WHY WE LOVE TORONTO
Water? Check. Easy-to-navigate transport system? Check. Beautiful and varied architecture? Check. An abundance of excellent restaurants? Check. A thriving, quirky and exciting bar and nightlife scene? Check. Film, music and food festivals aplenty? Check, check and CHECK! And that is why we just love Toronto.
It’s a city that keeps on giving. Over one week we checked out; NXNE (music, film and interactive video), Little Italy Food Festival, got caught in the crowds of the Much Music Video Awards, happened upon another mini food festival, were invited to parties in shops, on boats and in bars, viewed the city from the tallest free-standing building in the world (CN Tower) and sampled as many micro-brewed beers as our bodies would allow.
SHOPPING
The area around Ossington Avenue and Queen Street West is scattered with cool little art galleries, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. It isn’t gentrified but it has the feel of up-and-coming while still having an edge. Most of the action happens at night when the bars and restaurants fill but during the day the shops that are open offer stylish homewares and clothing.
BYOB – 972 Queen Street West / @byobtoronto
BYOB is ‘Toronto’s first and only one-stop-shop for everything bar and cocktail related’. While this may sound a little niche it is actually a really nice place to pick up retro/vintage glassware and crockery items. Beer making kits, flasks, cups & saucers and animal head bottle stoppers are all on offer. Alongside the vintage items you can also pick up new brands like Bodum and Teroforma.
MAGIC PONY – 680 Queen Street West
An adults playground Magic Pony stocks colourful designer toys, beautiful prints, great design books, limited edition jewellery and lots of other gorgeous young contemporary artist pieces. With an art gallery at the back the company also has a publishing arm, runs workshops and events and is an all-round great space to see.
Style Garage
STYLE GARAGE – 938 Queen Street West
If you wonder where the people who own the beautiful new condo’s in the city furnish their apartments we are making a guess they are heading to the stunning homewares of the Style Garage. You would be able to get a selection of statement pieces here in a number of finishes custom made to order – Ikea this is most certainly not.
WHAT TO SEE
RIDE THE STREETCARS
Check out the sights of Toronto by jumping on a street-car. Don’t be too worried where it is heading you’re bound to end up a great neighbourhood or area – there are so many of them. Chinatown along Spadina is a great start. It is central enough and you can pick up food along every other shop front. Just around the corner is the bo-ho district of Kensington Market. Its ramshackle colourful houses are home to pop-up market stalls selling all kinds of hippy-style paraphernalia and it’s a good place to get veggie food.
The street cars will take you all around downtown with a day ticket costing 10$ that will last until 5.30am the following day (it can also be used on buses and the underground system) however on a weekend two adults can share one ticket!
Streetcar
LAKE ONTARIO
The lake is just so big that it can’t be ignored. Water taxis take you to the islands or boat trips give you a running commentary of facts and information. You can hire speed or sailing boats or a canoe, if you want to get closer to the water, or just take a walk along the attractive Quay. If you want to chill-out there is even a mini-beach area with chairs and umbrellas where residents strip down and sunbathe.
CN TOWER
Get your bearings of the city by heading up to the sky and taking in the views over the river and the city skyline (pictured below). You can get 360 degree views of Toronto and visibility up to 100 miles on a clear day. The lift itself takes just 58 seconds to reach the 346m viewing platform (traveling at 15mph) and the glass door means you can see the view as you climb.
View from the CN Tower
Launched in August 2011 is the EDGE WALK where crazy thrill-seekers can walk outside the circumference of the roof. “EdgeWalk is the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk on a 5 ft (1.5 m) wide ledge encircling the top of the CN Tower’s main pod, 356m, (1168 ft , 116 stories) above the ground. Adventure lovers will walk “hands-free” in groups of six to eight, while attached to an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system. Trained EdgeWalk guides will encourage visitors to push their personal limits, allowing those who dare to lean back over Toronto, with nothing but air beneath them.” Crazy!
OUT OF TOWN
NIAGRA FALLS
Taking just a couple of hours to get there from downtown Toronto checking out the falls is a must-see. If you get a coach trip you’ll be rewarded with commentary and tips along your journey about Torontonians and Niagra itself from the knowledgeable guides.
The river borders both Canada and the US and offers an awesome sight on arrival. If you really want to feel the force of the falls there are plenty of attractions vying for your attention. You can Journey Behind the Falls: Elevators descend 150 feet through bedrock to tunnels that lead and to the Cataract Portal and the Great Falls Portal which is one third of the way behind the massive sheet of water. Then you walk on to the Upper and Lower Observation Decks at the very foot of the Falls. Or you can get soaked another way and take a boat ride on the Maid of Mist and hear the thunderous raw of the water that way whilst getting totally drenched (attractive poncho permitting).
The observation area around the falls is a perfect enough way to see them – and stay dry. But if you want the thrill without getting wet then you can take a Niagara Helicopter ride. 15-20 minutes will get you up in the air to follow the water as it journeys downstream over the Niagra Whirlpool, through the rapids, down the ‘American Falls’ and on to the biggest and most impressive Horseshoe Falls.
The town of Niagra itself offers a multitude of attractions to choose from along with a fun fair (aimed more at kids), an observation tower (pictured above) and the illumination of the falls at night. However heading just out of town to Niagra on the River and the neon fun is replaced by vineyards, quaint houses, restaurants and floral decoration. The stunning area is a quiet haven and complete opposite to the thrill of the Falls.
On the trip home check in to one of the many wineries of the Niagra region to pick up one of the much-celebrated Ice Wines which are a specialty of the area.
WHERE TO STAY
PANTAGES HOTEL, 200 Victoria Street, Toronto, M5E 1E1
There are 38,000 hotel rooms to choose from in Toronto. Opening soon is the Shangri-La and Trump Tower meanwhile in the past year alone the city has welcomed the trendy Thompson chain (check out their Italian restaurant Scarpetta) and the Ritz Carlton. Every style and budget is catered for in the city so we opted for boutique hotel Pantages.
With live entertainment in the Martini Bar on Friday and Saturday nights, the Shizen Spa (pictured below) available to get a relaxing hot stone massage and a super-central location (Pantages is situated just around the corner from the thriving Dundas Square) this is urban chic city staying at its best.
Pantages
This all-suite hotel has 95 spacious suites with a choice of 4 styles: Chic, Urban, Boutique and Skyline (pictured above). While all the basic amenities are the same the key difference is size (although they are all plentiful) with the larger suites have a kitchenette and even a washing machine along with a seating area. The floor to ceiling windows offer impressive views of the city (especially at 19 floors up) and are decorated in calming mocha shades.
Due to the size and impressive amenities Pantages often get people staying longer term as the rooms feel more like self-contained apartments than a regular hotel room. Even dogs are welcome such is the hospitality.
Tucked into the stylish lobby you can sit at the bar (pictured below)and order yourself something off the ‘Gastrotini Menu’. Martini hour in Toronto is a growing trend and if you are dropping by after a day out getting a snack with your cocktail is a must. There are 40 different cocktails to choose from and you can order something off the menu to accompany your tipple. For example a ‘Maintini’ of Crantini Salmon (Cranberry Goats Cheese Crusted Atlantic Salmon, Citrus Quinoa Risotto, Grilled Asparagus , Cranberry Gastrique) or a ‘Dessertini’ of ChocoOrangetini (Double Chocolate Pyramid, Sweet Orange Reduction, Vanilla Cream).
