Toronto

[sheldonm]

I'll be in Toronto for a few days in mid July....anyone have some thoughts on reasonably priced hotels near the downtown area (or close by)?

How about:

~live jazz

~good record/cd shops

~other culturally interesting things to do

Thanks,

~mark

[Nate Dorward]

Mark--can't help on hotels, though can ask around (what's your price range?), but:

--record shops: favourite 2ndhand shop for jazz is Around Again on Baldwin (cross-street: McCaul), which is also 2 doors down from the Yung Sing Pastry Shop. There's a Sam's & HMV at Dundas & Yonge for new shops.

--live music: the Rex, Montreal Bistro, Red Guitar are three notable venues.

[Robert J]

Mark - What's your exact dates? This will help me plan your vacation

[sheldonm]

Mark - What's your exact dates? This will help me plan your vacation

Nate,

Thanks for the tips! Robert, looks like somewhere around 7/18-20.

m~

[Robert J]

That's the week I am taking off!

Nate mentioned the main Jazz clubs

http://www.therex.ca

http://www.montrealbistro.com

I don't know your budget - but you could start here. I can comment on a few of these places. They are not all budget hotels - some are quite expensive, just as much as downtown Chicago.

http://www.budgethotels.com/listings.php?city=Toronto,ON,CA

Here's a good map of downtown w/cultural highlights

http://www.toronto.ca/torontomaps/pdf/visitor_map_page1.pdf

This is the "Chicago Reader" for Toronto

http://www.nowtoronto.com

Things to do

You can look through here

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/toronto/34_indattr.html

From this list, I'd say the Art Gallery of Ontario (though under construction), the Royal Ontario Museum, Hockey Hall of Fame, and Toronto Island (you can take a ferry for $6 and get a great view and some great photos of the city).

I'm sure I'll come up with more when I'm not at work!

Edited June 21, 2006 by Robert J

[sidewinder]

There used to be a good little vinyl store on Lakeshore Boulevard South ('Dave's Vinyl Museum') which was worth checking out for jazz. Not sure if it's still there - I last visited them about 15 years ago, when I picked up some nice German ECM pressings (Priester's 'Polarization' etc) for about $5 each !

Too bad that places like the Bermuda Onion and the Top O' The Senator are no longer around.

The 'Rex' is a good place for live local jazz.

Not sure about CD stores - Sams and A&B Sound on Yonge used to be good (Sams in particular) but I believe they have now closed down. Not sure what is in their place.

There's also a big multicultural festival in Toronto around June/July - can't recall exactly when. You can go round the neighbourhoods sampling selections of exotic food at minimal price. Good fun !

The view of downtown from Toronto Islands is also well worth checking out, as is the trip up the top of the CN Tower.

If you have a car and like art I'd also recommend a trip up North to the McMichael Collection in Kleinburg (I think that's the name of the place) to see the great Canadian art collection by the 'Group of Seven'.

Edited June 21, 2006 by sidewinder

[sheldonm]

Robert,

Thanks again! I'll dig into the hotels this evening~ Myself and a friend are going to catch baseball games every night of the week, with a couple of them being in Toronto. May try to see some live music after a game if it's still going on. Feel free to meet up with us for lunch or dinner if possble. Days will be free to take in some sites.

m~

[Nate Dorward]

Sam's is still open! The chain went bankrupt a few years ago but the flagship store is still maintained on Yonge. Last time I went it was definitely better for jazz than HMV, though the once-mighty classical section was more or less gone.

I don't think Dave's Vinyl Museum is still around. There's a shop on Yonge roundabout Davisville called Backbeat which I used to frequent a lot, though I haven't been there lately--the phonebook says it's still there, though. For more avantgarde-oriented stuff there's Soundscape. There's another pretty good vinyl/CD shop near Around Again too, called if I remember rightly Penguin--just walk down to Queen St from McCaul.

The link for the Red Guitar is here:

http://www.theredguitar.com/

No schedule up for July yet, though. It's a nifty venue.

In terms of baseball, if you're around on a Sunday, aside from the Jays do go see the Leafs play at Christie Pits. They're a member of Ontario's venerable Intercounty League. 2:00 every Sunday; they also play some home games on Wednesdays too (check schedule at http://www.leafsbaseball.com/). My wife & daughter often go to the games after church & have a great time (not least because the Leafs are a strong team: currently top of the league).

Edited June 22, 2006 by Nate Dorward

[sidewinder]

Sam's is still open!

Great to hear !

[Nate Dorward]

Fixed an important typo above (direction to Penguin).

I think the only other Sam's that remains is the one on Barrington St. in Halifax.

[AllenLowe]

hey, Toronto experts, this is a long shot but I have to ask - Al Haig's widow lives in Toronto, and I lost touch with her many years ago - anyone ever run into her (her name is Joanne and she has remarried)? I've been trying to find her (for one thing, Fantasy/Concord owes her money) -

[GA Russell]

Whenever I go to Toronto, during the season of course, I always take in an Argo football game. I've had a great time every time.

The games are exciting and the tickets and beer are cheap!

[sheldonm]

Thanks to all for the tips.....I'm sure every minute of everyday will be packed!

m~

[ejp626]

Have a great time! I lived there for a year and still miss it terribly. Might even move there again if I can swing it. Anyway, between AGO and ROM, I'd go to AGO, but it depends how much is closed or under construction.

If you have the time, I would recommend a walk starting from the University of Toronto (quite a gorgeous place), down University Ave. At Dundas you can choose to go west to the AGO, or south another block to Nathan Philips Square (this is the new city hall and winter ice rink). Across the street is the elegant old city hall. Then you are only two short blocks away from Adelaide/Queen St. W which is one of the hipper parts of town. Lots of coffee shops and trendy stores. It's great for people watching.

Don't forget to scarf down a donut or two at a Tim Horton's!

[sheldonm]

Have a great time! I lived there for a year and still miss it terribly. Might even move there again if I can swing it. Anyway, between AGO and ROM, I'd go to AGO, but it depends how much is closed or under construction.

If you have the time, I would recommend a walk starting from the University of Toronto (quite a gorgeous place), down University Ave. At Dundas you can choose to go west to the AGO, or south another block to Nathan Philips Square (this is the new city hall and winter ice rink). Across the street is the elegant old city hall. Then you are only two short blocks away from Adelaide/Queen St. W which is one of the hipper parts of town. Lots of coffee shops and trendy stores. It's great for people watching.

Don't forget to scarf down a donut or two at a Tim Horton's!

Hi Eric, thanks for the info. I haven't been to Toronto for about 10 years, I'm sure it's changed a bit since I've been there....looking forward to getting back there.

m~