tell me about toronto, please.

[seabeyond]

i have always wanted to go to canada; but, i wanted to go to victoria, or northeast, or that big lake in the middle of canada. though toronto has niagra falls, it looks to be very big city and too close to the u.s. to almost feel like there is not a difference.

my husband has a siminar he has to be in monday thru sunday, all day. we would be there for 9 days. i wonder if i want to live in hotel that long, in toronto.

but i really want to spend time in canada.

so, how about letting me know a little bit about toronto so i can make up my mind if i want to go.

thank you.

[BillStein]

1. I love Toronto

A big city that's clean, open and comfortable.

Most Canadian cities are cleaner than any American city. Montreal is definitely worth a visit, as is Quebec.

Toronto is actually a ways from Niagra Falls, btw...

[whathehell]

4. Chicago is a "clean open and comfortable" American City

I live there and I've visited

Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver

It's definitely

as clean as any of them.

[BillStein]

6. I love Chicago

Th op asked about Toronto. If it had asked about Chicago I would have said great things about it.

[seabeyond]

7. i really have heard this about canada. BUT, i agree with chicago and boston and

a couple other big cities i have been in recently. it was one of the things i was impressed with. the areas i went into, anyway.

we really had a lot of fun in chicago down by the lake. boardwalk? that wasnt really a boardwalk, lol. but it sure was fun

[whathehell]

14. Yes...Chicago is not my hometown

which is Philadelphia, and I wasn't crazy about

the idea of moving here (job transfer)

when I did, but now I love it

along with my other two favorites,

San Francisco and New Orleans.

:hi:

[Romulox]

11. Ever been to the South side of Chicago, where it borders Gary, Indiana?

:scared:

[whathehell]

13. No, but I have this feeling

that every city has it's seamy side.

[u4ic]

16. Toronto is not far from Niagara Falls

It's about 1.5 hrs from the city centre. An easy day trip.

edited to add: I'd recommend a 2 day trip, so one can see the Falls lit up at night, and also visit nearby Niagara On the Lake.

[daggahead]

2. Try this ...

http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Toronto.html

[marmar]

3. It's a great city....Big, bustling, safe & clean, .... and unbelievably multicultural.

the wikitravel page is a good place to start.


http://wikitravel.org/en/Toronto

[MineralMan]

5. You should have fun there.

It's a major city, with good public transportation. You could use those 9 days to explore many interesting cultural, historic, and other venues. I'm envious of your visit. I've never been to Toronto. Go exploring.

I love all major cities. There's so much to see and experience, from museums of all sizes, to cultural and historical places.

[seabeyond]

8. already, everyone has talked me into it. i can spend the day exploring, then have a perfect

excursion for hubby when he gets off work.

thanks.

[sharp_stick]

9. Toronto is big, there's quite a bit to do

I don't find it that different from any major city though. I don't know if I'd spend all nine days there, if you are independently mobile you can drive to Niagara Falls which will be about 2 hours away with traffic.

Canada's Wonderland is a theme park that used to have good Canada Day fireworks, not sure if they still do, that's just North of the city.

Downtown and the CN Tower are fun along with the SkyDome, you can watch the BlueJays blow another game if they're not busy blowing games out of town while you're there. ;-)

Toronto has a really good restaurant and nightlife scene if you're into that.

[Tesha]

10. Toronto ("T.O." to the locals) is a big, beautiful city with plenty to do.

There's more than enough to keep you busy for nine days.

Get a pass for the T.T.C. (the local mass transit); it can take
you almost everywhere within the city.

Visit the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) and the surrounding
university/government district.

Walk Yonge and Bloor streets.

Read up ahead of time at:

http://thestar.com/

http://theglobeandmail.com/

Toronto's not Vancouver (possibly the best big city
in North America) but it's not bad!

Tesha

[snagglepuss]

12. I live in TO and love the place. This is what I'd suggest.

Outside Toronto

I'd recommend taking a 2 hour trip up to Collingwood's scenic caves to get a sense of Ontario's natural beauty. Watch a virtual tour below.

http://www.sceniccaves.com/green/caves-trails.htm

Just outside Toronto is the renowned McMichael Art Collection situated in the beautiful Klienburg Conservation Area.
Largest collection of Canada's Group of Seven painters as well as First Nations artists and other Canadian artists.

http://www.mcmichael.com/about/


If you go to the Niagara I'd recommend also visiting the Butterfly Conservatory which is 10 minutes N of Niagara Falls. 2000 butterflies in a rain forest setting.

http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden-trail/butterfly-conservatory.html

In Toronto, aside from the regular attractions like the CN tower, museum, science center, art gallery, I'd also suggest visiting Black Creek Pioneer Village (very authentic) which is accessible by public transit and takes about 30 minutes from the downtown. A Toronto Transit day pass is 10.00, weekly pass 36.00.

http://www.blackcreek.ca/experience-the-village/


And don't stay downtown to eat though places like Fred's Not Here and the Red Tomato on King are fun. Go to Little Italy (Cafe Diplomatico on College has the best pizza and a great patio. Always packed. Go to greektown which also has great patios. King Noodle at Spadina and Dundas in Chinatown (minutes from downtown) has great noodle dishes and fantastic barbecue duck and pork. Getting on the Queen streetcar and going west out to what called the Beaches is fun and it has some nice outdoor patios.

If you like strolling. I'd suggest strolling one evening through Rosedale, one of Canada's oldest and wealthiest neighborhoods. Wonderful tree lined winding streets and Victorian mansions. It's only a 5 minute subway ride from downtown. Get off at the Rosedale subway station and wander East. Nearby on Yonge is the small funky Rosedale Diner. Another nice place to stroll is the Distillery District.

Toronto's neighborhoods are far more interesting than the waterfront which is now a cavern of condos. The only thing that saves it are the Toronto Islands which you can reach by ferry. An interesting fact I learnt recently is that Toronto has the most Victorian architecture than any other NA city. A beautiful example of it is the Ontario legislature building at Queens Park, imo its worth taking a tour if you like that sort of thing.

The other thing I'd suggest since you have so much time is check out hospital row on University Ave just south of Queens Park to get a bird's eye the primitive horrible facilities Canadians endure under socialized medicine. Sick Kids hospital's huge soaring light filled atrium is just pitiful. :sarcasm:


Lastly I'd suggest you eyeball a phenomenal thread called Toronto Then and Now. A photographer who is a history buff gets old photos from Toronto's archives and then takes exactly the same shots today. Its a terrific thread.


http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/6947-Miscellany-Toronto-Then-amp-Now

[SidDithers]

15. If you get a good day, go down to Harbourfront...

or take the ferry over to Toronto Island. The waterfront area is pretty nice.

Toronto Life magazine has a good restaurants / things-to-do listing. It really is a good guide of what's going on in TO.
http://www.torontolife.com/

The Royal Ontario Museum is good. As is the Art Gallery of Ontario. Both are walking distance from subway stops.

For shopping, there's always the Eaton Centre. If you want high-end stores, check out Yorkville.

Have a great visit!

Sid

[u4ic]

17. Add Queen St for shopping as well

:)