What to do in Toronto?

[starfish]

Looks like this is starting to come together. I have to go to Buffalo, NY next month for a family event. Seeing as how Toronto is only a 2 hour drive, I want to spend a few extra days in Toronto. Looks like I am going to have three and a half days in Toronto.

So what should I do what I am there? Other than visit the CN tower.

Leave. Immediately. Toronto is the armpit of Canada.
Also, I am extremely biased having been raised in the West and only having visited Toronto four times (and each time it was lamesauce).

[Just Adam]

Have a cold beer. That's all I got to offer

1. Lie face down on the glass floor at the CN Tower
It looks scary but this two-and-a-half inch thick glass floor can withstand the weight of 14 large hippos. However, looking face down at a 1,122 ft. drop is bound to give you a few butterflies.

2. Sit upstairs at Union Station during rush hour
Rush hour at Union Station is a chaotic affair, with commuters scrambling to catch trains and cramming subway platforms. But while downstairs can feel claustrophobic, the Great Hall’s coffered vault ceilings upstairs offers a reprieve. You can look up and admire the stunning architecture while the chaos goes by around you.

3. Skate at Nathan Phillips Square
A winter visit to Toronto wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the skating rink at Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto’s city hall. Skate rentals, indoor change rooms and snack bars are on-site.

4. Tour the Steam Whistle Brewery
Tour one of Toronto’s most interesting historic buildings, The Roundhouse, while sampling one of the city’s signature beers. Steam Whistle Brewery tours are $8 to $24 (depending on whether you want to leave with a bottle opener or a 12 pack of beer) and go daily from noon to 6 p.m.

5. Have a hot chocolate at Soma in The Distillery District
Once you try a steaming cup of this rich and creamy hot chocolate, made on the premises from pure, exotic ingredients, you’ll never be able to spoon out the powdery instant stuff again.

6. Do a bike tour of Toronto Island
Tour Toronto’s island oasis on a bicycle. There are several ways to see the car-free island on wheels, like Sights on Bikes where for $40 you get a ferry ride, a two-hour island tour and a chance to explore special spots like the haunted lighthouse at Gibraltar Point.

7. Go shopping at Honest Ed’s
With a sign lit up by 23,000 bulbs, this Toronto landmark is hard to miss. Honest Ed’s has been dishing out deals since 1948 and even claim to be the world’s first true bargain store. Household items are often cheaper than a dollar store and there’s stuff everywhere, so get ready to do some digging.

8. Walk the boardwalk at The Beach
During warm months, the boardwalk (stretching 3 km along Toronto’s lakeshore) is full of skateboarders, volleyballers, bike rider, Rollerbladers, dog walkers, baby pushers, seagulls and joggers. There are swimming pools, a canoe club, lawn bowling, tennis courts and endless benches where you can chill out with an ice cream cone and watch Lake Ontario’s waves come in.

9. Go to Dundas Square
Like it or hate it, it’s worth a visit to this concrete public space. With billboards, big lights, concerts and public events, Dundas Square is hailed as Toronto’s Times Square and gives visitors a taste of the bustling downtown Yonge Street.

10. Dine at a famous chef’s place
Toronto has a rep as home to some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world so splurge and enjoy a meal by a famous local chef like Jamie Kennedy or Susur Lee (as seen on Iron Chef America).

11. Take a city walking tour
Instead of walking around the streets aimlessly, seek out a little guidance. You’ll go home with a history of the city that most Torontonians don’t even know. There are tons of walking tours across the city, like downtown excursions, small neighbourhood tours, walks through the Don Valley and even historic tours of haunted parts of the city. Try multicultural walking tours from A Taste of the World.

12. Get out of the downtown core
Many of Toronto’s neighbourhoods aren’t far from the core and offer a true Toronto experience, not just the polished perspective of tourist-heavy downtown. Each neighbourhood in Toronto is unique. You can go antique shopping in Leslieville, do an art gallery crawl in Parkdale, grab some fresh produce from Kensington Market and pay a visit to a Polish bakery in Roncesvalles.

