At the end of Young Street and York Street is Lake Ontario and a redeveloped area called the Harbourfront. Originally lined with warehouses, factories and shipyards, it's now filled with pedestrians, young and old, circling Queen Quay, going to restaurants, theatres, galleries, art studios, stores, apartments and parks. Ferries to the Toronto Islands also stop here.
YORK QUAY CENTRE
Summer, especially on weekends, the Lakeshore Quay District Center (tel: 416-973-3000 , ticket office 416-973-4000; www.harbourfront.on.ca ; 235 Queen Qauy W; hours: most galleries open Tuesday through Sunday; bus routes 509, 510) puts on a colorful program of performing arts, many of which are specially programmed for children, and some of which are free to watch. Occasionally, an outdoor covered stage is set up at the lake for benefit performances.
On the outskirts of the center is the chic Artists` Gardens area. You'll want to pick up a brochure at the Lakeshore Regional Center information desk at the box office. Here, all the indoor galleries are free and open to the public, including the Photo Passage and the Craft Studio; phone: 416-973-4963: Hours: Tuesday and Sunday 10am-6pm, Wednesday-Saturday 10am-8pm. -8pm), where artists blow hot glass, make clay sculptures, spin fabric, design jewelry, or teach classes.
West of the Lakeshore Marina Regional Center is the Power Plant Exhibit Hall (tel: 416-973-4949; www.thepwerplant.org ;231 Oueens Ouay W ;Adults/children under 12/students/seniors $4/free/2/2, free Wednesdays noon-5-8pm ;Hours. Sunday noon to 6pm, Wednesday noon to 8pm; Tram 509, 510), is a gallery of contemporary Canadian art that exhibits the work of one particular artist at a time. It focuses on painting, sculpture and large-scale installations. You'll be able to chat freely with visiting artists and the curators, and viewing the works as they explain them will greatly enhance your understanding.
QUEEN'S QUAY TERMINAL
Built in 1926, the Warehouse (Warehouse; tel: 416-203-0510; www.toronto.com/queensquay ; 207 Queens Quay W; hours: most stores open 10am-6pm; trolley routes 509,510) has been renovated and remodeled with skylights; inside are art stores and the Premier Dance Theatre. It's a picturesque place to start a lakeside stroll, but there's always the sound of ticket sellers around, soliciting cruises around the lake.
TORONTO MUSIC GARDEN
Sitting on the western shore of the lake, this exquisite garden (475 Queens Quay W, free admission; early mornings to late evenings: Trolley routes 509, 510) was designed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It was designed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It embodies Bach's Opus 1 from his Suites for Solo Unaccompanied Cello through its landscape; its arching conifer groves, its swirling paths through wildflower-dotted lawns; and its grassy amphitheater, which is dedicated to benefit concerts. A program of performances is available at the York Quay Center (across the street) at the ticket booth at the Lakeshore Marina Regional Center.
ONTARIO PLACE
This is a 40-hectare entertainment complex (tel: 416-314-9900, 866-663-4386; www. ontarioplace.com; 955 Lake Shore Blvd W; flat-rate tickets, $13 before 5pm, $5 after; hours: June 10am-4pm, July and August 10am-8pm, May and September 10am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm. -Built on three manmade islands, there's plenty to do to beat the summer heat. With a Play All Day Pass (Adult/Child $29/15) in hand, you can experience almost every thrilling ride and attraction, including the Soak Cty Water Park. At the Cinesphere, sit in moving seats facing a six-story-high concave screen and watch movies shot on 70mm IMAX film. Parents should know about the H2O Generation Station, a popular padded climbing area where kids can have a good time. Other attractions, such as the life-size MegaMaze maze and House of Blues concerts at the Molson Amphitheatre (phone: 416-260-5600), require separate tickets. In the event of rain, many events, restaurants and aerial installations are closed.
EXHIBITION PLACE
Each year, this venerable square (416-263-3600, west of Lake shore Blvd. between Strachan Ave. and Dufferin St., trolley 509, 511) hosts the Canadian National Exposition (CNE), a major event in the city's history. Canadian National Exhibition. This is when the square comes back to life, as if it were the old days. During the exhibition... Thousands of visitors flock to the square for parades, lumberjack competitions, and native fun. The beautiful statue of Victory, born on Canada's 60th anniversary in 1927, stands atop Princes' Gate.
