May Weather/Toronto Visit
 

Considering a visit to Toronto. Could someone tell me what the weather tends to be like in May? Where is a good area to stay for a first time visitor seeking the "city bustle" within walking distance, and scenic sites nearby? Thanks much.

Hello:

The average temp in May is 12.4C or 54.3F.

The Victoria Day long weekend is on May 23 this year. Also called the May TwoFour (ie 24 beers per case) - marks the unoffocial first day of summer across the land.

Right now, the grass is green outside my place and the Toronto temp is 1C or 33F. In my hometown of Brandon Manitoba, it is -30C with over two feet of snow.

The city bustle is everywhere in the downtown core.

Begin your "city bustle tour" by grabbing a coffee and outdoor seat at Starbuck's on Queen and Bay. Check out the people, street cars and the old and new city hall.

Walking to the south from Starbuck's, every dollar circulating in Canada flows through the financial section at King and Bay. Continue walking until
you arrive at the lakeshore and catch
the ferry to the Toronto Islands for
panoramic views of the skyline.

To the west of Queen and Bay is the funky SoHo like place - Queen Street West.

One block east is the entrance to Eaton Place shopping centre.

Taking a street car to near the end of the Queen Street line will take you to the Beaches area with it's shops and lakeshore boardwalk.

Walking east from Starbuck's to Yonge and North to trek up
to passing Dundas Square to Bloor/Yorkville - Toronto's Madison Avenue area.

From here, stroll down Prince Arthur from Avenue Road (first street north of Hyatt) to St. George and walk south through the University of Toronto region to College. Take a walk west to the Little Italy and chill out al fresco on a Stella at Cafe Diplomatico.

Anywhere you walk in Toronto you will find something of interest be it a restuarant, shop, building or ambience.

TravelinVic

Nice route by HogtownJim. In May you could be surprised with some really good weather ... but bring your umbrella in case. You might want to take in the CNTower for an overview.

Where are you coming from? What age group?

Traditionally people wouldn't plant annuals in their gardens until the May 24th long weekend. However, our garden usually looks great in May, and we usually start planting the pots a couple of weeks before the long weekend. So sometimes the weather can be great!

Thanks so much for your input! I am SO glad to hear there may be hope for decent weather. My husband and I are in our 50's. We have always liked traveling in May & Sept. (he's particular about our lawn which will need mowing come late May!). We hail from Cincinnati. Any hotel suggestions under $100 U.S. would be welcomed also. I have read about the Victoria and Days Hotel which sound good.

I would be dubious about any downtown hotels that offer rack rates of less than $100 US...Toronto is not really a bargain hotel-wise...having said that, check out Expedia and Priceline...there may be offers that meet your criteria and don't put you in geographically undesireable locales. The Delta Chelsea is not fancy, but seems to have consistently good availability and an excellent location.

The place that seems to collect accolades from visitors is the Cambridge Suite Hotel at 15 Richmond Street East.

Quote from Hogtown Jim

To the west of Queen and Bay is the funky SoHo like place - Queen Street West.


Is that SoHo like in New York or London?

Also, what would you recommend for me? Female, early 30's, just wanting to hang out? (Things like the Music Park excite me - for example ... I am also an avid ChowHound!)

It is going to be cooler than I thought! (will be there May 16-24 then I head out to Boston) I guess capris will be out ... what will people be wearing? (I am actually HAPPY about the cool weather! I HATE the heat and I live in Atlanta LOL!!)

The Hotel Victoria is the closesat Toronto has to a British non-luxury hotel. It's in a great location, on Yonge Street betwen King and Front, right in the heart of downtown. You can get to a lot of intersting places, and city bustle, from there by foot, plus the subway is close by.

Toronto's a big city, though, with big city prices. Just as there are not many decent, central,hotels in New York or San Francisco or London for $100us, there are not in Toronto, either. And there are not the low-priced but OK budget hotels of SF or London, either.

The Strathcona is the other good but not luxury low-priced hotel, in an excellent location (it's at the west end of the Fairmont Royal York hotel, which is famous). Neither has its own parking garage. Parking is easier at the Strathcona than the Victoria, but OK at either one.

The two general areas to say are downtown, from Front street north to College Street, between Jarvis on the East and Spadina on the west, and midtown, within a few blocks in any direction from the intersection of Bloor Street and Yonge Street.

If you get a Choice Hotels directory -- should be easy enough to find in Cincinatti -- you can find little maps of the various Choice properties. There's a good old Choice hotel on Charles Street East, and a newer one on Bloor Street West, near St. George. Both are good locations and among the lower priced Toronto hotels.

Put Allan Gardens on your list of things to see, if your husband likes gardening.