13. Ride the Queen streetcar
Almost every tourist snaps a photo of a red Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar. One-up them by taking a ride on one. There are always interesting characters on board and since it’s above ground, you can take the scenic route and check out the sights as you travel to your destination. Cash fare is $2.75 a trip or you can buy daily, weekly and family passes.

14. Go shopping in Chinatown
A walk through Toronto’s Chinatown is an incredible experience, with intense crowds at all times of day, cheap goods and markets as far as the eye can see. Countless restaurants serve up dumplings, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cuisine, and stores have cheap clothes, housewares and electronics.

15. Have a coffee in Kensington Market
This eclectic, artistic 'hood is Toronto’s people-watching central, and a great place to grab a cup of coffee. Check out Moonbean or I Deal Coffee.

17. Eat corn on the sidewalk in Little India in the summer
Summertime in the Gerrard Street India Bazaar is a whirlwind of smells and colours, and many restaurants take their kitchens to the sidewalk, serving up roasted corn on the cob that you can garnish with a variety of spices.

16. Window shop in Yorkville
Sometimes it’s best not to check price tags in Yorkville, but it’s still fun to take a peek inside and dream.

18. Take a train ride through High Park
Summertime in the city’s magical High Park wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the trackless train. The train runs every 25 minutes and weaves through much of the park’s 399 acres of scenery.

19. Walk the entire PATH
The PATH is the world’s largest underground shopping complex, connecting Toronto’s downtown core and business district. There are 27 kilometres of stores, food courts and places to hang out, and if you get lost in the tunnels (and you will get lost), there are maps and arrows everywhere to help you find your way. It’s worth the walk.

20. Check out a local band
As Canada’s biggest city, musicians from all over the country move here in search of a big break. Bars like The Cameron House and Dakota Tavern feature great acts nightly, and you can check our live music chart to see what’s happening throughout the city this week.

21. Sample honey at St. Lawrence Market
With rows of vendors and one-of-a-kind finds, St. Lawrence Market is a rush in itself. If you’re looking for a sugar rush though, check out Honey World on the lower level. You can sample dozens of delicious specialty honeys like lavender honey, New Zealand honey and Manuka honey, and will definitely leave with a buzz.

22. Tour the CBC building
The Canadian Broadcast Centre, CBC’s flagship building in Toronto, houses some of Canada’s most beloved national shows and journalists. Visitors can tour both the building and the CBC Museum for a look at some of Canada’s television history, and even catch a free taping of The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos during the week.

23. Eat Souvlaki on The Danforth
A trip to Toronto’s Greektown wouldn’t be complete without sampling its famous souvlaki. You can’t step two feet on the strip without finding a souvlaki house, but a well-loved starting point is Messini’s Authentic Gyros, where they stick the fries right in the pita.

24. Have dinner in Little Italy
Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood is renowned for its selection of restaurants, Italian or not. Check out our restaurants page for some places to go.

25. Read in the garden at Casa Loma
Casa Loma is Toronto’s castle on top of the hill and a romantic spot to spend an afternoon. Although a tour through the historic building is definitely worthwhile, so is a visit to Casa Loma’s beautiful garden in the summertime. The garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there are tons of benches and little corners where you can curl up with a book and relax under the shade of a tree.

That was on some article.

[starfish]

Thanks Steven some of those look fun.

What is the name of that coffee chain in Canada,Tom Hortons, Tim Hortons, something like that.

A few things I have on my want to do list:

Smoke a Cuban cigar
Visit the CN tower
Have sex with a hockey player.

Originally Posted by starfish

Thanks Steven some of those look fun.

What is the name of that coffee chain in Canada,Tom Hortons, Tim Hortons, something like that.

