OT: Visiting Toronto

[EchoesoftheEighties]

So I'm going to be visiting Toronto for the first time on the 24th through the 30th. I'm really excited to be going out East but I'm not too sure what to expect. I'm staying with my cousin in downtown but he's a bit older than me and he's going to be working for a good chunk of my visit so it's going to be mostly me exploring around. I know the main stuff like CN Tower, HHOF, Yonge street, etc. but any specific restaurants or cool areas that you think a university student would find interesting?

I'm also looking for tickets to the Leafs game on the 27th against Montreal. It's a long shot but if anyone has anything reasonably priced shoot me a pm.

Thanks so much guys. Good luck in the playoffs. Kadri's a beast

Click to read more...

 

[Scoogs]

Not to be a dick and contribute nothing to the thread... But..

There is no such thing as reasonably priced Leaf tickets. ESPECIALLY against MTL.

You should definitely go to some kind of venue if you dig live music. Lee's Palace, Horseshoe.. etc.. There could be a terrible band any given night but who knows.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

Not to be a dick and contribute nothing to the thread... But..

There is no such thing as reasonably priced Leaf tickets. ESPECIALLY against MTL.

By reasonable I might reasonable for Leaf ticket prices.

 

[Scoogs]

By reasonable I might reasonable for Leaf ticket prices.

Your best bet might be to scalp 'em.

 

[LadyLeaf]

If you want leafs tickets there's lots of scalpers outside the ACC... but with it being a Saturday night Leaf vs Montreal game you're probably be paying a pretty penny.

Maybe you'd also be interested in seeing a Jays game? It's easy to get tickets to a game and their reasonably priced. Enjoy Toronto!

 

[Drew311]

Not sure if you're flying back on the 30th, but the Jays are playing the Red Sox that night. You can get good cheap tickets (i.e. front row in 500 level) and should be a good game.

 

[Srsly]

Depending on your interests the ROM is always worth checking out in the classic museum sense.

There's also plenty of diverse local cuisine to check out. Anything from gourmet burgers to thai food. Supposedly Burger Priest is the best burger place in the area, although being an out of towner who's only in Toronto when flying through Pearson I can't say I've been to every place in Toronto.

A lot of people enjoy St.Lawrence market, although I think its a little overrated. Could still be worth checking out.

I could probably come up with more ideas but I'd need to know more about your interests. There's a lot to do there.

 

[southpaw24]

Id say leaf game if you can afford it or find tickets, Jays games are fun and more reasonably priced. HHOF, CN towers pretty good for a good view of the city. ROM is fun, lots of cool retaraunts and places to see dowtown, for me if im gonna be in the toronto area i always head to bass pro and now the SAIL store

 

[smitty10]

Definitely check out a Blue Jays game while you're in town and as a hockey fan the HHOF is decent too for a once every few years visit. There are tons of entertainment options in the downtown area, from sporting events, to night clubs and bars, to sightseeing, museums and other touristy stuff. You likely won't be bored here.

Try St. Lawrence Market for a wide variety of foods. The Spaghetti Factory is good if you want cheap, good pasta. However, if you walk around you can find hundreds of very good bars and restaurants that are affordable.

 

[kihei]

Walk around a lot. There are many great neighbourhoods accessible by transit. Stroll around and get lunch: Greek, Italian, Korean, Indian, Fusion, whatever. Pick up one of our free Toronto scene magazines when you get here: Now or The Grid. They come out weekly (both on Thursday) and will have a lot of current information about movies, music, restaurants, and upcoming events. Hope you have a good time.

 

[CreeksideStrangler]

Go hangout around Church and Wellesley. You can find leaf tickets on kijiji too

 

[Damisoph]

Ya it's too bad the Jays are on the road until the 30th...Jays games are a lot of fun. The scenery is pretty good too.

 

[Morlu]

Go hangout around Church and Wellesley. You can find leaf tickets on kijiji too

Don't listen to this guy. First troll post in this thread. That's cracktown.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Check out the village.

 

[Hurt]

Check out the Annex.

 

[12345678910]

Go hangout around Church and Wellesley. You can find leaf tickets on kijiji too

Yeah check out the bars on church around there, you'll meet tons of cool dudes there.

 

[anderson3133]

Real Sports Bar is a fun place to go. What kinds of foods do you like?

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

No Jane and Finch yet?

