Author: Maria Alfano
Toronto, affectionately nicknamed “T.O.” “The 6”, “The Big Smoke”, or “T dot” is a multicultural and vibrant city you have to see at least once in your lifetime.
Spring, summer, autumn, or winter, there is something to do no matter the season.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada is located across Lake Ontario, directly north of Buffalo, NY. Unlike popular belief, Canadians do not live in igloos and are not surrounded by snow 12 months a year. While there are some places near the north pole that are frigidly cold even in the summer, Toronto, is not one of those places.
Toronto – Time To Visit Canada’s Largest City
Toronto happens to be the place my parents landed when they emigrated from Italy in the mid-1960s. They chose this beautiful city to be their home and they never looked back.
They proudly raised 3 daughters in Toronto, each of whom grew up to raise their own families in this great city.
Is Toronto Safe
At the risk of sounding a little biased, Toronto is actually a pretty safe city. Yes, there are crimes in the city. Much of the time these crimes are directed at people by people they know. Tourists have little to fear when coming to the city.
In 2019, Toronto was named the 6th safest city in the world.
Why is Toronto So Popular
When traveling to Toronto plan on spending at least a week there to discover for yourself why it’s so popular.
Aside from being Drake’s hometown, Toronto is home to almost 3 million people from every ethnicity and walk of life. This makes Toronto not only popular but also one of the friendliest cities you will ever visit.
Top 5 Reasons Toronto is so popular
- Business hub – businesses and banks from around the world have headquarters in Toronto because of its worker population and diversified skillsets.
- Multicultural – people of every nation, culture, religion, and background can be found in Toronto. Everyone is welcome.
- Airport – Canada’s largest and busiest airport is found in the city as well as a smaller airport downtown. Traveling to and from Toronto is pretty easy.
- Transit – getting around is not an issue with the public transit system, cabs, Uber, or Lyft at your disposal.
- Entertainment – there is so much to see and do in Toronto. From museums, restaurants, sporting events, nightclubs, and famous landmarks, there is something for every age group.
Fun Fact About Toronto
Those that live in Toronto can tell who is a visitor simply by how you pronounce the name of this beautiful city.
The locals don’t pronounce the second “t” in the name.
We say “Toronno” 😉
Things To DO On Your Visit to Toronto Canada
Toronto is far from being a boring city. There are so many things to see and do no matter what time of year you choose to drop in.
Downtown Toronto
The first thing people think of when they think of Toronto is the CN Tower. Yes, it’s located downtown, next to the Rogers Center (formerly known as the SkyDome). Toronto is much more than these 2 landmarks…
- Food trucks – for all you foodies out there, Toronto has an amazing array of restaurants and a huge food truck scene, It is nothing to see the grounds of city hall littered with the best of best in food trucks.
- Harborfront – rich in cultural events and some of the best restaurants, this is the place to be on a warm summer’s night. Enjoy a view of the lake and the boats sailing by as you sip on your favorite beverage. Stroll the multitude of street vendor tents that line the roads leading to the waterfront.
- Centre Island – a short ferry ride across from Harborfront is a playground for all ages. Enjoy a picnic or ride at the amusement park. Whatever your fancy, Centre Island is a fun place to be.
- Boat Tours – hop onto one of the many boat tours and sail Lake Ontario in style. Be it a sightseeing tour, or a dinner cruise, you will marvel at the Toronto landscape from any one of these vessels.
- Ripleys Aquarium – the largest aquarium in Toronto houses more than 20,000 species of fish and marine life. It features exhibits like Dangerous Lagoon, Planet Jellies, and Shoreline Gallery.
- Caribana – at the heart of Toronto is its multicultural festival known as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Enjoy the spirit of the Caribbean with all that food, music, fun, and costumes of the islands. You never know, you may run into some famous people there too. Lebron James has been known to through a huge party during these summer festivities.
Arts & Entertainment Scene
- Distillery District – is the bourgoise area of the city. You will find the most interesting little shops, some amazing food, and art galleries. Spend a summer weekend enjoying buskers sharing their talents in the street, or a local farmer’s market with the best produce Ontario has to offer.
- TIFF – The Toronto Film Festival was established in 1990 and has risen to one of the elite film festivals in the world. Many of the blockbusters and Oscar winners debuted at TIFF. The who’s who of the big screen descend upon Toronto every year on the second week of September.
- ROM – the Royal Ontario Museum is a spectacular place to see history. They have everything from dinosaurs to vintage clothing and everything in between. Be prepared as you will need to plan what you want to see because the place is so big, you cannot get through it in just one day!
- AGO – The Art Gallery of Ontario is located just steps from the ROM. This is a modern museum with displays of more contemporary and cultural works of art.
- Bata Shoe Museum – ok ladies I know you won’t be able to resist this one. Walk through the history of shoes from the past into a view of what futuristic shoes could look like. But, don’t fall too much in love because these beauties are not for sale.
- Nuit Blanche – explore the largest art installation when you visit Toronto, Canada on the first weekend in Oct. The catch is this experience can only be seen at night. The term nuit blanche literally means white night.
The Markets
- Christmas market – the Distillery District transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland every year from mid-November to the end of December. Everything you can imagine Christmas to be and more can be found there. All the smells, sites, sounds, and tastes that remind you of a truly special Christmas are at your fingertips.
- Kensington market – this tiny little bohemian neighborhood is the best place to find unique shops and restaurants. Get lost in a world so different from the hustle and bustle of this vast metropolis and get transported to small villages of the East.
- St Lawrence market – has been a staple at the base of Toronto on the waterfront for decades. Here you will find the best fresh food vendors, unique shops, and cool little brown bag lunch places in the city.
Sports
The city is home to 5 major league sports teams:
Basketball -Toronto Raptors
Hockey – Toronto Maple Leafs
Baseball – Toronto Blue Jays
Football – Toronto Argonauts
Soccer – Toronto FC
No matter what time of your you end up visiting Toronto, sports fans will be able to catch a game at any one of the major arenas in downtown Toronto.
In Summary – Visiting Toronto Canada
There is no shortage of things to do when you visit Toronto. In fact, if you like amusement parks, just north of the city you will find Canada’s Wonderland. Or, in the last two weeks of August, you can enjoy the Canadian National Exhibition that drops in on the city every year.
For those who want to explore diverse cultural experiences, you will find the Danforth, affectionately known as Greektown. And, for those who love anything Italian visit Little Italy on College St. Of course, you cannot forget China Town located on Spadina Ave.
Toronto has something for everyone. You will never be bored exploring this amazing city.
We would love to hear from you. What is your favorite thing to do in T.O.?
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