Sign in with Facebook"Toronto - World Class On My Doorstep" Toronto by tpal
Toronto Travel Guide: 4,277 reviews and 8,800 photos
If you are my age and grew up in Buffalo, New York, the city of Toronto is a very familiar place. Nowadays we think of our Canadian neighbor as that cosmopolitan international megalopolis to the north that has it all and is everything that we are not...but it wasn't always that way.
In the early 1950's, I can recall my parents talking about all the people from Toronto coming to Buffalo for the "nightlife". Apparently, there wasn't anything to do in the backwater Canadian town on the north shore of Lake Ontario. In fact, the populations of metropolitan Buffalo and metropolitan Toronto in 1950 were almost identical at about 1,100,000. Difference was we were in New York, near Niagara Falls, still on the the jazz and nightclub circuit and...the St. Lawrence Seaway Project hadn't been built yet (a whole other subject).
Well, times have changed a bit. Not necessarily for Buffalo where the area population still hovers around one million but Toronto has grown up some. Metropolitan Toronto now counts its population at over four and half million people and is recognized as one of the great cities of the world. Oh, and last time I looked, there was plenty to do on the north shore of Lake Ontario!
I imagine that over the past 40 years I have been to Toronto a hundred or so times. The greatest concentration of visits, often weekly, being during the late 60's and early 70's when the Yorkville area was Canada's answer to Haight-Ashbury. Joni Mitchell was playing at the Purple Onion and I could sit inches away from Gordon Lightfoot downstairs at the Riverboat. Today, of course, all remnants of "hippiedoom" have been replaced by toney shops and upscale condos.
Still Toronto draws us back regularly but Buffalonians rarely feel like tourists. It's more like going to Manhattan for a night on the town when you live on Long Island. As a result I've rarely brought my camera and even though I can get around Toronto without a map, I've needed to do some research to build a Virtual Tourist page. The result, therefore, is a sort of "as it happens" page that will grow over time with subsequent visits. It may be a little disjointed but hopefully it will add a little different perspective.
Reviews (11)
Greektown - Another Great Toronto...
Off The Beaten Path
(2)
Another interesting Toronto neighborhood is known as Greektown. Located on Danforth between Chester and Donlands it is... more travel advice
Not the Ollie North Shuffle ;-)
Local Customs
(1)
Danforth Avenue, in the area called Greektown, is host each April to a Contra Dance Festival called Spring Thaw. The... more travel advice
A True Toronto Landmark!
Favorites
(2)
In front of the Sandra Ainsley Gallery (the most fabulous glass art gallery I have ever seen) in the Distillery District... more travel advice
From Canadian Club to Dale Chihuly
Things to Do
(4)
Here in western New York we've had an old saying that encourages folks to "have a little anti-freeze",... more travel advice
tpal's Related Pages
Toronto Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "My Toronto - "Yours to Discover""
- "Close To Home"
- "Andre Rieu's Magic Hits Toronto"
- "TORONTO Canada"
- "Paul2001's Big T.O. Page"
- "Toronto!"
- "Toronto"
- See All...
Explore the World
Badges & Stats in Toronto
- 11 Reviews
- 13 Photos
- 0 Forum posts
- 20 Comments
- 2,727PageViews
- See All Stats
- See All Badges (6)
Have you been to Toronto?
Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in Toronto
- Posted in Technical Help Forum "Re: Difficulties Updating and..."
- Commented on one of mim95's Toronto travel pages
- updated a Toronto Travel Page "Toronto - World Class On My Doorstep"
- Wrote a Review Greektown - Another Great Toronto Neighborhood in Toronto Off The Beaten Path
- Uploaded a Photo to "Greektown - Another Great Toronto Neighborhood"
Photos in Toronto
See All Photos (13)
Top 10 Pages
-
Dubrovnik
Intro, 16 reviews, 83 photos
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Lago di Como
Intro, 31 reviews, 47 photos, 2 travelogues
-
Paris
Intro, 12 reviews, 61 photos
-
Los Angeles
Intro, 13 reviews, 57 photos, 1 travelogue
-
Venice
Intro, 20 reviews, 28 photos
-
Montreal
Intro, 9 reviews, 35 photos
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Buffalo
Intro, 12 reviews, 25 photos
-
Toronto
Intro, 11 reviews, 20 photos
-
Milan
Intro, 13 reviews, 15 photos
-
Seattle
Intro, 11 reviews, 12 photos
Friends
See All Friends (28)
Budget Travel
Archeology
ArchitectureLatest Toronto hotel reviews
- Lakeview Victorian Bed and Breakfast
- 30 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 26, 2005 - Quality Hotel & Suites Airport East
- 158 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013 - Carlingview Airport Inn
- 125 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013 - Madison Manor Boutique Hotel
- 67 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 14, 2013 - Inn on the Park Toronto
- 2 Reviews & Opinions
- Clarence Castle
- 68 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 3, 2013 - Belaire Hotel Toronto Airport
- 71 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 9, 2013 - Global Village Backpackers
- 122 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 28, 2013 - Hyatt Regency Toronto
- 542 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 19, 2013 - Filmores Hotel
- 6 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 27, 2012 - Soho Metropolitan Hotel
- 277 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 14, 2013 - Travelodge Hotel Toronto Airport
- 170 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Comments (20)
These are, indeed, marvelous tips with excellent insights, terrific photographs, and top-notch narratives. Toronto sounds similar to Chicago! I think I would enjoy it ever so much.
great tips!
lol, yes, my first impression was that this is a real cathedral, than I suddenly realized that this in reality glass corridor. But very spectacular, no doubt about it.
Interesting page with brilliant photos. Brings back many memoriies of my week in Toronto. Keep up the good work. :o)
Hi there :)
I wandered over here from the featured member on the VT HP :) Great meeting both of you in TO, just wish there'd been more time ... with your training, think you two can come up w/ a time machine for the next meet?
Tom and Carol, it was great meeting you in Toronto. Hope you enjoyed the VT Meeting, as we enjoyed you being there. Thanks for taking the Butterfly pics on the CN Tower.
Hi Tom, it was nice meeting you & Carol in Toronto.
Cool to know your history with Toronto goes back a bit. LOVELY meeting you both. I have a nice photo of you both in a travelogue under my TO page. HUGS! Patty
Hello Carol & Tom, it was nice meeting you in Toronto.