By Cate Simpson

As the popular phrase goes, when one video store door slams shut, another one opens.
A new video store has sprung up on Dundas (just west of Dufferin) catering to “women and the LGBT community.” The store––called West Side Stories––has a broad selection of old and new queer/transgender movies and documentaries, as well as a section for “women in film” alongside the usual array of new releases and cult classics.
It’s encouraging to note that even with the blue-and-yellow behemoths stationed in every neighborhood and the rise of video-on-demand (not to mention wireless broadband making it possible to download pirate movies in under an hour), the market can still support a niche video store in Rua Acores.
First rental is free, because apparently they’ve caught onto the fact that once you’ve rented the first season of The L Word, you will keep going back until you’ve watched the whole lot, even though you’ve seen them all already and the tiny one who writes stories about Manatees makes everyone want to throw things.
Photo courtesy of West Side Stories.