I will be staying here on Sept 12 for 1 night. (This is the downtown hotel 475 Yonge St.)

The hotel charges $25 per day for parking. I got this room from priceline.com for $103CAD total and I'm determined to find cheaper parking nearby. I think I saw a post here re: a cheap parking lot but I can't find it now. Suggestions please?

Also any suggestions for a good/inexpensive/casual breakfast in this area?

I'm not new to T.O. but I'm usually visiting relatives so I'm excited I get to plan some things for myself.

Good luck. Most Toronto lots charge one flat fee for the day (8 - 6, or so) and another evening and overnight rate.

And these usually have no in and out allowed.

Many parking lot rates change in the same lot depending on the traffic flow. The lot beside me probably sets four or five prices over the course of a day. So if someone saw a $6 sign once, that was probably when the lot had a lot of space empty and neighborhood lots had space, too.

Lots underneath big office buildings are more likely to have bargain rates at night, but you need to move the car by, say, 8 am, of you get hit for the half hour rate, which in turn becomes a flat rate.

i.e. $3 per half hour, or $12 until 6 pm or eearlier. So if you arrive at 10:10, that's $6 by 11:10, and $12 by ten after twelve, and then there's no increase for the rest of the afternoon.

BAK

Hmmm, I see your point. I was thinking that a day rate includes overnight--or a 24hr period..whatever.

Logistically speaking maybe the $25 ain't so bad. Thanks for your reply.

For breakfast, walk down to Eaton Centre and try Eggspectation at 220 Yonge Street. The entrance is on Yonge.

there's also fran's diner, right around the corner on college street.

i can't speak for it personally, but it was doing brisk business the morning i tried to eat breakfast there. too long of a line for me, so i ended up hitting the tim horton's across the street instead.

Thanks hogtown and gleemonex - I'm going to write these down on my list of stuff for when I go!

De[pending on how far you want to walk, there's a new branch of Sunset Grill on Yonge Street at Richmond, which is maybe 6-7 blocks from your hotel Sunset Grill's other branches, in The Beaches (Queen Street, far east) and Bloor West Village, (far west) are famous for brakfasts, especially their own egg and back bacon sandwich.

There's a good food court under the north end of Eaton Centre, a couple of blocks from you, for very casual.

But Eggspectations is a great idea, and about a blok closer than the Sunset Grill. Themenu's posted outside, so read it and go in, or keep walking anopther block and a half.
BAK

BAK, thanks so much for your info. It's funny..I remember having a really great breakfast in the Beached about 3-4 years ago. I wonder if it was the Sunset Grill you mentioned. I'll definitely check it out.

Thanks again!

Beaches...not Beached. Duh.

Beached is OK if you are describing someone who has had a big breakfast at the Sunset Grill. You can barely move.

Tomorrow, if I have time, I'll put some pictures into my web site. I photographed the Sunset Grill and Eggspectations downtown today, trying to relate them to your hotel. If I get the photos up, I'll put a link into this thread.

BAK

BAK, I'll keep an eye on this thread for your pics. Thanks

Breakfast-oriented photos:
http://www.briankilgore.com/TorontoTravelTips.htm

Love your webpage--can't wait to explore more thoroughly this weekend.

These pics are a great reference point for my hotel.

If I were 18 again I'd say..You Rock!