OP: I'd suggest ROM. Not sure if you'd want to but you can also probably stroll through U of T St. George campus. Then, there is already mentioned Jays game.

Since you are staying until 30th, I suggest go near ACC or Dundas square (I am not sure if there will be a viewing party at Dundas square). Leafs will be playing their first playoff hockey game in a decades time! You surely don't want to miss out on the crowd. This might as well be a better experience than attending Leafs/Habs on 27th. Plus you won't have to spend crazy $$ on the tickets.

Last line: Kadri's a beast. Country: Lebanon. Why am I not surprised?

 

[Hurt]

If you like beer, check out the bars along Esplanade. Bier Markt, Fionn McCool's, Scotland Yard and there's another couple of places I'm probably forgetting.

No Jane and Finch yet?

OP: I'd suggest ROM. Not sure if you'd want to but you can also probably stroll through U of T St. George campus. Then, there is already mentioned Jays game.

Since you are staying until 30th, I suggest go near ACC or Dundas square (I am not sure if there will be a viewing party at Dundas square). Leafs will be playing their first playoff hockey game in a decades time! You surely don't want to miss out on the crowd. This might as well be a better experience than attending Leafs/Habs on 27th. Plus you won't have to spend crazy $$ on the tickets.

It's warming but I don't think the trees and stuff are in full bloom but UofT has a nice nature walk-ey area right down from the ROM. Honest Ed's is also nearby and there are a couple of bars and comedy clubs in the area as well. Also, Madison's is around the corner as well as the Dance Cave and the Brunny.

 

[Kibago]

Eat. It's funny that food is Toronto's most desirable attribute, but multiculturalism and a legitimate downtown core combine for an incredible overall quality of food (even though there's no real specialty.) you could eat something as simple as a burger at a different restaurant every day and be thrilled.
(If you do, make sure you get Holy Chuck and Big Smoke. the Priest is overrated and out of the way but still worth trying if you can.)
you'll be fine using something like urbanspoon to find good stuff - there's no real 'hidden treats' in a downtown like this, they don't stay hidden very long.

if you want to eat/shop on a budget, I like Chinatown.

when it's raining/cold, use the PATH underground to get around downtown. it's a bit of a tourist attraction in itself because of its sheer size (Toronto and Montreal have the biggest underground cities in North America.) be warned that some segments will close on their own late in the evening.

don't use Union Station for the TTC if you can avoid it, especially at rush hour; take the PATH/walk up University up one stop to St. Andrew.

go to a Jays game if you can. 500s are ok for the money, but it's not too expensive a ticket for prime seats.

CN Tower and HHOF are worth doing, but overall Toronto's more of an 'overall awesome' place than a place where you have to do specific things. just bring good walking shoes and get out as much as you can, you'll be glad you did. =)

 

[Hurt]

^On the topic of food and burgers specifically, Real McCoy's is delicious. It's actually quite a ways from downtown but if you want to travel around via TTC a bit, I'd suggest going there.

 

[htpwn]

You can't visit Toronto and not make the trip out to Niagara Falls. It is a natural wonder of the world. Besides the Falls themselves, the city offers a great array of tourist and entertainment destinations from casinos to a wax museum, while the region has some of the best vineyards in the country, the world famous Bruce Trail, an array of historical sites from the War of 1812, and is very picturesque. Many companies offer bus tours of the region or its about an hour and a half drive if you have access to a car. VIA also offers train service to the region (GO does as well, just only from June-September).

Within the city of Toronto, if the weather is nice, go for an afternoon stroll at the Toronto Islands, High Park, Rouge (soon-to-be National) Park, Ashbridge's Bay, or the University of Toronto's Downtown Campus.

Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods and the best thing to do is really just explore the city. Each part of the city can be so different than another, not just in character, but also in built form. The St. Lawrence Market area (and the market itself), the Distillery District, Queen West, Kensington Market, the Fashion District, the Beaches, the Entertainment District (Toronto has the 3rd largest English-speaking theatre scene in the world, behind New York and London), Yorkville, even the Financial District are all worth paying a visit to. In addition to those, the city just about every kind of ethnic neighbourhoods you can think of. Greek, Italian (times two or three), Korean, Vietnamese, Jamaican, Jewish, Ukrainian, Polish, Portuguese, Chinese (times two or three), etc. Some of those neighbourhoods are a little more out of the way, so it may not be worth a visit.

