Thanks Toronto for a great trip! I have just gotten back from my fifth trip to the GTA and the entire metro area never ceases to amaze me. There are so many things to do that an extended weekend simply isn't enough to do all of them, especially when one has relatives living in the metro area trying to pull in all different directions like me.
Some highlights of this trip:
TTC - Always fun for a transit lover. I rode the 504, 505, and 510 routes this time around and got to ride both the new articulated streetcars and the old but venerable 1979-80 CLRVs. Local Torontonians weren't kidding about the decrepit condition of these thirty something year old beasts. Their air conditioning is busted for the most part, windows have to be cracked open, and depending on the route and time of day, can get crowded. I'm glad to have ridden them one last time however because I'm sure they won't be around the next time I visit Toronto.
I also rode the Yonge-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth subway lines and the Scarborough RT. The Scarborough RT's vehicles also look more decrepit than the last time I rode them 11 years ago and the entire line is quite busy. The Yonge-Spadina (Line 1)'s new Bombardier Rockets are splendid but I also didn't mind the Bloor-Danforth (Line 2)'s Bombardier T-1s, which I recall used to run on Line 1 years ago too. They were sparkling new when I first rode them in 1998, still handsome in 2005, and only now showing signs of wear. Time goes by doesn't it? Too bad I missed all of the Hawker Siddeley H-5 and H-6 trains but I guess I'm content that I got to ride them one last time in 2005. I preferred the T-1s over them anyway.
Eaton Centre - What a shopping mall! (Please excuse my American English, I realize shopping malls are called "shopping centres" in Canada). I'm sure there aren't many other malls that are this packed and energetic as Eaton Centre in all of North America.
Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto- resembles Manhattan in terms of foot traffic - very vibrant and happening!
Scarborough Town Centre - jeeps! Is every mall in GTA this vibrant? You guys put many an American mall to shame. This is transit oriented development at its finest.
U of T St Georges Campus - (first time strolling) very beautiful campus. I especially like the gothic architecture that abounds in it.
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) - second time here but first after the expansion. A definite must see for cultural enthusiasts. It kind of reminds me of Chicago's Field Museum.
Distillery District - very artsy and yet very comfortable and laid back. I always like seeing redevelopment and this is an excellent example of it.
Chinatowns - I made sure to visit as many Chinatowns in GTA as possible this time around. We hit Mississauga's, both of Toronto's (Spadina and Chinatown East), and several shopping centres in Markham and Richmond Hill. The Chinese food in GTA is stellar, all freshly prepared and well cooked. It definitely rivals Vancouver and New York in variety and quality and is better than Boston and many other places. My relatives treated us to delicacies such as Alaskan King Crab and Geoduck, which is not easy to find in other Chinatowns.
Speaking of Chinatown East, other posters say it is in serious decline but I don't think it's situation is dire yet. There still seems to be many Chinese and other East Asians walking about and it has everything that can make up a living Chinatown, namely, several grocery stores, Chinese pharmacies, BBQ stands, and a variety of restaurants. If you want to see a really dying Chinatown on the last of its legs, may I suggest Portland, Oregon or Washington D.C. This isn't one of them.
York Region - It is what it is, a series of quiet residential suburbs far removed from the bustle of Downtown Toronto. I eventually got bored here but at least the architecture and street grids are unique. Most of my relatives live up here which is why I ended up there in the first place.
Lawrence & Weston - heh heh, I only ended up in this neighborhood after taking the wrong turn. This part of Toronto
really resembles many inner cities in the U.S. It has the public housing, the discount stores, the abandoned storefronts, the graffiti, the potholes, literally everything that describes a rough and tumble neighborhood. I do think Montreal has more graffiti though and during the daytime, doesn't seem so scary. Then again, I live not too far from similar neighborhoods in Boston so I may be somewhat used to it and I probably would not want to walk here late at night.
Missed opportunities:
I also wanted to try to catch a ride on the PCC car that was supposedly running one last day on the 509 Harbourfront route on Sunday but didn't get the chance to.
I also wanted to visit a Loblaws supermarket just for fun but didn't make it either. I did get to visit T&T, it's Asian grocery store subsidiary.
Other matters:
Canadian pennies - so my luck finally ran out this fourth trip to Canada in the past year and a half in terms of obtaining penny rolls from a Canadian bank. I went to 7 or 8 different banks all around the City only to be told they either 1) did not have any or 2) (gasp!) weren't allowed to sell or distribute them. Luckily after an exasperated day, I told our hotel's evening clerk about my experiences and he went out of his way to get a collection of pennies from home the following day. He ended up giving me a huge handful of pennies so special thanks to the clerk and the hotel! This is just as good as catching a huge fish from Lake Simcoe so I'm happy.
My cousin also bought me an uncirculated 50 cent coin from somewhere. I don't know where but she likely ordered it from the RCM or bought it at a curio store. This really is the dark horse of Canadian coin currency because not everyone even knows that it exists. One young clerk at Scotiabank didn't even know what it was and thought I was referring to 25 cent pieces (i.e. quarters). Don't they teach these things in school lol
!
Anyways, it has been a very fun trip and I will definitely be visiting Toronto again in the future. Thanks again!
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.
