TORONTO 2016 – Nightsky’s trip to the incredible Canadian metropolis

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by softee

Great shots of the financial district!

Thanks, softee! More pics here:

[Nightsky]

MORE FINANCIAL DISTRICT:

Toronto Financial District 88 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 87 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Sweet Jesus is an extremely popular icecream café!

Toronto Financial District 83 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 82 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 80 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 78 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 77 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 75 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Toronto_Financial.html


CN TOWER AND STATION AREA:
Toronto Financial District 74 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
CN Tower

Toronto Financial District 73 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 68 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 67 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 65 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Union Station

Toronto Financial District 62 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Union Station
Toronto Financial District 63 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Royal York seen from the station

Toronto Financial District 60 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 59 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Union Station

Toronto Financial District 56 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 55 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 54 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Fairmont Royal York, tallest building in Canada 1929-31

Toronto Financial District 53 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
L tower, Union Station

Toronto Financial District 50 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 49 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Toronto Financial District 47 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
CN Tower


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Toronto_Financial.html

[dewE]

Nice job of catching many of the neighbourhoods of Toronto!
I live in the suburbs and visit downtown quite often for concerts, baseball, or just to explore different areas. I'm a fan of Kensington Market and wouldn't compare it to George street at all. It reminds me of a "mini" New Orleans. There's a park south of Kensington that can sometimes be a bit sketchy. Toronto is fairly safe to walk around in the daytime, of course there are pockets of bad areas that I would avoid at night, especially if travelling alone. A general guide to "downtown" at night is to stay west of Yonge Street. I usually travel around Queen or King West. Dundas Square can get a bit sketchy at night, but there is usually plenty of people around.
One last note, there is transportation to the beach (I'm assuming you mean "The Beaches" area). The Streetcar travelling on Queen Street East will take you out to the area. I haven't been there for awhile, but I think the different beaches are a short walk south of Queen once you get a bit past Woodbine.

[Jaborandi]

Originally Posted by dewE

A general guide to "downtown" at night is to stay west of Yonge Street.

I feel like such a fool!!! I have lived east of Yonge, between Bloor and Carlton, for nearly 50 years. I was totally unaware that my neighbourhood is "sketchy". The only crimes I have witnessed are of the questionable taste in fashion variety and maybe the chewy spit onto the sidewalks. There are drunks and homeless to be sure but I have never felt any sense of danger or threat of menace from them. They just want to get gooned in peace. Perhaps I should learn to be scared and let fear be my best friend.

[softee]

^ East of Yonge South of Carlton to Queen is considered to be the sketchy part of downtown. I live in that area and while there are indeed lots of unsavoury characters about, I find just going about my business and not unnecessarily interacting with people has worked out just fine for me. Aggressive panhandlers and being propositioned by prostitutes is the worst I've personally encountered, although in the time I've lived here, there have been a fair amount of muggings, stabbings and shootings in the area, usually late at night.

[Nightsky]

EATON CENTRE:

Eaton Centre, Toronto's leading shopping mall and most popular tourist attraction, with 235 stores. It is situated at Dundas Square, along Yonge St. It is very bright and modern, so it is hard to believe that the first phase opened already in 1977. Eaton Centre was founded by the Canadian depertment store chain Eaton's, now bankrupt, but the name is kept.

Eaton Centre 02 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 01 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 14 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 13 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 11 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 10 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 08 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 06 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Eaton Centre 04 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Toronto_Eaton.html

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by dewE

Nice job of catching many of the neighbourhoods of Toronto!
I live in the suburbs and visit downtown quite often for concerts, baseball, or just to explore different areas. I'm a fan of Kensington Market and wouldn't compare it to George street at all. It reminds me of a "mini" New Orleans. There's a park south of Kensington that can sometimes be a bit sketchy. Toronto is fairly safe to walk around in the daytime, of course there are pockets of bad areas that I would avoid at night, especially if travelling alone. A general guide to "downtown" at night is to stay west of Yonge Street. I usually travel around Queen or King West. Dundas Square can get a bit sketchy at night, but there is usually plenty of people around.
One last note, there is transportation to the beach (I'm assuming you mean "The Beaches" area). The Streetcar travelling on Queen Street East will take you out to the area. I haven't been there for awhile, but I think the different beaches are a short walk south of Queen once you get a bit past Woodbine.

Thanks! We were told it was very complicated by taking public transport, and that we had to walk far in the heat from the tram, so we skipped it. Architecture was the main goal on this trip anyway.

