S and DIL will be spending two days in Toronto next week to celebrate their first anniversary. They are 25 and would prefer not to spend a lot of $$$ (the hotel is their splurge!). They love craft beer, regional food, music, sports, good coffee, anything by the water and are ok with lots of walking. They will be staying downtown, Richmond Street East - sound like in the heart of downtown.
S asked me to “ask around” for ideas of places they might stop. I remember eating at a crepe place in Toronto years ago but can’t remember where it was!
Any “must sees” or “must eat” on somewhat of a budget? A place worth going to enjoy the view and just have a drink? Beautiful churches? Toronto must sees???
We visited Toronto two years ago for a long weekend, for a family wedding. We enjoyed Steam Whistle Brewing and Amsterdam Brewhouse, both near the water. We also took a tour of the CN Tower, and enjoyed that.
It’s been awhile since I was in Toronto, and the last time I went was with young kids. Back in the day, H & I used to visit frequently, but I imagine things have changed in 30 years! We did tons of walking, tried to find the best chocolate croissants at sidewalk cafes, searched for the best bloody Marys & screwdrivers, drank lots of good Canadian beer, stopped into whatever rocking club caught our eye as we walked around at night, spent time on the waterfront, went to some inexpensive plays (Let My People Come was the one we still talk about today!), and just generally enjoyed what was going on as the spirit moved us.
We did do some touristy stuff … CN Tower for brunch, Casa Loma, Ontario Science Centre. Not essential visits, IMHO, but fun.
My best trip there was the least expensive. A friend & I were on the last leg of a very low-budget trip out east (Montreal, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, then Toronto). We were about out of money & did not have credit cards (who did back then?). We stayed in a dorm room at Victoria University($10 each per night), bought beer at the LCBO, ate at a lunch buffet (less than the dinner buffet) … on the last day, we had just enough money left for gas & the bridge toll … luckily, it was Victoria Day, and there were 10 cent hot dogs in the park! Probably not anything your S & DIL would be interested in, though!!!
The island sounds fun - though they will be heading to Toronto after a few days at our cottage on a quiet beach/Lake Huron so not sure if this would be more of the same - also this might mean the trip wouldn’t be worthwhile???
“Due to flooding, the Toronto Island Park - including Centreville - is closed until further notice. According to City of Toronto officials the park will likely remain closed until at least June 30, possibly beyond.”
I’m not sure how to link to this for you, but there was a short thread about visiting Toronto back in March. You should find it if you search for “Toronto.” I bookmarked it because I’ll be in Toronto in July, and found it helpful.
^^^I found the short thread, thanks! One suggestion there I think they would enjoy - a stroll through the U of Toronto downtown campus! Like me, they appreciate a good college visit.
The main University of Toronto research library for humanities and social sciences perhaps qualifies as the ugliest, silliest building I have ever seen. Together with the rare books library attached to it, it looks exactly like a ginormous turkey. Definitely worth a look.
Toronto usually has good theater. But in the summer, Toronto has great theater, just not in Toronto itself. The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake (about an hour from downtown Toronto) and the Canadian Shakespeare Festival, Stratford Ontario’s other gift to the world (beside Justin Bieber), are both absolutely wonderful repertory theaters. They may be too pricey for this trip, but seeing a play in the main theater of either company is a treat-and-a-half. They’re not all Shaw and Shakespeare . . . but the Shaw and Shakespeare are really special.
Thank you, Stratford is a side trip we often take each summer, less than an hour from our cottage - besides the theater we just enjoy strolling the town and the Avon!
@MOWC I’m thinking that’s either St. Lawrence or Kensington Market - which are both on their list!
We were in Toronto for a few days in April. Visited the UT campus and did a bunch of the touristy things. One evening we ventured out to the Tilt Arcade Bar in an area called the Annex. No cover charge on the night we were there (I think it’s normally $5), and all the machines were set to open play. Had a few beers, played pinball and video games for a few hours. Afterward we walked around the area, shopped at a few independent music and book stores. (Slight warning - it is located in a city area. Some homeless people, a guy with a sign asking for money to replace the weed he had lost in a series of small fires…) For us, it turned out to be an enjoyable cheap evening.
Don’t forget the art museum, nice area, lots of pubs and wine bars. We took the streetcar back and forth to the Distillery, several restaurants and bars and galleries there.
