In a few weeks I am going on holiday for just short of 9 days to Toronto. Have been inspecting my guide book for months now but was wondering if there was anywhere specific I should definately check out or anywhere I should definately avoid because it’s a waste of time?
I was thinking of seeing in the bare minimum the CN Tower, Toronto Zoo, the Distillery District and Casa Loma. I am also aiming to do a day trip to Niagara Falls hopefully too.
I’m very into shopping and culture/history things so any recommendations in these areas would be well appreciated.
onto the Ice Hockey bit
I am also dying to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play at the Air Canada Centre while I’m there but have noticed quite a few sites I’ve been looking at to buy tickets quote “7 & 2 PiggyBacks” on the seats I’m looking at. Could someone please explain to me if that means I should be avoiding those seats as limited view etc as I don’t quite understand what it means and googling doesn’t seem to make it any clearer?
A few weeks? The season doesn’t start until October 1st.
Funny, I live 45 minutes from Niagara Falls on the American side and and loved the Isle of Man last year when I was there for the TT. Wanna swap houses?
Enjoy the Falls. I recommend the cave of the winds tour.
In a few weeks, like in late September? The Leafs NHL season does not start until October 9th. Preseason is only, what, two weeks prior to that?
What sites are you looking at for buying your tickets? I am a Southern Ontario native (Toronto resident at the moment) and the cheapest Leafs tickets I’ve always found are either on eBay or from scalpers at the gate (a little into game time). I have no idea what “7 & 2 PiggyBacks” are, however.
Shopping: Bloor & Yonge, and Yorkville is a bit off of there, Eaton Centre, while just a mall, is a pretty cool one.
Culture/History: Fort York, Royal Ontario Museum (Do not try to do all of this! Just pick out what you like off the map.), Ontario Science Centre.
Casa Loma is very cool, and I’ve always liked the Toronto Zoo, so I shan’t argue with these, but - oh, man - Niagara Falls is going to be a long day trip, and - as I recall from the Canadian side - not much to see or do or stop at along the way.
Can’t help you on the Leafs tickets; I’ve no idea. I’ve only ever been to Maple Leaf Gardens. (Long time ago.)
Kensington Market. Every out of town visitor I’ve had I’ve taken there just to walk around and it never fails to be a hit. And most of my out of town visitors find it far more interesting than the Distillery, although there are two art galleries in the Distillery I’m quite fond of. You can spend an entire weekend rummaging around in the shops of Kensington Market, the thrift shops are a hoot, you can find spices and produce from all over the world, and hear people speaking in languages from all over the globe.
My cousin took me to a 1950s themed party in some dive bar there and we bumped into David Crosby, Ron Wood, and Dan Akroyd who were chillin’ with all the tattooed kids in their poodle skirts and Buddy Holly glasses. It was surreal.
It’s only about an hour away (maybe an hour and a half if traffic is crappy). And since there is a casino by the falls, you can get a shuttle from downtown Toronto pretty easily.
It takes me about the same amount of time to drive to Niagara Falls as it does to take public transit to the Toronto Zoo.
ETA: I live right downtown. You can get a shuttle from some of the major hotels that will drop you off right at the casino which is smack dab in the middle of all the Niagara Falls chaos.
Welcome to Toronto! I’m sure at least one of us TronnaDopers can be a charming and erudite guide and show you the city.
Things to visit? People have mentioned many of the major Tourist Sites already. I’ll add the Art Gallery of Ontario, which is just coming out of a starchitect-led retrofit and reopens on, I believe, November 14th.
Continuing with architecture…
Funky cool architecture: the Gladstone Hotel.
Weird celebrity architecture: the Sharp Centre for Design at OCAD (otherwise known as the Tabletop).
Not quite so weird celebrity architecture: the Art Gallery of Ontario. Doesn’t have a nickname yet.
Upcoming celebrity architecture: the L Tower, otherwise known as The Boot.
