One of the major reasons that people tend to visit Toronto is that they enjoy how nice the city looks.  From the creatively built buildings in old Toronto to the beautiful suburbs that have managed to preserve a large section of the natural environment, Toronto has really done more than most cities in terms of preserving its green space.

Now, they’re taking aim at reclaiming some of that space for the green world through the beautification of many areas near the major highways that run through the city.  The Don Valley Parkway is the first candidate for this flowering beautification and specifically, this is happening right where the Don Valley Parkway and Eglinton Avenue East meet.

But there are more than just daffodils involved.  There are also rows of Scilla and Muscari flowers along the road as well, all of which are starting to flower for the first time after being planted last March.  This is part of what will eventually be a larger strategy on the part of the city to make its roadways easier on the eyes.  If they have the same amount of success as they did with this first venture, then things should be very beautiful in the city indeed.

So, if you visit Toronto sometime this summer, make it a point to drive past that intersection at least once and take in the view!  In the meantime, I’ll try to see if I can get out there and get some pictures posted sometime before the end of the summer.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The City of Toronto is a very diverse place and even when you are not at one of the major tourist attractions, you have the chance to see something spectacular.  If you’re interested in a way to tour the city as us locals see it, then I’ve come with a way that you might be able to do that for a very reasonable price.

I call it touring the city on the TTC.  All you have to do is get on a bus or streetcar route that goes by a number of places that you want to see and then either stay on the vehicle the whole time (paying just $2.75 for your trip) or get off at various intervals to see different things, getting back on the next bus or streetcar when you feel like leaving.  Because a day pass on the TTC is $9, you’ll never actually end up paying for more than 4 trips, so this is a great way to save some money if you really want to get down into the cultural underpinnings of the city that prop up the great tourism industry it enjoys.

The 506 Streetcar

Route 506 is a streetcar route known colloquially as the Carlton Streetcar.  While TTC copyright prevents me from posting a route map of the streetcar, you can check out a list of TTC routes and select 506 from the drop-down menu in order to get the map of the route I’m talking about.  Essentially, the route starts in the west on College and continues along Carlton and Gerard, covering about 2/3 of the East-West subway line that the city has.  It’s a particularly fun trip to take because of the ease of sitting down on streetcar during off hours and staring out the window at the world going by.

Highlights of the Trip

College and Ossington

College and Ossington is the first place that I’d like to point out.  It’s the first of the highlights that you reach if you’re coming from the West and the last if you’re coming from the East.

What makes this particular intersection so interesting is that it happens to be the heart of the Portuguese community in Toronto and for that reason mixes immigrants from both Portugal and Brazil in order to create a flair that is probably unique to the City of Toronto.  You can eat at both Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants and buy music and drink that originated in both countries.  The people in this area are extremely friendly and I still have the Brazil soccer jersey I purchased at one of the stores here a decade ago.

College and Spadina

Not soon after you’ve crossed out of the Portuguese area of the city, you’ll come to College and Spadina (assuming you’re coming from the West).  There are two things in particular that warrant interest about this intersection and they are both things that I get the pleasure of enjoying whenever I’m at the University.

The first of those things, as the previous sentence implied, is the University of Toronto St. George campus.  If you want to tour the university, then getting off either at this stop or at the next one is a great place to start and even if you don’t want to tour the university you can get some good shots of the campus as it looks from College Street right from the seat on your streetcar.

In addition to that, there is also Chinatown on Spadina south of College.  While getting a picture would be hard from the streetcar (you only get a brief glimpse as the streetcar goes through the intersection), you can certainly get off and walk a bit to encounter restaurants, clothing stores and souvenir shops that all have an Oriental flair.

Gerard and Coxwell

Gerard and Coxwell is the final intersection/area I’d like to draw your attention to, because it is the heart of the South Asian community in Toronto.

Whether you are interested in figures and sculptures such as the ones depicted in the picture or great food cooked in one of the many South Asian culinary styles, Gerard and Coxwell is definitely where you want to start your search.  There are literally hundreds of different establishments with a South Asian theme that are in walking distance of this intersection.  That makes it the final highlight of the 506 streetcar route.

