Toronto, Ca

Introduction to Toronto:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada is an amazing place that is considered to be a world-class city (even though the citizens may not think so). But, for tourists and adventurous types, it is a great city for everyone of all ages to explore with its many incredible attractions. In this article, I hope to persuade you to visit Toronto or help you decide what you might want to do in Toronto.   

Hotels:

Toronto is a big city with lots of people and hotels with multiple price points. The variety of prices includes $270 CAD per night at the King Edward, $265 CAD at the Old Mill Toronto Hotel, or even the Drake Hotel for one night which costs $360 CAD. There are cheaper options, like going to a Holiday Inn which costs around $170 CAD each night, or a Best Western Plus which costs around $145 CAD each night. The problem with the cheaper hotels is that they're not in locations near attractions. A good hotel that's not as expensive and has a good location would be a place like Cambridge Suites Toronto which costs $180 CAD each night.

Location:

The location of your hotel is important because if you're not in the right section of Toronto, you won’t be able to experience all Toronto has to offer. The best location is Downtown Toronto or also Old Toronto. Now, if for some odd reason, you want to see how the locals live (weird and creepy, just kidding), you can visit Leslieville and the Beaches in the East end. If you go to locations like these, you will be able to experience what Toronto is really like. If you have children or teenagers I'll say now that they don't want to explore Toronto and just look at the statues and major attractions. When you're choosing a hotel, you need to make sure there's a variety of experiences you can have but also maybe a shopping mall for your teenagers (but to clarify we are NOT mall-obsessed humans) or a playground or trampoline park for your kids.

Meals:

The food in Toronto is very nice and diverse since they have a big variety of restaurants with different types of cuisines from all around the world. A nice family favourite that’s amazing for all ages is The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant on the Esplanade in Old Town Toronto which is a great, simple place to have a sit-down meal. The downside of this place is there’s always a line and they rarely take reservations. But there is an upside: if you go about 30 minutes before you want to eat, you can ask for your table and then go to the bar they have off to the right-hand side of the entrance (if you go by the gumball machine you'll see another room there to the left of it). You can now spend those 30 minutes at a table with a drink instead of waiting in the lobby with the “newbies”. So make sure when you go there that you’re not a newbie. (Also underaged kids are allowed in the bar. They are not allowed to order an alcoholic drink - of course).

Another great restaurant that’s a bit fancier but will probably make your wallet lighter is called The Keg Mansion on Jarvis St. The Keg is a nicer restaurant (the kind where you'll need to wear something nice but not to the point where you have to pull out your prom dress from 2010). Anyway, the Keg is nice and I think it is one of my favorites because the building appears to be a castle with its old furniture and decor. There’s a secret to this restaurant too. For this one, you can get a reservation but sometimes you still have to wait to get your table. If this happens to you, simply ask the server if you can head up to the bar and they will take you up. There at the bar, you can order a drink and appetizers and relax instead of waiting at the door for your table.

Another option that is easier and cheaper is Mahas on Greenwood Ave. This place was made famous by Jamie Oliver’s post 7 years ago. The only downside of this place is that the restaurant's line is VERY long since the restaurant only has a few tables. The trick to this place is to place an order and ask for it to go then head to Greenwood Park for a picnic. The park is a which is a 15-minute walk from the restaurant (this walk is great since you won’t get some side-eye from your teen. And no we’re not lazy we just know how to spend our time correctly).

The perfect time to visit:

Toronto is a lovely city that is amazing in all the seasons but my favorite seasons there are fall and spring. If you want to get the Canadian experience come around January-February since it tends to get very cold and will snow more around then. But if you don’t want to suffer like most people, then I recommend coming in the fall since it isn't too cold yet and some days it can still get up to 15 Celsius. If you want a warmer Canadian experience come in April or May because it’s at a nice temperature and is warm but not super warm to the point you're in pain (like the heat waves in July-August).  

Attractions:

Toronto offers many attractions that the locals and tourists find fun and interesting. With this part, I will include what I believe to be the local attractions and tourist attractions so you can decide for yourself if you want to do the tourist attraction list or the better and more accurate Torontonian attraction list. Some great attractions include going to the Distillery district which is a nice place to walk around for a few hours. The Distillery District is perfect to go to at Christmas time since they put up a big Christmas tree and outdoor European-style market, which makes it a lot more lively and fun around that time.

Another great fun attraction is to go to the Royal Ontario Museum (the ROM) which is a fun museum compared to some museums out there since they sometimes have special exhibits.  Last year they had a special exhibit on the movie “Enchanted Beasts” which included some clothing and props from the movie. This is a nice outing to visit when visiting that’s great for all ages. The best part is that you don’t have to see the whole thing because if you just go and explore for 2 hours that’s enough. After all, this museum has so much that you can’t see all of it in one visit. Because of that, I suggest you pick a few different exhibits you would like to see and skip the rest and if you come back you will be able to experience something new. And because you didn’t rush, you can appreciate it and enjoy it more. 

If you’re looking for a full-day event I suggest that you go to Center Island since it is a great day trip, especially in summer.  They have rides for kids and some other fun games for adults! The whole experience is really fun since you get to take the ferry from the harbor to the island and it is such a highlight since you can get some great skyline photos (my favorite part)!

Why Toronto?: 

Toronto is a great big city that has a lot to offer and experience which is my favorite part since there’s always something new happening in the city. So if you ever get the chance to go I hope you use my advice to get the best experience possible (because I’m always right, haha).

Environment:

In regards to the environment since we only have one, make sure when you're traveling to be conscious about the environment since we still need it to last us many more decades so think green.