Btw, we stayed at Comfort Hotel at Carlton/Yonge St. A nice area, but I was a bit surprised to see more shady people then I would expect and feel the smell drugs right on the street (just like in Amsterdam). And right next to this area, where there was some abandoned townhouses a few blocks away, they build this luxury residential skyscraper, Number One Bloor!

Crime rate is much lower in Toronto then most other big cities, for example if you compare it to my city i Sweden with only 300 000 inhabitants, Toronto is much safer despite being almost 10 times larger:

http://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_...&city2=Toronto

[Nouvellecosse]

I never imagined Malmo would have a high crime rate let alone higher than places in NA.

Btw, how did you photograph Eaton Centre with so few people in it? I've never seen it that empty.

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

I never imagined Malmo would have a high crime rate let alone higher than places in NA.

Btw, how did you photograph Eaton Centre with so few people in it? I've never seen it that empty.

Yes, Malmö is quite safe daytime but can be pretty dangerous at night, especially some areas, just wanted to show this to put it in perspective.

I actually was surprised there were so few people, but that must have been because it was so hot this day and people wanted to be outside (there were lots of people on the street meanwhile) and it was taken about 10 o'clock in the morning, may be most people were working at this time. But who knows? Aren't most malls crowded in the evenings and lunch hours, all over the world?

[shappy]

Originally Posted by Nightsky

Yes, Malmö is quite safe daytime but can be pretty dangerous at night, especially some areas, just wanted to show this to put it in perspective.

I actually was surprised there were so few people, but that must have been because it was so hot this day and people wanted to be outside (there were lots of people on the street meanwhile) and it was taken about 10 o'clock in the morning, may be most people were working at this time. But who knows? Aren't most malls crowded in the evenings and lunch hours, all over the world?

The stores in the mall don't open until 10am and it's always quiet until about 10:15. By lunch time it's very busy.

[Nightsky]

From what I remember this was about 10 or 11. Nice in some what it was not overcrowded!

[Nightsky]

DUNDAS STREET AND LITTLE PORTUGAL:

Dundas St, Little Portugal 38 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 39 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 20 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 18 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Art Gallery of Ontario

Dundas St, Little Portugal 10 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 36 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 35 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 35 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 33 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 28 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Monument to the Portugese

Dundas St, Little Portugal 23 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Nearby residential area

Dundas St, Little Portugal 19 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 14 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 15 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Sharp Centre for Design

Dundas St, Little Portugal 08 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
Dundas Street: Sharp Centre for Design and Art Gallery of Ontario

Dundas St, Little Portugal 06 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas St, Little Portugal 04 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Toronto_Portugal.html

[dewE]

Originally Posted by Jaborandi

I feel like such a fool!!! I have lived east of Yonge, between Bloor and Carlton, for nearly 50 years. I was totally unaware that my neighbourhood is "sketchy". The only crimes I have witnessed are of the questionable taste in fashion variety and maybe the chewy spit onto the sidewalks. There are drunks and homeless to be sure but I have never felt any sense of danger or threat of menace from them. They just want to get gooned in peace. Perhaps I should learn to be scared and let fear be my best friend.

Sorry, I should have known I would offend someone. I agree with Softee, below Carleton and Queen, and probably more-so east of Jarvis. I've travelled with a friend that lives in your area (around the Phoenix nightclub) and never had a problem other than occassionally being sized up by a few shaddy looking characters. There were prostitutes around the Phoenix, but again, never had any problems with them. It might be just me (I'm originally from a small town), but if I was giving advice to a first time traveller to TO (at night), without getting too specific, the above info would probably be ok.
I realize that you can run into trouble "anywhere" in the city, it's just a quick quide.
You certainly know the city better than me, what would you suggest?

[dewE]

Originally Posted by Nightsky

Thanks! We were told it was very complicated by taking public transport, and that we had to walk far in the heat from the tram, so we skipped it. Architecture was the main goal on this trip anyway.

Btw, we stayed at Comfort Hotel at Carlton/Yonge St. A nice area, but I was a bit surprised to see more shady people then I would expect and feel the smell drugs right on the street (just like in Amsterdam). And right next to this area, where there was some abandoned townhouses a few blocks away, they build this luxury residential skyscraper, Number One Bloor!

Crime rate is much lower in Toronto then most other big cities, for example if you compare it to my city i Sweden with only 300 000 inhabitants, Toronto is much safer despite being almost 10 times larger:

http://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_...&city2=Toronto

The smoking of marijuana in the open "may" be happening more so now because Canada is in the process of either legalizing or at least de-crimanlizing pot. I was in the city a couple of weeks ago and around the Jarvis/Gerrard area they had a blocked off area with a DJ playing music and several companies displaying and selling pot related items. It's still not a sure thing, but the elected party campaigned on heading in the legalization direction. Doctors can already prescribe medicinal pot and there are what appears to be hundreds of companies trying to get a leg up on selling it, but officially it is still illegal.

