3 Magnificent Days in Toronto
1. Parks & Biking
If there is one thing Torontoians love its green space and biking. The core of Toronto isn’t as big as most people think which makes it ideal to briskly cycle from one end of the city to the other. Add in the many parks, both large and small and you get an interesting city-scape.
Getting your own set of wheels is very easy, there are a number of bike rental business in Toronto such as Yellow Bike Rentals which offers daily bike rentals for $25. However, the better option is Toronto’s Bike Share which has self-serving stations located all over the city core. The bikes cost just $7 for a full 24 hour rental, you just need to be sure there’s a bike station nearby when you want to walk around a bit. Be sure to take a ride around the core (safely of course), then see if you can make it out to Trinity Bell Woods Park I the west. Or if you’re feeling daring, try riding all the way over to Woodbine Beach.
One of the best parks in the city is without question, High Park. Accessed easily by bike, streetcar, and subways stations on Line 2, this massive park has dozens of crisscrossing trails and a number of open parkland spaces perfect for enjoying lunch. If you visit in the spring months you might be able to catch the cherry blossoms blooming which is defiantly a sight you have to see to appreciate
2. Shopping
Canadians and Torontonians in particular love to find good deals on all their favorite brands and products. As a result Toronto has started to attract high end companies as well as cultivate a unique culture of boutique shops and specialty stores. One of the best places to find the finer things is Eaton’s Center on Younge between Queen Street and Dundas Street, and Yorkville shopping center farther north of the city.
If you’re looking for more unique items than those found in department stores, Queen Street West from University Avenue to the far reaches of Roncesvalles is where you’ll find a variety of small shops and restaurants serving up everything from designer hats to bacon wrapped mars bars (yes, those exist). One finial stop at Honest Eds on the corner of Bloor and Bathurst to wrap up the day with some severely discounted options is always nice if you can spare the time.
3. Eating!
It wouldn’t be a good day in Toronto without bringing in the local cuisine. One of things Toronto is known for is its many restaurants that have dishes from all over the world as well as its neighborhoods such as China Town, Little Italy, and Little Portugal each with their own take on their countries specialty dishes.
If open markets are more of your style you’ll find a buffet of options at St. Laurence Market on Front Street. The old market has sat near Toronto’s waterfront for over a hundred years and over that time merchants have come and gone but the air is still filled with smells of fresh meats and home cooked recipes, all for sale of course. Three’s also Kensington Market which despite its looks offers a wide range of bistros, cafes, and boutique shops. Kensington is just after Spadina and is within easy walking distance of the Spadina streetcar and the College St streetcar.
The all-time best place to grab a bite to eat though tis the food pavilion at the Canadian National Exhibition, or The Ex for short. The Ex only happens once a year usually around the end of august and the first week of September. In the previous years the Ex’s food pavilion has played host to a number of culinary concoctions such as doughnut burger, butter coffee, and just about anything deep fried and wrapped in bacon. Most Torontonians go just to see what’s on the menu each year and if the dish is good, eat as much as possible.
Toronto has plenty of other activities, but when time is of the essence you’ll want to get as much done as possible in as much time as possible all while making your classes on time at GEOS.