Toronto Through the Eyes of a West Coaster

zoomer · #1 Posted **May 22, 2024, 12:01 AM**

Back from a one week holiday to Toronto. Although I’ve flown over the city and passed through the airport in transit several times in the past I never visited the city.

It was a solo trip as there was no interest from family or friends in going unfortunately. People who just look at me blankly when I said Toronto, said “Why?” or “I’d rather go somewhere else”. Maybe that’s partly being on Vancouver Island and it’s out of sight and mind, also folks originally from Toronto don’t have much good to say about the city (often the case for former residents of any city). People say they’d rather go to Montreal, Quebec, New York, Miami, Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, anywhere in Europe.

One friend who knows I’m an urban fan said I would both love and hate Toronto.

Well, I’m happy to report I had an excellent holiday and I’m planning a return as early as next year. There was nothing I hated, loved most things. Ok, one thing I disliked - the constant OVERLY LONG CAR HONKING! Wtf is that all about.. like laying on the horn for 5 to 15 seconds, holy road rage. At that point I’m just about to jump in and take down the horn blower regardless of whose fault it is.

An observation that is more to do with a Toronto being a very large city is that downtown is still car dominated, not a super friendly pedestrian experience. Love to see more streets fully pedestrianized. There also seemed to be cigarette smoke everywhere, again, no doubt it part due to the greater concentration of people, but feels like more people smoke in TO than out on the west coast. On the other hand I saw hardly any fentanyl zombies and the homeless situation didn’t seem too bad. I did witness one guy get violent and start smashing street signs and furniture and try to attack a by-passer on Bloor street who punched him back and cut him open good. I was right behind all this, and decided to duck into the restaurant for cover - you just don’t know if these guys are carrying knives or not. But you know, that could have been any city Canada to be honest. Toronto felt safe to walk alone.

Plenty of pictures, sorry for some of the more typical tourist ones, but hey, this is a skyscraper forum and these will be the freshest views from the CN Tower, etc, lol.

I stayed in the Annex neighbourhood - had several meals at Scottybons - excellent jerk chicken!

Scotty Bons - 402 Bloor Street W. May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

500 Block Bloor Street West - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

300 Bloor Street West - United Church Redevelopment, originally built 1886. May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

I found people really friendly, more than happy to help with directions or just randomly chat. Like the guy from the Cameroon I talked to for half an hour by the U of T to the homeless guy on the streetcar with whom I had a good chat with about Las Vegas and the effects of meth versus crack. Service was generally good, and people are earnest and down to earth. Maybe I was expecting more of the New York, Boston or Philadelphia stereotypical attitude.

University of Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Toronto - May 8, 2024. 1:39 p.m. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Kensington was interesting, but came in a bit under my expectations. Also falling into this category were The Well (it’s cold in many ways and missed the high mark it was aiming for) and The Distillery District. That was totally dead and felt disconnected from downtown.

Kensington Market, Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Central Tech Stadium viewed from Bathurst Street - May 2024, Toronto by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

David French Lane - Toronto, May 13, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

One of the highlights, if not THE highlight of my trip - if you know, you know. I was the only person out of 6 plus million people in attendance, and I made it out alive:

Reg Hartt’s CineForum - 463 Bathurst Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Another top highlight was the Dupont subway station, perfection:

Dupont Station, May 11, 2024 - opened January 28, 1978 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station, May 11, 2024 - opened January 28, 1978 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Station - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dupont Subway Station - Mural Designed by James Sutherland by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

ANX at 316 Dupont Street, Toronto - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Chaveta, 994 Bathurst Street - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Steven’s Grocery - 990 Bathurst Street, May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Stanley’s Variety - 910 Bathurst Street, May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Casa Loma, Toronto - May 11, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Alright, back downtown:

Wellesley and Young Intersection, Toronto. May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Ace Hotel Toronto - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Green and Blue in Toronto - May 12, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Minnesota Twins 5 - Blue Jays 1. May 12, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

St. Lawrence Market - May 10, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Union Station, TD Tower and Royal Bank Plaza - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Reflection in Marsh & McLennan Building - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

The Cathedral Church of St. James - May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Hockey Hall of Fame - May 10, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Alrighty, at last the skyline shots:

CN Tower Selfie - May 9, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

‘

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View from CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

May 9, 2024 CN Tower Views from Space Deck at 1,465 ft (447 m) and SkyPod at 1,150 ft (351 m) by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View From CN Tower - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Views - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

CN Tower Views - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Now from the Toronto Islands, which was unexpectedly quiet. I was planning on getting lunch of Centre Island but a couple of the restaurants were closed for the season and the only the world’s saddest looking Pizza Pizza and Subway were open, and the Subway only sold cookies, drinks and chips.. wtf? I came across the same thing when I went to New Brunswick and PEI - parks and restaurants in May that are closed for the season. Unusual coming from Victoria where there are no seasons, things are open year round whether it’s gardens, golf courses, parks, tourists attractions, etc. Anyways, I would have stopped at this cute cafe if I would have known:

Runaway Cafe on Wards Island, Toronto. May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View of downtown from Toronto Islands - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

