Toronto Visit 3 nights
Oct 29th, 2004, 03:28 PM
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Toronto Visit 3 nights
We will be visiting Toronto for 3 nights in mid November, first visit for both of us, and would like to know what we should not miss. Should we do the CNN Tower for lunch or dinner? Is a city tour worth doing? What is the difference between the Eaton Centre and the Underground city? Are they the same thing? Help please!!!
Oct 29th, 2004, 04:11 PM
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Check previous postings as there is a lot of advice on Toronto. We can help focus our answers if you tell us a bit more about what you like to do or not to do, etc.
The CN Tower is worth doing, esp if it is a clear day. You will see more during lunch but evening is more romantic. Lunch/dinner in the restaurant includes the elevator ride and you skip the lineups, if any (lineups are prevalent during the summer). The high meal prices reflect the cost of going up the tower alone at approx C$19.
The Eaton Centre is Toronto's largest shopping mall - great if you want to shop, Toronto's number one "tourist attraction". The Bay is a grand department store across the street from the Eaton Centre at Queen Street. The Underground City is an underground concourse winding its way from Union Station (railroad station) to the Eaton Centre. It is reputedly the world's longest underground walkway. It is full of shops and restaurants; great when the weather is wet/snowy; bustling during the week but dead on weekends as officeworkers are not around and most stores are closed/
Depending on your interests, not to misses migth include royal ontario musem, art gallery of ontario, hockey hall of fame, cn tower, eaton centre. there is more. toronto is renowned for its neighbourhoods - it makes for great walking unless you are sensitive to cool/sold November weather.
The CN Tower is worth doing, esp if it is a clear day. You will see more during lunch but evening is more romantic. Lunch/dinner in the restaurant includes the elevator ride and you skip the lineups, if any (lineups are prevalent during the summer). The high meal prices reflect the cost of going up the tower alone at approx C$19.
The Eaton Centre is Toronto's largest shopping mall - great if you want to shop, Toronto's number one "tourist attraction". The Bay is a grand department store across the street from the Eaton Centre at Queen Street. The Underground City is an underground concourse winding its way from Union Station (railroad station) to the Eaton Centre. It is reputedly the world's longest underground walkway. It is full of shops and restaurants; great when the weather is wet/snowy; bustling during the week but dead on weekends as officeworkers are not around and most stores are closed/
Depending on your interests, not to misses migth include royal ontario musem, art gallery of ontario, hockey hall of fame, cn tower, eaton centre. there is more. toronto is renowned for its neighbourhoods - it makes for great walking unless you are sensitive to cool/sold November weather.
Oct 29th, 2004, 07:28 PM
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there are double-decker bus hop on hop off tours, where you pay a fee for the day, get ont eh bus, listen to the commentator, and get off at various stops, explore, and then get on the next double decker that comes by.
I'd suggest one of these for your first day, to get your bearings.
Do you have any serious hobbies? Find the Toronto places that reflect these. Vistek is a great camera store. George's is one of the world's best model train stores. Collect abstract art? We got galleries! Love paper? We have a wonderful paper store.
And so on.
BAK
I'd suggest one of these for your first day, to get your bearings.
Do you have any serious hobbies? Find the Toronto places that reflect these. Vistek is a great camera store. George's is one of the world's best model train stores. Collect abstract art? We got galleries! Love paper? We have a wonderful paper store.
And so on.
BAK
Oct 30th, 2004, 01:05 PM
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The CN Tower is a tourist trap, and there are better places to get a view and have a meal. How about cocktails or lunch at Canoe - 55th floor of the TD Centre? Or dinner at Scaramouche (up the hill and overlooking the city)?
There is an exhibit of "the little black dress" (little black dresses through the 20th century) at The Bay (a department store in downtown Toronto) - free I think. The Bata Shoe Museum is great - I just took some visitors there last weekend, and they loved it. It might seem a bit girly, but it's my dad's favourite museum. There is a cultural/anthropological slant to the museum (but in a low key way) - great exhibits on the footwear of the Plains Cree and Pacific Coast tribes, a small section on footbinding, etc. Also, fun stuff (like embellished shoes through the ages, famous footwear). The museum is at Bloor St and St George (near the Royal Ontario Museum), and looks like a slightly deconstructed shoe box. Combine it with a visit to the ROM and some upscale windowshopping in Yorkville, plus an inexpensive Vietnamese lunch at Pho Hung on Bloor St (overlooking the museum).
The best part of Toronto is its neighbourhoods, so take a streetcar (also known as a red rocket) and head out to Little India (Gerrard Street East), the Beaches (Queen Street East), West Queen West (a funky artsy neighbourhood). Ordinarily I'd recommend little Italy, but the street is torn up for construction. Go wandering in Kensington Market instead (a little bit south of College and West of Spadina). If it's a weekend and the weather is nice, wander around in the Distillery District (art, people-watching, food).
Find a concert, a play or some theatre. Bypass the big ticket items (Mamma Mia) and look for something smaller scale: Tafelmusik and Opera Atelier will be conducting a Baroque period-style Don Giovanni in November. If classical music isn't to your taste, check out the on-line listings in Now or Eye magazine. If you do like classical music and/or jazz, check out the on-line listings in Whole Note magazine.
