About Toronto
Amidst the natural parks, lakes and tranquillity of Ontario is the dynamic metropolitan city of Toronto. Many times compared with New York City and San Francisco in the US because of its stand-out qualities, Toronto is Canada's most celebrated city worldwide being the reason for why it is commonly mistaken as the country's capital which is in fact Ottawa.
Toronto's close proximity to the nation's most searched-for attractions like the marvellous waterfalls of Niagara Falls, peaceful Lake Ontario and Canada's Wonderland means that visitors can literally get the best of both worlds when choosing to holiday in this popular city. Within the city itself however, there are plenty of attractions to check off that good old bucket list. Start by climbing the CN Tower which is unquestionably the best way to kick off your holiday and the finest way to soak in Toronto's mega skyline with its unsurpassed views.
Made up of six different districts, them being Old Toronto, Etobicoke, York, East York, North York and Scarborough, Toronto is a delightful mix of olds traditions and history rivalled by sophisticated urban streets. Despite being heavily urbanized, you will also be astounded to find timeless natural parks and plenty of leafy areas scattered around the outskirts of the city like High Park in western Toronto for example, along with ravines which rip through certain areas giving you the chance to stroll through small pockets of wilderness and woodlands during your trip in this one of a kind city. One of Toronto's biggest characteristics is its diversity in terms of its people. From Chinatown to Little Italy or Portugal Village to its most recent community designated Koreatown, it is evident that Toronto has been an immigration magnet for some time. Expect to come across a variety of neighbourhoods where different languages are spoken and where signs are labelled in languages other than English. Walking through these different areas will leave you with a sense of having travelled through Europe and Asia. This is of course a unique opportunity to experience something traditional from these different countries whether it's the cuisine or a festival.
Toronto, part of the Golden Horseshoe Region, is continuously voted as one of the world's greatest places to live. It is probably due to this reason that Toronto has flourished as Canada's most populated city. Its living standards are high and it's a city that can offer something for everybody. "What can't you find in Toronto?" is a pretty difficult question to answer given that Toronto really does seem to have everything a person needs to live a fun-filled life. It is even said that the city's mega shopping mall alone, Toronto's Eaton Centre, has everything a person could ever imagine of buying. Toronto is very much a "happening" place too with seasonal cultural events ranging from musical, artistic, dance and food taking place across various areas. For free or cheap events, the Lakefront and Harbourfront are your best bets.
Downtown Toronto is one of the most touristic areas of the city and one that you should not miss! Filled with unique sights, smells and sounds is Kensington Market; a bohemian neighbourhood marked by a cocktail of flea markets, coffee houses, cosy restaurants, food stalls, hippies and immigrants. Yonge Street, known for its booming theatres and sassy shows, is another highlight of this famous district and a Guinness World Record holder as the longest street in the world (1896 km) making it every bit worth the visit.
Toronto, being Canada's cultural centre, is host to some of the best museums in the world. Some are historical like the Royal Ontario Museum, others are scientific such as Ontario Science Centre, some are crazy about art for instance Art Gallery of Ontario and others are just plain unusual but otherwise awesome much like the Bata Shoe Museum. Toronto also contains treasures belonging to the architectural world. Don't miss Casa Loma, a dream turned reality; Spadina House, a historic mansion; the contrasting and cutting edge building of Toronto City Hall; and for sport fanatics, the Rogers Centre stadium formerly known as Skydome overlooked by the soaring CN Tower next door – a magnificent sight that will leave you feeling truly overwhelmed!
