by
Jim Lingerfelt, Toronto Downtown Bed and Breakfast
"Once a city of churches, it's now a place of neighbourhoods.
Originally Anglo-Saxon, our new voices speak over 100 languages.
The world has come here to live." - John Must, Toronto
City Guide (Toronto: 2001)
Toronto is truly a world within a city. Exciting, vibrant and cosmopolitan, Toronto is home to more than 100 cultures, offering exciting festivals and events, friendly neighbourhoods, and a fantastic urban atmosphere! The United Nations has designated Toronto "the world's most ethnically diverse city" for the last five years.
Toronto is Canada's most populous city, with a population of 2.4 million. (Population of the Greater Toronto Area is 4.4 million.) As the capital of Ontario, Toronto is the seat of government for Canada's most populous province, and in fact is the industrial and business centre for the country.
Toronto is the third largest film and television production centre in North America, after New York and Los Angeles. The industry injects about $1 billion CDN (in direct and spinoff benefits) into the local economy, and employs about 20,000 people. And, believe it or not, Toronto has the highest ratio of golf courses per capita to any North American destination!
Getting there:
Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, farther south than Minnesota
and much of Michigan, Toronto is one of the most accessible cities in North
America by road, air,
rail and water. We are only a one hour drive away for about five million
Canadians, and within a 90-minute flight for 60 per cent of the U.S. population.
Where to stay:
Several CBBHosts await your visit, in a price range to suit your budget and requirements. At the top end is Toronto Downtown Bed and Breakfast - Toronto's premier boutique accommodation, situated just steps from the trendy Bloor/Yorkville shopping district. In the same area is Casa Nina, with a self-catered continental breakfast and warm hospitality at a budget price. And just of east of the exciting Greek Town nieghbourhood, and conveniently connected to the rest of this ethnically diverse and excitng city, is City Nights Bed and Breakfast.
What to do:
Served by an efficient network of buses, streetcars and subway service, all
of Toronto's many attractions are just minutes from your door. Ride to the top
of the CN Tower, the world's tallest freestanding
structure, to get an overview. Then hit a few of the major tourist attractions,
like Casa Loma, the Hockey
Hall of Fame, the Royal Ontario Museum,
the Art Gallery of Ontario, the SkyDome.
But the major appeal of Toronto is found in its people and the neighbourhoods
they have created: Chinatowns (there are three), Greek Town, Korea Town, Little
India, Little Italy (there are two of them), the Portuguese Village, the Gay
Village ... you name it, it's here. Even ethnic subsets of neighbourhoods: for
example, the Russian section of one of the major Jewish neighbourhoods. Shopping
is another unparalleled experience in Toronto, from the huge galleria of the
Eaton Centre, to the Bohemian spirit of Queen Street West. Other major shopping
districts include the Bloor/Yorkville area frequented by the rich and famous
(and lovers of books and china), Mount Pleasant, the Beaches, and Toronto's
underground PATH, linking 10 km of shops and cafes beneath the heart of the
city.
Eating well:
Toronto has quickly become a major North American centre of fine cuisine. With
over 7,000 restaurants in the Toronto area, you could starve before you decide
where you'd like to go for dinner! Start at the top, at 360
Restaurant atop the CN Tower, the highest revolving restaurant in the world
and recently rated as one of the Top 50 in the city. Down to earth (but with
prices sky high) are several more of the continent's best: North
44 where artful interior design (compass points embedded in the foyer floor)
meets the inspired cuisine of renowned chef Mark McEwan; Truffles,
in the Four Seasons, where the true essence of contemporary French cuisine is
brought to the table with a fresh, light and aromatic cooking style rooted in
authentic French flavours; and 6,997 more than we can mention here.