What is there to do in Toronto?

[Black Yaris]

Wife just booked a trip to Toronto for a few days, then a couple in Niagara Falls

We have been to Niagara before, but I do not know much about Toronto or what to do while there.

Thing of interest to us:
Parks (Animals or Nature)
Shopping (stuff you can not find elsewhere)
Good food (I will eat just about anything new or interesting, but the wife in a vegetarian)
Interesting architecture, statues or monuments
Any place that may be cool to just hang out (maybe just to sit and drink a cup of tea)

any input would be great, I will have to check the exact dates... but I do know it is in the middle of August

[Dave]

Parks/Animals: Check out the official Toronto Zoo (www.torontozoo.com). I used to live in the High Park area (Keele and Bloor West) and I miss it greatly. That park is huge and absolutely fantastic. There's a little zoo in it too. It's still one of my favourite places in the city. Riverdale Park is pretty cool, and the Don River runs through it.

Shopping: Eaton Centre and Yorkdale if you`re into malls. Queen West for eclectic yet accessible, Yorkville (Bay and Bloor area) for high end. Bloor West Village is cool too.

Good food: The Danforth (my new 'hood), Roncesvalles, Little Italy.

Architecture: The Royal Ontario Museum (aka the ROM) and its crazy space crystal at St. George and Bloor. The Art Gallery of Ontario (aka the AGO), which is absolutely beautiful on the inside and out, at Dundas and University. The Ontario College of Art and Design (aka OCAD) at Dundas West and McCaul.

Interesting places: Kensington Market. Chinatown. The best place to hang out on a patio for coffee is Little Italy (College and Bathurst). If you're here on a Saturday morning you should check out St. Lawrence Market even if you're not buying food. Of course, there's the CN Tower for typical touristy stuff. Toronto Island is pretty cool. There's the Scarborough Bluffs too, but I've actually never been out there so I don't know how good it is.

[yaris prime]

I was there in the Fall and thought that the Royal Ontario Museum was pretty good.

[MUSKOKA800]

I particularily enjoyed our visit to Casa Loma

http://www.casaloma.org/

[MUSKOKA800]

And regarding shopping. Don't. We come your way for that. We have the same stores with double the prices.
Plenty of nice sites to see though.

[fidgell]

Check out Panorama bar on top of the Manulife Centre on Bloor West not far from Yonge. Its a roof top bar that gives an amazing view of the city. Opens at 5pm I believe closing in the early hours, good drinks list and snack type food. I would call ahead though as its sometimes shut for private functions and doesnt tell you till you get right up there.... 416-967-0000

As for the other stuff, Dave above has it pretty much sown up. The zoo is amazing and the food on the Danforth is great - especially try Embrujo Flamenco, a brilliant tapas place (so good for meaties and veggies) and on Friday and Saturday nights has authentic flamenco shows with one of the best spanish guitarists Ive ever seen! www.embrujoflamenco.com one of the best nights out to take the missus...she will love it!

Enjoy

[Doc Zaius]

I'd say interesting shopping can be found on Queen St., and of course Kensington Market for awesome retro and vintage stuff at good prices (very cool vibe in that area).

[xtremesniper]

Can't forget the Harbourfront if you're into taking strolls by the water. The other obvious choice would be the CN Tower. High Park definitely if you're into parks, though there are parks and greenery scattered all across the city in places not even I've managed to get to yet.

It's a pretty artsy city so you'll find monuments or sculptures almost everywhere... Even in the financial district core you'll find bronze cows grazing in the "fields".

I'm a photographer as a hobby, so I have some shots of some of the places that we just mentioned...

OCAD: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shatter...ts/3498206357/
City Hall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shatter...cts/469446747/
The TD Tower cows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shatter...cts/469446737/
High Park: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shatter...cts/142033197/

Also just wanted to say that the Art Gallery of Ontario is actually right next to OCAD at Dundas and McCaul, rather than at Dundas and University. Just a small difference.

[thebarber]

nice park to walk in on the lake
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.593...4&z=15&iwloc=A

also here
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.621...,0.037894&z=15

walk from ^^ to here
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.634...4&z=15&iwloc=A

little india on danforth is a nice area to hit up for some tastey indian food

queen of sheeba on bloor st west has nice ethiopian food too....my wife used to live across the street...

[Dave]

Originally Posted by thebarber

walk from ^^ to here
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.634...4&z=15&iwloc=A

Ignore all the piles of garbage in the street view. It's not always like that

[SilverBack]

An awesome A State Of Trance super fest at Guvernment right now! PM me if you wanna listen to the live stream

[frbl]

Two things I remember about Toronto - fair number of Greek restaurants and the Hockey Hall of Fame. I know, you give no indication that the Hockey Hall of Fame/Museum would be of interest to you. It wouldn't have been to me, either. But I accidentally got off of a bus right in front of it and decided - what the heck - and went inside (via a mall, believe it or not) and REALLY was pleasantly surprised by how interesting it was. How many sports Halls if Fame have a priest in it?

Of course, Niagara Falls isn't too terribly far away. Beautiful at night. And a casino at the Falls if you want. Oh, and don't forget to smoke a Cuban cigar while you can. ;^)

[Black Yaris]

well trip was canceled due to us moving to Phoenix, AZ in July