A few things I have on my want to do list:

Smoke a Cuban cigar
Visit the CN tower
Have sex with a hockey player.

It's Tim Hortons.

Their sandwiches are amazing. :P

[jazzrawr]

Originally Posted by Steven

It's Tim Hortons.

Their sandwiches are amazing. :P

Om nom nom Timmies.
Almost everyone in Canada gets coffee or food from Tim Horton's at least once a week. XD That's a must.
I'd say do some downtown stuff, there are great little shops around Chinatown and Kensington street as well as the cool commercial stuff on Queens street.
You could see some plays, Toronto has a relatively good drama selection.

Oh, and most definitely go to Canada's Wonderland. It's just outside Toronto, easy to catch a bus there, and it's a pretty badass amusement park. It's as good as most Six Flags.
Casa Loma is cool, very pretty, and the boardwalk is relaxing - lots of volleyball and beach soccer games all the time, that you can jump in on. :P
I actually love Toronto.

[adam88]

Originally Posted by Numfarh

Leave. Immediately. Toronto is the armpit of Canada.
Also, I am extremely biased having been raised in the West and only having visited Toronto four times (and each time it was lamesauce).

That's what we Torontonians say about Quebec in general (except for poutine, sugar pie and certain historic districts) so

As for what to do, there's lots of tourist guides and stuff, but what was already posted is a good start. I would suggest lots of walking, TO's a fairly safe city and great to walk around. I'd suggest hitting Queen street, Yonge street, pretty much the entire Bloor annex etc.

[xequar]

Originally Posted by Numfarh

Leave. Immediately. Toronto is the armpit of Canada.
Also, I am extremely biased having been raised in the West and only having visited Toronto four times (and each time it was lamesauce).

I love ya dear, you know this, but you're in Quebec. That's beyond the pot calling the kettle black in this case!

Go to Tim Horton's, although they also exist in Upstate New York and the Detroit area. Tim Hortons for the fucking win! Eat poutine. How do you make fries better? Drown them in gravy and cheese, that's how! It's possibly even better than chili cheese fries at a coney joint in Detroit.

And I'm shocked that no one's told you to go hit Church and Wellesley yet, which is the gay village in TO. Take in a drag show. Go to Woody's on Sunday night at 6:00, have a drink, and watch Miss Conception do her act. Tip generously! Tip very very generously! Paper money only, or you'll look like a cheap ass American!

And yeah, do some of that other stuff people were on about. Toronto's a great city, so take it in and enjoy it!

[starfish]

Thanks, Xequar. That is some great info. I am looking at hotel rooms and I wanted to get somewhere with in walking distance of the clubs.

Church and Wellesley- enjoy

Xequar beat me to it. I was going to say there's Tim Horton's in parts of the US.
Some food that apparently you can only get in Canada (correct me if i'm wrong)
Ketchup Chips
All Dressed Chips
Coffee Crisps
and of course the Poutine

You can probably stop by Niagara Falls on your way to Toronto. There's a boat that brings you up and close to the falls.

I've only been the Toronto once so I don't have much input as to what to do.

[starfish]

Yes I'll see Niagra Falls. I am sending three nights on the Canadian side before I head up to Toronto. Several family members will be there so I'm not worry about finding stuff to do while I am there.

I am looking at a hotel called The Bond Place Hotel. Any experiences. The reviews seem pretty good. It is near Dundas street and Younge Street. According to google it is about a 15 minutes walk to Church and Wellesley.

I have read about a place called Queer West Village. Looks like it might be a nice place to spend some time, but not sure I want to stay in that area.

Any experience with Toronto's subway system? Is it safe? I don't think there is going to be much missing that I am an American. Especially once I open my mouth. I've been told my Texan accent gets pretty bad at times.

Also I saw some mention about weird parking regulations. I am driving up from Buffalo. Anything I should be aware of? I figure at night I'll park the car at the hotel. I plan to spend at least 1 day just driving around the area seeing what stuff I can find.

