Posted January 9, 201213 yr I'm headed to toronto in march for a few days and was wondering if anyone has any insight or recommendations on things to do,places to eat,or where to stay? My wife and I and a couple of friends are going and we all are pretty flexible in our itinerary. I thought we'd probably hit up some museums,maybe a sporting event or show,and just explore the city. We're getting a little too old for the clubs but I'm always up for a good bar or pub. I haven't been in a long time so any help would be greatly appreciated!
January 9, 201213 yr Well, what do you like to do? Toronto has numerous museums and special attractions such as Casa Loma but that's up to you what you want to visit. I will say I was unimpressed with the Hockey Hall of Fame but the Ontario Science Center (or whatever it's called now) was quite interesting. For lunch, I recommend the Korean Grill House. Best Korean BBQ deal in town. http://www.koreangrillhouse.com/yd_map.htm Probably the best lounge view of the city: http://www.panoramalounge.com/ In terms of neighborhoods, check out Chinatown (Spadina), Kensington Market, Yorkville (their richest area), The Annex (Bloor west of Spadina), and Queen West. If you feel like exploring out, try The Beaches, Bloor West Village, and Cabbagetown. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 9, 201213 yr definitely go the the Art Gallery of Ontario http://www.ago.net/. Although it's relatively small for a city the size of Toronto, the building, kind of a staid, boring structure for many decades dating back the the early part of the last century, was reconfigured by Frank Gehry (who grew up in that neighbhorhood and until now had never designed a building in Toronto) a few years ago and now looks spectacular. Overall the collection doesn't match those of the great art museums in the US (including that of Cleveland), but if you like the sculpture of Henry Moore this is the place to go. There's so much floor space devoted to his work to the point where I thought one gallery would collapse from the weight of all the marble! http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
January 9, 201213 yr I would also recommend Chinatown and the AGO. Casa Loma is pretty interesting if your into that sort of thing. My wife and I spent 4 days in Toronto last summer and our favorite part was probably the afternoon spent in Chinatown and the Second City show that we saw. We also had a great time at a little bar called the Victory Cafe in Mirvish Village very close to the Bathurst subway station (http://www.victorycafe.ca). Their patio is awesome, but you probably won't get to enjoy it much in March. We also had a great time on a little boat cruise through the harbor, but again, probably not an option in March.
January 10, 201213 yr If the weather is cold or windy, you might take advantage of the city's underground PATH. http://www.toronto.ca/path/ If anything, walking through this labyrinth of pedestrian passages is interesting and your wife may enjoy the shopping along it. Eaton Center is pretty interesting too as an indoor space. If you want to see some of the city, ride one or two of the streetcar lines. I recommend the 505-Dundas line as it takes you on a U-shaped route through the center of the city, Chinatown and other neighborhoods.... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/TTCstreetcarmap-2005.png/650px-TTCstreetcarmap-2005.png A friend of mine who loves and plays hockey visits the hockey hall of fame just about every time he goes to Toronto -- so to each their own. Toronto Maple Leafs NHL: http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/schedule.htm Toronto Raptors NBA: http://www.nba.com/raptors/schedule/ Strolling Yonge Street from Dundas Street north or south is a bit of a visual experience, especially at night. The intersection of Yonge and Dundas has become Toronto's Times Square or London's Piccadilly Circus. It's worth a few photos and window shopping, at least for me. I also liked the Ontario Science Center, but that was a long time ago. Here's their website: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/ Enjoy. Toronto is one of my favorite cities, but I've never visited it in the cold-weather months. I'd be interested to see what you think of Toronto in the cold weather. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 10, 201213 yr Oh, and visit the St. Lawrence Market (just east of downtown). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 10, 201213 yr Toronto is great. I'll second going to Chinatown, Queen West (lots of good lunch/brunch places), and Kensington Market which are all within walking distance of each other. I'll add Little Italy/Portugal (also near Queen West) and Little India, which is on the other side of town north of Queen Street East. I don't want to blaspheme on this site, but I'm always surprised how easy it is to drive around center city Toronto (the freeways around the city are another matter), so it's possible to see a lot in a short time and parking is generally a cinch. This won't apply for your trip, but when we visit we like to pack the bikes, which is a really great way to get around Toronto.
January 10, 201213 yr Agreed. One of the cheapest, easiest places to park is right under City Hall. Last I went (last year), it was $6 for the entire day. In the heart of the city. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 11, 201213 yr Thanks for the info guys! I would love to go later on in the year but unfortunately the way our schedules are set up this was really the only time available. Hopefully, the weather will be a little nicer since we are going in late march. We were looking for a roadtrip and we have really been to most of the cities that are a decent driving distance from Columbus so hopefully toronto is alot of fun.
January 11, 201213 yr For a minute I thought Tedders55 was asking! LOL Hotels I'm a Park Hyatt person. The Le Meridien & Westin are nice. If you have no affiliation preference the Fairmont is a gorgeous "old school" property. The SoHo and Cosmopolitan are new and modern. I've never stayed at the le Germain but the parts I've been to look fabulous! Restaurants Jacobs Steakhouse Studio Cafe drink inside the 360 at CN Tower Adega Rodney's on the Bay Things to do/see well visit that later.
January 11, 201213 yr OH....here's something you can look forward to seeing in Toronto. http://www.worldstaruncut.com/uncut/40855 I tell you. Whippersnappers! :drunk:
January 11, 201213 yr ^Agreed on Jacobs. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 11, 201213 yr I've never stayed at the le Germain but the parts I've been to look fabulous! Geez, could you be anymore gay!? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 12, 201213 yr as a follow-up to my recommendation of Art Gallery of Ontario, I just wanted to add that I was not terribly impressed by the Royal Ontario Museum (or ROM, as they call it). It's by far the largest museum in Toronto--sort of a combination of art and archaeology--but it seems to lack focus, in my opinion, trying to be all things to all people. Not saying it's not worth seeing at all (they do host many special exhibits), but I was disappointed with it. However, since my visit a few years ago, they've expanded and added an architecturally striking new wing (which was in the process of construction when I was there, which may partially explain my unenthusiastic appraisal of the museum), so maybe you should go and give us a new review :-) http://rom.on.ca/ http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
January 13, 201213 yr I've never stayed at the le Germain but the parts I've been to look fabulous! Geez, could you be anymore gay!? Do you really want me to go there? I don't know if I could be this gay!
January 13, 201213 yr Well, I at least expected a Meryl Streep or RuPaul graphic of some kind from you. And all I got for my insult was a lousy, faux-gay Greek fantasy by two UrbanOhioans? I want a refund! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 13, 201213 yr Well, I at least expected a Meryl Streep or RuPaul graphic of some kind from you. And all I got for my insult was a lousy, faux-gay Greek fantasy by two UrbanOhioans? I want a refund! Vader Chokes Officer - I find your lack of faith disturbing
January 14, 201213 yr Meh.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
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