Other events held at Exhibition Place throughout the year include the Molson Indy, a variety of spectator sporting events, and Indian costume design shows. At other times, the plaza is less visited.
FORT YORK
In 1793, the British built this off-white castle for the protection of the town of York (now Toronto) (tel: 416-392-6907; turn onto Garrison Rd Street from Fleet St W of Strachan Ave East). ); admission and tour routes adult/child $5/3; hours: June to August 10am-5pm, September to May 10am-4pm, closed mid-December to January for hourly tours; tram 509511). It was almost completely destroyed in the War of 1812, when a small group of Ojibwa warriors and British troops failed to hold off American warships.
Today, the original stone-and-brick mix has been rebuilt and restored based on extensive original logs. In the summer, the men dress up in the full uniforms of 19th-century British soldiers, practice drills and marches, and engage in shooting practice with old-fashioned repeating rifles, though the kids prefer to carry wooden pistols around the castle's outer walls for hide-and-seek. If you get lost and can't find York Castle, just look up for an old York Union jack fluttering in the breeze to get your bearings.
STEAM WHISTLE BREWING
This microbrewery (tel: 416-362-2337 866-240-2337; www.steamwhistle.ca; 255 Bremmer Blvd, free entry, 30 Minute guided tours $4; Hours: Mon-Sat noon to 6pm Hourly guided tours 1-4pm, Trolley routes 509, 510 specialize in brewing fresh, European-flavored Pilsner. in fact, they produce all the Pilsner in Europe! During the lively plant tour, enter the train roundhouse and your guide will literally blow the historic steam whistle. The guided tour itinerary includes a free beer tasting at the brewery's retail store to pick up a commemorative glass mug or bottle opener. Please call to confirm tour times as hours and guided tours are subject to change.
Toronto Islands
Toronto Islands was originally a huge sandbar that stretched 9 kilometers into the lake from the end of today's Woodbine AVe to the end of today's Woodbine AVe. On April 13, 1858, a hurricane-force storm hit the long sandbar, creating the Gap, now called the Eastern Channel, or Eastern Water Trail. the Eastern Channel, or East Water Trail), giving Toronto its banlan of colorful islands. Today, the islands are connected by bridges and walkways. To get to the islands, it's a 10-minute ferry ride.
CENTRE ISLAND PARK
From the ferry terminal, head straight past the information booths and first-aid station to the quirky Centreville Amusement Park; call 416-203-0405; ; general information. 0405; www.centreisland.ca; general admission free, tour bus rides ￠75, all-day passes $17-23; hours: Mon-Fri 10:30am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10:30am-8pm, weekends only from late May through early Sept, May through mid-May and early Sept. (open weekends only from late May through mid-May and early to mid-September, depending on weather). It's hundreds of acres wide, with an old-fashioned funfair, a goofy golf course, a miniature train, an aerial hoop, and even a petting zoo called Far Enough Farm.
South across the bridge is the splashing fountain and gardens, where there's a maze of English-style hedges and several ticket booths for the round-island electric trolley (30-minute trips for adults/children/specials at $5/2/4). To the east is the boat rental dock, where you can rent canoes, Eskimo canoes or paddle boats ($15 - $25 per hour). On the south shore, there are locker rooms, lockers ($2 rental fee), a snack bar, bike rentals and a boat launch into the lake.
HANLA'S POINT
The western protrusion of Center Island, near Toronto City Centre Ariport (TCCA), is a sports-memorabilia corner, named for world rower champion " Ned'Hanlan (Hanlan), whose family was the first to live permanently on the island. Interestingly, it was once known as Coney Island of Canada, where Babe Ruth won his first professional home game in 1914 while playing underage softball. -the ball used in that game is sunk at the bottom of Lake Ontario. Follow the paved path past the picnic tables and barbecue pits, and you'll arrive at Hanlan's Point Beach, the island's most scenic spot, which has been so hot for years, especially among gays and lesbians, that in 1999 the city council debated and finalized the legalization of "casual dress" on the beach. Civic-minded island volunteers distribute leaflets on the "Nude Beach Code of Ethics" to new visitors. For its part, the government manages the beach only during the months of July and August.
