Growing up in Michigan, we had two big cities for weekend trips: Chicago and Toronto. Since three generations of my family have lived in Chicago, it feels familiar and comfortable. But I have real affection for Toronto, too.
My mother and I made numerous trips there to see excellent theater (shows like Phantom of the Opera and Ragtime played there before Broadway). I went with girlfriends to shop and party. I also have gone on business trips to report stories.
I made a quick visit to Toronto in December, 2019 to enjoy its Christmas market. Then Covid hit, and it became difficult for Americans to cross the border. Finally, last week, I had the chance to spend a few days there on my way home from Saratoga Springs.
I immediately noticed two things. First, downtown Toronto and areas along the shore of Lake Ontario have experienced an explosion in development. Most of those new tall buildings are condominiums and apartments, causing housing prices to skyrocket.
At the same time, many more bicycles are on Toronto streets. In the past few years, it has added protected bike lanes and mandated that cars and bikes share the road as well. Rental bike sharing, which came relatively late to Toronto, is much more visible than in the late 2010s.
For visitors, Toronto presents many choices. You can stay downtown and experience big city features, such as sporting events, concerts (I saw Earth, Wind and Fire with Lionel Richie at the ScotiaBank arena), museums and brand name shopping. I enjoyed exploring an urban format Ikea with two floors of household goods and a cafe, much easier to navigate than a conventional Ikea.
But behind the tall buildings and big commercial names lie Toronto’s neighborhoods. This is where charm and accessibility come into play, along with Toronto’s international nature. Pick a country or region and you will find shops, restaurants and native speakers. You can drive, take streetcars, Uber or hop on a bike.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to CulinaryWoman to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.