Toronto Recommendations
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Not having bodegas or 7/11 on every corner is going to suck
It always freaks me out when stores close at like 9
But thanks for the heads up!
It always freaks me out when stores close at like 9
But thanks for the heads up!
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
just took advantage of Summerlicious and made reservations for lunch at Tutti Matti. Anyone ever been?
Re: Toronto Recommendations
ME!! I've been there a couple of times actually. It's pretty good.farrellgirl99 wrote:just took advantage of Summerlicious and made reservations for lunch at Tutti Matti. Anyone ever been?
When it first opened, I went during Summerlicious too.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
BTW, Queen + Spadina will be closed for track construction, so do not drive around there.
Walking is fine though.
Walking is fine though.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
only liquor stores and beer stores clsoe that early. there are 24hr shops and convenience stores.if you are staying in the downtown core, there is stuff open.farrellgirl99 wrote:Not having bodegas or 7/11 on every corner is going to suck
It always freaks me out when stores close at like 9
But thanks for the heads up!
also, last call at the bars is 2am. All booze has to be off the table by 3am.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
If you're going to Kensington Market, look for the garden car....good photo op.
http://invisible-friends.com/2012/06/ke ... arden-car/
http://invisible-friends.com/2012/06/ke ... arden-car/
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Also in the market, The Hot Box Cafe. If you like to smoke pot, you can go on their "potio" and indulge hassle-free. Even if you don't, it's worth checking out for people watching. It's a preety cool vibe. They have smoothies and snacks too.
http://hotboxcafe.ca/HotBoxHome.htm
http://hotboxcafe.ca/HotBoxHome.htm
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Wow, cool stuff. We leave tomorrow at 4 am I'm looking forward to it though!
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Waking up so early sucks;however, you will get a lot of kilometres covered(just getting you used to it before you cross the border. ) before the heavy traffic starts.
I hope you have a great trip and wish you a safe journey.
Which border crossing are you coming through?
As you're getting closer to Toronto you may want to tune in on the radio to AM 680 News for traffic updates.
It's all news, traffic, and weather. They even give estimated wait times for the border crossings.
*here's a site with border wait time. it says they also update on twitter too
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html
I hope you have a great trip and wish you a safe journey.
Which border crossing are you coming through?
As you're getting closer to Toronto you may want to tune in on the radio to AM 680 News for traffic updates.
It's all news, traffic, and weather. They even give estimated wait times for the border crossings.
*here's a site with border wait time. it says they also update on twitter too
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html
Re: Toronto Recommendations
So?
How's the trip going?
Favourite thing you saw or did?
How's the trip going?
Favourite thing you saw or did?
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
It's going well! Tonight is our last night in Canada. We moved to an airport hotel in Mississauga. We had a fail day today cause we went to the beaches neighborhood to go in Lake Ontario but then a bad thunderstorm shortened our stay to 25 minutes But it was a nice beach.
Other than that we had a good time in Toronto. It's actually one of my favorite cities I've been too because it has a really nice vibe. Everyone was friendly and I liked how diverse the city was. When i go to some cities it always blows my mind how strictly black/white they are but toronto reminded me a lot of Queens in its diversity.
Pros: the blue jays game was fun (although the game sucked! they lost 1-0 and couldn't hit for shit), the peameal bacon sandwich at paddingtons was on point (although i like american bacon better), walking around Queen and King Street (loved the graffiti off of queen! i love street art so i really enjoyed the street art throughout toronto), all the food and beer so far has been pretty good
Cons: the CN tower sucked and was so overpriced but i guess its a tourist trap so what can you expect, and driving/parking sucked. we were driving everywhere cause we stayed far out on weston rd so parking was a nightmare. toronto has like no street parking compared to ny. driving in nyc is a nightmare too but you can park on the street pretty much anywhere. this was so restrictive and we ended up spending a shit ton on parking lots. and it seems like the whole city is under construction! but i guess theres nothing that can be done about that.
overall id love to come back and stay awhile. it feels to me like more of a residential/chill city than one with a lot of destinations/landmarks per say so i think it would be an enjoyable place to spend some more time just taking it in. thanks for the pointers and what not, they were very handy
now it's off to niagara tomorrow!
Other than that we had a good time in Toronto. It's actually one of my favorite cities I've been too because it has a really nice vibe. Everyone was friendly and I liked how diverse the city was. When i go to some cities it always blows my mind how strictly black/white they are but toronto reminded me a lot of Queens in its diversity.
Pros: the blue jays game was fun (although the game sucked! they lost 1-0 and couldn't hit for shit), the peameal bacon sandwich at paddingtons was on point (although i like american bacon better), walking around Queen and King Street (loved the graffiti off of queen! i love street art so i really enjoyed the street art throughout toronto), all the food and beer so far has been pretty good
Cons: the CN tower sucked and was so overpriced but i guess its a tourist trap so what can you expect, and driving/parking sucked. we were driving everywhere cause we stayed far out on weston rd so parking was a nightmare. toronto has like no street parking compared to ny. driving in nyc is a nightmare too but you can park on the street pretty much anywhere. this was so restrictive and we ended up spending a shit ton on parking lots. and it seems like the whole city is under construction! but i guess theres nothing that can be done about that.
overall id love to come back and stay awhile. it feels to me like more of a residential/chill city than one with a lot of destinations/landmarks per say so i think it would be an enjoyable place to spend some more time just taking it in. thanks for the pointers and what not, they were very handy
now it's off to niagara tomorrow!
