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5 Things I Love About Toronto - And 3 I Don't

12/5/2013

11 Comments

 

What Are Your Favourite Things About Toronto?

Outside Toronto's Old City Hall and war memorial TurnipseedTravel.com
Outside Toronto's Old City Hall and war memorial.
Diary Note, May 2012: It’s TBEX time! The travel blogging community and the travel industry are anxiously awaiting the chance to meet face to face at the end of May and you couldn’t ask for a better host community than Toronto. Here are 5 things I love about this buzzing metropolis (and three that I don’t).

The Winners

Toronto's Urban Atmosphere

Toronto Distillery District Cobblestones in Summer TurnipseedTravel.com
The distillery district is a fun, vibrant, exciting, diverse area that's perfect to explore by foot, bike, or Segway!
Toronto is a city, a real city! Living in Ottawa, I know that I technically live in a city, a city with a metro area of over a million people. But Toronto is the real deal, a massive city. Sometimes I just want to escape a city and head to the country. But when I want a real city and city experiences to rival New York, Chicago, London, Frankfurt, I head to Toronto.

Amazing Diversity

Aboriginal art in the Art Gallery of Ontario Toronto TurnipseedTravel.com
Aboriginal art in the Art Gallery of Ontario
Walking tour of Chinatown Toronto TurnipseedTravel.com
Toronto is home to 4 Chinatowns.
Chocolate making Toronto SOMA distillery district TurnipseedTravel.com
Making Belgium style chocolate truffles from scratch at SOMA.
Toronto is often cited as the most ethnically and linguistically diverse city in the world. If you can’t go to East Timor or northern Siberia or central Brazil, don’t despair. Just head to Toronto for your cultural fix! My Toronto residing uncle, who backpacked Afghanistan before the Soviets and Taliban rolled into town, says Toronto’s Queen Street West reminds him of a better-times-Kabul, thanks to the myriad of tiny shops and business. 

I love how little pockets of Toronto can make you feel like you’re on the other side of the world.

Toronto's Great Eats

Sake Tasting Toronto Distillery District TurnipseedTravel.com
An authentic sake tasting in the distillery district.
Picture
Crescendo Oil and Vinegar is a fantastic foodie spot in Toronto's distillery district.
Not only is Toronto host to nearly every ethnic group in the world, but it also has all the world’s bakeries, bistros, delis, kebab stands, fruit stalls, and butchers. Combined with a thriving restaurant scene and an amazing collection of street eats and food trucks, my best advice for Toronto: bring your appetite!

Deluxe Entertainment

Foyer Art Gallery of Ontario Toronto TurnipseedTravel.com
Inside the Art Gallery of Ontario
Dressing room door Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Ontario TurnipseedTravel.com
Entering the Toronto Maple Leaf's dressing room.
One of the best theatre scenes in the world. Incredible museums and art galleries. Surprisingly accessible nature, beaches, and parks. Toronto has enough to keep you busy for weeks! Going separate directions for the day? 

Women will love acclaimed collection of the Bata Shoe Museum – it contains everything from Napoleon’s silk stockings to John Lennon’s Chelsea boots to Marilyn Monroe’s red stilettos. Meanwhile, the men would love all the sporting events, as well as special events like the Toronto Auto Show– you don’t have to go to Vegas to get amazing presentations like this.

Getting Around With Ease

Toronto Subway

Toronto’s subway, streetcars, trains, and buses are easy to use, affordable, and efficient. This is what public transportation should be!

Toronto - The Not So Good

1.)  Price: Toronto can be an expensive city to live in and visit. There are real bargains to be found but there is also no shortage of very expensive restaurants, clubs, and hotels. Some advance planning can help you to compare prices, seek out internet deals, and review the best venues.

2.)  Wimpy-ness. The rest of Canada loves to make fun of Toronto’s inability to handle the little snow that they do get. As nearby Ottawa, Kingston, and Montreal and buried underneath feet of snow and minus 40 Celsius, Toronto seems to go in a panic at the slightest snow fall.

3.)  A growing crisis: Like any big family, Toronto faces a crisis in how to support its homeless population. As the city population continues to grow, there will be a growing rate of people in distress and there isn’t a truly comprehensive plan on how to deal with it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts - what are your favourite (and least favourite!) things about Toronto?  

If you enjoyed this article, you'll also like:
Toronto's Crescendo Oil & Vinegar 
Hotel Review: Toronto's Fairmont Royal York
The Anti-Adventurist's Segway Tour of Toronto
11 Comments
Anita Mac link
12/5/2013 03:03:34 pm

Funny - Toronto is the city so many love to hate! Personally, I can't wait to go to Toronto for TBEX - to see more of what it has on offer! It's a great weekend getaway ...have been going there for the theatre for years! I know there is so much more on offer! After all...isn't Toronto the centre of the universe!

Reply
Lina Amodeo
13/5/2013 03:06:23 am

I used to really dislike Toronto until I watched Anthony Bourdain's Layover episode. It also made me feel bad for bad mouthing Toronto all the time. I still really hate the Leafs though...

Reply
Vanessa
13/5/2013 06:48:37 am

Oh no Lina! We're a Leaf's house here! I do love the Layover episodes - it's amazing the cool food and travel experiences that Bourdain can uncover!

Reply
Karla link
13/5/2013 11:42:24 am

I completely agree on all points Vanessa.

Having lived and worked there for 2 years, I can attest that everything you wrote is true.

Toronto is the best cosmopolitan city in the country but it does have its downsides too. Namely the cost of life is higher than anywhere else.

However, I do find it to be a great place to live in spite of it all. I'd definitely move back.

I look forward to meeting you at TBEX in a few weeks yay ;)

Reply
Vanessa
13/5/2013 12:58:55 pm

Hi Karla - thanks so much for the awesome feedback! It means a lot that you experienced the same things as a resident as I do as a visitor. (Great minds think alike, perhaps!) It is an amazing city.

Reply
@daviddgeorge link
13/5/2013 11:47:17 am

Lets not forget the Leaf Nation. Lets hope they win tonight. Maple Leaf Square will be packed with leafs fan tonight. Love Toronto!

Reply
Vanessa
13/5/2013 12:57:31 pm

The tension in our house is high tonight! Cheering like crazy!

Reply
Andrea link
5/6/2013 02:35:16 pm

Pretty much spot on. Though one thing I'll add to the weather issue, not as an excuse but just to enlighten a little... 50% of our people have immigrated here and many only recently so it becomes a big deal when many are not used to getting around in snow, being in snow, let alone driving in it. Just sayin'

Glad you didn't say we're unfriendly like the rest of the country :D I dislike being lumped in with unfriendly Torontonians.

Great to meet you at TBEX.

Reply
Vanessa
5/6/2013 02:54:40 pm

Great point on the snow Andrea! It's true that many new Canadians do come from tropical locations.

I think people in Toronto are very friendly - I've never had a bad encounter!

Reply
Jessica link
5/6/2013 05:02:32 pm

I didn't get to see much of Toronto, but what I did see was very, very clean. I like a clean city!

Reply
Vanessa
6/6/2013 03:56:14 am

Yes! Clean counts for a lot in my books!

Reply



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