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toronto AN travel tips
Apr. 10th, 2013 05:17 pmAnime North is coming up and I know that a few of my pals are coming up for the con, so here are some tips about visiting Toronto!
You will have to cross an international border. You need a passport, and you need a plausible reason to visit, and you will need that passport to get back home, and you'll need a plausible explanation for what you did in Canada, and you shouldn't mention weed, or how their questions are stupid and you shouldn't have to answer them. Customs and Immigration on both sides of the border can pretty much do whatever they want with you, so be polite.
"Tim Horton's" is a donut shop. Lots of them are open 24 hours. Also called "Timmy's". More or less Dunkin' Donuts. There are a few Krispy Kremes here, one out Mavis Rd. and one on Harbord in the Annex.
"Poutine" is french fries with cheese and gravy and occasionally other toppings. There's plenty of it about if you should want some.
We have McDonalds and Wendys and KFC and Subway and Burger King and Five Guys. We also have Harvey's and Acme Burger and Swiss Chalet, which you don't have. There are plenty of overpriced Applebee's places like Montana's or Kelsey's (think O'Charleys or Ruby Tuesday's), and there's generally never any reason to eat there. There are also Applebee's. Also tons of great non-chain restaurants, please.
We have Wal-Marts, don't worry. The Zellers chain is being replaced by Targets, and you're not missing much, Zellers was more or less K-mart.
The big drugstore chain is Shopper's Drug Mart. Grocery chains are Loblaws, Metro, Sobey's, No Frills, and Price Chopper.
You buy your beer at the Beer Store and your liquor at the LCBO. The Beer Store is a monopoly owned by the brewers and the LCBO is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, a province-owned business. Most of them close by 9 but some are open until 10, 5 on Sundays. If you want to buy beer in the corner store, drive to Quebec.
Stuff costs more. Toronto is one of the more expensive places to live in the world, and sales tax adds up to %15 on things. Deal with it, you're on vacation.
There isn't really any Ontario version of Waffle House. On the other hand, there are 2 locations of Fran's. If you need late night food while at Anime North, go to Zet's down Airport Road and watch the planes land.
The closest IHOP is in St. Catherine's, and the only time you'll be in St. Catherines is when you are passing through on your way to Niagara Falls. So you're not likely to stop.
Toronto has three Chinatowns. One is the old one on Gerrard across the river from downtown, one is on Spadina downtown and there's neat stuff and good restaurants. One is way out in Scarborough/Markham and that's where the Pacific Mall is, a huge mall with lots of everything Chinese/Asian, some of it even legitimate merchandise.
Toronto has the largest population of Italians outside Italy. Also lots of Portugese, Chinese, Koreans, Tibetans. You name the nationality, Toronto has it and the food to go along with it.
The Annex is a neighborhood over by the University Of Toronto. That's where Honest Ed's is, where The Beguiling is, where Sonic Boom is, and lots of other restaurants and shops.
Yonge Street is Toronto's main drag. The longest street in the world, they say. It divides downtown, locations are described as either "East of Yonge" or "West of Yonge". It dead-ends into the lake and goes as far as you want in the other direction. If you get to Richmond Hill, you've gone too far. The Silver Snail is on Yonge St. now. TCAF is held at the Main Branch library just north of Yonge & Bloor. Yonge & Dundas has the Eaton Centre mall, a movie theater, and Yonge Dundas Square, which is kinda like Times Square in that there's a lot of advertising and you will get panhandled.
The 401 is a big Canadian freeway that goes from Montreal in the East to Windsor/Detroit in the West. The parts that go through the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are pretty much a traffic jam most afternoons. Avoid if you can.
The QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) is the freeway that runs from Niagara Falls/Buffalo to downtown Toronto. Once you get close to downtown, the name of the freeway changes to the Gardiner Expressway. On the east side of downtown, the Gardiner takes a turn north and becomes the Don Valley Parkway, which heads north, crosses the 401, and stops dead just south of Lake Simcoe. If you are in Newmarket you've gone too far.
The 427 is the highway that gets you from the QEW to the 401 and the airport. Very important.
Nobody says "eh" or talks like the McKenzie brothers. People are friendly, but there are jerks here just like anywhere else. You won't see any mounties unless you plan on travelling with the Hells Angels while you're here. You will, however, encounter skunks if you plan on being out late at night. Give them a wide berth.
The streetcars downtown don't care and they WILL smack your car, or you. Your car might survive, but you won't. Look both ways and cross at the crosswalks. Taxis are everywhere, whether you want them to be there or not. If you are driving and thinking about changing lanes, chances are a taxi will be in your blind spot.
The TTC operates buses, streetcars, and the subway. There's a bus that goes out to the main Toronto airport (Pearson), no train (yet). A cab ride from the airport to downtown will run you about $40, not including tip.
There is another, smaller airport on the Toronto Islands downtown, it's called Billy Bishop Airport. Make sure you know which airport you're flying in and out of.
The Loonie is the $1 coin and the Toonie is the $2 coin. They don't have cute names for the $5 or the $10 or the $20.
Your ATM card may or may not work in stores, but will probably work at bank ATMs. Your Visa or Mastercard probably will work most places. Warn your bank and your credit card company beforehand that you're travelling to another country. The money exchange places at the airport or on Yonge St are for suckers. Just go to the bank and use their ATM.
You probably don't need to go to the top of the CN Tower.