Final Thoughts

While touring the city using public transit is not exactly the most conventional thing for a tourist to do, I think that many people would find it a fun exercise if they give it a chance.  For just $9 (make sure you buy the day pass if you want to get off at all three highlight locations), you can do the following things:

- Start at High Park and take pictures in one of the most beautiful natural areas of the city

- Visit three of the major cultural areas within the city

- Take time out of your day to relax on a scenic trip even if you don’t want to get off the streetcar

- Have access to dozens of different authentic foreign cuisine types

- Fit some genuine interaction with Toronto residents into a 1-2 hour chunk of your day that otherwise would have been spent doing nothing

If you’re up to it, touring the city on a bus or streetcar can be an extremely cost effective and authentic experience.  The 506 is by no means the only bus or streetcar route that gives you this chance, but it is most definitely one of the most intense.

Photo Credit: Flickr (Streetcar Starbucking), Flickr (college/ossington), Flickr (Spadina x College), Flickr (Sacred Hindu Cows)

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The tour starts at the Southwest end of the campus at the intersection of Spadina and Bancroft and ends at the Eastern end of the campus at the intersection of Queen’s Park and Wellesley.  A full map of the tour can be found here and a brochure detailing the event can be found here.  However, being a student of the university I have been inside many of these buildings before, so I’d like to take the time to offer a few comments on some of the twelve buildings that are going to be part of this tour.

University of Toronto Multifaith Centre – Stop #1

Located at Spadina and Bancroft, the Multifaith Centre is arguably one of the most important cultural buildings in the City of Toronto.  It is home to all of the different spiritual student groups and for that reason forms a sort of hub of faith-based student activity not just within the university, but really across the city.  The University of Toronto is home to over 80,000 students and for that reason forms the lion’s share of the post-secondary student population residing within the city.  It’s a real education chatting with many of these groups and you’ll get a chance to see firsthand just how richly diverse the religious community within the city actually is.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library – Stop #3

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library really doesn’t have anything to do with spirituality, but the tour has billed it as being a “temple to the book.”  While that’s perhaps overstating things a little bit, it is certainly true that the inside of the library does lend itself to that type of imagery.  With many of the rarest books in the world being housed within this area, getting a chance to see them firsthand could be considered a spiritual experience for anyone that is inclined to reading as a hobby.  This building is located at St. George and Harbord and is very hard to miss.

Hart House – Stop #9

Well, no tour of the University of Toronto would be complete without a stop at Hart House and luckily enough for the people going on this tour there happens to be a chapel right inside where people can pause for a moment before continuing the tour.  Hart House is one of the central hubs of the university and even on the weekend you can expect it to be bustling with activity.  The architecture of the building is spectacular as well and according to the University of Toronto public relations division, it is one of the most photographed buildings in the country.

These are just three of the twelve major stops on the walking tour of the university and truth be told you can probably check out many of the adjacent buildings as well.  The University of Toronto is one of the most spectacular campuses in the country in terms of its historical value and aesthetic beauty and for that reason a walking tour of the campus is always a fun thing to do.  When the added bonus of a tour from a cultural point of view is thrown into the mix however, the results are that much more pronounced.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The City of Toronto has a fantastic looking skyline that lends itself well to photography in almost any circumstance.  When the night is just right however, the glittering of downtown Toronto can be photographed reflecting off the water in order to create a truly wondrous sight like the one in the picture above. 

One of my favourite activities is to go to one of the many places in Toronto where the full skyline can be viewed and just sit and enjoy the view.  It’s a very relaxing thing to do and one that I recommend any traveler to the city make a point of doing at least once.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

One of the things I haven’t talked that much about on The Toronto Traveler is the outdoors in Toronto.  Most of the things I mention are either places you can visit or things you can do inside one of the many buildings located in the city, but I have yet to discuss something that you can do outside if you’re just looking for some time to kill or want to get some fresh air.  Well, there are many great places that you can walk in Toronto, but one that should definitely get first mention because of its close proximity to many of the main tourism areas in the city is Philosopher’s Walk.

Beautifully crafted thoroughfares like the one shown to the left are commomplace in Philosopher’s Walk, which is a walkway that starts on Bloor Street West between the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum and continues southward to Hoskin Avenue.  The walk itself is only a few minutes long, but it gives you a chance to bask in a beautiful walkway and take the pulse of the city in a very real way.  It also gives you the chance to encounter a number of people.  University students, music performers, city residents that live nearby and tourists walk back and forth through Philosopher’s Walk all day and with the benches that are available for your use you can just sit there and watch them come and go.  It is a great place to reflect and a great place to relax.

One final point that is worth mentioning about Philosopher’s Walk is the fact that it allows you to branch off and visit many of the other nearby areas.  In addition to being able to visit the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum, you can also go take a look at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Arena and field as well as tourisn some of the nearby campus buildings, most notably the very beautifully constructed Trinity College.

