Things to do in Toronto, ON

Toronto is famous as one of the most ethnically diverse cities on the planet. Thanks to a liberal immigration policy, North America’s 5th largest city is home to more than 70 different nationalities. Ride the subways and you’ll hear over 100 languages being spoken. The city’s official motto is “Diversity Our Strength” and you’ll see the word welcome displayed in 64 languages on the “Welcome to Toronto” poster seen throughout the city.

Toronto-the-good used to refer to the conservative nature of city but that adjective is applied to the diverse cuisine. Toronto is becoming a foodie destination known for its cosmopolitan mix of restaurants. On one short block you’ll find restaurants from all corners of the world and you can eat your way around the world very easily enjoying cuisine from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The fresh, local movement has also taken hold here in a big way with many chefs creating signature Canadian dishes. Two major markets offer a chance to enjoy the local produce. The St Lawrence Market is a city-block complex surrounded by great Italian restaurants. Further west, funky Kensington Market has some great Latin American and Caribbean...  

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Toronto is famous as one of the most ethnically diverse cities on the planet. Thanks to a liberal immigration policy, North America’s 5th largest city is home to more than 70 different nationalities. Ride the subways and you’ll hear over 100 languages being spoken. The city’s official motto is “Diversity Our Strength” and you’ll see the word welcome displayed in 64 languages on the “Welcome to Toronto” poster seen throughout the city.

Toronto-the-good used to refer to the conservative nature of city but that adjective is applied to the diverse cuisine. Toronto is becoming a foodie destination known for its cosmopolitan mix of restaurants. On one short block you’ll find restaurants from all corners of the world and you can eat your way around the world very easily enjoying cuisine from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The fresh, local movement has also taken hold here in a big way with many chefs creating signature Canadian dishes. Two major markets offer a chance to enjoy the local produce. The St Lawrence Market is a city-block complex surrounded by great Italian restaurants. Further west, funky Kensington Market has some great Latin American and Caribbean eateries. Since it also borders Chinatown, you are guaranteed to find some excellent Chinese food in the area as well. Add the respectable wines from the Niagara region, only two hours away, and you’re in for some memorable meals.  

Toronto's neighborhoods are particularly distinctive and easily accessible. Some such as the Danforth (Greektown), Roncesvalles and Cabbagetown were actually their own village at one point. Little Italy, Little Portugal, Chinatown and Little India were named for the first ethnic group to settle there while Yorkville, the Annex, and Queen West were once scruffy, questionable parts of town re-invented by the artists who moved there. Corktown, Bloorcourt, the Junction, Dundas West and Leslieville are the newest crop of distinctive neighborhoods being transformed by locals.

With over 50 theaters and close to 10,000 performances a year, Toronto is an important center in the English-speaking theater community. The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre are the world’s sole surviving examples of the Edwardian stacked theaters (one on top of the other). It has a rare collection of collection of vaudeville sets and scenery. Both these elegant theaters host a variety of productions including musicals and operas. Another treasure is the 1907 Royal Alexandra is one of the oldest theaters in Toronto. This grand dame hosts many Broadway and West End productions. Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall are both famous venues for musical performances. The newly erected Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is the new home for both the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada.

Often called "Hollywood North," Toronto is also a sought after location for its ability to resemble New York and other North American cities. Each fall, Holywood stars and the rest of Tinseltown comes for the acclaimed Toronto Internationall Film Festival which draws countless filmgoers and has become an increasingly important showcase for new films.

Maybe ESPN has voted Toronto as the worst place to watch pro sports. So, the hometown hockey team, the Maple Leafs, is known in the league as the Maple Loafs and hasn't won anything since 1966. Okay, the Blue Jays haven’t won a baseball World-Series since the early 1990s and the Grey Cup has alluded the Toronto Argonauts football team since 2004. It’s true that both the pro basketball team the Raptors and Toronto FC soceer team have never even come close to a championship game. Torontoians are die-hard fans and support their teams even when they are perpetual losers. Now, that’s the sign of a true sports town.

It's been called "a city that works." As the capital of Ontario and Canada's largest city, Toronto has become a dynamic cosmopolitan hub known for entertainment, culture, sports, high fashion and big business. It's the financial and commercial centre of Canada.

Toronto's population is steadily growing, currently standing at about 2.5 million (although the greater Toronto area actually has some 5 million residents). It's one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, and visible minorities make up nearly half of Toronto's population — the main four groups are Chinese, South Asian, Black and Filipino. In fact, one out of every five Toronto residents immigrated to the city in the 1990s. The city also has significant populations of Aboriginal people, Italians and Portuguese.

With so many international influences, it should come as no surprise then that Toronto is just rife with culture. About 150 pieces of public art dot the city (mostly sculptures); there are six opera companies, two symphonies, more than 90 theatres and dozens of theatre companies (for theatre, Toronto ranks 3rd in the world, behind only NYC and London), and more than 50 dance companies. Plus, the city hosts dozens of public festivals...  Read more »

It's been called "a city that works." As the capital of Ontario and Canada's largest city, Toronto has become a dynamic cosmopolitan hub known for entertainment, culture, sports, high fashion and big business. It's the financial and commercial centre of Canada.

Toronto's population is steadily growing, currently standing at about 2.5 million (although the greater Toronto area actually has some 5 million residents). It's one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, and visible minorities make up nearly half of Toronto's population — the main four groups are Chinese, South Asian, Black and Filipino. In fact, one out of every five Toronto residents immigrated to the city in the 1990s. The city also has significant populations of Aboriginal people, Italians and Portuguese.

With so many international influences, it should come as no surprise then that Toronto is just rife with culture. About 150 pieces of public art dot the city (mostly sculptures); there are six opera companies, two symphonies, more than 90 theatres and dozens of theatre companies (for theatre, Toronto ranks 3rd in the world, behind only NYC and London), and more than 50 dance companies. Plus, the city hosts dozens of public festivals throughout the year, including the wildly popular Pride Parade, several film festivals, and a plethora of arts festivals

Among its other claims to fame, Toronto has become such a popular location for the film and television industries (ranking third in North America) that it's been dubbed Hollywood North. Indeed, it's not at all unusual to see a celebrity window shopping on Yonge Street or choosing fresh fruit at the St. Lawrence Market.

Spectator sports are big here — especially Maple Leafs hockey. Leafs games take precedence over all other programming on bar televisions — join 'em, because you sure can't beat 'em. The Blue Jays (baseball), the Raptors (basketball), and Toronto FC (soccer) also have big followings.

On the banks of Lake Ontario, Toronto occupies 641 square kilometers (about 247 square miles), and is crisscrossed by rivers and streams. Outdoor enthusiasts find much to love here, with some 8000 hectares (nearly 20,000 acres) of parklands, many miles of bike and walking paths, and a wealth of more active outdoor pursuits within easy reach.

Toronto is also a foodie's paradise. Along with more than 8000 restaurants, the city is home to a wide array of gourmet shops, specialty food boutiques, ethnic groceries, and large markets (St. Lawrence and Kensington are the two most prominent). You can eat here for many days and never have the same cuisine twice. Nightlife is just as varied, with bars and clubs for every taste. Sophisticated lounges and wine bars, wild dance clubs, eclectic live music venues, neighborhood watering holes, lively sports bars — they're all here.

Making your way around the city to experience all it has to offer is actually a snap. Toronto has the third largest public transportation system in North America, with subways, bus routes and rail networks. It's also home to the PATH system, the continent's largest underground system of pedestrian walkways, which connects most all of downtown's major buildings, numerous stores, restaurants and hotels, and five subway stations.

An ideal year-round destination, Toronto truly does have something for everyone.