Esso

I agree with Jesse, wholeheartedly.
I’m sorry for those of you silver-​spooners with a narrow and socially constricted view of the world. Let’s hope none of you experience the many, many misfortunes that this world plagues people with, which often is what lands them as ‘vagrants.’
Poor you, seriously.

Frankly, these comments about the ‘vagrants’ that are around this gas station is a joke. It’d be nice if people were a little less ignorant. The people that hang around there are totally harmless and I’ve never had a bad experience. Try talking to people. No one says you have to give money, but if you have a conversation, it could change your perspective. Don’t want to have a conversation, than just tell someone to have a nice day. No need to ignore people or feel threatened at all. Including «ladies alone at night». Sorry to respond negatively, but let’s all try to be a little more open and accepting. Everyone has a story and should be shown respect and empathy. Good gas station, you know, where you can get gas, coffee or a chocolate bar and you might even have a different, interesting and fun conversation too.

I highly agree with the other comments in regards to being over run by vagrants.
This esso is near 3 shelter/​halfway homes, but is also near the trendy king west/​liberty village/​queen west areas.
The young urban professionals do not like having to deal with a mentally Ill person asking for money every time they pop inside to pay for gas or grab a coffee.
The homeless people around here are quite pushy too. They would refuse money and only want cash for their drug habit.
Most people I know head down to lakeshore esso.
Stay away if you can. Especially late at night and you are female.

I find it quite odd that no one has mentioned how sketchtacular this place is!
It doesn’t matter if it’s 3 pm or 3am there is always a hooker or riffraff hanging around and I generally don’t feel safe. When my boyfriend fills up here I always request he lock all the doors before going in to pay, I have seen too many women followed to their car by people begging for change and in that context it freaks me out.

The problem here is that, even though this station sits on a big lot at King and Strachan, the islands only house one pump each so it is ALWAYS busy. Be prepared to sit and wrangle with cars coming and going while you wait for an empty spot. ESSO, break open the piggy bank and put in another pump each island, already!

You got a car. You need gas. You hungry, you need snacks. Dipstick bare, you need oil. Can’t see out windshield, you clean it with a squeegee and wonder how the hell you drove into the gas station in the first place.
I tend to use this Esso for several reasons, it turns out. Firstly, they sell gas. Pretty vital when owning a car. Secondly, they have automated pumps so that you don’t need to go in and pay at the cash. Thirdly, they offer Aeroplan Points, so you’re able to save up for flights and not take your car somewhere. Fourthly, they have a Tim Horton’s on site, which is, if my Googling skills hold true, the closest one to my house. Not a full range, but certainly close enough to do the trick in a pinch.
Add to this that sometimes, and I’m only guessing as to why this happens, sometimes they’ll have the premium gas on at the same price as the mid-​range. Those days you get to splurge. With gas prices being what they are just now, it’s nice to support some place close and be able to get a double-​double in the process.