Introduction
Get to know Toronto and its slow-growing pleasures. Although the famous Niagara Falls are nearby, Toronto isn't a city with a checklist full of attractions. But its summer festivals, the spicy corners of its markets, the beachfront boardwalks and the music pouring out of its neighborhood eateries will slowly and surely seduce you.
This is Canada's business capital and largest city: a clean, safe and vibrant metropolis where real estate prices are high and blood pressure levels are low. The center of Anglo-Canadian culture and media, it's also one of the great ethnic melting pots of the world.
Capital of the province of Ontario, Toronto sits in the heart of the Great Lakes region of southeastern Canada, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is 350km (220mi) southwest of Ottawa, 500km (310mi) southwest of Montr é al, 560km (350mi) west of New York City and 335km (210mi) northeast of Detroit. The downtown area is clasped on almost all sides by a hotchpotch of bohemian, ethnic and historic neighborhoods, with the remaining southern edge crisply defined by Lake Ontario, one of North America's Great Lakes. Yonge St, the main north-south artery, stretches about 18km (11mi) north from Lake Ontario through the central downtown area and beyond the city's northern boundary. Bloor, Queen and College Sts are the main east-west streets. At the lakeshore (south) end of Yonge St is the semi-developed Harbourfront area. Two blocks west is the CN Tower and the SkyDome, Toronto's vast sports arena. North of the arena, Chinatown starts along Dundas St, just west of Yonge. Just north of that is the bustling university area and Yorkville, and to the west, Little Italy and The Annex. To the east of downtown lies Cabbagetown, an increasingly gentrified neighborhood that retains some Irish immigrant character. The Toronto Islands sit not far offshore in Lake Ontario.
Getting There
Toronto is served by two airports: Pearson International Airport and the Toronto City Centre Airport. Pearson is by far the busiest airport in Canada. The smaller Toronto City Centre Airport is used by regional and charter airlines. Numerous Ontario buses and Canada-US Greyhound buses leave from the Metro Toronto Coach Terminal at the corner of Bay and Dundas Sts. The US Amtrak train company also runs services between the US and Canada. If you're driving, Toronto is served by expressways from all directions. Expect congestion.
Getting around
Despite its size, Toronto is a very walkable city and its grid layout makes it relatively simple to navigate. It has a good subway, bus and streetcar system, operating under the umbrella of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Traffic congestion and expensive parking makes driving a better bet for out-of-town excursions. Toronto's taxis are reliable, and in summer sweaty pedicabbies trawl the theater and Yorkville districts. Ferries will take you to the Toronto Islands, and GO Trains leave from Union Station for points throughout the Toronto suburbs.
Destination facts
Time zone: GMT -5
Area: 632
Coordinates: 43.7207679749 latitude and -79.4126358032 longitude
Population: 5110000
Languages: English and French are the country's two official languages, though the province of New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual area in the country. You will, however, notice both languages on maps, tourist brochures and product labels.The French spoken in the province of Qu é bec has a rich local vocabulary, its own idioms and sayings and a range of accents. If you speak standard French, Qu é becers will have no problem understanding you. Also note that within the province of Qu é bec, French is legally the only official language and, outside of tourist areas, English is not widely spoken.
Currency: Canadian Dollar (C$)
Daylight Saving: From secondSunday in March to first Sunday in November
Area codes: There are a number of different area codes, each integrated into the phone number. Downtown phone numbers take the 416 (and sometimes 647) area code, while telephone numbers within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) typically have the 905 area code.
Weather
Compared to the rest of Canada, Toronto has a relatively mild weather pattern. Summer temperatures average 20-23 ° C (68-73 ° F) and can get up to 30 ° C (86 ° F). Autumn and spring tend toward clear, warm sunny days and winter, though the temperature can plummet quickly, is on average a manageable -6 ° C (21 ° F). Big snowstorms happen two or three times per winter.
Events
All of Toronto's main festivals and events take place between May and October, when there's little chance of snow and plenty of light by which to see them. Summertime festivals begin with mid-June's Caravan, a nine-day cultural exchange between the city's ethnic groups. The annual Pride Week culminates in an outrageous out-of-the-closet parade on Church St. The excellent Downtown Jazz Festival attracts local and international players in June and early July. With scarcely a beat lost, Toronto's music scene segues neatly into the Toronto Bluesfest, enlivening the Harbourfront in early July. Also in July, flags drop at the Molson Grand Prix. In August, Caribana, an ever-growing Caribbean festival, celebrates with a weekend of reggae, steel drum and calypso music and dance. Its finale, and main attraction, is a huge Rio-esque parade. Come September, the internationally renowned Toronto International Film Festival has cinema buffs swooning in the aisles. And for the bookish at heart, the Harbourfront International Festival of Authors, in late September and early October, is the largest literary event of its kind anywhere.
