[subego]

Any reason this is a bad idea? Weather? Mosquitos? Everyone is on holiday?

I'm also curious how dog friendly of a city it is?

Thanks!

[ÿ±këç]

Don't forget to bring your ski/snowboard along to swat them fleas..

[Dark Helmet]

I just want to know what you are picturing... 8 feet of snow with arctic Mosquitos, city shuts down while everyone is on break and cats rule all.

[James L]

Originally Posted by ÿ±këç 

Don't forget to bring your ski/snowboard along to swat them fleas..

From Wiki:

"Summer maximum temperatures typically range from 25–32 °C (77–90 °F) with moderate to high humidity. Temperatures higher than 32 °C (90 °F) occur and in exceptional cases the mercury approaches or very rarely exceeds 38 °C (100 °F). Summer heat episodes are usually broken by cooler, drier periods not experienced in places further south in the continent. "

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by subego 

Any reason this is a bad idea? Weather? Mosquitos? Everyone is on holiday?

I'm also curious how dog friendly of a city it is?

Thanks!

Since no one from Toronto is actually responding to you and answering your questions:

Great time to visit the city. I've been there in winter and summer. Any time of year is a good time to visit.

The weather will be quite mild. Probably lower 80F and mostly sunny.

There are virtually no mosquitos in Toronto. There's not a lot of standing water to breed and it's quite a urban area. You wouldn't expect mosquitos in NYC would you?

What do you plan to do there?

EDIT: I have no idea about dog friendly. I'd suggest calling the hotels you want to stay in and ask them.

[subego]

Actually, I have the feeling I'm likely picturing August, where last time I was in Canada it was muggy with a ridiculous mosquito problem. This wasn't in a city though.

As for the "dog friendlyness", in the states, most places have really restrictive health codes. Having a dog at a sidewalk cafe is a no-no for example. As an extension, many stores won't let you in with a dog, even though (if you don't deal with foodstuffs) it is up to the individual proprietor.

I'm hoping Toronto might be a bit less restrictive in this regard (we wanted to drive and take the dog).

[subego]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

What do you plan to do there?

Thanks for the answers!

As for what we plan to do, nothing as of yet. Me and the GF are walk around and see the sights type vacationers. So museums, parks and the like. Lot's of eating (assuming the food is good). I'll probably grab a guidebook in the next week or two.

People-watching from cafes is probably one of our favorite things to do.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by subego 

Thanks for the answers!

As for what we plan to do, nothing as of yet. Me and the GF are walk around and see the sights type vacationers. So museums, parks and the like. Lot's of eating (assuming the food is good). I'll probably grab a guidebook in the next week or two.

People-watching from cafes is probably one of our favorite things to do.

Then June is perfect for what you want to do. But I am not sure you'll have much luck with the dog issue. I don't remember seeing dogs anywhere but parks.

Where are you driving from? If you are coming from the west, I'd recommend stopping in London, OT. It's a nice little town with some nice architecture.

[freudling]

Go to the hockey hall of fame you bloody American.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by subego 

Thanks for the answers!

As for what we plan to do, nothing as of yet. Me and the GF are walk around and see the sights type vacationers. So museums, parks and the like. Lot's of eating (assuming the food is good). I'll probably grab a guidebook in the next week or two.

People-watching from cafes is probably one of our favorite things to do.

June is a good month to visit. The bugs will be manageable and the temperature is still ok. August is my least favorite month, it frequently does get very hot and humid. We get a fair amount of moisture from Lake Ontario which also provides breeding grounds for mosquitos although it won't be anywhere near as bad as in the northern woods.

Toronto is one of North America's most multi ethnic cities and as a result the food here rocks. You'll find anything from Chinese to Italian, much of it excellent. We have a large Italian community and people watching on College Street - the heart of Little Italy - is a Toronto pastime.

Queen West is littered with galleries, delis and bars, up and coming areas like Leslieville will keep you entertained for days with antique stores and coffee shops.

[kmkkid]

Toronto is a great city year round. June is usually the end of spring weather so temps will range from 15-25ish Celsius. Mosquitos are a non-issue downtown area because of the lack of standing water, but make no mistake, there will be mosquitos in parks. No more people are on holidays than normal really.

I'd suggest hitting Toronto during pride week for the full range of multiculturalism/diversity. Pride week Toronto is from June 15th - 24th, 2007. You could visit all that you usually would, plus a little extra. The parade is fun for something to do to kill some time.

If you do want to visit during pride week, you need to book a hotel sometime in feb. march. because they will be booked solid come june. Which on the flip-side may be a reason to avoid Toronto during those dates.

As for tourism, I'd suggest the ROM, Science Centre, Ontario Place, CN Tower. Hockey Hall of Fame, Eatons centre (Where the Apple Store is).

As for food, there is a restaurant for nearly every type of food in the world, which range from small eateries to full-scale fine dining. There is no lack of variety in the food arena.


Hope you decide to visit, and enjoy your stay!

[James L]

I travel often (a half dozen business trips a year or more, and at least 3 vacations a year). I have actually had a lot of luck posting questions about areas on the trip advisor forums.

