In my thesis, I am trying to find Raw,Authentic Toronto.This could be a neighborhood,a building,a new food,music talents,art,etc.I am asking various people from different backgrounds to tell me what they would do if they wanted to show someone around their Toronto.You could help me a lot by answering one simple question:If you were asked where I can see Raw or Real Toronto,What one place you recommend
Thank you so much :)
One of the older neighbourhoods - Parkdale/Roncy/High Park area - because my forebears started out there.
ReplyDeleteWell, when I have friends over from out of town, I generally take them along dundas to show them the dundas square of how we want to become a little time square of new york and then i take them down to show them the architecture of ocad and then the ago, and then kensington market. i think kensington is great because it has a blend of lot of culture there yet they all co-exist in a peaceful manner. if there's more time, i take my guests down along queen street west to show them the local designer stores and shops.
ReplyDeleteI find the city of Toronto is full of interesting and pleasant surprises even after living here since 1976 and visiting this great city too many times previous to 1976.
ReplyDeleteThe multicultural aspect of the people living city of Toronto and how everyone gets along well is inspiring to me. It has gained a lot of depth and history naturally, for a city that grew up quickly and wanted to become a world class international city.
I enjoy Kensington Market area in downtown Toronto for it's raw look literally with many interesting surprises artistically and creatively, it's rich there to me in creative spirit. It's bizarre and lets you know you're in a special urban city that's open minded for sure. One doesn't even feel that they're in Canada or Toronto at all being in Kensington Market.
Little Italy during Easter time is special. You really get to admire the history and the heritage this area has with all the Italian people living there or know people that have lived or still live there from and for many generations.
The High Park area with Ukranian, Polish and other interesting mixture of European cultures expanding there fascinates me always.
The Little Portugal, Korea, Gerrard India Bazaar, 3 Chinatowns, Persian area in North York with Korean culture integrated, Jewish area around Bathurst mid-town, Greek Town on the Danforth, Little Jamaica, more and the more new Italy area around St. Clair Avenue West with a touch of Mexico and Middle Eastern flavours/cultural activities and stores happening and integrating here and there, beside and around all areas expands Toronto as being a highly multicultural with harmony and magic.
To me, one can say, that a person living in Toronto or visiting Toronto can enjoy and explore the world in 8 days over and over and over again. It's an amazing place to live, play and work in no doubt. It's always changing and to live here is to experience the best of everywhere in the world. Toronto, next stop, the world!!!
When visiting Toronto there is three aspects that makes it known for one of the top cities in the world. Shopping, museums, and the nightlife are the three things that make Toronto so unique and authentic. From queen west, the eaton centre to bloor street we have variously styles of clothing and taste Which brings people in from all over to experience. The Rome, the shoe exhibit, to the AGO you would need days to experience all these places which gives Toronto character. Finally the nightlife which everyone should experience. No mater what night or where in Toronto there is a party going on from trendy queen west like the drake, business driven king street, out of towners Richmond and peter, all the way up to snobby yorkville. I believe these three aspects make Toronto so authentic and real.
ReplyDeleteKensington Market-Lettuce Knit, Patty King, Blue Banana Market, Flashback
ReplyDeleteThe Beaches-Dufflet Pastries, The Green Eggplant, Harvest Cafe and Fine Foods, Scrapbooks By Design
Queen West-Drake/Drake General Store, Magpie Designs,Tattoo Rock Parlor, Gladstone, Addis Ababa Restaurant, Chatalet, Clafouti Patisserie et Cafe, Coupe Bizarre, Crumpler, Girl Friday CLothing, Pizzaiolo (potato pizza! Yum!), Outerlayer (cool and unusual items), House of Vintage, The Healthy Butcher, The Hideout on Queen, Leslieville Cheese Market West, Fressen (delish Veggie Tapas & Gluten Free items), Tortilla Flats, Arton Beads, Crystal Bead Shop, Beadery, Criminal Records, Horseshoe Tavern, The Prague, Black Market Vintage Clothing, Cafe Crepe, Korean Grill House, Peach Berserk, The Paper Place, Token, The Tin Taj, Ten Thousand Villages, Urban Barn, Urban Outfitters, etc
Lakeshore -Big Guys Little Coffee, Bombay on the Lake, Thai Spring Roll, Baba Ali's, WoodFire Burgers!!, burrito boyz, Falafel Royal, Cafe Musique, The Village Butcher, Birds & Beans, Sweet Olenka's, Chasers, The Waffle Works, The Kebab House, The Loot Lady, Sammy’s Creole, The Empanada Company, Fair Grounds Roastery Café, SAMKO!!