Philosopher’s Walk is also located walking distance from St. George, Bay and Museum Subway Stations; if you check out the subway line map and take a look at many of my past posts, you will notice that these three subway stations form part of the downtown core where most of the action takes place vis-a-vis tourist attractions in Toronto.  That is the main reason why Philosopher’s Walk is shorter than normal, but there are other places in Toronto where you can take a really long walk without stopping that I will talk about in later posts.

Photo Credits: Flickr, Flickr, Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Photo Credit: Scarborough Canada Day from cbcstreetteams on Flickr

Click here for a map of Thomson Park

In honour of this month’s Travel & Culture Theme Day, I thought I’d talk about a park in Toronto that I’ve been to many times.  Thomson Park is one of the premier parks in the city and since it also happens to be walking distance from my house, that works out pretty well for me!  I’ve travelled around most of the continent and I’ve rarely seen a combination of natural beauty and community spirit as good as the one that Thomson Park has going.

First and foremost, Thomson Park is a monument of natural beauty situated right within the Scarborough suburb of Toronto.  It’s just over 50 acres in terms of the total area of the park and this allows seclusion for people that want it from the rest of the events that go on daily.  There are many trails available for hiking, roller blading or bike riding and you can easily lose yourself inside the park’s trails for a day if that’s your idea of relaxation.

For the people that are interested more in the group outdoor activities, then the fact that Thomson Park has a number of amenities to facilitate that should be something to take notice of.  With public parking, picnic areas and washrooms all located within easy walking distance of each other, there are many families that choose to make Thomson Park part of a weekend afternoon spent with each other.  There’s also a playground for the kids and during the summer months a public pool that everyone can enjoy.

If you’re sports orientated, then you can have your pick from baseball, football, rugby, soccer or tennis facilities or you can even just head out into the field and come up with a de facto field for any other game that you might want to play.  There’s enough room to accommodate over a dozen different games going on at the same time and it’s a good thing too because of how often the park is used.

All in all, Thomson Park is one of the great outdoor places located within Toronto and since it’s also one of my favourite places in the city to go, I thought it would make a good Nature Theme Day addition.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

If you are really into the New Years spirit and have kids, then one of the great ways for you to ring in the New Year would be at the Metro Toronto Zoo.  There’s going to be fun and fanfare in the guise of great music and entertainment as well as special visitors that will be doing animal acts to delight the kids.  There are very few things that they would find more delightful and at the end of it there will be a big celebration for the New Year, assuming your kids can stay awak of course!

The Metro Zoo is located at the eastern edge of the city and the best way to get there is to take the train to Kennedy Station and then from there take the 86 Scarborough bus that will take you directly from Kennedy Station to the Toronto Zoo.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Event: Toronto Zoo Family Countdown for the New Year

Location: Toronto Zoo

Date: December 31, 2007

Time: 6:00 PM

Cost: $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children

For More Info: 416-392-5929 or http://www.torontozoo.com

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

By day, it is one of the more bustling shopping areas within the City of Toronto.  People go there in order to get great deals on a number of different things, while local residents and students from the nearby University of Toronto tend to go there during their off hours in order to shop from store to store.  It is one of the quintessential local shopping areas in Toronto and on the 21st of December, it is going to be home to an absolutely fascinating festival of lights.

December 21st is the winter solstice and also the shortest day of the year.  During this longest and darkest night of the Toronto year, a number of different presentations from the rooftops and storefronts of Kensington Market will light your way as you traverse the various areas of the market west of Spadina Avenue and south of College Street.  The exhibition will include the famed Samba Squad as well as a number of different characters in costumed garb in a carnival parade the likes of which you are very unlikely to see anywhere else during the coldest part of the year!

The map above shows the general location of Kensington Market, but if you want to get the main parts of the market then you are best sticking to the area that is immediately southwest of the Spadina and College intersection.  Staying in the rectangle defined by those two streets, Augusta Avenue on the west and Dundas Street on the south will ensure that you get to see a fair number of the festivities, although feel free to traverse all the way to Bathurst if you’re feeling particularly adventurous that day!  The closest subway station would be Queen’s Park Station over at University and College, which is about a five minute walk from Kensington Market.

What: Kensington Market’s Festival of Lights

Where: Kensington Market

When: December 21st, 2007, starting at 6 PM local time

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

1) The Toronto Islands, from the Wikimedia Commons

2) Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto, from the Wikimedia Commons

3) Massey Hall in Toronto, from The Wikimedia Commons

4) The St. Lawrence Market, from The Wikimedia Commons

5) The Ontario College of Arts & Design, from The Wikimedia Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler