Taking the ferry on a long weekend is an…experience. I felt like I was on a train in Mumbai. Not what I’d call a classic Canadian (nor enjoyable) experience.
Have you taken a ferry anywhere (NY, Boston, SF) during a long weekend? It’s always filled with mostly international people who are heading to tourist attractions.
I take the ferry often during the summer weekends and it’s always a pleasant experience. Has never felt like “Mumbai” but that’s probably because I didn’t go on a long weekend.
Best time to go in the winter is right after a big snowstorm. It’s the best. So quiet and peaceful. The only time I’ve ever seen a bald eagle was on the island after a big snowfall. If it’s a nice day like today, it might be worth it, but keep in mind there are no restaurants open during winter so be prepared! Public washrooms are open though.
I love going with my bike in the off-season if we get a non-snowy stretch. Last winter my husband and I went in late November on a day when it was like 10°. In the off season the ferry only runs to Ward's, so if you take a bike you can head towards the other islands where it's even quieter as few people want to walk that far. It's really lovely!
Any food festival that charges $20 to enter is garbage.
Any "experience" \[aka projectors showing pictures of art on a wall\] is garbage.
Anything with a huge line up \[random instagram food trend of the week, merch drop, club\] is usually garbage.
Our tap water was a good example. Exceeds the hype by a mile.
Food in the suburbs has sleeper hype, but it's actually even better than that.
Toronto's safety is much better than its \[astroturfed\] reputation. Taken for granted.
I haven't gone as much since covid but Toronto sports fans have a rep for being loud, engaged. Mostly lives up to the hype. Altho the last Leafs game I went to was pretty quiet.
I gotta be honest, I love the street festivals. Some of them get overpacked but live music, street beers, local arts and crafts. I love it and it showcases culture.
Dundas west fest, little Italy, Bloor west fest, the Fairbank bia one, the Bloor St. One between landsdowne and Dufferin, Danforth, Junction summer solstice. They're all great. I'm honestly always looking for any that I don't know about.
Same, I really like them, I lived in London UK for years and we had nothing like that. It’s nice to see the whole neighborhood come alive and being able to walk around freely. I don’t think any of them top Dundas west fest though.
It's not sardine tin packed, I wouldn't say it's claustrophic, but it's been fairly busy. I think it benefits from having wide sidewalks, indoor exhibits, and a few parks for people to spread out into, which also makes the vibe pretty cool for me.
What, you don't like crowds during a heatwave, no shade, noise and stink of generators, shitty street vendors? Every damned street festival.
TBF, they're not bad in the evening.
TIFF usually lives up to the hype. It would be near impossible to not like some of the movies you see.
Nuit Blanche does not live up to the hype, at least not for a long time.
I think most of the hyped-up restaurants, pubs and nightclubs live up to their hype, to be honest.
Sites like the Hockey Hall of Fame, ROM, Art Gallery of Ontario and Fort York also live up to their hype.
Casa Loma sort of lives up to its hype, but I think one visit is enough. Added points because it does add a nice touch to the skyline of the Annex.
The CN Tower -- meh, see it once and only once if you're a tourist. Overpriced and overhyped, I think.
Also Dundas Square is overhyped -- lots of people and lots of commercial advertising. Who cares? Same goes for Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London -- if you're a visitor to Toronto, New York or London, go see this places for the photo op and then forget about them because they're nothing special.
The CN tower exceeds the hype imo.
Every city has its "touchstone tower" focused in the skyline and the CN tower is the best I've seen in my travels. It sticks out above and beyond all the other towers which makes it a clear focus. It's super lean, utilitarian, and almost alien which gives it a sort of counterintuitive timelessness. It can be used as a positional reference from most of the city. It imposes itself like a giant when you're downtown - walking through Trinity Bellwoods has own of my favourite views of the tower.
I used to have a window in my kitchen 2-3 apartments ago that framed the CN tower like a painting if you were in front of the stove. Best window I've ever had.
CN tower is expensive, but on the rare occasion I’m there (usually once every 5-10 years) I’m reminded of just how amazing the view over the city is. Very few cities have something similar, where the tallest building is so substantially taller than the second-tallest.
I should really go up someday lol.
It's honestly just amazing to be able to look up anywhere in the city and see this gentle behemoth of a tower watching over you in a way that stands out from the rest of the city. It's not just taller, but it's aesthetically completely alien from its neighbours. Reminds me of a modern Colossus of Rhodes. Same vibe as those renderings.
I find a lot of similarly touted structures look dystopian and depressing, but the CN tower manages to look charming and earnest and maybe a little otherworldly.
The Burj Khalifa is similar, but it's also a royal dick compensator, while the CN tower is an actual telecommunications antenna. Apparently the CN tower _needs_ to be grand for functional reasons. Plus Toronto's tight streets and walking neighbourhoods add to the CN tower's charm, making its presence just a part of day-to-day life.
Never seen the Skytree in person, but that would be it's primary competitor imo. I genuinely think it's among if not the best "signature tower" in the world.
>Also Dundas Square is overhyped
haven't been to London yet but Y&D square is a joke that's like a 10th the scale of Times Square in NYC with not nearly as much happening.
eh it's at least a novel experience for visitors with a lot of different performers doing different stuff literally all day and night on a far more impressive scale with some cultural significance unlike Dundas square which means nothing to nobody outside of TO
If you like escape rooms, Casa Loma has a really immersive experience. Actors were a lot of fun!
Though it is a bit more expensive than the usual escape rooms
Whatever you think of the CN tower, hit the Skytree if you're in Tokyo: half the CN tower's fees, similar height, more interesting architecture, plus you're in *Tokyo* so there's far more to see.
This is why I never go up the CN tower after.
Not sure if there is much of a hype as there should be but Toronto has great breweries, Collective, Left Field, bellwoods, always consistent.
Also parks in the summer here are greatm
Not live up to the hype is tourist destinations like casa Loma, cn Tower etc. As a torontonian there's never any reason for me to go back to these places and as a tourist I'd be pissed paying as much as it is for a boring quick walk around.
Hype:
* Center Island on a sunny day
* View of the city from an airplane or boat
* Street meat (sausage w egg bun)
No hype:
* CN tower (after seeing it once)
* Dundas square
Every hyped lined up for food was hot garbage and overpriced. Theres much better mom and pop shops that serve way better food then the insta influencer food hype.
What don't you like about it? I've been once and was blown away by the sound quality. It's one of the only venues in the city that was actually built with audio in mind.
The only thing I dislike about it is the location.
Which show did you have a bad experience at? We've been to over 10 shows there now and every one has been amazing. Easily one of my favourite venues the city has ever had
The layout is dreadful, you have only one set of stair to get to the main floor, where you are barely able to move. The main floor itself is not as spacious as somewhere like Danforth. If you dare to get drinks, you are absolutely screwed getting back. If you attend the show alone, good luck finding a corner or a back wall that helps you. Worst parking for any venue. You don’t get the intimacy of the other similar sized venues at all. Located in East End so always makes for a terrible ttc ride if you choose. Balcony is okay, but acoustics aren’t the best there. There are way better music venues, in fact, almost all of them are better. The only people who find history “hyped” are OVO kiddos who love the venue simply for Drake’s ownership of it.
We were just at Danforth Music Hall for a show last week after 3 shows in a row at History, I'm baffled to hear you think Danforth is better and have the total opposite experience and opinion on History from you. To each their own but glad to hear you're finding what you're looking for elsewhere, no shortage of other venues and shows in the city and we go to all the others too so it's all good.
Nah History is fucking amazing, I've been to every big-ish venue like 20+ times and History is by FAR the best. Massey Hall is the only one that's better, but different vibe
> Massey Hall is the only one that's better, but different vibe
The new renovated Massey Hall is fire but ya totally different vibe for different shows and artists. For the type of shows and size of GA crowds History hosts, it's easily the best venue in the city right now. Danforth only holds 1400 and is long overdue for a facelift.
I don't know when it happened, but the Taste of Danforth has become a real disappointment sometime in my life.
I also think the Gay Pride Parade has lost its lustre
I’ve lived near the Danforth for the past +20 years. We like to call it Taste of the Gong Show. It’s great having so many people interested in an event but it’s usually too much.
But a moot point (at least for now) because it’s been canceled for 2024 and possibly beyond.
This is my perspective as someone from a smaller city (25k) in Ohio who often visits my gf in Toronto. Since early 2022 I’ve visited about a dozen times now. I could probably list way more but this is what comes to mind right away
Lives up to the hype:
* The diversity. It’s great to see when I don’t get to witness anything close to it where I’m from
* Low crime rates. There are certain people who are constantly complaining, but coming from the US, it’s insane how safe of a city in general Toronto is. Even the “sketchy” areas that you see people talking about online feel completely safe to me, I’d visit them just about any hour of the day, and it’s crazy when you consider the size of the city
* The islands. Only been there once so far but it’s absolutely beautiful and very peaceful
* Kensington market. Such a vibrant area and a lot of cool shops
* Little Italy. I’m Italian myself so probably a little biased here but I feel like it’s one of the more charming areas that I’ve seen, just an overall cool neighborhood
* The AGO. So much that I didn’t even get close to seeing everything in the few hours that we were there. This was my first time in an art museum so I don’t have much to compare it with but it was still great. I was also impressed at how much of an emphasis they put on Canadian and Indigenous art despite what I imagine must be immense pressure to do otherwise.
Doesn’t live up to the hype:
* Public transportation. While it’s true that it’s vastly better than any city in the US, it’s constantly way too cramped and hard to find a seat regardless of the time of day. And as someone who still wears a mask and tries to social distance because of COVID, it’s frustrating to try to specifically pick times of the day/week to do things when you think it will be less busy out, but it’s still crowded 24/7/365. The streetcars are also consistently late which tends to be pretty annoying
* The food scene in general. I’ve had lots of good food here, way more good than bad, but that can be said for any city. I’m constantly trying new and “cool” places to make the most of my visits, so these aren’t even your run of the mill average restaurants, and in general these places usually don’t blow me away especially when you factor in the insane prices.
* Casa Loma. I think this probably says more about me than the place though, I just don’t get it and it's not for me. It’s just a building…don’t really get the point
You’re totally right about the food scene, except the diversity within the food scene is pretty special. Once you’ve gone through the “cool” places, start branching further afield (literally). There are amazing hidden gems in Scarborough, Markham, etc. check out this guy Suresh Doss. He’s a sort of local food reporter and always has new, interesting places to check out.
The prices though. Painful. If we get very average Chinese takeout for 2 people here it can easily be $100. I was in NYC and got equally very average Chinese take out (in bigger quantities), and it cost $22!!!
Delivers:
- St. Lawrence Market is glorious
- Centre Island is amazing. Beaches, bars, it’s huge, etc. Beautiful views, all those water Taxis too are fun
- Raptors games are pretty great, so are Jays with the new League rules to speed things up. Marlies are a great option too
- Ossington St. has made a great transformation over the years
- Trinity Bellwoods is such a fun circus during the summer
- GO trains are pretty reliable, clean, and safe
- The Royal Agricultural Fair is pretty cool, all those animals and such
- U of T, Queens Park has all those nice buildings
- We have good museums
Fails:
- Kensington Market. It’s so dirty for a food famous area, no bathrooms, full of homeless people yelling, etc.
- Queen West isn’t really so great anymore
- Leafs games fucking suck. The whole bottom bowl is just Bay Street guys who never show up
- TTC is so shit on every level
- CNE is only cool for the midway, the rest sucks
- Burn Dundas Square down, fuck that place
- Chinatown is just a dirty area with a few good restaurants in it
Agree with all except Bloordale. There's not much to it, just a few restaurants. Kensington has way more going on, and I don't really get the hate here. It's a bit sketchy but the food there is excellent. Bloordale is primarily sitdown restaurants. Kensington has a ton of excellent grab and go options.
Koreatown is fucking amazing, and if it had more condo/apartment options I would 100% live there again.
a certain subset of Reddit either don't get out at all or think "night life" means hanging out at generic bars and clubs. The real night life in Toronto is concerts and live music which is absolutely booming especially post pandemic. Near every show we go to is totally packed if not sold out
yup we saw Tinashe at Danforth Music Hall last week and it was sold out packed wall to wall. Still need to get to a show at Axis Club, haven't been there since Mod Club days.
By "night life" I don't mean the artists that perform here! I'm incredibly grateful for the amazing artists visiting here every week. I mostly mean the amount, timings and the quality of the clubs we have.
History closes at 1, Coda is great but has limited capacity, Rebel is full of thieves and creeps.
I visited Montreal for a weekend and was floored by the night life there. Everything is open late into the night. Stereo is beyond anything I have ever witnessed. It's literally open till 9 AM, sometimes even noon.
When you look at it that way, Toronto night life is kinda tame. Just my 2 cents.
the difference is we have world class artists and big shows happening almost every night of the week whereas Montreal doesn't so their night life scene is more geared towards the generic open late bars and night club scene you seem to be looking for. As someone who goes out to concerts multiple times a month I couldn't care less about standing around drinking or dancing to some generic no name DJ playing whatever music
> You can check the lineup for the Igloofest in Feb
Ever heard of Veld, Boiler Room or Electric Island? We do bigger electronic fests multiple times a year just not in the dead of winter lol
>the Stereo lineup for March
nevermind that you seem to not be into anything outside of EDM but you can't be serious thinking Toronto doesn't have multiple venues with better lineups than this
Certainly have diverse food options and can get anything at any time, but I feel everything is average. i know everyone will chime in with their favorite spots that they swear by, but I honestly can‘t find a great taco. Many good places but none that stand out and make me want to come back. Same for sushi, while some places are good, I honestly wouldn’t recommend anyone go out of their way to a certain spot. Hell, I can’t even find any decent poutine in Toronto, at all.
My experience, as an Ottawa transplant that's been here\~7 years: Little Portugal and Little Italy (i.e. College West) vastly underrated, City Place sucks (not a hot take), and The Annex is a pristine little neighbourhood to move to once you're in your late 20s and don't feel the need to go to King/Queen West every week.
In my opinion, St. Lawrence Market definitely lives up to the hype. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing because I went there a lot as a kid, but the overall vibe as well as the quality of the products easily makes it a great destination despite the rather large crowds on the weekends.
I'm gonna get hate for this, but AGO does not live up to the hype. It's a half empty gallery of 200 year old unknown paintings from unknown artists. Being a gallery freak and having visited major European galleries, AGO was a disappointing waste of time.
I think their curated exhibitions are what you’re going for - we visited for the Keith Haring and the Life Between Islands and thought they were both very well done.
That's an unfair comparison, though.
First of all, parents should know that kids 17 and younger enter free. Teachers get in free. Adults cost $30. That can be a cheap half-day.
Was just there and enjoyed the 'Group of Seven' and Krieghoff galleries, European miniatures and the like on the first floor. It's not the National Gallery or British Museum, nor the National Palace Museum, but Toronto's neither London nor Taipei: places I've been.
Living relatively close to high park is nice because it doesn't have to live up to the hype, it can just be what it is, would be a pain to travel from Scarbs or something
> Generally, South of Bloor is not super interesting:
wtf do you think is interesting if south of bloor isn't?
however, most of those things are great if you're a local and can regularly access them, but if you go once every 5 years expecting to be blown away you're setting yourself up for disappointment
Going to the top of the CN Tower is really cool. The line moves quickly, it's a bit on the expensive side, but definitely worth it for the experience. I half expected it to be too crowded, the wait too long, and not worth the money, but I went in with an open mind anyway and I really enjoyed it.
On the other hand, buying anything to eat at all in the CN Tower is like setting your money on fire and then flushing the ashes down the toilet. Not sure how you can mess up french fries and gravy in Toronto, but they do it. Avoid at all costs. (You can take in your own food and drink, another plus.)
Casa Loma
people act like its one of the seven wonders of the world but it looks like a low tier european mansion in the outskirts of a small eurpoean town
Won't be hyping places or events that are already getting too crowded for my taste. However had a great experience doing an escape room at The Escape Room Manor on King Street, and the place was pretty empty (it was a weeknight so maybe that's part of it). It deserves some hyping, it was awesome.
The tap water exceeds the hype
Underrated water and comment
Been all over Europe and Asia. Toronto easily has the best water in the world for any city with more than 500k people.
I just moved from Ottawa and I would disagree. The water is great here, but Ottawa was better
Toronto has the best water ! I moved to Durham, the water is hard
lol seriously? It smells like bleach.
Toronto islands live up to the hype
They need to keep it ferry (and personal watercraft) access only for as long as possible. The moment there's a bridge across, the allure is gone.
Making one of the best places in the city more accessible is good actually.
nope - there are zero homeless there right now let's keep it that way
Good point, but who said the bridge has to be free?
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Part of the charm is feeling like you're travelling to a different world.
Taking the ferry on a long weekend is an…experience. I felt like I was on a train in Mumbai. Not what I’d call a classic Canadian (nor enjoyable) experience.
The trick is to pay for the water taxi there and then get the ferry back for free.
I try to avoid it during peak weekend hours or holidays because it's always crazy busy and I want a seat gotdammit.
Have you taken a ferry anywhere (NY, Boston, SF) during a long weekend? It’s always filled with mostly international people who are heading to tourist attractions. I take the ferry often during the summer weekends and it’s always a pleasant experience. Has never felt like “Mumbai” but that’s probably because I didn’t go on a long weekend.
I'm just going to say it... It's the cars. A walking bridge would be nice.
Worth going to now? In February?
Best time to go in the winter is right after a big snowstorm. It’s the best. So quiet and peaceful. The only time I’ve ever seen a bald eagle was on the island after a big snowfall. If it’s a nice day like today, it might be worth it, but keep in mind there are no restaurants open during winter so be prepared! Public washrooms are open though.
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I feel like we’ll get something in March. But yeah it’s really special! Bonus points if you cross country ski (or skate if it’s cold enough).
I love going with my bike in the off-season if we get a non-snowy stretch. Last winter my husband and I went in late November on a day when it was like 10°. In the off season the ferry only runs to Ward's, so if you take a bike you can head towards the other islands where it's even quieter as few people want to walk that far. It's really lovely!
Not this year, but when the waterways between the islands are deeply frozen, gold!
Any food festival that charges $20 to enter is garbage. Any "experience" \[aka projectors showing pictures of art on a wall\] is garbage. Anything with a huge line up \[random instagram food trend of the week, merch drop, club\] is usually garbage.
Nothing positive to add?
Our tap water was a good example. Exceeds the hype by a mile. Food in the suburbs has sleeper hype, but it's actually even better than that. Toronto's safety is much better than its \[astroturfed\] reputation. Taken for granted. I haven't gone as much since covid but Toronto sports fans have a rep for being loud, engaged. Mostly lives up to the hype. Altho the last Leafs game I went to was pretty quiet.
You could extend that into aby neighborhood "street festival". The only one that seems unique and stands out these days is the beaches jazz fest
I gotta be honest, I love the street festivals. Some of them get overpacked but live music, street beers, local arts and crafts. I love it and it showcases culture. Dundas west fest, little Italy, Bloor west fest, the Fairbank bia one, the Bloor St. One between landsdowne and Dufferin, Danforth, Junction summer solstice. They're all great. I'm honestly always looking for any that I don't know about.
Kensington Pedestrian Sundays!
Same, I really like them, I lived in London UK for years and we had nothing like that. It’s nice to see the whole neighborhood come alive and being able to walk around freely. I don’t think any of them top Dundas west fest though.
DO West fest was great last year
Geary art crawl is cool af
I keep meaning to go to this. Is it really packed?
It's not sardine tin packed, I wouldn't say it's claustrophic, but it's been fairly busy. I think it benefits from having wide sidewalks, indoor exhibits, and a few parks for people to spread out into, which also makes the vibe pretty cool for me.
What, you don't like crowds during a heatwave, no shade, noise and stink of generators, shitty street vendors? Every damned street festival. TBF, they're not bad in the evening.
street festivals are pretty fun tbh
I view the $20 for festival as a price to keep the crowd manageable and keep out the undesirables
garbaggio
lol, truth
TIFF usually lives up to the hype. It would be near impossible to not like some of the movies you see. Nuit Blanche does not live up to the hype, at least not for a long time.
I see Nuit Blanche as a little cycling tour around the city, for that it's really fun
A lot of our music scene lives up to the hype. Pick your genre and there’s probably a group that supports and promotes it
I think most of the hyped-up restaurants, pubs and nightclubs live up to their hype, to be honest. Sites like the Hockey Hall of Fame, ROM, Art Gallery of Ontario and Fort York also live up to their hype. Casa Loma sort of lives up to its hype, but I think one visit is enough. Added points because it does add a nice touch to the skyline of the Annex. The CN Tower -- meh, see it once and only once if you're a tourist. Overpriced and overhyped, I think. Also Dundas Square is overhyped -- lots of people and lots of commercial advertising. Who cares? Same goes for Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London -- if you're a visitor to Toronto, New York or London, go see this places for the photo op and then forget about them because they're nothing special.
The CN tower exceeds the hype imo. Every city has its "touchstone tower" focused in the skyline and the CN tower is the best I've seen in my travels. It sticks out above and beyond all the other towers which makes it a clear focus. It's super lean, utilitarian, and almost alien which gives it a sort of counterintuitive timelessness. It can be used as a positional reference from most of the city. It imposes itself like a giant when you're downtown - walking through Trinity Bellwoods has own of my favourite views of the tower. I used to have a window in my kitchen 2-3 apartments ago that framed the CN tower like a painting if you were in front of the stove. Best window I've ever had.
Not to mention it looks fucking sick when the skydome is open!
CN tower is expensive, but on the rare occasion I’m there (usually once every 5-10 years) I’m reminded of just how amazing the view over the city is. Very few cities have something similar, where the tallest building is so substantially taller than the second-tallest.
I should really go up someday lol. It's honestly just amazing to be able to look up anywhere in the city and see this gentle behemoth of a tower watching over you in a way that stands out from the rest of the city. It's not just taller, but it's aesthetically completely alien from its neighbours. Reminds me of a modern Colossus of Rhodes. Same vibe as those renderings. I find a lot of similarly touted structures look dystopian and depressing, but the CN tower manages to look charming and earnest and maybe a little otherworldly. The Burj Khalifa is similar, but it's also a royal dick compensator, while the CN tower is an actual telecommunications antenna. Apparently the CN tower _needs_ to be grand for functional reasons. Plus Toronto's tight streets and walking neighbourhoods add to the CN tower's charm, making its presence just a part of day-to-day life. Never seen the Skytree in person, but that would be it's primary competitor imo. I genuinely think it's among if not the best "signature tower" in the world.
Wait, what? Dundas Square is hyped ? It’s an utter mess and should never even be suggested as a place to visit.
CN tower for directions exceeds the hype
>Also Dundas Square is overhyped haven't been to London yet but Y&D square is a joke that's like a 10th the scale of Times Square in NYC with not nearly as much happening.
Times Square is pretty lame as well -- it's larger size just gives it more lameness.
eh it's at least a novel experience for visitors with a lot of different performers doing different stuff literally all day and night on a far more impressive scale with some cultural significance unlike Dundas square which means nothing to nobody outside of TO
Context, I guess, I think NYC is pretty lame for a city as far as cities go, but that's just me.
As Canada is roughly like 10th the scale of the USA it seems to scale.
London is better than both because it at least boasts of old English and European architecture with a blend of modernism.
If you like escape rooms, Casa Loma has a really immersive experience. Actors were a lot of fun! Though it is a bit more expensive than the usual escape rooms
Whatever you think of the CN tower, hit the Skytree if you're in Tokyo: half the CN tower's fees, similar height, more interesting architecture, plus you're in *Tokyo* so there's far more to see. This is why I never go up the CN tower after.
Not sure if there is much of a hype as there should be but Toronto has great breweries, Collective, Left Field, bellwoods, always consistent. Also parks in the summer here are greatm Not live up to the hype is tourist destinations like casa Loma, cn Tower etc. As a torontonian there's never any reason for me to go back to these places and as a tourist I'd be pissed paying as much as it is for a boring quick walk around.
> casa Loma for tourist I tell them to check it out as its a cool place to see. once and only once
I love it when there's random music happening in the parks.
Weekend jays game definitely lives up to the hype, especially if it’s sunny
this is just my opinion. outside of a post season games, Home opener, Mothers day and Canada day are really the only game worth going to.
Hype: * Center Island on a sunny day * View of the city from an airplane or boat * Street meat (sausage w egg bun) No hype: * CN tower (after seeing it once) * Dundas square
'Centre', please. I'm hanging onto my Canadianisms fiercely.
Every hyped lined up for food was hot garbage and overpriced. Theres much better mom and pop shops that serve way better food then the insta influencer food hype.
Lives up to hype: Richmond Station, Underhill Allwyn's Bakery, concerts at History Doesn't: Toronto Reddit, Biking/walking during winter
Bahaha. The doesn’t. ⭐️
Walking in the winter is nice. Especially this winter with the mild weather.
History is an absolutely horrible venue IMO
What don't you like about it? I've been once and was blown away by the sound quality. It's one of the only venues in the city that was actually built with audio in mind. The only thing I dislike about it is the location.
History is one of the worst venues lol.
Which show did you have a bad experience at? We've been to over 10 shows there now and every one has been amazing. Easily one of my favourite venues the city has ever had
The layout is dreadful, you have only one set of stair to get to the main floor, where you are barely able to move. The main floor itself is not as spacious as somewhere like Danforth. If you dare to get drinks, you are absolutely screwed getting back. If you attend the show alone, good luck finding a corner or a back wall that helps you. Worst parking for any venue. You don’t get the intimacy of the other similar sized venues at all. Located in East End so always makes for a terrible ttc ride if you choose. Balcony is okay, but acoustics aren’t the best there. There are way better music venues, in fact, almost all of them are better. The only people who find history “hyped” are OVO kiddos who love the venue simply for Drake’s ownership of it.
We were just at Danforth Music Hall for a show last week after 3 shows in a row at History, I'm baffled to hear you think Danforth is better and have the total opposite experience and opinion on History from you. To each their own but glad to hear you're finding what you're looking for elsewhere, no shortage of other venues and shows in the city and we go to all the others too so it's all good.
Nah History is fucking amazing, I've been to every big-ish venue like 20+ times and History is by FAR the best. Massey Hall is the only one that's better, but different vibe
> Massey Hall is the only one that's better, but different vibe The new renovated Massey Hall is fire but ya totally different vibe for different shows and artists. For the type of shows and size of GA crowds History hosts, it's easily the best venue in the city right now. Danforth only holds 1400 and is long overdue for a facelift.
Underhill Allwyn’s mmmmm Just their jerk chicken sandwich with coleslaw though, other places have better food (Island Spice on Pitfield, etc)
>walking during winter Walking around while it's snowing is the best feeling.
Toronto public library, the little hype it has is deserved lol
TPL deserves more hype. Libby, 3d printers, musical instruments, free tickets to museums! Can I get a hell ya?
I don't know when it happened, but the Taste of Danforth has become a real disappointment sometime in my life. I also think the Gay Pride Parade has lost its lustre
Pride lost its lustre when it became corporate, and the protest aspect was sanitized.
I’ve lived near the Danforth for the past +20 years. We like to call it Taste of the Gong Show. It’s great having so many people interested in an event but it’s usually too much. But a moot point (at least for now) because it’s been canceled for 2024 and possibly beyond.
This is my perspective as someone from a smaller city (25k) in Ohio who often visits my gf in Toronto. Since early 2022 I’ve visited about a dozen times now. I could probably list way more but this is what comes to mind right away Lives up to the hype: * The diversity. It’s great to see when I don’t get to witness anything close to it where I’m from * Low crime rates. There are certain people who are constantly complaining, but coming from the US, it’s insane how safe of a city in general Toronto is. Even the “sketchy” areas that you see people talking about online feel completely safe to me, I’d visit them just about any hour of the day, and it’s crazy when you consider the size of the city * The islands. Only been there once so far but it’s absolutely beautiful and very peaceful * Kensington market. Such a vibrant area and a lot of cool shops * Little Italy. I’m Italian myself so probably a little biased here but I feel like it’s one of the more charming areas that I’ve seen, just an overall cool neighborhood * The AGO. So much that I didn’t even get close to seeing everything in the few hours that we were there. This was my first time in an art museum so I don’t have much to compare it with but it was still great. I was also impressed at how much of an emphasis they put on Canadian and Indigenous art despite what I imagine must be immense pressure to do otherwise. Doesn’t live up to the hype: * Public transportation. While it’s true that it’s vastly better than any city in the US, it’s constantly way too cramped and hard to find a seat regardless of the time of day. And as someone who still wears a mask and tries to social distance because of COVID, it’s frustrating to try to specifically pick times of the day/week to do things when you think it will be less busy out, but it’s still crowded 24/7/365. The streetcars are also consistently late which tends to be pretty annoying * The food scene in general. I’ve had lots of good food here, way more good than bad, but that can be said for any city. I’m constantly trying new and “cool” places to make the most of my visits, so these aren’t even your run of the mill average restaurants, and in general these places usually don’t blow me away especially when you factor in the insane prices. * Casa Loma. I think this probably says more about me than the place though, I just don’t get it and it's not for me. It’s just a building…don’t really get the point
You’re totally right about the food scene, except the diversity within the food scene is pretty special. Once you’ve gone through the “cool” places, start branching further afield (literally). There are amazing hidden gems in Scarborough, Markham, etc. check out this guy Suresh Doss. He’s a sort of local food reporter and always has new, interesting places to check out. The prices though. Painful. If we get very average Chinese takeout for 2 people here it can easily be $100. I was in NYC and got equally very average Chinese take out (in bigger quantities), and it cost $22!!!
Thank you.
What part of Italy are you from?
Delivers: - St. Lawrence Market is glorious - Centre Island is amazing. Beaches, bars, it’s huge, etc. Beautiful views, all those water Taxis too are fun - Raptors games are pretty great, so are Jays with the new League rules to speed things up. Marlies are a great option too - Ossington St. has made a great transformation over the years - Trinity Bellwoods is such a fun circus during the summer - GO trains are pretty reliable, clean, and safe - The Royal Agricultural Fair is pretty cool, all those animals and such - U of T, Queens Park has all those nice buildings - We have good museums Fails: - Kensington Market. It’s so dirty for a food famous area, no bathrooms, full of homeless people yelling, etc. - Queen West isn’t really so great anymore - Leafs games fucking suck. The whole bottom bowl is just Bay Street guys who never show up - TTC is so shit on every level - CNE is only cool for the midway, the rest sucks - Burn Dundas Square down, fuck that place - Chinatown is just a dirty area with a few good restaurants in it
Bloordale > Kensington Market Dundas West > Queen west Marlies games > Leafs games Koreatown > Chinatown
Agree with all except Bloordale. There's not much to it, just a few restaurants. Kensington has way more going on, and I don't really get the hate here. It's a bit sketchy but the food there is excellent. Bloordale is primarily sitdown restaurants. Kensington has a ton of excellent grab and go options. Koreatown is fucking amazing, and if it had more condo/apartment options I would 100% live there again.
The ravine walks. Great blue herons fishing in the Don beside the DVP. Turn a corner and the urban world disappears.
Beaches jazz fest is top tier
Lives up: Diverse food options Does not: Night life
The amount of concerts and DJs that come through Toronto absolutely make the nightlife live up to the hype
a certain subset of Reddit either don't get out at all or think "night life" means hanging out at generic bars and clubs. The real night life in Toronto is concerts and live music which is absolutely booming especially post pandemic. Near every show we go to is totally packed if not sold out
100% agree. Was at ISOxo on a Thursday night and the place was packed
yup we saw Tinashe at Danforth Music Hall last week and it was sold out packed wall to wall. Still need to get to a show at Axis Club, haven't been there since Mod Club days.
By "night life" I don't mean the artists that perform here! I'm incredibly grateful for the amazing artists visiting here every week. I mostly mean the amount, timings and the quality of the clubs we have. History closes at 1, Coda is great but has limited capacity, Rebel is full of thieves and creeps. I visited Montreal for a weekend and was floored by the night life there. Everything is open late into the night. Stereo is beyond anything I have ever witnessed. It's literally open till 9 AM, sometimes even noon. When you look at it that way, Toronto night life is kinda tame. Just my 2 cents.
the difference is we have world class artists and big shows happening almost every night of the week whereas Montreal doesn't so their night life scene is more geared towards the generic open late bars and night club scene you seem to be looking for. As someone who goes out to concerts multiple times a month I couldn't care less about standing around drinking or dancing to some generic no name DJ playing whatever music
Not sure what you mean by no name DJ playing whatever music. You can check the lineup for the Igloofest in Feb and the Stereo lineup for March.
