DIVERSITY & QUALITY
KENSINGTON MARKET
(Between Dundas and College, west of Spadina Ave. Closest subway - TTC: Queen's Park Station, then streetcar westbound) During the 1920s, it was known as the Jewish Market. Today, you can sense the city's rich, multicultural mix, obvious in the shops packed with goods from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America and Asia. A visit to Kensington is a whirlwind trip around the world! It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second hand clothing shops, along with restaurants and cafés.
CHINATOWN
(Corner of Spadina and Dundas St. West. TTC: St. Patrick Station, then streetcar westbound) This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. With a wealth of oriental shops and outdoor fruit markets, it's known for a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.
ST. LAWRENCE MARKET
(Corner of Jarvis and Front St. TTC: Union Station, then walk east) The area (also known as the Old Town of York) is the site of the city's original market. Though popular most of the week, the market comes to life on Saturdays. Farmers, food and flowers - always a winning combination! This historic area also has numerous old warehouses that have been converted into residences, stores, restaurants and pubs.
FINANCIAL DISTRICT & UNDERGROUND CITY
(Bounded by Queen St, Front St, Yonge St. and Avenue Rd. TTC: King, Union, or St. Andrew Stations) Dozens of towering glass, concrete and steel monoliths are a must-see for architecture enthusiasts. Toronto's Financial District is actually quite compact and walkable, even in inclement weather. That's because of the "underground city" - 11 kms (6 miles) of interconnecting passageways under the streets that feature more than 1,200 retail stores and services. Street entrances to the subterranean walkway are indicated with "PATH" signage.
QUEEN ST. WEST
(Queen St. West, between Yonge St. and Bathurst Ave. TTC: Queen Station, then streetcar westbound) Queen West is one the city's more popular shopping districts. It features trendy restaurants, cutting-edge fashion, galleries, antique shops and dance clubs. One of the landmarks is the City-TV building, a television studio with many events that spill out onto the street.
FASHION DISTRICT
(Spadina Avenue, between Dundas and Front St. TTC: King Station, then streetcar westbound) Toronto's garment district has terrific bargains on local fashions, fabric, leathers and furs.
HARBOURFRONT
(Queen's Quay, between Bathurst and Jarvis St. TTC: Union Station, then streetcar southbound) Before 1972, this was a wasteland of warehouses. Now it's a residential and cultural neighbourhood popular year-round. Highlights include speciality shops at Queens Quay Terminal, cultural facilities at Harbourfront Centre, a terrific lakeside walking trail, and the Harbourfront Antique Market. Cruises of the harbour and ferry services run from the waterfront as well.
TORONTO ISLANDS
(TTC: Union Station, then streetcar southbound; transfer to Island Ferries) The three main islands offers a quaint summer amusement park, paddleboats and bikes for rent, in-line skating paths, and grass and beaches for picnics. Best of all, there are no cars! Summer cottages from the 1920's are home for some 250 families, and feature charming English-style gardens. The Islands are a 10-minute ferry ride from the docks located at the foot of Bay St.
Midtown Toronto
BLOOR/YORKVILLE
(Bounded by Bloor St. West, Avenue Rd., Davenport Rd. and Yonge St. TTC: Bay Station) Thirty years ago, flower children; today it's strictly upper crust. One of Toronto's more elegant, shopping and dining areas, Yorkville's designer boutiques, antique shops and galleries are absolutely first-class. The area features a warren of small courtyards and alleyways, including a contemporary park located in the very heart of the neighbourhood. (Make sure you visit the "Rock", a huge piece of granite trucked hundreds of miles from the Canadian Shield!)
CHURCH & WELLESLEY
(Area surrounding Church and Wellesley Sts. TTC: Wellesley Station, then walk east) This predominantly gay neighbourhood is host to Canada's largest annual gay and lesbian Gay Pride Celebrations. Find lots of bars, shops and restaurants, along with Buddies and Bad Times gay theatre.
CABBAGETOWN
(East of Parliament St., between Wellesley and Dundas St. East. TTC: College, then streetcar eastbound) Once a working-class enclave, Cabbagetown is now a gracious neighbourhood of renovated Victorian homes and lovely parks. Highlights include the turn-of-the-century Riverdale Farm (site of the original Toronto Zoo) and Allan Gardens, with its botanical collection in a beautiful Victorian-style greenhouse.
ROSEDALE & FOREST HILL
(Adjacent neighbourhoods; located north of Bloor St., between Yonge St. to the Don River. TTC: Rosedale subway station, then #82 bus, or walk east from Summerhill subway station for Forrest Hill area.) Home to many of Toronto's most established (and monied) citizens, these parklike districts feature winding streets lined with magnificent homes of impregnable solidity, well-tended gardens, and secluded parks.
