Toronto Overview

Multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-national, multi-fun: once the "Meeting Place" for Amerindians, now Canada's largest metropolis, the country's business and cultural engine, and a great place to visit--welcome to Toronto!

Districts

People often ask: What makes a city great? What defines it, both for those who live there and for those who visit? Toronto could easily set itself apart by any number of things:

The spectacular ride up the CN Tower, the world's highest free-standing structure, with its rotating restaurant giving diners a breath-taking view of the city, day or night.

The ferry trip from the Harbourfront across the waters of Lake Ontario to the serene and peaceful Toronto Islands, created by a freak storm.

The more than 7,000 fine dining establishments, bars, cafes, bistros, clubs and dance halls to suit every taste from bohemian to business.

The top-of-the-line professional sports teams—Maple Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays and Argos—playing at stadiums that are the envy of other cities.

The world-class museums, art galleries, theatres, dance companies, festivals and parades that add creativity and culture to an already vibrant city.

Any of these could serve to define Toronto. But what the city is really all about is the people. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that the name "Toronto" comes from a Huron word meaning "Meeting Place." That's exactly what it is: a multicultural meeting place for more than 4.5 million, home to people of more than 70 different nationalities speaking some 100 languages. That multi-ethnic gathering has given the city an exciting and awesome energy. It has also created a place of wonderful neighbourhoods, each with its defining character and local colour: from Rosedale to Little Italy, from Greektown to Cabbagetown, from one Chinatown to the next.

The biggest city in Canada and the fifth largest in North America, Toronto is located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Laid out in a rectangular grid, the city stretches for more than 100 square kilometres. Yonge Street, known as the longest thoroughfare in the world, is the main north-south route. Toronto is an important centre of international commerce, and houses the Toronto Stock Exchange, second only in North America to the New York Stock Exchange.

While there is so much to see and do, to experience and taste, it's the residents of Toronto who give the city its special cachet. More often than not, people are glad to stop and give you directions. And don't be surprised if they tarry and chat a while, recommending places to go or filling you in on pieces of their city's history. This is what Toronto is all about. Not just a vast, sprawling metropolis. Not just a collection of concrete and cars. But a meeting place. The Hurons gave them the name. They try to do it proud.

Entertainment

While the city may once have had a reputation as Toronto The Good, a nondescript place which shut down and rolled up the sidewalks at sundown, nothing could be further from the truth today.

The city is alive with some of the best theatres, museums and galleries anywhere.With over 500 theatre productions every year, the city on Lake Ontario is the second largest stage centre in North America, and the third largest centre of English-speaking theatre productions in the world (next to London and New York), with more than 200 professional theatre companies and 10,000 performances a year.

Similarly, there's a thriving film industry in the city. Often called "Hollywood North," Toronto is sought after for its diversity, locations, excellent production centres and local talent. The Toronto International Film Festival, which takes place annually in September, draws countless filmgoers.

Not only is Toronto one of the most popular American film sets—watch out for huge white trucks and sealed-off streets—it's also a great movie theatre city, especially at fringe and second-run cinemas. And no, those queues you see as you walk along Richmond Street aren't for soup kitchens. You're in hot nightclub country, the places where only the coolest and hippest get in. Most clubs don't specialize in one style, but often change their playlist daily from retro to dub to techno in order to attract the most diverse dance crowd.

If you see nothing else of downtown Toronto, you have to walk Queen Street West between University and Spadina avenues: restaurant next to patio bar next to pub next to pool place next to hip fashion store. Since this strip is becoming increasingly commercialized, the more alternative clubs, cafes and galleries have moved to "West Queen West" (Spadina to Bathurst). The uptown—and up-market—equivalent of this area is Yorkville, a handful of blocks of nouvelle cuisine temples like the Sassafraz, and over a dozen exquisite galleries for every collector's taste, which lend Toronto a bit of Montmartre flavour.

Dining and Drinking

Eating out in Toronto is an experience unto itself. With a plethora of different cultures and neighbourhoods bumping into one another like pieces of tectonic plates, the cuisine is as diverse as the population—and matching any taste and affordability, from the unlimited expense account to those counting their pennies. In fact, while there are plenty of upscale haute cuisineries where price is of no concern, some of the best food Toronto has to offer is tucked away in the small eateries of the city's original Chinatown. Here you will find Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian and Japanese dishes to satisfy both the timid and the adventurous. Or check out the Beaches with its lively, pedestrian-filled sidewalks and laid-back neighbourhood character. Greektown and Little India restaurants serve up authentic cuisine, whose aromas waft gently out onto the streets.

Where To Stay

At night, that light in the otherwise dark window of the sky, waving weary travelers to a place of comfort, is the magnificent skyline of Canada's largest city. It's a skyline reflected in the inky blackness of Lake Ontario, signaling an ethnically diverse cosmopolitan city that welcomes everyone in from the cold with genuine good-hearted hospitality.

Be you business traveller or world-wandering vagabond, when visiting Toronto, there are two major options on where to stay—and more than 32,000 hotel rooms from which to choose! If you are here for a brief visit, then the airport strip is home to many excellent hotels. However, if it's an extended trip or business that takes you into the city, then the sights and sounds of the bright lights and the big city's downtown is what you may be looking for. Five-star luxury or bare-bones economy, Toronto is not only an accommodating place, but has the accommodations to suit your needs.

Toronto by the Numbers

Elevation: 567 feet
Average Annual Precipitation: 30.1 inches
Average January Temperature: 21 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 70 degrees F

Electricity: 110 volts, 50Hz, standard two pin plugs
Time Zone: GMT- 5
Country Dialing Code: 1
Area Code: 416 & 647

Population: 2,500,000
Major Industries: Banking, Tourism, Manufacturing, Communications
Ethnic Mix: 57% Caucasian, 8.3% African American, 1.5% Hispanic, 20.9% Asian, 3.5% Filipino, 8.8% Other

Did You Know?

Toronto is a vibrant city, and in many ways as American as some of its neighbors to the south, mainly in Michigan. Along with Michigan, Toronto has a thriving automobile and auto parts industry, allowing for a lot of exchange between US car manufacturers across the border.

Orientation/Geography

Toronto is situated on the northern shore of Lake Ontario (the most eastern of the Great Lakes), and is one of the southernmost cities in Canada.


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