[Nouvellecosse]

I'm not sure about Toronto but the pot usage doesn't seem any higher in this part of the country. As long as I can remember, there have been people casually and routinely smoking pot in public. I can remember walking down the street in the small town I lived in as a teen over a decade ago and it seemed like every other person I passed on the sidewalk or who drove by in cars gave off a whiff of it.

Well maybe not every other person, but a noticeably frequent number.

[Nightsky]

DISTILLERY DISTRICT:

Distillery District, in the Old Town, is a former distillery filled with restaurants, craft stores, upscale boutiques, artist galleries and entertainment. It is the only historic district in Toronto, and a car free zone, made for pedestrians on brick-paved roads. Before it became a cultural district in 2003, many famous movies where set there, such as Chicago, X-Men and the Hurricane. It is the best collection of preserved Victorian era industrial architecture in North America. The Gooderham and Worts distillery, that the complex was built for, was in the largest distillery in the world in the late 1860s. Two tall condominium towers were built at the property in the 1990s.

Distillery District 06 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 02 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 01 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 37 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 41 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 34 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 32 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 28 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 21 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 18 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 17b by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 15 by Nightsky, on Flickr
Distillery District 14 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 13 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 12 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 10 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 08c by Nightsky, on Flickr

Distillery District 07 by Nightsky, on Flickr

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Tor...istillery.html

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by dewE

The smoking of marijuana in the open "may" be happening more so now because Canada is in the process of either legalizing or at least de-crimanlizing pot. I was in the city a couple of weeks ago and around the Jarvis/Gerrard area they had a blocked off area with a DJ playing music and several companies displaying and selling pot related items. It's still not a sure thing, but the elected party campaigned on heading in the legalization direction. Doctors can already prescribe medicinal pot and there are what appears to be hundreds of companies trying to get a leg up on selling it, but officially it is still illegal.

It was actually surprising, didn't expect that from a modern and clean looking city like Toronto. The smell and the stores were really surprising, at the same time they don't sell alcohol in the stores, just like in Sweden there are special stores for it. It's like alcohol is considered the "dangerous" thing in Canada, and many countries it is the opposite.

We have that in Amsterdam, but no other place in Europe it is openly smoked in public (there is a famous part called Christiana in Copenhagen where they sell drugs open).

Anyway, hope you liked the pics from Distillery District above! Next will be Dundas Square and then CN Tower.

[isaidso]

Great photos! I love the Distillery District, especially in December when it's turned into a big Christmas market. Btw, those 'abandoned' town houses you saw were likely buildings recently vacated because a condo tower is rising behind it. Often they'll renovate the outside/inside and incorporate it into the modern addition. Are these the town houses you saw: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show....php?p=7506242

[Nightsky]

DUNDAS SQUARE, DAY:


Dundas Square 14 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 02 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas Square 09 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 08 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 06 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 03 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Toronto Bus Tour 113 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas Square 18 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 17 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Toronto Bus Tour 111 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr

Dundas Square 25 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 24b by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 22 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 15 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 20 by Nightsky, on Flickr


Dundas Square 12 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 11 by Nightsky, on Flickr

Dundas Square 10 by Nightsky, on Flickr

DUNDAS SQUARE, NIGHT:

Toronto by night 49 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr


Toronto by night 50 by worldtravelimages.net, on Flickr
http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Toronto_Dundas.html

Originally Posted by isaidso

Great photos! I love the Distillery District, especially in December when it's turned into a big Christmas market. Btw, those 'abandoned' town houses you saw were likely buildings recently vacated because a condo tower is rising behind it. Often they'll renovate the outside/inside and incorporate it into the modern addition. Are these the town houses you saw: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show....php?p=7506242

Thanks! Yes, these were the ones.

[dewE]

Nice job of the Distillary District and Dundas Square!!
I haven't been to the Distillary District for quite some time, it looks like it's changed quite a bit. The World Cup Hockey championships going on right now has allot of activities happening right next door to the Distillary area.

On the Marijuana thing...didn't Portugal legalize it?

A side note...I watched and loved "The Bridge" TV series on Netflix (with English subtitles)! It constantly showed pictures of the bridge from the Malmo area. Love the female detective's character. I got a kick out of how she was always making fun of Denmark (not being too efficient).