There is an exhibit of "the little black dress" (little black dresses through the 20th century) at The Bay (a department store in downtown Toronto) - free I think. The Bata Shoe Museum is great - I just took some visitors there last weekend, and they loved it. It might seem a bit girly, but it's my dad's favourite museum. There is a cultural/anthropological slant to the museum (but in a low key way) - great exhibits on the footwear of the Plains Cree and Pacific Coast tribes, a small section on footbinding, etc. Also, fun stuff (like embellished shoes through the ages, famous footwear). The museum is at Bloor St and St George (near the Royal Ontario Museum), and looks like a slightly deconstructed shoe box. Combine it with a visit to the ROM and some upscale windowshopping in Yorkville, plus an inexpensive Vietnamese lunch at Pho Hung on Bloor St (overlooking the museum).
The best part of Toronto is its neighbourhoods, so take a streetcar (also known as a red rocket) and head out to Little India (Gerrard Street East), the Beaches (Queen Street East), West Queen West (a funky artsy neighbourhood). Ordinarily I'd recommend little Italy, but the street is torn up for construction. Go wandering in Kensington Market instead (a little bit south of College and West of Spadina). If it's a weekend and the weather is nice, wander around in the Distillery District (art, people-watching, food).
Find a concert, a play or some theatre. Bypass the big ticket items (Mamma Mia) and look for something smaller scale: Tafelmusik and Opera Atelier will be conducting a Baroque period-style Don Giovanni in November. If classical music isn't to your taste, check out the on-line listings in Now or Eye magazine. If you do like classical music and/or jazz, check out the on-line listings in Whole Note magazine.
Oct 30th, 2004, 03:01 PM
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Canoe and Scaramouche are very good restaurants with nice views, but are quite pricey, so be warned.
I think Kate W is just a bit blasé about the CN tower. What's wrong with going to a touristy place if you're a tourist and it's your first visit to Toronto? The view is great, and the restaurant is not bad at all--not up to the other two mentioned, but a good bit less expensive.
I think Kate W is just a bit blasé about the CN tower. What's wrong with going to a touristy place if you're a tourist and it's your first visit to Toronto? The view is great, and the restaurant is not bad at all--not up to the other two mentioned, but a good bit less expensive.
Oct 30th, 2004, 03:13 PM
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I should also have mentioned that I think Kate W is somewhat snobbish in advising you to by-pass Mamma Mia, which is great fun if you haven't seen it. The Mirvish organization, which produces both it and Hairspray are offering great packages ($159 pp with hotel and $99 without) which include a ticket to the show, lunch/dinner at one of a number of restaurants, and a voucher to one of several attractions, including the Modigliani show at the AGO.
Opera Atelier is not everyone's cup of tea, although I loved their production of Don Giovanni when I saw it a few years ago.
Opera Atelier is not everyone's cup of tea, although I loved their production of Don Giovanni when I saw it a few years ago.
Nov 3rd, 2004, 02:40 PM
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Definitely do the CN (not CNN) tower for dinner. The food is good and the view is magnificient (on a clear night that is!!). Mamma Mia was pretty good and I'm not an Abba fan. You don't have to see the Underground city. That is really more for the locals to get to/from the GO trains. The Eaton Centre is pretty good. The Royal Ontario Museum or the Art Gallery of Ontario are usually good visits if you are into that type of thing. I also like drinks in the lobby of the King Edward Hotel in the evening. Have fun.
Nov 4th, 2004, 02:02 AM
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Hi i am a tourist and have just returned from Toronto. You cannot beat the view from the CN tower and although it is a touristy thing, why not do it? I agree it needs to be a clear day though, the cloud would ruin the view!!
I would agree with the posting about visiting the neighbourhoods. We went to Chinatown, Greektown (aka the Danforth)and before anyone corrects me the signs all now say Greektown, and Little India ( which i would just point out is way down on Gerrard st East). We ate a fab meal in Chinatown, an average meal in Greektown (Pappas Grill..nice but pricy and not as good as Greece in my opinion) and bought saris, and enjoyed the frangrances in Little India. The Eaton Centre was good, though we preferred the Underground City...a map essential. The other thing i would like to say is that the Torontonians were really helpful, a couple of times when we were staying maps people came up and asked if we were ok, or needed directions, so don't worry about getting lost or asking where you can find places.:0)
I would agree with the posting about visiting the neighbourhoods. We went to Chinatown, Greektown (aka the Danforth)and before anyone corrects me the signs all now say Greektown, and Little India ( which i would just point out is way down on Gerrard st East). We ate a fab meal in Chinatown, an average meal in Greektown (Pappas Grill..nice but pricy and not as good as Greece in my opinion) and bought saris, and enjoyed the frangrances in Little India. The Eaton Centre was good, though we preferred the Underground City...a map essential. The other thing i would like to say is that the Torontonians were really helpful, a couple of times when we were staying maps people came up and asked if we were ok, or needed directions, so don't worry about getting lost or asking where you can find places.:0)
Nov 4th, 2004, 04:58 AM
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It's kind of like 6th Avenue in New York City. All the signs say "Avenue of the Americas" but you'd never, ever catch a New Yorker calling it anything but 6th Avenue. I've never heard the Danforth referred to as Greektown and I've lived here forever, but I can understand how a tourist might get a different impresssion.
