vacation from hell
 

Travelers to Toronto beware! Our Hotel, the Radisson Plaza Hote Admiral was great. Prior to our visit we read some tourist literature. The Tropicana noightclub advertised a 25 piece latin orchestra and a dance revue. We called for reservations the day of the show and considered ourselves lucky when we were told seats were available. The Concierge told us reservations needed to be made five days in advance. <BR> <BR>Well our orchestra was a one iece band with an electric keyboard and drums. The revue was "Cheesy". The MC did Liberace imitations and played "Flight of the Bumblebee" on electric keyboard. An irish comic told jokes and insulted Newfoundlanders, an apparant Toronto inside joke? The four dancers were average but the entire evening was a giant ripoff. They ran out of food, desert was convenicne store jelly roll cake with canned whipped cream etc. etc. Aviod the Tropicana in toronto. <BR> <BR>To top it off we parked in the public gargae next to the building and all the glass was smashed out of our windows during the show. Apparantly this is common because Toronto's finest said they don't even bother to answer these calls. <BR> <BR>We were told that we were in the BIG CITY and to expect this. Guess what? I'm from New York City, lived in Washington D. C. and Chicago and never had this type of problem. I guess Canadian BIG CITIES are different? <BR> <BR>Avoid Toronto at all costs.

I'm sorry that Steve had such a poor time in Toronto, but to say that travelers should avoid Toronto is just ridiculous. Many many tourists visit Toronto every year and the vast majority of them experience no problems. (Just look at all the positive comments in the forum.) As for his comment that Canadian big cities are different from those in the U.S., I won't even get into that!

<BR>Hey Steve, i read your comment on Toronto and i must say that i am very surprised, because Toronto is well known for it's safety. Nevertheless shit happens sometimes, but to tell people to avoid Toronto, because you had a bad experience is a bit cheap. <BR>If people who have visited New York City and got mugged or molested or even shot at would say the same thing about your city there wouldn't be any tourists left there. <BR>We often visit Toronto(6-7 times)and it's the safest city i know in North-America, unlike some major US.cities <BR>Like i said, everywhere you go something unpleasant can happen to you and unfortunatly it happend to you now. <BR>Keep on smiling, Leo

Steve- <BR> <BR>Did you do nothing else but go to that tacky Tropicana? <BR> <BR>My sympathies for the vandalism- FWIW my car is parked out back on the laneway, exposed to the godawful 24-7 and I have never (in 2+ years here) experienced so much as a scratch, never mind a smash-n-grab. But these things happen here- thankfully your chances of being a victim of VIOLENT crime here (as a resident or as a tourist) are so slim as to be laughable, for a major city. Despite wildly advertised reductions in crime rates in US cities, you are still more than four times more likey to be murdered in NYC than in Toronto. You are about THIRTY times more likely to be murdered in DC, THIRTY-FIVE times more likely to be murdered in New Orleans. I'll take the smash-n-grab. <BR> <BR>Now, what I would really like to know is, as the urban resident that you appear to be, why were you driving from the Radisson to, of all places, CHINATOWN (which has the most convoluted, insane traffic of any place in the city proper, in my opinion)? Why dind't you take one of our ubiquitous and reasonably-priced cabs? I know enough that in a massive, crowded city, I park and leave the car there, especially a city as pedestrian-friendly (and with as great public transit) as Toronto. Sure we are not New York but we are a city that is as dense as San Francisco, and sure SOMEBODY counselled you to leave the car parked. Try this next time. <BR> <BR>John Manzo, <BR>an ex-American who LOVES living in Toronto!

I agree with all of the responses to Steve's post. It is ridiculous to tell people to avoid a whole city based on one negative experience. Bad things can happen anywhere. I have been to Toronto many times over the past 15 years and have never encountered a problem. In fact, I find Toronto to be a fun, safe, clean and friendly city.

Hi Steve, Sorry you had such a bad time, the way I look at it you have to make the best of a bad situation, when faced with such a horrible show I usually like to get up and leave and have a good laugh at myself...as for the car smashing...getting very angry will not repair it, you can only deal with it something good must of come out of that trip, like the whole planning of it and the end of it!! Toronto is usually ok if not a bit boring!!(oops I'm going to get it!!) I ment compared to Montreal (oops double wammy)