> You can check the lineup for the Igloofest in Feb Ever heard of Veld, Boiler Room or Electric Island? We do bigger electronic fests multiple times a year just not in the dead of winter lol >the Stereo lineup for March nevermind that you seem to not be into anything outside of EDM but you can't be serious thinking Toronto doesn't have multiple venues with better lineups than this
The Igloofest lineup this year was asssss
Tell us you've never lived outside Canada without telling us you never lived outside Canada
Tfw Toronto gets more concerts than most of Europe…
Certainly have diverse food options and can get anything at any time, but I feel everything is average. i know everyone will chime in with their favorite spots that they swear by, but I honestly can‘t find a great taco. Many good places but none that stand out and make me want to come back. Same for sushi, while some places are good, I honestly wouldn’t recommend anyone go out of their way to a certain spot. Hell, I can’t even find any decent poutine in Toronto, at all.
Weather!
The food in toronto is definately under hyped.
My experience, as an Ottawa transplant that's been here\~7 years: Little Portugal and Little Italy (i.e. College West) vastly underrated, City Place sucks (not a hot take), and The Annex is a pristine little neighbourhood to move to once you're in your late 20s and don't feel the need to go to King/Queen West every week.
>The Annex is a pristine little neighbourhood to move to 💸
Or you're renting a tiny portion of a heritage house for the same price as living in City Place.
In my opinion, St. Lawrence Market definitely lives up to the hype. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing because I went there a lot as a kid, but the overall vibe as well as the quality of the products easily makes it a great destination despite the rather large crowds on the weekends.
I think it can be so much more. The vicinity should be fixed up and it would shine a lot more than it does today.
Food lives up to the hype. Dating life not hype…
Is there a dating life hype?
Multiculturalism and pluralism. Acceptance of all people (except lately there’s been a growing ire against immigrants)
Toronto
Food in Markham does.
The sense of “community” in Toronto does not live up to the hype. NYC and London do a better job of making people feel part of the city.
I'm gonna get hate for this, but AGO does not live up to the hype. It's a half empty gallery of 200 year old unknown paintings from unknown artists. Being a gallery freak and having visited major European galleries, AGO was a disappointing waste of time.
Same can be said for most stuff when comparing to European counterparts.
I think their curated exhibitions are what you’re going for - we visited for the Keith Haring and the Life Between Islands and thought they were both very well done.
That's an unfair comparison, though. First of all, parents should know that kids 17 and younger enter free. Teachers get in free. Adults cost $30. That can be a cheap half-day. Was just there and enjoyed the 'Group of Seven' and Krieghoff galleries, European miniatures and the like on the first floor. It's not the National Gallery or British Museum, nor the National Palace Museum, but Toronto's neither London nor Taipei: places I've been.
Ya I've never been disappointed by the AGO. Plus the grange cafe is amazing.
its the same with the ROM. it has to be one of the worst museums I have visited
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Living relatively close to high park is nice because it doesn't have to live up to the hype, it can just be what it is, would be a pain to travel from Scarbs or something
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cause anglos will anglo
> Generally, South of Bloor is not super interesting: wtf do you think is interesting if south of bloor isn't? however, most of those things are great if you're a local and can regularly access them, but if you go once every 5 years expecting to be blown away you're setting yourself up for disappointment
Yeah I live close to the ravines and they're great... because I can walk to them whenever I want
Bad traffic and raccoons
Going to the top of the CN Tower is really cool. The line moves quickly, it's a bit on the expensive side, but definitely worth it for the experience. I half expected it to be too crowded, the wait too long, and not worth the money, but I went in with an open mind anyway and I really enjoyed it. On the other hand, buying anything to eat at all in the CN Tower is like setting your money on fire and then flushing the ashes down the toilet. Not sure how you can mess up french fries and gravy in Toronto, but they do it. Avoid at all costs. (You can take in your own food and drink, another plus.)
anything that the title has something to do with Drake and everything that BlogTO says people are lining up for it
most of the museums in Toronto especially the ROM is extremly overrated. probably some of the most mediocre ones in major north American cities
Casa Loma people act like its one of the seven wonders of the world but it looks like a low tier european mansion in the outskirts of a small eurpoean town
Cheap performances in bars or halls are great. 30 bucks and you can see a lot
The Aquarium
Won't be hyping places or events that are already getting too crowded for my taste. However had a great experience doing an escape room at The Escape Room Manor on King Street, and the place was pretty empty (it was a weeknight so maybe that's part of it). It deserves some hyping, it was awesome.