WARD`S ISLAND
Woods Island's west end is home to a spacious golf course and a charming children's castle, both free to enter. An old-fashioned lakeside walkway skirts the southern shore of this island, past the back door of the Rectory cafe.
Old York
Historically, Old Yorktown consisted of just 10 square blocks. Today, however, it stretches from the east side of Young Street to the Don River, and from Queen Street to Esplanade in the Lakeshore area. It's a great place to go to see the imprint of Toronto's past.
DISTILLERY HISTORIC DISTRICT
This exciting synthesis of the district (tel: 416-866-8687; www.thedistillerydistrict.com; 55 Mill St; free admission; hours: Tue-Sun 10aam -6pm; later in summer Trolley routes 503,504), which was converted from the old Gooderham and Worts Brewery in 1832, still has oval, stone-paved streets, Victorian warehouses converted into galleries, artists' studios, design ideas stores, cafes and restaurants! -- there's even a brewery. If a self-guided audio tour isn't quite as exciting, take a guided sightseeing tour ($5-6), which is much more lively and interesting. These tours leave from the visitor center on Trinity St, directly south of the main city gates. Guided tours run on an as-needed basis (minimum of six people per tour) and must be booked.
ST LAWRENCE MARKET & HALL
Old Yorktown's Market (tel: 416-392-7120; www.stlawrencemarket.com ; South Market South Market, 2 Front St E, free admission; hours: Tue-Thu 8am-6pm, Fri 8am-bpm, Sat 5am-5pm; Trolley Route 504) has been a community gathering place for nearly two centuries. The renovated South Bazaar is home to a collection of dedicated food vendors. The market building was once Toronto's 1845 city hall.
Upstairs, in those old city council chambers, is the Market Gallery (tel: 416-392-76D4; free admission; hours: Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun noon-4pm), which now serves as the city's showroom, with exhibits of paintings, drawings, official documents and historic artifacts.
On the opposite side of Front St is the North Market, which is closed on weekdays, a farmers' market on Saturdays, and an antiques market on Sundays. It was sadly forgotten for a time until 1967, when it was restored around Canada's 100th anniversary.
A few steps north is the grand St Lawrence Hall (built in 1849), with its clock tower visible from all the different neighborhoods. The building is one of the most classical Victorian buildings.
TORONTO'S FIRST POST OFFICE
Toronto's venerable First Post Office (Tel: 416-865-1833; www.townofyork.com; Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm; Trolley Bus 50; Tram 50) is located in the heart of the city. -4pm; trolley routes 503,504), built in the 1830s, is now a lively museum. After you write a letter with a quill, a uniformed staff member will seal the envelope, charge a small fee, stamp it "Yorktown-Toronto 1833," and mail it. Brochures for self-guided tours are available by the front door, and there is a gift store selling Victorian-style ephemera. Behind the old-fashioned reading room are some interesting displays about the old town of York and a model of the city of Toronto as it was in 1873. Famous locals such as Willian Lyon Mackenzie and the Bladwins rented mailboxes here. The post office can be found on the west side of the Bank of Upper Canada where the British and Canadian flags fly in front of the door.
Downtown Toronto
This area, which encompasses several streets in downtown Toronto and covers the area around Union Station, is known as the Financial District. It's a busy place day and night, filled with light-footed white-collar workers, random tourists and locals in a hurry to get to their hockey game at the Air Canada Centre. Just west of the Financial District, two blocks west of King St., between John St. and Simcoe St., is Toronto's Entertainment District, nicknamed the "Clubland.
North on Young Street is Dundas Sq, the city's newest public square, which includes an open-air concert stage in the heart of downtown. Nearby, the Eaton Centre, better known as the city's symbol, is between Queen and Dundas St. The square and center are both on Young Street. Both the plaza and the center are south of the main drag of Young Street and east of the Queen Street business district.
