City of Neighborhoods

Toronto is a city of neighborhoods, more or less distinct, some small, some big, some ethnic, some just fancy and hip. From ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy or India Bazaar and Greektown (still very "greek"!), to the more up&coming neighborhoods like West Queen West, Leslieville. The Annex or the Village (LGBT neighborhood) and Kensington Market - Toronto has a lot of diversity to offer (see pics). We tried to check as many as we could by walking and taking public transportation and our feet became sore.

The Village:



Greektown & Leslieville:

Fortunately, though it was cold, especially on Sunday we had beautiful blue skies and sunshine and first thing in the morning we therefore took the elevator up to CNN Tower (ca. 550 m). From the observation deck in 350 meters height views were spectacular: towards the islands (a recreational area where a handfull of people live permanently) and towards downtown and inland.


Also, at our following visit of Fort York – the old fortification, dating in the 18th century, around which the first settlement grew – sun was out.

In the so-called Annex "Honest Ed" is a landmark, a variety store with daily-changing offers, really cheap merchandise of all kinds: clothing, hardware, fabrics, household items, even medicine and groceries. What you can't find here, you won't find anywhere. It's an institution since 1848 but is endangered now. Most probably Honest Ed will go out of business next year, but at least Ed Mirvish's (the founder) theater imperium in town will stay.

In the afternoon we visited some museums, four in total. Started at Bloor Street, a main axle of the city, with the famous ROM (Royal Ontario Museum). A spectacular cube-like expansion was added a couple of years ago by famous architect Daniel Libeskind (see pic). Second came the Gardiner Museum, one of the best museums for ceramics, including a prestigious Meissen porcellan collection.


In the Entertainment District we visited AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario), also great architecture, this time by Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry. ACAD (Academy of Design Toronto) is an eyecatcher because of its colorful building on stilts (see pic).

Back to Downtown: The Old and New City Hall - what a contrast! Passing by Eaton Centre (the largest shopping mall in downtown) and The Bay - short for "Hudson's Bay Company", which was a trading company founded in 1670, which became famous for its striped blankets which were traded in the past for native american artwork.