Here is the link for the Toronto Trip Advisor forum:

Toronto Forum - TripAdvisor

Cheers,

James L

p.s. The coldest I have ever been in the summer was a vacation in California. Mind you, that was in San Francisco. There is an old quote attributed to Mark Twain (but many argue that): The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"!

[Atomic Rooster]

Only guide dogs allowed in any stores.

If you want to go star gazing walk on up to the Yorkville district. There's always plenty of filming going on and this is where most do their shopping. This used to be the hippy district but now it's the celebrity Starbucks crowd. You still might get a wiff of product.

Safety should be your main concern. It used to be a very safe town. Just duck if you hear gunfire. Biggest problem is getting in the crossfire of rival black gangs.

[Dakar²]

I hear there are a lot of canadians around at that time of year.

[All_Insane]

Toronto?! Bah, it's the most American city in Canada! If you really want to visit Canada, go to Saskatchewan, or that other province that's like Saskatchewan, but isn't (Manitoba). Or visit de Noofies, eh. Don' fergit ta bring yer spoons. Or keep going north, past Saskatchewan, until you hit the Territories. They're a part of Canada too, even though everyone forgets about them.

Meh, I have a problem with people who have "seen Canada" even though they've just spent a few days in TO. Or maybe that's just my western bitterness showing through.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by All_Insane 

Toronto?! Bah, it's the most American city in Canada! If you really want to visit Canada, go to Saskatchewan, or that other province that's like Saskatchewan, but isn't (Manitoba). Or visit de Noofies, eh. Don' fergit ta bring yer spoons. Or keep going north, past Saskatchewan, until you hit the Territories. They're a part of Canada too, even though everyone forgets about them.

Meh, I have a problem with people who have "seen Canada" even though they've just spent a few days in TO.

^^^ He does make some good points. You certainly aren't seeing "Canada" when you go to Toronto.

[lpkmckenna]

Toronto is a great city. I love living here. There's so much to see and do. I rarely take vacations outside of Toronto because there's still so much to see here.

There are downsides: traffic can be bad. Toronto doesn't have enough highway, and there's too much roadside parking downtown.

Good public transit downtown, but limited subway lines in the west and east ends.

Summer can be very humid, though the last two summers were great. Don't worry about insects, it's much worse outside the city.

Torontonians are polite but private.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Don't believe the warnings about shootings and such. It happens, just like it happens in any multiple-million-city, but to worry about it is just ridiculous. (On a side note, if you want real crime, you'll have to come to those praries that All_Insane is so bitterly talking about...smaller cities like Regina and Edmonton are easily the most violent in the country per capita ).

In Toronto, check out the waterfront and take the ferry across to Centre Island for a quick bike-ride and picnic. Check out Kensington Market and the St. Lawrence Market, both of which are a lot of fun to stroll around. Similarly, the Distillery District is a really cool place to spend an afternoon; it's got some nice art galleries, some cool stores, some historic architecture, and a couple classy restaurants that will lighten your wallet (Pure Spirits Oyster House and the Boiler House have both made me a poorer man, at the expense of delicious meals that made my girlfriend frisky as a colt in spring). Or if you're on a real budget, there's a little sandwich café about 2 minutes' walk from there (Berkely and Esplanade) that makes some delicious foods for about $7.50 for a drink, sandwich and salad.

Queen West is great as Mastrap said; lots of weird art galleries, and if you want to stay the night at a artsy, "bohemian" and fancy hotel I recommend the Drake in that area, although it will cost you. There's also some smaller theatres in the area that put on indie (but quality) plays for really really cheap, and might be a good way to spend a few hours in the area.

The Danforth (Greektown) is decidedly less "classy," but just as authentic and you'll get some delicious Greek food without the price worries of the downtown elite. I think Yorkville has already been mentioned (a real expensive-but-hip area...visit the Panorama night club at the top of the Manulife building for some 52nd-floor-patio views of downtown Toronto and $15 martinis, etc.).

Off the top of my head, the only other thing I can think of is High Park, which is way out in the West end of the city (Keele/Bloor) but easily accessible via car or subway. It's a gorgeous park at night-time, with some nice lighting and a nice little lake (mosquitos weren't that bad at all this summer, but I'm sure you'll find some – they like foreign flesh. I say tough it out, it's a Canadian experience). As a bonus, Shakespeare in the Park is delivered nightly during the summer; it's a really cool open-air-sitting-on-rock-benches type piece with a suggested-donation price (yes, you'll get grouchy looks if you put in $5, but if you have no soul - or if you keep it right by the exit, just next to the blues, haha – that may be a viable route). The entire park makes for a great evening-killer and will definitely impress your gender-neutral choice of partner.

I have to go send my broken snowboard back. I can suggest more restaurants later if you like. I am a Toronto restaurant whore.

greg

[EmmEff]

What is this unhealthy obsession with mosquitoes? Seriously. We don't have malaria carrying mosquitoes in Toronto (that I'm aware of). Is that your worry?