West of Dundas Square is the short street Baldwin St, between Beverly St and McCau St. Follow this street to the tree-lined Baldwin Village, which has Jewish roots, but its debauched atmosphere stems from cultural alienated elements from the United States during the Vietnam War. Today, Baldwin St resembles a movie set set set in Manhattan, with several Italian cafes dotted along the sidewalk.
Continuing west, you step into Toronto's lively Chinatown, which occupies most of Spadina Ave. between College and Queen streets. Directly across Spadina Ave to the north of Dundas St W West stands a bright vermillion double-dragon gate, the symbol of Chinatown's central district.
North of Dundas Square, the Yonge St strip is sandwiched between College St and Bloor St. It is often referred to as "the world's largest street". Often referred to as "the longest street in the world," the street is bustling with stores and entertainment venues (it seems to be the longest street in the world, full of pornographic theaters, erotic dance clubs, and tertiary women's lingerie stores.) On the east side of a fairly wide intersection on Church St., there are Toronto's gay and lesbian venues. The intersection of Church St and Wellesley St is the heart of the rainbow-flagged Church-Wellesley Village.
CANADIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION TOWER (CN TOWER)
Canadian National Television Tower (tel: 416-868-6937; www.cntower.ca; 301 Front St W; Main Observatory Adults/Children $19/14/17 for ages 4-12/Seniors, $5 extra for SkyPod; hours: 10am-10pm. Longer in summer; Metro Union Station) is the world's tallest monolithic building (553 meters), and most visitors don't miss the city's emblem. One is for radio and television information transmission, and the other is to make visitors spend as much money as possible, is the main role of Canada's national television tower. A glass elevator outside the tower swiftly transports you to a viewing spot at the top. Thrillingly, one observation deck has a glass floor, while the other is an outstretched open-air platform that makes you dizzy as you stand on it with your ears sweeping the wind. On a clear day, you can look out as far as 160 kilometers; at night, the top of the tower presents a beautiful night view of all the lights. If it's foggy, you might not see anything at all. In the summer, the queue to get up the tower can make for as long as a two-hour wait - up and down in droves. But if you have a reservation at the Prize 360 revolving restaurant (tel: 416-362-5411; dinner prix fixe Adult/Child $65/37.50; hours: dinner year-round, lunch s through December), you don't buy a ticket to go up the elevator.
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
The Art Gallery of Ontario (Tel: 416-979-6648; www.ago.net ;317 Dundas St W; Adults/Children 6-15/Students/Seniors/Family Tickets $12/6/9/25: Wednesdays 6-8: 30pm Free Admission; Hours: Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-8:30pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5:0pm; Trolley Route 505) has an excellent collection of art, and to appreciate all of it, unless one has the stamina. A single visit is not enough to appreciate the entire collection unless one has the stamina to do so. Highlights include rare Quebec religious sculptures, major works by Canadian artist Emily Carr and the Group of Seven, and the gallery's Henry Moore Sculpture Room. There are benches in the sculpture room where you can sit and listen to the headphones mounted next to the benches (which play the story of the City Hall's quest to acquire Moore's work). Looking out, in the museum's own park, the Grange (tel: 416-977-0414; gallery admission) is a restored George V-style building that's also part of the museum. The classically dressed staff present a picture of the life of a "gentleman's family" of that era, behaving in a manner befitting their status, looking on point and not laughing at all. The Grange may be open for shorter hours than the museum.
For information about free admission, art performances for children, and special programs and screenings at the Ontario Film Festival, call the information desk at 416-979-6649 or check the museum's website. The website is also updated with news about the Museum's renovation. A massive renewal and expansion project, the remodeling was overseen by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The architect himself spent his childhood in the neighborhood.
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
The Bank of Montreal Building (built in 1885), an ornate Rococo-style building of gray stone, houses this hockey shrine (tel: 416-360-7765; www .hhof.com; Lower Hall BC Pl, 30 Yonge St; Adults/Children under 3/Children 4-13/Seniors $12.50/Free/8; Hours Mon-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat 9:30am-6pm. Sunday 10:30am-5pm , daily until 6pm in the summer, Metro Union Station) In this sanctuary, hockey fans can find everything they could ever want. Try to capture the moment Wayne Gretzky won a game (in real life) or use your camera to document hockey's biggest event, the one-and-only Stanley Cup. With interactive multimedia exhibits and nostalgic hockey memorabilia, even those unfamiliar with the game may begin to understand why Canadians are so enamored with hockey, the world's fastest (and most demanding) sport.
