Tourism in Toronto
October 7, 2009 by 247 Travel Guides
Filed under Travel Tips
Neighborhoods: Toronto is home to a wide range of fantastic ethnic pockets and neighborhoods, one of the most well know is Greek-town where you can relax and enjoy a festive atmosphere until sunrise! Other neighborhoods to experience are Little Italy, Corso Italia, 3 Chinatowns, Korea Town, Little Poland, little India, Portugal Village. other ethnic communities centralize together and are great cultural experiences. Explore stores and restaurants of Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Somalian flavor. Purchase specialized foods, spices, art, clothing and more from the countries all in your own backyard.
Aside from the ethnic diversity Toronto also offers some unique and interesting communities and villages to check out:
– The Financial District: Offers amazing architecture and skyscrapers. Experience the underground town of approximately 11km of stores, restaurants and services in a massive underground plaza.
– The Downtown Entertainment District: The home of all the trendy, chic clubs, bars and nightlife.
– Queen Street West: An easy going, hip place to shop in unique boutiques and stores featuring eclectic collections.
– The Gay and Lesbian Village: A meeting place and community with an open mind, offering restaurants, bars and stores in a homosexual friendly atmosphere.
– The Fashion District: A shopping mecca for designer clothes at outlet prices with a backdrop of 19th century factories converted into chic lofts.
– Harbourfront: A fun filled, action pack harbourfront area that has a variety of event ranging from art galleries, theater and music performances to restaurants and boat cruises.
– Rosedale and Forest Hill: High end areas set in park or environmental area. Upscale homes that will make you wish you won lottery.
– Cabbagetown: Once a working class neighborhood it is now the home of impressive renovated Victorian homes.
– The Distillery District: A hip and trendy district featuring beautiful, classic Victorian industrial architecture. This distillery area has been around since 1832 and was formerly the Goodweham and Worts Distillery. Find bars, cafes, shops, studios and more in this section Toronto.
– The Beaches: A favourite of many Torontonians, the Beaches offers sports, parks, trails and shops. Often called the Toronto version of California beach life!
Fun Spots and More
For such a young city, Toronto has a large array of architecture and buildings to see. Here are some favourites:
– The CN Tower is a free standing structure that rises 553m straight up! An amazing piece of architecture and world famous building.
– The Skydome is a unique sports and music stadium with a retractable roof for off weather days.
– Historic Fort York is the place where the Battle of York was fought in the War of 1812. Take a tour and learn about Canada’s history.
– Old City Hall is interesting because it is built in the Richardson Romanesque style.
– Visit the University of Toronto’s campus, the largest university in Canada.
– Casa Loma is a beautiful medieval castle from the 1920s designed by a Canadian named Sir Henry Pellat.
– Queen’s Park is a Romanesque style government building.
Theater, Music, Museums
For fantastic theatre shows, local productions or musical events Toronto is a great place to be. Try the Royal Alexandra theatre, Princess of Whales, The Elgin, Hummingbird Center, and Royal Thompson Hall for a great evening out on the town.
Cultural Diversity
- ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)
- AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario
- Bata Shoe Museum
- The Hockey Hall of Fame
- The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
- The Bay of Spirits Gallery
- Black Creek Pioneer Village
- Holocaust Centre of Toronto
- The Ontario Science centre
Markets and Shopping
St Lawrence Market: Check out local artists and go grocery shopping at this unique farmer’s market known for it’s fresh produce and high quality meats.
Kensington Market: A wide range of merchants and products for sale.
Eaton’s Centre: The best known shopping mall in Toronto, jam packed with 285 retail stores.
Yorkville: for expensive boutique type stores or designer fashion try Yorkville.