In terms of attractions, the obvious ones have already been mentioned. The ROM is the largest Museum in the country, while the AGO is the largest Art Gallery. The Toronto Zoo, the Ontario Science Centre, Fort York, Casa Loma, City Hall, the Ontario Legislature, Union Station, and Yonge-Dundas Square are also popular among tourists. As a hockey fan, you might also want to put Maple Leaf Gardens on the list.

Walking or the TTC are the best ways to get around Downtown. Most attractions and neighbourhoods are on or near a subway stop or streetcar line. If you do have to drive, be aware that it is illegal pull up beside a stopped streetcar. Toronto is one of the few cities on the continent that has streetcar service not operating in dedicated right-of-ways so most visiting drivers don't have experience driving around them.

Enjoy your visit. I know many in the West dislike the city but often when they visit, they change their mind.

 

[Hurt]

You can't visit Toronto and not make the trip out to Niagara Falls. It is a natural wonder of the world. Besides the Falls themselves, the city offers a great array of tourist and entertainment destinations from casinos to a wax museum, while the region has some of the best vineyards in the country, the world famous Bruce Trail, an array of historical sites from the War of 1812, and is very picturesque. Many companies offer bus tours of the region or its about an hour and a half drive if you have access to a car. VIA also offers train service to the region (GO does as well, just only from June-September).

Within the city of Toronto, if the weather is nice, go for an afternoon stroll at the Toronto Islands, High Park, Rouge (soon-to-be National) Park, Ashbridge's Bay, or the University of Toronto's Downtown Campus.

Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods and the best thing to do is really just explore the city. Each part of the city can be so different than another, not just in character, but also architecturally. The St. Lawrence Market area (and the market itself), the Distillery District, Queen West, Kensington Market, the Fashion District, the Beaches, the Entertainment District (Toronto has the 3rd largest English-speaking theatre scene in the world, behind New York and London), Yorkville, even the Financial District are all worth paying a visit to. In addition to those, the city just about every kind of 'little' or '-town.' Greek, Italian (times two or three), Korean, Vietnamese, Jamaican, Jewish, Ukrainian, Polish, Portuguese, Chinese (times two or three), etc. Some of those neighbourhoods are a little more out of the way, so it may not be worth a visit.

In terms of attractions, the obvious ones have already been mentioned. The ROM is the largest Museum in the country, while the AGO is the largest Art Gallery. The Toronto Zoo, the Ontario Science Centre, Fort York, Casa Loma, City Hall, the Ontario Legislature, and Yonge-Dundas Square are also popular among tourists. As a hockey fan, you might also want to put Maple Leaf Gardens on the list.

Enjoy your visit. I know many in the West dislike the city but often when they visit, they change their mind.

Just to touch on this, I've seen people first-hand just automatically dislike the city along with its citizens citing that Torontonians attempt to be something they aren't i.e. New York City Jr. Personally, it's my home and I love the city and Torontonians often go out of their way to help you and the whole stigma of rudeness is essentially a myth. More people should just come on out to the city and see how they like it for themselves.

 

[anderson3133]

Just to touch on this, I've seen people first-hand just automatically dislike the city along with its citizens citing that Torontonians attempt to be something they aren't i.e. New York City Jr. Personally, it's my home and I love the city and Torontonians often go out of their way to help you and the whole stigma of rudeness is essentially a myth. More people should just come on out to the city and see how they like it for themselves.

I guess the rudeness depends on what you're used to.

I live in a smaller city and notice a sharp contrast in attitudes when I'm in Toronto, not to say that it's horrible by any means.

New York City, on the other hand, can be downright awful at times.

 

[OHLTG]

If you like older arenas, check out St Michael's College Arena. It's a cab ride or TTC from downtown, heading NNW, but it's a great classic arena. Tons of history.

Being in Windsor, I've been to Toronto umpteen times and every time is a new experience. There is a lot to take in and, if you have the time, I'd see and do as much as possible. Even the stuff outside your traditional tourist spots. I know the Eaton Centre has changed a ton since I was last there (10+ years ago) and I'm eager to get back. Queen Street, last I went (couple years ago?), was a great area for people watching. Plus there are a lot of neat independent stores along there (west of Yonge), which an add to the experience. I deal with enough "big box" stores in Windsor, so when I'm in Toronto, I go the opposite - as local as possible.