Brownsline-Organic Big Burger
The Royal York Hotel (especially for the Indie Awards show-when I’d rather be in the hallways listening to all the new talent looking to be “found”…)
National Film Board workshops (cheap animation ones for the kids!)
Le Commensal-Veggie Fare by weight.
Panorama- http://www.eatertainment.com/restaurants/panorama - 51st floor of the Manulife Centre-very cool view of the city-great food-prices aren’t “bad”.
Copacabana- 150 Eglinton Ave E-AMAZING even if you are veggie (reduce the cost for vegetarians, but still have a nice selection of buffet foods)- Good atmosphere, cool band (only when early enough to catch it), delicious selection of never ending meat, etc.
Bier Market or surrounding pubs (packed-line ups take ages, but fun atmosphere)
Zelda’s Living Well (Drag shows are so much fun & interactive, if you choose! Food isn’t bad, drinks aren’t outrageous, early closing-make sure to reserve your table!)
Sultan’s Tent-cool belly dancing and killer menu
Still thinking and will post more as I think of stuff...
If possible, explore Toronto by car, including the downtown. Earlier this year I was a delivery driver in the Vaughan area, and for a couple of days I worked out of the downtown office. The first day I was doing deliveries along the Yonge corridor between Bloor and Eglinton, and it is amazing how much you miss being underground. Second day I was doing deliveries in the west end of downtown (Liberty Village, Queen West, Parkdale), and it is amazing the contrast. While the north is filled with rich homes, newer buildings, and appears much cleaner, the west end has older buildings and far more graffiti (Liberty Village is an exception, as it is undergoing a revival).
ReplyDeleteAlso by car, you can cover far more parts of the city quicker. Plus expand into the GTA.
When I think Raw Toronto, the area that immediately comes to mind is Queen West/Parkdale. An area soaked with different cultures, colours, sexualities, socioeconomic ranks, nationalities, and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIt fuses so many different beautiful people in a very dense area, creating a natural culture-hub that allows for individuality to reign above all else. The trendy club/business restorations have added to this dynamic, blending new and old, jaded and naive.
my raw toronto: Roncesvalles St.
ReplyDeleteIt is a gem normally ignored on most tourist's trips, but it is one part of the city that stands out to me. It is beyond the highrises situated just north of the lake. In the summer you get a nice cool breeze from the water that drifts up the street. The people in the community smile and talk with each other. The local arts are supported by all of the independent businesses, which means you can see many beautiful paintings and photographs in almost all the shops you go in. When it is festival time it is obvious that the entire community comes out to support one another and share in all of the good times.
It is my fav part of the city, and what I consider my "raw" toronto
Kensington and west-end modern chinatown really deserve more play for newcomers and visitors though. A pedestrian sunday in kensington, not only then but especially in that case, should be way ahead of Queen W or Front St or Yonge St. (ewww, especially Yonge St.) as something to come and check out when you're here. I think when we've had visitors in town who've never been here before, Kensington's the place I'm most eager to show them (especially 'cause they'll find the tower, the ROM, the AGO, etc... all on their own), but obviously different strokes for different folks.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought: When I was traveling to Toronto I wanted to know more about it then just the well-known tourist locations...
ReplyDeleteI wanted to learn for myself what makes Toronto the great City that I feel that it is...
I do feel that a tourist take a trip to the top of the CN Tower on a clear day with good visibility just to get an idea how interesting Toronto is...it's one thing I did early on...
I can think of more historical places like the Ontario Parliament Building in Queen's Park,the Gooderham Flatiron Building and the classic Old City Hall...
As for nightlife I always enjoyed the Yonge Street scene (especially how it was in the 80s) and the Midtown Bloor/Yorkville area has always interested me...
