Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been to Toronto a lot in the last couple of years actually, at least twice in the last two years, and this will make the third time in your city within 2 years.
I'm going to be on a roadtrip with a friend across much of the eastern half of North America in August before I have to fly back to London for the next semester of school. We will be in Toronto for a few days (3 days) in August and were wondering what some suggestions can be for food, areas we should look into staying in, events for us to attend, sites in the city for us to see, and areas of the city we should spend our time for nightlife. Also things like which city parks and neighborhoods you recommend visiting and which of your museums you recommend most.
What is the best area for a skyline view of Toronto too?
We're very simple people. Ideally the area we want to look into staying in would have a convenient location for walking, taking the transit, and finding parking (we will have a rental car) in an enclosed garage of some sort. We definitely want to be around the hottest area for food in the city.
We are seeing Toronto in a trip where we will also see (in no particular order); Montreal, Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Houston, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax, Fort Worth, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Omaha, Kansas City, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Hartford, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Greenville, Charleston SC, Savannah, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Columbia, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Asheville, Madison, Des Moines, Grand Rapids.
What do you think we should do in Toronto? We haven't made any plans yet for what we're going to do or see in Toronto, so looking for a lot of suggestions.
There is so much to do. You got to narrow down your interested and days you will be here. If you are here on the weekend I would 100% suggest checking out one or two of the free street festivals in the city. This city has so much to do. The problem is finding the time to do it all.
Agreed about festivals - Toronto is buzzing with them in the summer. Red John not sure when you will be here but Aug 5 to 7 is the largest street food festival in Canada - Taste of the Danforth! Something to consider.. Also, since you'll have a car there are some great Hakka places but they are in the burbs.. That said worth the drive for some good Hakka which is an absolute must cuisine to have whilst in T.O!! Closer to your arrival PM me and i'll give you my favourite places and great value as well. Two words - Crispy Beef......
As for nightlife.. Go west of the core on King St West (Entertainment district) and also Queen St West. The Villiage is a good spot and always buzzing on the weekend but its gay.. That said, it can still be a lot of fun! Since you'll have a car, maybe consider staying in an Airbnb apartment downtown. That might include parking and the rates would probably be similar to a hotel maybe even cheaper. Lots of condo's DT and lots of people renting them out!!
Agreed about festivals - Toronto is buzzing with them in the summer. Red John not sure when you will be here but Aug 5 to 7 is the largest street food festival in Canada - Taste of the Danforth! Something to consider.. Also, since you'll have a car there are some great Hakka places but they are in the burbs.. That said worth the drive for some good Hakka which is an absolute must cuisine to have whilst in T.O!! Closer to your arrival PM me and i'll give you my favourite places and great value as well. Two words - Crispy Beef......
As for nightlife.. Go west of the core on King St West (Entertainment district) and also Queen St West. The Villiage is a good spot and always buzzing on the weekend but its gay.. That said, it can still be a lot of fun! Since you'll have a car, maybe consider staying in an Airbnb apartment downtown. That might include parking and the rates would probably be similar to a hotel maybe even cheaper. Lots of condo's DT and lots of people renting them out!!
Queen West is dead now. Tattoo Rock Parlour isn't even a rock parlour anymore, it's a half-empty soca club now. Us 30-somethings just don't go out that much anymore and the youngins (around age 20) aren't into the rock scene, they prefer EDM. Do King West or Ossington St., around College for more vibrant nightlife. Small bars where people dance as the by-laws and endless condo-building have killed off all the megaplexes (Circa, Guvernment, etc.)
Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I don't have a clear idea of the exact date I will be in Toronto during August. I am still working out the bugs to our scheduling.
I love to eat. I really love food in general and one of my favorite things is trying as much as I can. I am a very outdoorsy person, I have to be, with the amount I eat, I would get fat real quick if I didn't work it off. I do that everyday for 3 hours outdoors either playing a sport, hiking and/or camping, just being out, or intensive workouts (shadow boxing, actual boxing, parkour, agility and cardio workouts).