ELGN&WNTER GARDEN THEATRE CENTRE
A restored architectural masterpiece, this theater (tel: 416-314-2871; www.heritagefdh.on.ca; 189 Yonge St; tours adult/student/senior $7/6/6; hours: Thursday 5am and Saturday 11am; subway Queen Station) is the last two-storey theatre still in use in the world.Built as the flagship theatre of a vaudeville chain in 1913, the Winter Garden was built, but the chain's operation didn't get off the ground, and the Irving Theatre downstairs was converted into a movie house in the 1920s. the 1920s was converted into a movie theater.
The Ontario Heritage Foundation saved both theatres from demolition in 1981. In a $29 million restoration project, breadcrumbs were used to restore the original Rose Garden mural patterns, the Belgian carpet was replaced, and the beautiful floral and leafy decorations hanging from the Winter Garden Theater's ceiling were very carefully replaced. New seats came from Chicago's infamous Biograph Theater.
The informative and interesting public tours of Roots are worth participating in. Enthusiastic volunteers act as tour guides while participating in the theater's ongoing restoration,, check out the box office for information.
TORONT DOMINION GALLERY OF INUIT ART
Housed in a tower in the center of the Toronto precinct, this art gallery (tel: 416-982-8473; Maritime Life Tower, Toronto Precinct Center; Maritime Life Tower) has a ground-floor and middle compartment. First floor and intermediate compartments, 79 Wellington St W; free admission; hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm; St Andrew Station) digs deep into the unique connotations of Inuit culture, with an outstanding collection of original stone, bone and sculpture. The collection includes many outstanding original stone, bone and sculpture works.
CHUM/CITYTV COMPLEX
On the corner of John St, this complex (416-599-7339; ww.mztv.com; 277 Queen St W; museum open, adults/students/families $6/$4/$4; MTR St Andrew) is a great way to explore Inuit culture. seniors/families $6/4/4/18; hours: guided tours 12pm, Mon-Fri 2Pm and 4Pm; trolley route 501) includes an up***ing photo booth, the less-than-famous SPeakers Corner. Anyone can step inside, throw in just one coin ($1) and record themselves saying and doing everything on the spot. Benson Canada's "Reality TV" program airs very creative or controversial segments. In the music studios of Much Music, Canada's version of MTV, you're likely to encounter young groupies screaming their heads off as the biggest stars storm out of their limousines, and every Wednesday afternoon, the young groupies get dressed up in full gear and record themselves doing what they say. Every Wednesday afternoon, star-struck youngsters dress up in full entertainment regalia and line up in hopes of being selected as dancers for the Electric Circus. On the east side, above the parking lot, a coupe of Citypulse news trucks occasionally zips past from within the high walls of the Citytv studios. Behind these signposted stores, almost directly across McCaul St, is the MZTV museum, with its display of very old TV sets.
CITY HALL
The much-maligned City Hall (tel: 416-392-7341; www.city.toronto.on.ca; 100 Queen St W; free admission; hours: 8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri; subway Queen Station) was Toronto's first foray into modern architecture. Its clamboyant twin towers and the flying saucer-like structure at the base of the twin towers, both completed in 1965, are from the award-winning work of Finnish architect Viljo Revell. Frank Lloyd Wright called it "the number one sign towards the cemetery". Fate was a mixed blessing, as Revell himself died before the work was completed. And when sculptor Henry Moore offered to sell a statue of an archer in the garden from his personal collection at a low price, councillors (incredibly) refused. You can pick up a self-guided tour brochure (available in eight languages) at the information desk in the lobby.