The Eaton Centre has been a favorite remembering how it was in those 80s days...it opened in 1977 and was one of the most successful Downtown shopping malls...
I like the architecture of certain buildings...Royal Bank (1977) has always been a favorite and the mid 60s era New City Hall is another interesting well-known building...
Buy a TTC Pass and explore the City using the TTC Subway and Streetcars as I did...you can visit places as different as North York Centre (a new Downtown area that has been created only since the 80s) a suburban shopping mall (Yorkdale-since the opening of the Spadina Line in 1978 it is a rare rail transit-friendly mall) and many neighborhoods along both the Yonge/University/Spadina and Bloor/Danforth lines...
I heard about an italian bakery called Commisso Brothers on Jane & Finch - apparently the best food comes from there and that everyone should go!
ReplyDeleteJane & Finch - Well, certain people don't consider that area as part of "Toronto".
ReplyDeleteBut if your "raw Toronto" represents the "new" Toronto, that is when it merged with its surrounding suburbs in 1998, then you have the opportunity to see where the majority of "real" Toronto residents live.
Hop on a TTC bus from the Yonge Subway line and go east or west from either Lawrence, York Mills, Sheppard, and Finch subway stations.
Observe the type of passengers on the bus and where they get off, where they shop, where they play, where they worship, and where they eat.
The ride would be quite a shock for those who never venture north of Bloor Street.
one of my favorite to explore on my summer day in our toronto neighborhood is The Distillery on Trinity and Mill Street in the Parliament and Front St. vicinity. Distillery has 13-acre historic enclave on shoreline, and was complete with 45 19th century buildings which was undergone carefully restoration. This area is recognized as North American best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the place to take picture of the rich past and and architectural legacy.
The Distillery has been developed as a centre for arts, culture and entertainment. There so many things to do and see including galleries, museums, rehearsal halls, boutiques, retail shops, artist studios, restaurants, bistros and cafés. The Distillery bustles with activity day and night. You can catch live music, outdoor exhibitions, fairs and special events year-round.
I have no idea what you hope to accomplish by seeing the real and raw Toronto but I would advise you to stick to whats left of the downtown ghettos as a starting point.
ReplyDeleteThe people who suffer because of poverty and live in conditions you yourself couldn't imagine will show you how real Toronto really is.
Also talk to a few homeless people, they are very interesting. (I am 100% serious)
Off the top of my head...
ReplyDeleteSpend a saturday afternoon nosing around Kensington Market, nibbling on the treats available -- fresh fruit, baked goods, cheese, coffee, and foods of the world.
Go to the intersection of Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue, and walk south on Broadview. Riverdale Park will be on your right... and you'll get the best view of the city skyline. Recommended for sunrise (the sun will be in your pictures) or sunset (the buildings will be bathed in glowing light).
Continue south on Broadview to Gerrard, and you will find "Chinatown East" (apparently one of seven Chinatowns in Toronto). Take Gerrard further east and you will find Little India. For dinner, go to Udupi Palace for one of the best vegetarian dosa's in the city.
For views of the city mixed with alcohol, check out the bar at the top of the Park Hyatt (Bloor St. and Avenue Rd.) Old school Toronto charm. For even more old school Toronto charm, make a reservation for lunch at the grill upstairs in Hart House (part of the University of Toronto.) You'll eat in a fascinating combination of "ladies who lunch"+"Harry Potter".
Have fun, and make sure you talk to the locals. They may be too shy to introduce themselves, but once spoken to, Torontonians are a very friendly and helpful lot.
The College streetcar 506 from Main station goes through a big chunk of the city - upper Beach, India Bazaar, Vietnamese area, Broadview Chinatown, Regent Park and Cabbagetown in one section, Maple Leaf Gardens, past Yonge Street, past the Banting and Best Institutes, Queen's Park, University of Toronto, Spadina, Little Italy, Portuguese area (not sure if it has a name or not), over the rail bridge to High Park/Parkdale and ends in High Park.
ReplyDeleteFor first time visitors to Toronto I would highly recommend that they explore the underground PATH system. With 28 kilometers and 1200 stores it is the largest subterranean city in the world and is something that is almost unique to Toronto. Of course the time to go is during the week when all the stores are open and you can experience the energy of Canada's business capital.
