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TRAVEL TIME 1 hour flight
WHY? The cultural capital of Canada just happens to be one of the most important cities in the Western Hemisphere. (It is also fun and affordable.)
MUST DO You might as well get it out of the way, because everyone’s going to tell you to go: Hit the revamped Royal Ontario Museum, with its crazy Daniel Libeskind-designed Crystal jutting out of the front. It’s not just for show — the piece has added thousands of square feet to the site. To what end is unclear, but Toronto appears to be loving it. Around the corner, the handsome little Gardiner Museum celebrates all things ceramic, and if that doesn’t have you out of your seat and cheering, local celeb-chef Jamie Kennedy’s top-floor restaurant will. Celebrating all things regional and offering one of the better Ontario wine lists around, the minimal but comfortable space is open for lunch every day. Back to art – make sure to see the massively expanded Art Gallery of Ontario, now complete with a wonderful glass façade courtesy of hometown boy Frank Gehry. Besides culture, Toronto’s neighborhoods are the best reason to visit. Get to know them on foot — plan a long Saturday evening stroll (with stops for dinner, drinks and more drinks) on Queen Street West. End your crawl at the sturdy Gladstone Hotel, an old railroad hotel turned SRO turned art project — after dark, there’s a great ground-floor scene. On a sunny afternoon, cancel your plans in favor of wasting time in the historic Distillery District — hog a table in front of snooty Balzac Coffee or sample the tasty Organic Lager at the marvelous Mill Street Brewery’s onsite pub. If it’s really a sunny afternoon, and the heat is getting to you, just hop an eastbound streetcar to The Beaches, a lively neighborhood out east known for — you guessed it — its beaches.
STAY HERE Queen Street West’s Drake Hotel
isn’t just a very cool place to stay — it’s also one of the top addresses in town for nightlife. Rooms are small but comfortable and rather quiet. Handy, considering that the rooftop patio stays busy all summer long (from $162; [866] 372-5386). For a more central location, book in at the Cosmopolitan
, a chic hideout steps off bustling Yonge Street with residential-style suites and the excellent Shizen Spa (from $154; [800] 958-3488). To be in the city but feel like you’re not, the historic Banting House
, is friendly, low-key and a reasonable walk from much of the downtown area (doubles from $76 shared bath, $102 en-suite; [800] 823-8856).
HAPPENINGS June kicks off with the Luminato arts festival (June 5-14), while the annual Jazz Festival takes over town June 26-July 5. Affordable prix-fixe menus are offered all over town during the annual Summerlicious restaurant celebration (July 3-19). For a complete list of events, refer to toronto.com.
HOT TIP As in most Great Lakes cities, the waterfront is the place to be, come summer. The Toronto Islands offer the best of both worlds, a relaxing setting just a short ferry ride from downtown. Besides beaches, boardwalks and various amusements, a small residential community here has triumphed over numerous odds. Today, a handful of owners offer B&B accommodations.
LEARN MORE
www.seetorontonow.com