-chief. “Our goal is twofold: completely separate ourselves from NOW in terms of positioning; and fill a gap that’s existed in this marketplace, well… pretty much forever.”