[haelmarie]

Go to Tim Hortons if you must, but I'm warning you, it's not very good.

And they have super annoying commercials.

Any experience with Toronto's subway system? Is it safe? I don't think there is going to be much missing that I am an American. Especially once I open my mouth. I've been told my Texan accent gets pretty bad at times.

It's safe but it's always breaking down.

[adam88]

Originally Posted by haelmarie

It's safe but it's always breaking down.

LOL too true. Yeah, it's pretty safe, but the TTC has very idiosyncratic old ways of doing things. IE they only take cash, token or month/day passes, the automated token machines are often broken, the transfer system is confusing to those who don't know the system etc.

[xequar]

Originally Posted by haelmarie

Go to Tim Hortons if you must, but I'm warning you, it's not very good.

And they have super annoying commercials.

It's safe but it's always breaking down.

You should be just fine in terms of safety. My Michigan accent gives me away in Canada, and I've never had any kind of problems. And Timmie's is so great! I drive out of my way on the way to work just to hit Timmie's for a coffee.

Originally Posted by Myke

Xequar beat me to it. I was going to say there's Tim Horton's in parts of the US.
Some food that apparently you can only get in Canada (correct me if i'm wrong)
Ketchup Chips
All Dressed Chips
Coffee Crisps
and of course the Poutine

Correct. I actually picked up a couple of bags of All-Dressed Ruffles and Coffee Crisp bars before I came back to Michigan this weekend. And yes, Poutine does not exist on this side of the border.

Originally Posted by starfish

I am looking at a hotel called The Bond Place Hotel. Any experiences. The reviews seem pretty good. It is near Dundas street and Younge Street. According to google it is about a 15 minutes walk to Church and Wellesley.

I have read about a place called Queer West Village. Looks like it might be a nice place to spend some time, but not sure I want to stay in that area.

Any experience with Toronto's subway system? Is it safe? I don't think there is going to be much missing that I am an American. Especially once I open my mouth. I've been told my Texan accent gets pretty bad at times.

Also I saw some mention about weird parking regulations. I am driving up from Buffalo. Anything I should be aware of? I figure at night I'll park the car at the hotel. I plan to spend at least 1 day just driving around the area seeing what stuff I can find.

Dundas and Younge is right downtown, so it should be a lot of fun, and yeah, it's not too far of a walk to Church Street from there. Parking in TO is a bitch. Parking is enforced all day, every day, including Sunday, and watch yourself because not only are there a shit-ton of tow zones in Toronto, random streets randomly become tow zones at random times (usually during rush hours, so watch for signs). As a question, what state are your license plates from? If they're not from New York, just ignore paying for parking. Ontario's enforcement mechanism works by not allowing people with unpaid tickets to renew their license plates. However, it is not compatible with any other Canadian province or 49 of the 50 United States, with New York being the oddball. I literally have a stack of tickets somewhere that I've never bothered to pay.

The best way to do parking is find a Green P lot, or pay for the hotel garage, and just leave your car there and take cabs or subways or streetcars everywhere. A cab ride from Gerrard and Parliament in Cabbagetown to downtown is only about $10-$12.

[adam88]

I second the "Park somewhere out of the downtown core and TTC/walk everywhere" idea. Plus, you get a good feel for the city on foot.

[Revan]

Go see a Broadway if you like that. It's not New York, but it's still good

[Davy]

Originally Posted by Steven

1. Lie face down on the glass floor at the CN Tower
It looks scary but this two-and-a-half inch thick glass floor can withstand the weight of 14 large hippos. However, looking face down at a 1,122 ft. drop is bound to give you a few butterflies.

Oh I want to see them march 14 large hippos up the CN tower now to prove a point. Although what separates a large slightly obese hippo from a regular hippo? What weight are we talking about on the Hippo BMI scale?

[Super Trouper]

i have no idea