Get to know Toronto and its slow-growing pleasures. Although the famous Niagara Falls are nearby, Toronto isn't a city with a checklist full of attractions. But its summer festivals, the spicy corners of its markets, the beachfront boardwalks and the music pouring out of its neighborhood eateries will slowly and surely seduce you.
This is Canada's business capital and largest city: a clean, safe and vibrant metropolis where real estate prices are high and blood pressure levels are low. The center of Anglo-Canadian culture and media, it's also one of the great ethnic melting pots of the world.
Capital of the province of Ontario, Toronto sits in the heart of the Great Lakes region of southeastern Canada, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is 350km (220mi) southwest of Ottawa, 500km (310mi) southwest of Montr é al, 560km (350mi) west of New York City and 335km (210mi) northeast of Detroit. The downtown area is clasped on almost all sides by a hotchpotch of bohemian, ethnic and historic neighborhoods, with the remaining southern edge crisply defined by Lake Ontario, one of North America's Great Lakes. Yonge St, the main north-south artery, stretches about 18km (11mi) north from Lake Ontario through the central downtown area and beyond the city's northern boundary. Bloor, Queen and College Sts are the main east-west streets. At the lakeshore (south) end of Yonge St is the semi-developed Harbourfront area. Two blocks west is the CN Tower and the SkyDome, Toronto's vast sports arena. North of the arena, Chinatown starts along Dundas St, just west of Yonge. Just north of that is the bustling university area and Yorkville, and to the west, Little Italy and The Annex. To the east of downtown lies Cabbagetown, an increasingly gentrified neighborhood that retains some Irish immigrant character. The Toronto Islands sit not far offshore in Lake Ontario.
Getting There
Toronto is served by two airports: Pearson International Airport and the Toronto City Centre Airport. Pearson is by far the busiest airport in Canada. The smaller Toronto City Centre Airport is used by regional and charter airlines. Numerous Ontario buses and Canada-US Greyhound buses leave from the Metro Toronto Coach Terminal at the corner of Bay and Dundas Sts. The US Amtrak train company also runs services between the US and Canada. If you're driving, Toronto is served by expressways from all directions. Expect congestion.
Getting around
Despite its size, Toronto is a very walkable city and its grid layout makes it relatively simple to navigate. It has a good subway, bus and streetcar system, operating under the umbrella of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Traffic congestion and expensive parking makes driving a better bet for out-of-town excursions. Toronto's taxis are reliable, and in summer sweaty pedicabbies trawl the theater and Yorkville districts. Ferries will take you to the Toronto Islands, and GO Trains leave from Union Station for points throughout the Toronto suburbs.
Destination facts
Time zone: GMT -5
Area: 632
Coordinates: 43.7207679749 latitude and -79.4126358032 longitude
Population: 5110000
Languages: English and French are the country's two official languages, though the province of New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual area in the country. You will, however, notice both languages on maps, tourist brochures and product labels.The French spoken in the province of Qu é bec has a rich local vocabulary, its own idioms and sayings and a range of accents. If you speak standard French, Qu é becers will have no problem understanding you. Also note that within the province of Qu é bec, French is legally the only official language and, outside of tourist areas, English is not widely spoken.
Currency: Canadian Dollar (C$)
Daylight Saving: From secondSunday in March to first Sunday in November
Area codes: There are a number of different area codes, each integrated into the phone number. Downtown phone numbers take the 416 (and sometimes 647) area code, while telephone numbers within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) typically have the 905 area code.
Weather
Compared to the rest of Canada, Toronto has a relatively mild weather pattern. Summer temperatures average 20-23 ° C (68-73 ° F) and can get up to 30 ° C (86 ° F). Autumn and spring tend toward clear, warm sunny days and winter, though the temperature can plummet quickly, is on average a manageable -6 ° C (21 ° F). Big snowstorms happen two or three times per winter.
Events
All of Toronto's main festivals and events take place between May and October, when there's little chance of snow and plenty of light by which to see them. Summertime festivals begin with mid-June's Caravan, a nine-day cultural exchange between the city's ethnic groups. The annual Pride Week culminates in an outrageous out-of-the-closet parade on Church St. The excellent Downtown Jazz Festival attracts local and international players in June and early July. With scarcely a beat lost, Toronto's music scene segues neatly into the Toronto Bluesfest, enlivening the Harbourfront in early July. Also in July, flags drop at the Molson Grand Prix. In August, Caribana, an ever-growing Caribbean festival, celebrates with a weekend of reggae, steel drum and calypso music and dance. Its finale, and main attraction, is a huge Rio-esque parade. Come September, the internationally renowned Toronto International Film Festival has cinema buffs swooning in the aisles. And for the bookish at heart, the Harbourfront International Festival of Authors, in late September and early October, is the largest literary event of its kind anywhere.
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