And, for W&G: Soho is like both London and NY Soho, assuming the hookers have left London. Lots of restaurants, lots of fashoin stores, some clubs, etc. Soho and The Entertainment District are pretty much the same place. The Holiday Inn on King is pretty much in the middle. There really is a street named Soho, and it runs north From Queen Street West, very close to Blue jay Way -- {Peter Street (same street, name changes) which runs north from SkyDome, which is now Rogers Center, if that helps you get your bearings.

Fine general area for early 30's woman because you can walk to the music park, and you're surrounded by restaurants and book stores and clubs.

BAK

Wallace_and_Gromit:

What to wear? You won't go wrong with black, black, and black. Of course, we wear other colours, but black always works.

We're hardy. We're sick of winter. In May, we'll start showing off pedicures in sandals and some will wear capris. Bring a leather jacket, some lightweight layers (e.g. twinsets). It won't be warm enough for sundresses or short skirts and bare legs (except at night, when the outside temperatures don't matter).

Check out the Reservoir Lounge for jazz on a weeknight, the Mod Club at Revival (converted church on College St) on Saturday night.

Shop at Price Roman (Queen St West), Comrags (even further west), Marlowe and Femme de Carriere (for high end and moderately priced business clothes), and don't forget Holt Renfrew (all the usual brands, plus some interesting Canadian labels and a good value private label).

If you can afford it, stay at Le Germain. If your budget is a bit smaller, the Cambridge Suites is good. If your budget is tiny, consider the Quality Hotel Midtown (and, while you're up around Bloor and Spadina, visit the Bata Shoe Museum - everyone should go once to learn more about culture through shoes than you'd ever expect - and have fun, too). Great gift shop for shoe addicts.

Message: Kate_W,

I already have a place to stay: The Mulberry Tree B&B on Isabella St. (B&Bs are much more my style)

You seem very fashionable - I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I am no slob, but I don't know what a "twin set" is either.

I am a khakis, jeans paired with conservative top etc. kind of girl. (Will this be ok?)

I am looking forward to going to Little India! I have my heart set on buying a Salwar Kameez.

BTW, does Toronto offer a lot of clothing stores that carry "plus-size" clothing?

Twinsets are sweater sets: a cardigan plus a matching short sleeve sweater or tank top/shell. Quite untrendy, but really useful.

Khakis, jeans and conservative tops are fine. White running shoes and fanny packs would mark you as a tourist; otherwise you'll blend in.

I know there is one popular chain for plus-size clothes. It's called Addition-Elle. There is a very large branch (maybe the flagship store) on Yonge St a few blocks south of Queen St on the West side of the street. There's a smaller branch in the Eaton Centre. There is an upscale plus size shop called Marina Rinaldi on Bloor St West, near Avenue Road (it's owned by the same company as the Italian chain, Max Mara). I believe that the chains Melanie Lyne and Laura (both in the Eaton Centre) also contain some plus-size clothes, but I'm not sure how large their stock is. Holt Renfrew has some plus sizes in upscale clothing lines (including Eileen Fisher).

It will be easy for you to get to Little India from your B&B. Walk down to Carlton St along Jarvis (which can be a bit grotty, but is busy enough not to be dangerous) and catch the Carlton streetcar going East. It will take you to Little India (the last few stops before the streetcar turns north on Coxwell).

You might find the neighbourhood south of Carlton, north of King and east of Yonge a little too rundown for your comfort. I don't know much about where you've lived and travelled before, so I don't know how comfortable you are with gritty, lower income areas. There is a fairly high student population (this is where Ryerson University is located), but it also has prostitution, drug-dealing, shelters, etc. I would exercise caution walking in this area at night. But this is several blocks south of your B&B.

I know everyone seems to talk about wearing black in the big cities, but really...it's not necessary.
Thre is nothing wrong or out of place about wearing tidy, clean jeans and clean t shirts, or blouses.
Bring a spring jacket and you'll be just fine.
Believe me, you won't be sticking out like a sore thumb at all.

Thanks Kate - and Kodi for the info. I am really excited about my trip!!

Don't worry, it never even entered my mind to wear white shoes and a fanny pack!! :))

Quick question - How will I know where to catch the streetcar. Are there cleary marked stops? (like a bus stop?)

Yes, the street car stops are marked like bus stops.

Please note Kate's warning about the areas south of Carlton and east of Yonge Street, and don't do your visit to little India at night.

cheers

Jerry

Visiting Little India itself is fine, as is the streetcar to Little India. This is how I commute to and from work every day. Little India is quite busy from dusk onward, and the street scene is very attractive because the brightly coloured shops are lit up and busy.

But you might want take a little detour to get on the Carlton Car. Instead of walking south, you might want to walk East to Yonge St and then south to the corner of Yonge and College/Carlton (it's called College St west of Yonge and Carlton east of Yonge).

Similarly, if you're going out or coming home somewhere else in the evening, ask the B&B's owners about the best walking route to allow you to stay in lively, well-lit areas.