The weather in late May can range from really pleasant to cold and rainy to hot and muggy. Bring a jacket, just in case.
You will have to cross an international border. You need a passport, and you need a plausible reason to visit, and you will need that passport to get back home, and you'll need a plausible explanation for what you did in Canada, and you shouldn't mention weed, or how their questions are stupid and you shouldn't have to answer them. Customs and Immigration on both sides of the border can pretty much do whatever they want with you, so be polite.
"Tim Horton's" is a donut shop. Lots of them are open 24 hours. Also called "Timmy's". More or less Dunkin' Donuts. There are a few Krispy Kremes here, one out Mavis Rd. and one on Harbord in the Annex.
"Poutine" is french fries with cheese and gravy and occasionally other toppings. There's plenty of it about if you should want some.
We have McDonalds and Wendys and KFC and Subway and Burger King and Five Guys. We also have Harvey's and Acme Burger and Swiss Chalet, which you don't have. There are plenty of overpriced Applebee's places like Montana's or Kelsey's (think O'Charleys or Ruby Tuesday's), and there's generally never any reason to eat there. There are also Applebee's. Also tons of great non-chain restaurants, please.
We have Wal-Marts, don't worry. The Zellers chain is being replaced by Targets, and you're not missing much, Zellers was more or less K-mart.
The big drugstore chain is Shopper's Drug Mart. Grocery chains are Loblaws, Metro, Sobey's, No Frills, and Price Chopper.
You buy your beer at the Beer Store and your liquor at the LCBO. The Beer Store is a monopoly owned by the brewers and the LCBO is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, a province-owned business. Most of them close by 9 but some are open until 10, 5 on Sundays. If you want to buy beer in the corner store, drive to Quebec.
Stuff costs more. Toronto is one of the more expensive places to live in the world, and sales tax adds up to %15 on things. Deal with it, you're on vacation.
There isn't really any Ontario version of Waffle House. On the other hand, there are 2 locations of Fran's. If you need late night food while at Anime North, go to Zet's down Airport Road and watch the planes land.
The closest IHOP is in St. Catherine's, and the only time you'll be in St. Catherines is when you are passing through on your way to Niagara Falls. So you're not likely to stop.
Toronto has three Chinatowns. One is the old one on Gerrard across the river from downtown, one is on Spadina downtown and there's neat stuff and good restaurants. One is way out in Scarborough/Markham and that's where the Pacific Mall is, a huge mall with lots of everything Chinese/Asian, some of it even legitimate merchandise.
Toronto has the largest population of Italians outside Italy. Also lots of Portugese, Chinese, Koreans, Tibetans. You name the nationality, Toronto has it and the food to go along with it.
The Annex is a neighborhood over by the University Of Toronto. That's where Honest Ed's is, where The Beguiling is, where Sonic Boom is, and lots of other restaurants and shops.
Yonge Street is Toronto's main drag. The longest street in the world, they say. It divides downtown, locations are described as either "East of Yonge" or "West of Yonge". It dead-ends into the lake and goes as far as you want in the other direction. If you get to Richmond Hill, you've gone too far. The Silver Snail is on Yonge St. now. TCAF is held at the Main Branch library just north of Yonge & Bloor. Yonge & Dundas has the Eaton Centre mall, a movie theater, and Yonge Dundas Square, which is kinda like Times Square in that there's a lot of advertising and you will get panhandled.
The 401 is a big Canadian freeway that goes from Montreal in the East to Windsor/Detroit in the West. The parts that go through the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are pretty much a traffic jam most afternoons. Avoid if you can.
The QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) is the freeway that runs from Niagara Falls/Buffalo to downtown Toronto. Once you get close to downtown, the name of the freeway changes to the Gardiner Expressway. On the east side of downtown, the Gardiner takes a turn north and becomes the Don Valley Parkway, which heads north, crosses the 401, and stops dead just south of Lake Simcoe. If you are in Newmarket you've gone too far.
The 427 is the highway that gets you from the QEW to the 401 and the airport. Very important.
Nobody says "eh" or talks like the McKenzie brothers. People are friendly, but there are jerks here just like anywhere else. You won't see any mounties unless you plan on travelling with the Hells Angels while you're here. You will, however, encounter skunks if you plan on being out late at night. Give them a wide berth.
The streetcars downtown don't care and they WILL smack your car, or you. Your car might survive, but you won't. Look both ways and cross at the crosswalks. Taxis are everywhere, whether you want them to be there or not. If you are driving and thinking about changing lanes, chances are a taxi will be in your blind spot.
The TTC operates buses, streetcars, and the subway. There's a bus that goes out to the main Toronto airport (Pearson), no train (yet). A cab ride from the airport to downtown will run you about $40, not including tip.
There is another, smaller airport on the Toronto Islands downtown, it's called Billy Bishop Airport. Make sure you know which airport you're flying in and out of.
The Loonie is the $1 coin and the Toonie is the $2 coin. They don't have cute names for the $5 or the $10 or the $20.
Your ATM card may or may not work in stores, but will probably work at bank ATMs. Your Visa or Mastercard probably will work most places. Warn your bank and your credit card company beforehand that you're travelling to another country. The money exchange places at the airport or on Yonge St are for suckers. Just go to the bank and use their ATM.
You probably don't need to go to the top of the CN Tower.
The weather in late May can range from really pleasant to cold and rainy to hot and muggy. Bring a jacket, just in case.
