Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, is out October 20th. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.

The First Times issue will be Lisa’s first time contributing to Static Zine, and she hopes her contribution will serve as a public service announcement for all girls who walk around alone in Toronto. When she isn’t writing for Zoomer Media, Shameless magazine, or her blog Turn The Record Over, she can be found at a show looking for bands worthy of writing about; hanging with her dog Mr Bojangles at Trinity Bellwoods; or in her apartment dancing to Springsteen records, tweeting a little too much and obsessively watching episodes of shows that give her anxiety (Breaking Bad, Dexter, Dateline NBC).

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I changed all my official addresses to my Toronto address, when I moved into my own apartment without roommates. Around the same time, my parents moved out of the only house we’d ever lived in. When you visit your hometown but sleep outside the four walls you grew up in, the town turns into just another place you once lived.

First job was I think there might still be a contract out there saying I’m not allowed to name the company (kind of a shady place). Let’s just say it was online, and had to do with monitoring “dating” profiles. I did that for three years during university. It was the easiest job I’ve ever had – also, the most soul destroying. Ask me about it in person sometime.

First house was living in Vanier Res at York. If that doesn’t count, then a 3 bedroom apartment in Don Mills that was not only over an hour commute from downtown, but over an hour from my school, all the way in East North York. It was a brutal year. This is what happens when you let your friends choose the apartment without you. I immediately moved downtown after that lease was up, and haven’t looked back since. Cheap rent means nothing when you have to spend that many hours a day on different forms of TTC.

First favourite neighborhood was Little Italy for sure. When I realized it was home to Soundscapes, Sneaky Dees, The Royal and all the homemade pasta and gelato I could ever need, I made sure to move there once I escaped North York.

First concert was the Backstreet Boys at the Skydome. This was long before I lived in Toronto, but a bunch of us rented a bus to get us to the show since our parents wouldn’t drive the two hours north, paid probably $100+ each per ticket, and all we could see was five dots dancing around in the distance. Still, many tears of joy were shed.

First bar/club I went to was probably something really lame and embarrassing, like the Q107.1 club/bar, which was filled with men my dads age, and a few middle aged chain smoking women in too tight leather skirts. Despite the fun of dancing to Led Zeppelin and The Doors all night, we never went back.

First outdoor concert was SARSstock in summer 2003 at Downsview Park, right before I moved to Toronto for school. It was Sam Roberts, Kathleen Edwards, The Tea Party, The Flaming Lips, The Isley Brothers, Blue Rodeo, Justin Timberlake, The Guess Who, Rush, AC/DC, and The Rolling Stones. Highlight was the rock loving crowd throwing water bottles at Justin Timberlake, and Keith Richards coming on stage swearing at people to stop doing that. I ran over the fences like a lunatic when The Stones hit the stage, but most people thought AC/DC stole the show. It was an awesome day.

First record store: I cut out a list of the best Toronto record stores from something like NOW magazine after my first few months of living here, and spent one winter day downtown trying to visit them all. The first one was probably Sonic Boom. I got lost looking for Rotate This! that day too, gave up and sat in the Queen Street Taco Bell to warm up, not realizing how weird the numbers on Queen Street are.

First in-store was Will Oldham (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) at Rotate This! Had to get up at something like 7am on a Saturday to get a ticket for that in-store, but it was definitely worth it.

First favorite book was The Bell Jar.

First library was York’s Library.

First celebrity sighting was TIFF 2004, Gael Garcia Bernal and Javier Bardem at The Sea Inside premiere. I was massively obsessed with Gael at the time having watched Y tu mama tambien all summer long, and I sat two rows in front of him so I could stare back at his beautiful face during the screening like a total creeper. When he stood up I realized he was the shortest man I’d ever seen.

First kiss was a very intoxicated event that turned me off the idea of making out for a long time until I kissed a guy who didn’t use the slobbery, tongue poking technique.

First heartbreak was see first in-store. I had to stop listening to Will Oldham after seeing him sing New Partner right after I had my heart ripped out.

First time I stayed up all night was probably during Frosh Week or when my first essay was due.

First time I went to the islands was for the first Broken Social Scene island concert.

First trip out of Toronto was a visit back home. Outside of that, it was Daytona Beach for spring break that first year. Yes, I did that. We all make mistakes in college. Florida is a horrible place I will never return to, but they let me into all the bars despite being obviously underage, so it was fun.

First time I got lost was when I ventured off campus to explore the city. Despite how big York is, we had good Frosh leaders to show us around so I knew where all my classes were.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would try to visit all the places I’ve somehow never been to despite living here for so many years now.