Pointy architecture with windows in interesting places: the CN Tower.
Pointy architecture with dinosaurs: The Lee-Chin Crystal, which has grown out of the north side of the Royal Ontario Museum and now looms over Bloor Street.
Wet architecture: The HTO Park, which is next to the water just off Queens Quay and has a kind of synthetic beach attached.
Classic sixties architecture: City Hall. Check out the lobby.
Beautifully-integrated modern and Victorian architecture: the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Modern architecture with blobs in the lobby: the Leslie L Dan Pharmacy Building on the NW corner of University and College.
Beautifully-integrated modern and Victorian architecture 2: the National Ballet School on Jarvis Street.
I’m sure that Cerowyn and Kythereia and the rest of the TronnaDopers will be along to contribute.
Three of my favourite Toronto architecture things that nobody notices:
– The old Bank of Commerce building on King Street West (Commerce Court North, IIRC). Look up–way up–and notice the tall heads carved in the stone near the top of the building.
– The old Stock Exchange building on Bay Street. Look carefully at the stone carving over the entrance–can you see the capitalist with his hand in the worker’s pocket?
– The old City Hall on Queen Street West. Look at the faces caricatured in the stone over the doors on the Queen Street facade. They are caricatures of the city councillors at the time the building was designed. The story goes that they’re the architect’s revenge; it seems he designed the building and presented his bill, only to hear the councillors say they wouldn’t pay it. So he redesigned the front of the building to include the caricatures of the councillors.
As for things to do on the way to Niagara Falls, wineries were mentioned upthread. After seeing them, head for the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is a nice little town on the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario. Leave NOTL by the River Road, and follow the river down to the Falls. Pass by a few historical sites, go up the Niagara Escarpment, and stop at the farm stands for fresh produce (is it peach season yet?) The River Road is a much nicer route (IMHO) than the expressway to the Falls that everybody takes.
On a hot sumer day, a float down the rapids on the Ottawa River near Beachburg is a lot of fun, and the drive there is quite pretty. Try Equinox, River Run, Owl, or Wilderness Tours.
If you have time, a trip by ferry to the Toronto Islands (on a weekday, less crowds) is nice. Avoid Centerville unless you have toddlers and go for a walk on the islands facing the city - I like Snake Island - for an unmatched view. Bring a picknic. Rent a bike. Check out the odd little suburb of cottages on Ward’s Island.
Wow! Thanks so much for all the suggestions given! I am beginning to wonder whether I need a week or a month there
Sorry, should have been more specific - arrive in Toronto on the evening of the 18th of September (7 weeks today - woo!) and return on the 27th.
The game I was looking at was a pre-season on the 26th against the Pittsburgh Penguins and one of the places I was looking for tickets from was here. One problem I’m finding is that there are not many groups of 3 seats together (which we need as 3 of us going) on quite a few websites and the seats they are offering look like maybe not the best visibility. Price isn’t too much of an issue as the opportunity to see this kind of thing is pretty rare but at the same time I don’t really want to be ripped off for seats where I can’t see a thing (the blessings of being too short :rolleyes: )
It looks to me like 7 of the seats are in one row, with 2 being right behind. You should be able to get three together. The closer you are to centre ice, the better the view. I’d be more inclined to spend a bit more on the seats in 308.
Being an early pre-season game some of the big stars (ha!) might not be playing. I’m talking about Crosby and Malkin here.
Of course you realise that now I’m going to have to go downtown and find that?
There’s some pretty amazing carving on many of the buildings downtown.
:: nods ::
Niagara-on-the-Lake has been at times a little twee, forcedly cute rather like Carmel in California, but the route from there to Niagara Falls is much nicer than the Queen Elizabeth Way.
But you don’t have to drive. There’s the Bike Train. Hmm. Looks like it’s popular.
I’m sure at least one of us TronnaDopers can be a charming and erudite guide and show you the city.
)
