Toronto... Better than NYC! (Toronto (Canada))

Member Name: skybluearmyontou

Product:	Toronto (Canada)
Date:	10/10/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Safe, Clean, Shoppers Paradise, Great Bars, Close to Niagara Falls,..could go on and on!

Disadvantages: 3 nights is not long enough! I did get lost a few times as some of the roads can be confusing.

I decided to visit Toronto in 2007 and it was to be my first trip into Canada, so obviously I was very excited at the prospect.

Arriving at Toronto airport on a very empty Air Canada (nice planes..) from DC, I was taken into a smaller security check in to most of the other travellers while the visa I was on and my papers were checked. Got the 'A OK' and it was off to get some Canadian Dollars. You know, I never knew they had the queen on too!

Anyway, I was staying at a HI Hostel on Church Street. It was a nice hostel, not the best I have stayed in though. The rooms were very crowded and being on church street, well, it is right across the road from the church. This may seem a nice safe setting but having the church bell ringing so much certainly was a pain.

The weather in Toronto (I was there early-mid September) was warm but not hot which was ideal for walking around the City.

Toronto is a built up, modern, vibrant City and the largest in Canada. As a solo traveller I felt very safe walking around the City and really enjoyed the nice atmosphere it had to offer. Shoppers will love Toronto with shops to suit all tastes and a vast range of different stores. The Eaton Centre is well worth a visit. I guess it's like being in New York, except it was cleaner, safer and less crowded. There are some very nice squares (Yonge-Dundas Square was my favourite) in the City where you can sit outside and enjoy the sounds of the City watching the fountains and the several street performers putting on shows. Street dance seemed to be the most popular choice. As you would expect, restaurants are also plentiful. There seemed to be a lot of Italian eateries, whatever the restaurant, I never came across bad service once.

As for bars? Wow. Toronto has a great choice of bars that stock drinks from around the world. I thoroughly recommend trying Canadian beers while you're there though. Labatt is a well known brand a particular favourite of mine is Moosehead. Definately worth a try. If you're coming from America, you may well notice that Canadian beer is 1%+ stronger than most American beers (not hard considering how close to water they are). Toronto also holds it's own beer festival which is usually in August. Sadly I missed it!

Attraction wise, you have plenty to keep you going. The most famous would have to be the CN Tower (553 metre- (1,815 foot-) - Source: Wikipedia) which towers over the City landscape. It gives amazing views, just pray for a clear day! It is situated next to the Rogers Centre which is the illuminated dome in the picture. This houses, amongst other things, the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Team. I was there to see NYY play there and the roof was closed which was a unique experience. Staying on the theme of sports, Canada's most popular sport, NHL, is also represented by the NHL hall of fame. Not being much of a Hockey Fan at all, I still managed to enjoy my time there and there's some great games you can play as well as a great photo opportunity with the Stanley Cup (well, one of them!). Obviously if your are there in season you will be able to catch a live hockey game but I imagine tickets being hard to come by. Another sport worth taking a look at is the soccer team. They are a fairly new team and play in a tidy little stadium which can be seen from CN tower.

Just as I was set to leave the City, I found out that the Toronto film festival had just started and a lot of big stars were in town. I managed to spend some time around the festival but not enough to say anything interesting. I did see Clive Owen entering a hotel. I shouted to try and get his attention but to no luck. Shame, I was going to ask him if he wanted a drink with a fellow Coventry resident. I wonder whether he'd have brought the first round?

You can experience many day trips from Toronto, such as Niagara falls, which is best viewed from the Canadian side of the river (see my review of the American side for details), so well worth a look at. I decided to go there for a few days and took a train from Toronto to Niagara falls, which, again, was a pleasant and comfortable journey.

I was only there for 3 nights and I wish I was there longer as there was so much that was left unseen. I shall return sooner rather than later I hope. It truly is an exciting City to be in.

Summary: Toronto is a safe and vibrant City and is a must for those who would love NY if it wasn't so crowded