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Just got back from Montreal tonight. It was a very nice city, and we stayed in a beautiful old apartment with a courtyard and balcony in the Mile End section of the city (i think) on Saint Urbain. Besides the weather being disgustingly humid, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the city.
I don't know if it was bc there was a music festival this weekend, but I was surprised by how hipster the city was. It was like Williamsburg x10. Not my scene at all, but what can you do.
Also, I tried a Montreal bagel...i dont even think it can be compared in the same sentence to a nyc bagel. no contest. it was like a thin pretzel.
I don't know if it was bc there was a music festival this weekend, but I was surprised by how hipster the city was. It was like Williamsburg x10. Not my scene at all, but what can you do.
Also, I tried a Montreal bagel...i dont even think it can be compared in the same sentence to a nyc bagel. no contest. it was like a thin pretzel.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Yeah it's been ridiculously humid lately. (I'm about halfway between Toronto and Montreal most of the time).farrellgirl99 wrote:Just got back from Montreal tonight. It was a very nice city, and we stayed in a beautiful old apartment with a courtyard and balcony in the Mile End section of the city (i think) on Saint Urbain. Besides the weather being disgustingly humid, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the city.
I don't know if it was bc there was a music festival this weekend, but I was surprised by how hipster the city was. It was like Williamsburg x10. Not my scene at all, but what can you do.
Also, I tried a Montreal bagel...i dont even think it can be compared in the same sentence to a nyc bagel. no contest. it was like a thin pretzel.
It's best if you have two conceptions of bagel-ness (bagelitude? bagelousness? bagelity?) and don't expect them to overlap except insofar as they are flour-based cylindrical holed food thingies. But then, I had a really shitty bagel in NYC, so it's also probably just going to depend on where you go and when.
The architecture is really the best part of Montreal (which is one of the least French [i.e., most Anglophone] cities in Quebec). Less brutalist concrete nonsense than downtown Toronto.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
The Osheaga Festival was on. The Toronto hipsters with their suitcases on wheels made the trek over there.farrellgirl99 wrote: I don't know if it was bc there was a music festival this weekend, but I was surprised by how hipster the city was. It was like Williamsburg x10. Not my scene at all, but what can you do.
Sounds like you've enjoyed your trips to Canada.
- farrellgirl99
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: Queens
Re: Toronto Recommendations
I had a Fairmont bagel cause I was trying to do it right. But true, they are very different tastes. But I guess being from here it's obvious what i would prefer
And yes, Canada has done me right. Really liked both cities, I could even see myself living there, more so in Toronto as the French was a bit intimidating in Montreal. I'll definitely visit again as soon as I forget what the 11 hour train ride was like
And yes, Canada has done me right. Really liked both cities, I could even see myself living there, more so in Toronto as the French was a bit intimidating in Montreal. I'll definitely visit again as soon as I forget what the 11 hour train ride was like
Re: Toronto Recommendations
I walked into a café in Outrémont, intimidated as hell... forgot all my French, so I said: "Parlez-vous Anglais?" and the guy answers: "Of course. We have to."farrellgirl99 wrote:I had a Fairmont bagel cause I was trying to do it right. But true, they are very different tastes. But I guess being from here it's obvious what i would prefer
And yes, Canada has done me right. Really liked both cities, I could even see myself living there, more so in Toronto as the French was a bit intimidating in Montreal. I'll definitely visit again as soon as I forget what the 11 hour train ride was like
To be perfectly honest, I prefer the old Toronto Jewish bakery-style bagels over Montreal bagels myself...they're much closer in flavour/shape to NYC bagels... but the damn bakeries keep closing, or at least the ones that provide bagels for the stores I can get to here.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
If you come back to Toronto I would recommend Porter Airlines. They fly out of Newark and land in the Toronto city centre airport. On my last trip to NY I flew with Porter and it was great! Flight time less than 1 hour. I paid about $300 with taxes. Porter often has a seat promotion. For such a short flight going the city centre airport route saves a lot of time. On previous trips to NY I flew out of Pearson airport and the lines to clear security were ridiculous!!
Re: Toronto Recommendations
Artemis wrote:If you come back to Toronto I would recommend Porter Airlines. They fly out of Newark and land in the Toronto city centre airport. On my last trip to NY I flew with Porter and it was great! Flight time less than 1 hour. I paid about $300 with taxes. Porter often has a seat promotion. For such a short flight going the city centre airport route saves a lot of time. On previous trips to NY I flew out of Pearson airport and the lines to clear security were ridiculous!!
Be forewarned though, once you get on that city island I am pessimistic regarding the options of getting off the island. There are no bridges and there are no tunnels.............................
...........there may be a boat.
Re: Toronto Recommendations
I thought his impression was pretty accurate. Toronto is an ugly city these days, but it has hidden stuff that's great. I like that he had the horse tartare at the Black Hoof that I've been thinking of trying.