[Dark Helmet]

Come today, we got freezing rain so there are no mosquitos!

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by EmmEff 

What is this unhealthy obsession with mosquitoes? Seriously. We don't have malaria carrying mosquitoes in Toronto (that I'm aware of). Is that your worry?

No, we don't have malaria, but we do have West Nile now.

[EmmEff]

So does the rest of North America...

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by EmmEff 

So does the rest of North America...

I was just saying is all.

[mrtew]

Originally Posted by subego 

As for the "dog friendlyness", in the states, most places have really restrictive health codes. Having a dog at a sidewalk cafe is a no-no for example. As an extension, many stores won't let you in with a dog, even though (if you don't deal with foodstuffs) it is up to the individual proprietor.
I'm hoping Toronto might be a bit less restrictive in this regard (we wanted to drive and take the dog).

I moved to Canada from the US recently and was BLOWN AWAY by how dog friendly Toronto was when I went there for a couple of days. The first hotel I called was the fancy Westin right on the river and they said dogs were no problem. It felt sooooooooo weird trotting them across this huge marble lobby thru all the people in suits and gowns etc with nobody blinking an eye. In the US people would have FREAKED out..... heck they freak out here in my apt building which is full of dogs and people see them every day. It may be easier if your dog is under 25 or 30 pounds too... I think they asked about that.

By the way, Toronto is not the most American city in Canada.... Windsor, Ontario is. It's a half mile from downtown Detroit.

[Dark Helmet]

Dogs are really fine just about everywhere except in places that serve food.

At worst you just carry the small ones in your arm when in a store and the only people who will notice are the ones who want to pet it.

[ÿ±këç]

Toronto can be interesting.

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

Come today, we got freezing rain so there are no mosquitos!

Yeah, they find it hard to stay in the air when covered in ice.


Anyhoo, subego, I found this somewhat useful.

http://www.showmetoronto.com/map-of-toronto/gta.php

[subego]

Thanks for the answers!

Much appreciated!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Alright, you'd better take my suggestions though! They're damn good!

I'm feeling really hungry, so I'm gonna take a stab at a few more restaurants you should visit. I don't know what your budget is, so here goes:

Sushi on Bloor: nice little sushi place in a solid location if you want to visit one of Toronto's character streets; fairly dumpy, but the prices are great and so's the food. Always packed, which is a great sign. You can't go wrong if sushi is your thing.

Coco Lezzone: on College Steet, in the area also known as "little Italy." (The entire street was a mass of people this summer after Italian World Cup games.) About average prices for a decent restaurant ($30+ entres if I remember correctly), but it had good atmosphere and the food was excellent. The Hawaiian mahi-mahi and some sort of cold dill pickle-cucumber soup stands out in my mind.

Li'ly: my girlfriend's name, so we had to go. One of those ultra-hip lounge/bar/restaurant thingies that makes you feel classier than you actually are (speaking entirely for myself, of course). I remember the food being fairly cheap (under $30), the drinks moderately expensive, but a cool place to impress the Significant Other.

Goldfish: seafood-based restaurant that I remember being really cool (I believe it was on Bloor street as well). However, the entree did not compare to the PEI mussels appetizer, which was a freakin' amazing dish. Order it. My girlfriend and I literally fought over dividing up the bread to soak up more sauce. I won.

The Montmartre: a killer little French restaurant well north of the city, but easily accessible by the subway (off Downsview) and a 2-minute bus ride on Sheppard ave. Nice atmosphere, they serve frog legs which taste a little like chicken...what else can I say? A good way to experience the Toronto Subway system and get a great meal.

Hook's Grill: this one's good because it's in Port Credit, which is just West of the city along lake ontario. It's a really nice little area for walking around, watching the lake, visiting some little streetside shops, etc. Has lots of Cajun-style foods, fairly spicy, and very very tiny inside (which gives it a nice, pleasantly crowded feeling). There's a quality billiards place across the street called The Crooked Cue, which isn't terribly cheap by pool-hall standards but is quite classy and might be a different way to pass an hour if your girl is into that sorta thing.

The 360: now, this is the traditional Toronto touristy restaurant, which rotates around up in the CN Tower. It's definitely cool for the experience, but to be honest it's fairly pricey (probably $40+ entree) if you're concerned solely with the food. However, if you want a CN Tower tour, then it's definitely a solid option. However, food-wise, it's apparently not nearly as good (or as expensive) as...

Canoe: it's on the 50-something floor of the downtown TD Bank building, and apparently the view is gorgeous. I say apparently because I have never gone, mostly because it seems you need to book well in advance (and I mean well), and it's probably out of my pocketbook range. Perhaps this summer I'll hit it up, but if you're looking for one of the better restaurant options in Toronto, I've heard this one should be in the running.

Now I'm even more hungry, and tired. Ahhhh, I love food.

greg

[Mastrap]

Canoe is full of guys with expense accounts - almost nobody who eats there has to pay out of his/her own pocket. A really great way to find additional information about food in Toronto is to go to Chowhound.com and check the Ontario/Toronto board.