Front of City Hall is Nathan Phillips Sq, where skaters, open-air performers and neighborhood office clerks meet for lunch. In the summer, you'll find the Farmer's Market (Wednesdays 10am-2:30pm), benefit concerts, and a few special events. The fountain slack is a lively ice skating rink in the winter. If you're new to the area, there's no need to be afraid - you won't be alone. There are plenty of immigrants from around the world learning to skate there, carefully making efforts to assimilate into the local culture.
On the other side of Bay St is the Old City Hall (1899). It is indeed from the hand of Toronto architect E.J. Rey (EJ Lennox), who was also the architect of the Casa Loma museum. Rey was condemned for carving his name directly below the various eaves. Nowadays, the Old Town Hall contains several courtrooms for arguments, and this typical Romanesque hall has an off-center bell tower with interesting frescoes and an allegorical stained-glass window. Its first-floor exhibits are open to the public.
Skyscraper Dome (SKYDOME)
Technically controversial like Canada's TV towers, this stadium (tel: 416-341-2770; www.skydome.com ; 1 Blue Jays Way; 1-hour tours Adults/Children ages 5-11/Youth 12 12.50/7/8.50 for ages 12-17; hours: tours are flexible, with French-language guided tours in July and August; Metro Union Station), which opened in 1989, has the world's first fully retractable circular roof. Composed in large part of coagulation, this project worked wonders moving 22 meters per minute and was fully deployed in just 20 minutes. At this point, it beats Montreal's Olympic Stadium. The Olympic Stadium managed to open only once, after which it could not be opened.
The cost to get here is quite expensive. First, you watch a 10-minute introductory movie, then, immediately, you step into a box-sized room, then look around from the grandstands and the press box, then walk briskly through a mail room (sans athletes). Did you know. Eight Boeing 747's can be parked on the playing field at the same time and the stadium has enough lights to illuminate all of Prince Edward.
Buying a discounted ticket to a Blue Jays hockey game is the cheapest way to see the Ferris Dome. You can choose to stay at the Renaissance Toronto, the hotel attached to the Ferris Dome, from which you can view rooms overlooking the stadium grounds.
Before you leave, don't forget to take a look at Audience, a sculpture by Michael Snow with a particularly unusual facial expression, high up on the north side of the stadium, gazing at you from behind.
TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA
Although out of the way, this small museum (tel: 416-599-5321; www.textile.museum.ca; 55 Centre Ave; adult/student/family) is a great place to visit. 8/6/22, Wednesdays 5-8pm by donation; hours: Tue-Fri 11am-5pm, Wed 11am-8pm, Sat & Sun noon-5pm, Sun gallery tours usually 2pm; Metro St Patrick) is a place where even the mildest interest in handmade textiles and tapestries can be found. Even those with a passing interest in handmade textiles and tapestries will be thrilled. A permanent collection, the exhibits come from Latin America, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and India, as well as contemporary Canada. There are also workshops that teach people such as koa batik, weaving, knitting and other crafts.
DESGN EXCHANGE
A streaming, modern edifice, the Design Exchange (tel: 416-363-121; www.dx.org ; 234 Bay St; free admission, fee for thematic exhibitions; hours: Mon-Fri 10am -6pm, Saturday and Sunday noon to 5pm: King subway station), has served as the Toronto Stock Exchange since 1937, and its opening once propelled Toronto to replace Montreal as Canada's financial center. Head toward the intended stone Art Deco horizontal stripes and circular emblem motifs on the stainless steel doors, which depict the ploughmen of the country's various industries. Inside are eye-catching exhibits of modern industrial design and a unique Sapporo store.
401 RICHMOND
Admirers call this open-air art complex (tel: 416-595-5900; www.401richmond.net ; 4QI Richmond St W; free admission; hours: vast majority of galleries Tue to Saturday; Trolley 510) is a "city within a city," and it lives up to its name. Formerly a repository for early 20th-century lithographers, 401 Richmond is filled with a wide variety of modern art and design galleries for painters, letter designers, photographers, printers, sculptors, milliner's hat designers, and other artists. other artists to exchange ideas. It has a glass elevator, an artist's coffee bar on the first floor, and a rooftop garden. After visiting here, you can stop by Art at 80 (80 Spadina Ave; hours: Tuesday through Saturday), another concentration of modern art galleries of all kinds, both just two blocks away.