LITTLE ITALY
(College St. between Euclid Ave and Shaw St. TTC: Queen's Park Station, then streetcar westbound) This lively neighbourhood (actually more Portuguese) is the spiritual home of Toronto's Italian community, which has for the most part migrated further north. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafés, and a few more traditional poolhalls. Like Greektown, Little Italy's sidewalks are jammed on weekends, especially in the summer, when all of Toronto, it seems, is sipping espressos on outdoor patios. (See also Corso Italia.)
East Toronto
GREEKTOWN
(Danforth Rd., between Chester and Jones Ave. TTC: Chester Station) A large collection of restaurants feature authentic Greek cuisine in this lively area, which also features a fascinating mix of speciality shops. "The Danforth" (its local nickname) is also a night owl's haven with clubs and cafés open till the wee hours.
INDIAN BAZAAR
(Gerrard St, around Coxwell Ave, Greenwood Ave and Main St. TTC: Coxwell Station, then streetcar southbound on Main St.) Find Indian-food restaurants, grocers, and shops that specialise in traditional saris and brightly-coloured scarves.
THE BEACH
(Queen St. West, between Coxwell and Victoria Park Ave. TTC: Queen Station, then streetcar eastbound) Antique shops, clapboard cottages and quirky stores and restaurants typify the Beach. The beachside boardwalk is crowded with joggers, dog-walkers and picnickers, and the beach itself is packed in the summer. Home to students, professors and media types, the Beaches has a laid-back attitude unlike anywhere else in town.
West Toronto
CORSO ITALIA
(St. Clair Avenue, between Landsdowne and Westmount Ave. TTC: St. Clair West, then streetcar westbound) Known for its fashionable shops that reflect what's hot in Europe. Top-of-the-line Italian fashion shops draw crowds, as do a multitude of cafés and restaurants offering the cuisine\x{2019}s of various Italian regions.
LITTLE POLAND
(Roncesvalles Ave. between King St. and Dundas Street West. TTC: Dundas West Station) An enclave of Eastern European and Russian residents, this area specialises in traditional cuisine, plus bakeries, cafés, and special events from the "old country".
PORTUGAL VILLAGE
(area bordered by Trinity Bellwoods Park, College St. West, Spadina Ave and Ossington Ave) Toronto's large Portuguese community is focused in this neighbourhood, with dozens of bake shops, restaurants, cheese stores, and fish markets, especially along Dundas and College Sts West. The community is also well represented in Kensington Market.
KOREATOWN
(Bloor Street West, between Bathurst and Christie St. TTC: Bathurst) Shops stocking exotic herbs, acupuncture centres, and Korean restaurants abound here, although few Koreans actually live in the area.Other distinct areas in Toronto of interest to visitors include the leafy Annex (west end), the charming Riverdale (east end), and the upscale atmosphere of the Yonge/Eglinton intersection (uptown).
Suburban Toronto
NORTH YORK
(TTC: North York or Sheppard stations) This energetic area features its own "downtown" around the Yonge/Sheppard intersection. It's home to fantastic restaurants, a large commercial theatre complex, great shopping, and a sizzling winter carnival.
ETOBICOKE
Pronounced "eh-toe-bi-coh", this area lies between the airport and downtown. Although primarily residential, there are several excellent shopping centres and speciality shops in the neighbourhood.SCARBOROUGH Situated east of downtown, Scarborough includes the fantastic Scarborough Bluffs, dramatic cliffs rising from Lake Ontario. It also features wonderful hiking through the Rouge River Valley, and the famous Toronto Zoo.
YORK and EAST YORK are both highly residential areas.
THE GREATER TORONTO AREA
The Greater Toronto Area (or GTA) includes four regions surrounding the city proper. Home to 4.2 million people , it is the economic and cultural engine of Canada. Each of the four regions -- Halton and Peel to the west, York to the North, and Durham to the east -- offer a variety of attractions, pleasant cities, towns and villages, plus wonderful countryside. Here are highlights of each region:
HALTON:
Glen Abbey Golf Club, Canada's most prestigious public course; the beautiful 2,700 acre Royal Botanical Gardens; Springridge Farm, with its seasonal fare, crafts and farm animals; and the Bruce Trail, a spectacular hiking path along the Niagara Escarpment.
PEEL:
the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga; the rolling Caledon Hills; and the Dixie Outlet Mall.
YORK:
the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, home to the celebrated Group of Seven; historic Unionville; and Lake Simcoe, in the heart of Ontario's cottage country.