I am open to ALL types of food so long as it doesn't have yogurt in it. I eat everything from vegan food to non-vegetarian food. I have consumed a snake before in a Vietnamese restaurant, a well cooked and delicious, spicy snake. I can eat anything. I have a STRONG preference for spicy foods, 9 out of 10 times, what is spicy for others is not for me. So I embrace spicy foods as a challenge, if you want, just outright give me the spiciest suggestions you've ever had in Toronto and that would work swimmingly well on getting the suggestions for food started.
Like I mentioned, I love to be outside, in both natural environments and city environments. I love the pulse of city life and vibrancy, especially when it feels like an intensive big city.
It lists every event going on. During the summer there will be some serious competition for your time. There are so many options. From June and September I could literally pack anyone's agenda with cool and interesting things to do in this city on any budget. The specific dates you are here will greatly impact your choices. Like I said every weekend in Toronto there is at least 1 streets festival if not more going on. Check back with us closer to your trip and the tips will likely be more specific.
Queen West is dead now. Tattoo Rock Parlour isn't even a rock parlour anymore, it's a half-empty soca club now. Us 30-somethings just don't go out that much anymore and the youngins (around age 20) aren't into the rock scene, they prefer EDM. Do King West or Ossington St., around College for more vibrant nightlife. Small bars where people dance as the by-laws and endless condo-building have killed off all the megaplexes (Circa, Guvernment, etc.)
Good call on Taste of the Danforth.
Have to disagree Queen Street West Is dead.. Some of the best live music venues in the city are on QSW and Vogue magazine would disagree with you lol.. I digress though, King Street West/Ossington certainly wouldn't be a miss for the OP at all. There are some good places on College as well - including my fav, the legendary motherhouse El Convento Rico and hey - the Villiage as you suggested is awesome especially during weekends in the summer and smack dab DT.. Crews and Tango :P
I definitely agree the Guvernment (Wasn't on QSW but you probably now that) is a big loss. That said, what was lost can always be reincarnated as something new.. Heard of this?
Which leads to another part - I believe Red John the OP likes EDM. There are probably going to be some of those festivals in the city in August. Of course, if its the third week of August - Buskerfest is always a riot!
Have to disagree Queen Street West Is dead.. Some of the best live music venues in the city are on QSW and Vogue magazine would disagree with you lol.. I digress though, King Street West/Ossington certainly wouldn't be a miss for the OP at all. There are some good places on College as well - including my fav, the legendary motherhouse El Convento Rico and hey - the Villiage as you suggested is awesome especially during weekends in the summer and smack dab DT.. Crews and Tango :P
I definitely agree the Guvernment (Wasn't on QSW but you probably now that) is a big loss. That said, what was lost can always be reincarnated as something new.. Heard of this?
Which leads to another part - I believe Red John the OP likes EDM. There are probably going to be some of those festivals in the city in August. Of course, if its the third week of August - Buskerfest is always a riot!
Truly no offense is intended with this but um... who cares what some Vogue outsider thinks? I speak as someone who lives here, who has been partying on Queen West for 9 years. The bars are closing left and right due to low patronage, and thanks to the by-law they can't be reopened as as a club, so they end up reopening as some art gallery or restaurant. Velvet Underground is shuttering, and it has been a Queen St. staple for the past 30 years. You go into the Bovine and it's the same 40-year-old cougs who've been going there since the mid-90's. The Elmo seems like it's full but that's mostly owing to its tiny size. The only Queen clubs that still pull decent numbers are the Drake (further west on Queen) and The Hideout, mostly during Canadian Music Week when the bars are open until 4AM. Tattoo was the final death knell for the Toronto rockers on Queen, so now it's swanky dressy peeps on King.
It actually makes me sad because I get to witness the slow death of a culture and a scene that I was a part of; Queen Street kids, the Toronto rock scene. But, I guess as you said, there are other things now. You just have to go with the times, I guess. Getting older sucks. lol.
You are welcome to come and enjoy our fine city. All we ask is that you don't kill our families.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