View of downtown from Toronto Islands - May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Toronto Waterfront - May 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Thanks for hanging in there if you’ve got this far - but to wrap things up the Most Fantabulous Street of All:

Zanzibar- Yonge Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Massey Tower and its 1905 Canadian Bank of Commerce base. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

205 Yonge Street - former Bank of Toronto, built 1905 - architect E.J. Lennox. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

300 Block of Yonge Street - May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

579 Yonge Street, Toronto. May 9, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Yonge Street by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Yonge Street - May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dineen Coffee - 140 Yonge Street, Toronto. May 14, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Old Bank of Montreal - corner of Queen and Yonge Street, Toronto. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Leña Restaurante - 176 Yonge Street, May 14, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

OhioGuy · #2 Posted **May 22, 2024, 12:18 AM**

Great photos! Really enjoyable set.

Such a great city! I haven't been there since November 2011 and I'm anxious for a return visit!

Murphy de la Sucre · #3 Posted **May 22, 2024, 12:36 AM**

1、so the church has steel skeleton, i thought they all of pure bricks.
2、can people smoke cigarettes outdoor while eating or coffee at streetsides?
3、never tour to Canada in winter time, the winter condition there is more severe than most normal places in the world. Beyond expecting.
4、never tour to Singapore or Thailand in the height of summer time, the summer condition there is more severe than most normal places in the world. Beyond expecting.

zoomer · #4 Posted **May 22, 2024, 3:48 AM**

Thank you Ohio Guy - I think you’ll notice that Toronto is even way more Toronto since 2011! Maybe someone from there knows but I think the 2010’s saw the greatest growth in terms of highrise construction, not sure where this decade stands or how it’ll all play out.

Murphy_de_la_Sucre - the steel skeleton is only there to hold up the facade of the old church as it’s being incorporated into a new development that includes a 29 storey residential tower:

More info here.

As for smoking it’s not allowed on patios, indoors or near entrances but of course you’ll notice it when people are walking on the streets or sitting on a bench, plaza, etc. For your interest I compared smoking rates - for Canada in 2022 it was 12% of the population vs. 26.7% for Belgium and 24.3 % for the United States according to this site:

https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...tes-by-country

Weather - well Canada of course is a huge country, so hard to generalize, but for the most part, no, you wouldn’t want to visit in the winter, especially from November to February. However, a city like Vancouver for example has almost identical temperatures for each month of the year as Brussels has, so not much of a winter.

And some people enjoy winter tourism, for example both Quebec City and Winnipeg have great winter festivals that are quite popular.

xzmattzx · #5 Posted **May 22, 2024, 5:30 AM**

Nice pictures! I love a good Toronto thread! Toronto is my quick getaway from my home away from home (Buffalo/Niagara Region). I love the balance between really big city and powerful urban form, and touches of smaller towns, even if it's more trees. Comparable or bigger cities, like NYC or Philadelphia, get too "manmade" and overwhelming at some points.

What neighborhoods do you want to explore on your next trip?

zoomer · #6 Posted **May 22, 2024, 6:53 AM**

/\ that’s a really good description I never quite thought of xzmattzx - really big city and powerful urban form with touches of smaller towns.. interesting. Yes, I think that’s why it appealed to me, it’s not all or nothing, but a crazy mix of both ends of the spectrum. Maybe that’s why it felt unpretentious to me, sure it doesn’t have the grandeur of London, New York, Paris, etc. but it feels approachable, even the big scale stuff.

Next visit - well, there’s so much to see downtown for sure so that’ll keep me busy. I think I’d like to explore further up Yonge Street until it stops being interesting, more along the waterfront, Dundas West and more of the leafy residential streets around Casa Loma.

softee · #7 Posted **May 22, 2024, 9:15 PM**

Love these shots, you've really captured the feel of the city!

Cirrus · #8 Posted **May 23, 2024, 3:00 PM**

Great pics. I like Toronto a lot. I loled at this one.

Austinlee · #9 Posted **May 23, 2024, 5:27 PM**

This photo:

zoomer · #10 Posted **May 23, 2024, 6:26 PM**

/\ the intensity of the density!

Cirrus, glad you enjoyed that one, lol - who in their right mind would crawl on that glass, hehe. That was in the smaller upper pod were I suppose you could do that, what a way to go if it gave way.

I thought this one was the best for LOL - although I didn’t notice it at the time. At first I thought it kind of ruined the picture, but on second thought I think the placement of his lower hand probably speaks to the selfie/social media culture. Or he was just really aroused by the view..

CN Tower Selfie - May 9, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Nouvellecosse · #11 Posted **May 23, 2024, 6:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoomer

/\ the intensity of the density!

Cirrus, glad you enjoyed that one, lol - who in their right mind would crawl on that glass, hehe. That was in the smaller upper pod were I suppose you could do that, what a way to go if it gave way.

I thought this one was the best for LOL - although I didn’t notice it at the time. At first I thought it kind of ruined the picture, but on second thought I think the placement of his lower hand probably speaks to the selfie/social media culture. Or he was just really aroused by the view..

CN Tower Selfie - May 9, 2024. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Dear god I didn't even notice that! That's hilarious