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Toronto Travel GuideINTRODUCTION Toronto is Canada's largest and most multicultural city. Get ready to explore its different ethnic neighborhoods, museums, art galleries and shops that appeal to all tastes and budgets. Toronto is a shopper's dream, usually cheaper than New York and with almost as much selection. Queen Street West is home to smaller funky stores and leads right to The Eaton Centre Shopping Mall. Kensington and St. Lawrence Markets both have a unique feel, but with something for everyone. Kensington has a lot of funky consignment and secondhand shops, whereas St. Lawrence has mainly fresh food and artists' work. For the shopping connoisseur, Bloor Street, just west of Younge is the place to start with stores like Hermes and Aritzia, then moving up into posh Yorkville. Toronto has nightlife, family fun, and diversity in a friendly and clean city where your tourist dollar will go far. HISTORY Toronto was known as York during the 1800s when it was not much more than a settlement. It nevertheless played an important role in Canadian history facing numerous attacks from the Americans and occupation during the War of 1812. At the turn of the 20th century, Toronto was in a fierce battle with Montreal (Quebec) over which city would be the nation's premier center. During this time the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was built in 1912 and the Toronto Symphony in 1922. Toronto's population eventually exceeded Montréal’s, and it took over as the economic base of Canada. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Like the rest of Canada, Toronto's climate ranges from very cold in the winter to very hot in the summer, so when planning a trip, keep in mind that the winter is not the best time to see the Toronto Islands. ATTRACTIONS RESTAURANTS Bite Me! – Bite Me! is an affordably-priced gourmet eatery. Foodies can try a four-course tasting menu for under $50. What a steal! Pizzeria Libretto - Ossington Avenue’s sleek Pizzeria Libretto is firing up traditional, grandma-quality pies and offers a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Nyood – It has the hottest décor in town, not to mention a smoking social scene and a talented chef, so you know reservations are a must before heading to this cheekily titled restaurant in Parkdale. Sidecar - This restaurant makes the best (and strongest) Bad Ass Mojitos in town, and dinner ain’t bad either - serving solid fare like steak frites and delicious oven-roasted chicken. Bistro 990 - A favorite celebrity hangout, Bistro 990 serves country French cuisine with sophisticated flare and has a warm, chic interior to match. Specialties include a roasted 1/2 chicken in herb jus with garlic mashed potatoes known in-house as "Meg Ryan Chicken" because of the actress's fondness for the dish. Joso's - Since 1977, Joso's has served exquisite Mediterranean cuisine in fashionable Yorkville. The lush, intimate interior has wall murals celebrating the female form that are sure to incite conversation. LODGING The Gladstone Hotel - Ten years ago this 19th-century relic rented rooms by the hour. In 2002, local architect Eberhard Zeidler and his daughters Kate and Christine took the place over and turned the place into a nouveau bohemian Mecca. A local artist designed each of the 37 rooms; each is unique. The Teen Queen is decorated with posters of 1970s heart-throbs. The Trading Post has fun fur curtains. The Canadian Room has an antler chandelier and a forest vista along one wall. The Hazelton Hotel - The latest addition to the flash Yorkville district, the Hazelton opened its doors in the summer of 2007 and quickly established itself as the place to park one's Lamborghini. The Hazelton has it all: the 42-inch plasma TV, the bathroom with heated floors, the complimentary bottled water and a designer restaurant. Smiley's B&B - Accessible only by ferry - a 15-minute journey from downtown - and vehicle-free, the Toronto Islands are a pastoral idyll from the noise and smog of the city. Smiley's has two accommodations: the four-person studio suite and the grandiosely named Belvedere, a small room with more windows than floor space. But this is all about location. The Fairmont Royal York - Once Canada's tallest building, this landmark slipped into slight shoddiness but reclaimed its grandeur after a $100 million renovation. It is a walk from the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre (baseball), the Air Canada Centre (hockey and basketball), and across the street from the Hockey Hall of Fame. New College Summer Residences, University of Toronto - When the students go home in the summer, you move in. You get an air-conditioned room, a single bed and - this is Canada's largest university - free broadband internet access. There is even a meal plan at the main floor cafeteria. All conveniently located on the downtown campus. The Baldwin Inn - The Baldwin is as small as it is charming - there are only six rooms - but it is the location that makes it stand out. An oasis in the centre of downtown Toronto, Baldwin Village has more good restaurants than you could choose from in a week of dining out, all of them within 100 meters of the front door. 
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