Karen

My husband and I are visiting Toronto for four nights over Labor Day with our daughters, five years and nine months. We are staying at the Four Seasons as we got a good deal and it is rigth across from the ROM and Children's Museum. Other thought for us? We would like to walk neighborhoods (with stroller, of course) - like maybe Chinatown; would like to visit Toronto Islands and the amusement park there and also take a day to see Niagra Falls and NOTL. Can anyone offer other ideas or helpful tips for traveling with little ones? Restaurant tips especially; we don't want to eat mall/food court stuff, but also don't want to go anywhere our kids wouldn't be welcome (they're well-behaved but they ARE kids..) thanks so much - Karen

rita

Karen, I am taking my 12-year old niece to Toronto at the end of this week and we are also staying at the Four Seasons. I agree it is an amazing deal for a hotel of that calibre. Did you book the "Cookies and Culture" package that gives you a free pass for either the ROM or the Children's museum? <BR> <BR>One thing you might consider for the Five-year old is a theatre production. The Lion King is playing and I have heard it is spectacular. We are going, it will be a fine treat. We are also taking a day to go down to Niagra Falls. <BR> <BR>Another thing on our list is the Zoo and a trip up the CN Tower. I have never spent time touring Toronto (always on business) so this trip will be a bit of a change for me. I'll let you know how we faired (especially the restaurant dillema) when I return at the beginning of August. <BR>

Brian Kilgore

karen, take your kids to the Childrens Own Museum. Rita, take your kid to the Royal Ontario Museum. <BR> <BR>The kids museum is great for little kids, but not much of a place after you are eightyears old. <BR> <BR>And both of you can take your kids to the Ontario Science Center, which is great for all ages. <BR> <BR>FOOD: someone told me of Tony Boloney, or some similar name, near the Four Seasons. I know nothing of this, except she said it is kid-friendly. <BR> <BR>Swiss Chalet: Rotisserie chicken restaurant on Bloor Street, at the end of the block running west from Avenue Road (which is the street at the front of the Four Seasons) I ate there 45 years ago, and am still eating there. Cheap. Clean, Delicious. <BR> <BR>Remy's restaurant, on Yorkville Avenue, on the roof if the weather is nice, for hamburgers, etc. <BR>In the evening, buy an ice cream from the window at Movenpick, just east of the hotel, on Yorkville Avenue. Great desserts inside, too. (better for teh 12 year old) <BR> <BR>BOOKS: Chapters book store, half a block south est of the hotel, and Indigo, two blocks east and one block south (SE corner of Bloor and Bay) both have wonderful children's departments. <BR> <BR>SHOPPING: For grownups, just look around and buy from the neighborhood stores which are a match for Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue. But what about for kids???? <BR> <BR>1/ Cumberland toy store, on Cumberland Avenue (south side of the hotel) east of Bay (which is two blocks east of the hotel) <BR>2/ The science-oriented toy store underground in the plaza beneath the Holt Renfrew department store, on Bloor Street between Yonge and Bay. Magic sets, for instance, and magnifiers, and a bunch of other great stuff. Plus the gift shop at the Royal Ontario Museum has lots of good stuff for kids. <BR> <BR>STROLLER WALKS: The Four Seasons is right by an intersection of north-south and east-west subway lines. You could come to my neighborhood by subway very easily. Just take the westbound Bloor Street subway to Runnymede Station, and come up to the surface, and walk west to the Jane Street subway station, and return downtown. <BR> <BR>You'll be in a "real" neighborhood with lots of people on the streets, dozens of strollers and dozens of dogs and you can buy pizza or coffee of fresh fruit, and look in dozens of stores. I've been thinking of writing a mini-book about how to see the Toronto of Torontonians, and this would be part of it. <BR>You could go est, and gt off at Broadview, and be in a Greekish neighborhood (greek restaurants, all kinds of people) too. <BR> <BR>Or, also intereting but harder to get to, go to the beaches area on Queen Street East. <BR> <BR>And, for all kids; there's a park on Cumberland Street just east of the hotel with a giant rock the children will love to climb on. <BR> <BR>McDonal;d's, you say? Half a block west on Bloor Street from the corner ofBloor and Avenue Road. <BR> <BR>BAK <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Rita

Brian, thank-you for all of those suggestions. I do have one more question -- my 12-year old niece likes sushi (Yes! can you believe it). Do you have any kid friendly sushi restaurants you would recommend. Something with the sushi boats or a large fish tank would be nice. In Las Vegas at the Bellagio they have a huge jelly fish tank in the sushi restaurant. I could eat fish and watch that for hours, anything similar in Toronto?

Brian Kilgore

I'm not a sushi expert, but, according tomy wife... <BR> <BR>There is no special kid-friendly component to any of these, except as noted. <BR> <BR>Nami -- 55 Adelaide Street East <BR>Fune -- 100 Simcoe Street, near Adelaide <BR>Yamase -- 317 King Street West <BR> <BR>Fune and Yamase are close to each other. Fune has boats carrying sushi. Yamase is simpler, and I eat there fairly often, for the tempura. Yamase is in a strip of many good to excellent restaurants, and both are in what's called The Entertainment District near the live theatres, clubs, bars, restaurants, a giant video arcade, and more. <BR> <BR>Also, there's a good, small,Japanese restaurant near the hotel. But I don't know the name. <BR> <BR>Go out the north-east door of the hotel onto Yorkville Avenue, and walk to the corner of Hazelton. the restaurant in on the north side of Yorkville, a couple of doors east on Hazelton, down a few steps. I've seen some very senior Japanese business executives there, so believe the food must be good. I've enjoyed several non-sushi meals there. <BR> <BR>BAK

garyt

Just one addition to Brian's excellent list... there is a children's gallery and theatre at the Harbourfront complex at Queens Quay (pronounced Key). We were wandering around one day and found a free concert line for Raffi. You may also be able to find out the schedule of shows in one of the Toronto websites... have fun!

allan

Restaurants: <BR>Movenpick (133 Yorkville; around the corner from Four Seasons) is good and very children friendly. <BR>Dynasty (131 Bloor W; around the cornerfrom Four Seasons) is a good Chinese restaurant including dim sum. Fancier, including prices, than your average Chinese restaurant and children friendly. <BR>Marche (BCE Place; downtown) is a glorified cafeteria with food stations, including sushi. Nevertheless, the food is okay, always packed and children will love it. All will love the atrium of BCE Place. <BR> <BR>Sites: <BR>The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE; Aug 17 - Sept 3) is North America's largest annual exhibition with exhibits and lots of rides including a Kiddie's World. The International Air Show, which I think is one of the largest in North America, runs at the CNE Sept 1-3. If the children like rides, buy the unlimited ride pass. The CNE is better than Centre Island for amusement park although the Islands are a totally different experience. <BR> <BR>Zoo - Children and adults will love the zoo, a top 10 zoo. It is a fair distance from downtown and driving is faster and more convenient. The zoo does involve more walking than most zoos. <BR> <BR>Harbourfront - There is always a lot of activities on summer weekends there. You can also catch glimpses of the Air Show as the some of the planes fly by. <BR> <BR>Casa Loma is something children will enjoy as it does come across as a castle. <BR> <BR>Ont Science Centre, as noted in an earlier post. <BR> <BR>Enjoy!!