bsessed with escaping the city - if only for a few hours - in hopes of getting down with nature? We all are, regardless of how much we love this crazy city. At the drop of a hat, most of us follow that longing to escape to cottage country, overseas or anywhere. And when we can't get away, we start craving other ways to bamboozle ourselves into believing we are on down time. Whether it’s real or faux, one thing is for sure: the grass is always greener on the other side.

Apparently, club owners are people, too, and they've sensed this particular need. In fact, they cater to it. Clubbing is just another form of escapism. Enter onto the scene: Grass - the latest club to fill the space that was previously Bauhaus. Three levels of party paradise are being phased in over the next few months. First out of the gate is Grass, which is first, foremost, and only a rooftop patio - read: seasonal! Since the venue is completely outdoors, it only exists until snowfall, so you'll have to work fast to enjoy this one. (Don't show up in the dead of winter wearing thongs and a Hawaiian shirt!!)

An oasis is exactly what owner Tommy King had in mind. Having heard the grumbling locals, bitter that Toronto’s concrete jungle has overpowered all the best greenery, he set out to create a space that provides an excess of all things Mother Nature. Everywhere you look there is greenery; two hedges frame the main bottom floor, and along the tall walls of the entire patio you'll find towering zebra grass; all of it very much alive and growing. The only thing missing are monkeys; unless you count the club-goers, that is.

The floors and walls of both levels are a rich dark wood, and on the wall behind the main bar there is a giant black and white floral mural that looks curiously like a psychiatrist’s Rorschach Test. If therapeutic patterns don't do it for you, there are two giant television screens above the mural; windows to other exotic visions. The bar countertops are a curiosity, as they're made from iridescent dark blue-black-purple tiles. The tall thick wooden walls block out most of the view of the city - with the exception of a few taller and grander buildings – all this is to sustain the illusion that we are indeed somewhere tropical.