ReplyDeleteToronto is such a diverse city, with so many niche areas with so called "raw" or authentic spots within it. Downtown, Yorkville, East, and West all have very unique areas which I would consider "Raw". So although this may not conflict with your thesis, the only way I can suggest a "raw" toronto would be to do a coffee tour. Take the Now Magazine top indie coffee shops and check them out. It is in my opinion, that the large majority of these coffees shops are located within some fairly authentic Toronto spots.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nowtoronto.com/food/story.cfm?content=165409
The tourist guidebook will suggest great landmarks, sights, and attractions, but the raw Toronto is definitely in the diverse neighbourhoods like Parkdale, Queen West in general, Roncesvalles, The Junction, The Beach, Corktown, St. Lawrence. Take the streetcar and subway, but especially the streetcar because it's a unique experience and you get to see more through the window. You could also ride a bicycle, if you're comfortable with city riding. The neighbourhoods tend to have Toronto's iconic bicycle ring parking stands all along their main streets.
ReplyDelete-A.R.
Regarding "authentic Toronto" -- that means a couple of different things. Until the mid 20th Century, Toronto was largely a cultural amalgam of the British Commonwealth and the American eastern seaboard. Many American visitors to Toronto note that it feels like London, which it does in places. The urban texture of architecture and public space (parkettes) is especially more like London than like New York or Chicago.
ReplyDeleteThe latter half of the twentieth century has brought enormous waves of immigration which have sown the city with a delightful melange of cultures from every corner of the planet. Everyone who arrives in Toronto has left a mark, in the architecture, the ways of living, the food, the music, the fashion, etc.
Downtown Toronto is definitely a collection of discrete neighborhoods, best explored by foot and by streetcar. Wear an extra sweater to cut the chill, and spend lots of time going in and out of shops and restaurants and streetcars, and you won't be cold in December. Only by slowing down, paying attention to people and culture at the street level, will you be able to experience Toronto to its fullest. An "authentic" Toronto, by which I mean a Toronto as it is experienced by the people who live and work and love it here every day.As you said in your post, you want to see more than the tourist sites. As always, tourist sites tell you the least about the character of a city and its people, and are usually boring for photographers as they are already well photographed!
If cold and distance do not matter, you could start downtown at Queen and Yonge and walk for an hour or so west on Queen. Lots of restaurant, small shops, galleries in old shops (once west of Bathurst), old hotels fixed up, and characters on the street. About an hour in and you are into Parkdale. If you make it is far as the intersection of Queen, King, Queensway and Roncesvalles, head north on "Roncies" into what was once known as little Poland (more small shops and restaurants).
ReplyDeleteKensington market / neighbourhood is good to explore, and the St Lawrence market is fun to explore on Saturday morning when you are after breakfast.
Lots of places:
ReplyDeleteThe Annex
Bloor west village near High Park
Queen street east of Yonge street. Yonge street bisects the city into East and West.
Queen street west of Bathurst--lots of nice galleries and quirky cafes. Just last weekend we went to see an Elliott Erwitt exhibit at one of the many galleries along this stretch of Queen street.
The Beach area--take the Queen street street car East and enjoy an afternoon discovering this great neighborhood.
there are lots of great little neighbourhoods in the (mostly) downtown area that are worth exploring. But there's a big difference between being local and having the chance to continually explore an area, and being a tourist with limited time and knowledge. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to avoid tourist areas -- even though they may be famous for some "sights", the areas they are in are equally patronized by locals for every day activities like shopping, eating, transport, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't know if it would interest you or not, but you might enjoy photographing Black Creek Pioneer Village in the northern part of the city (at least a subway+bus ride if going by public transport). It will fully decked out for the holidays, and even if there isn't snow, it's still an atmospheric (although historic - 1860s) place to shoot. And although it's an outdoor museum there are plenty of chances to go indoors to all the buildings (most are heated) to warm up if need be. I know it's probably not what you're thinking about when you think of Toronto, but I always used to take visitors there when I lived in the city (the fact that I used to work there played a part as well!), and they always enjoyed it.
For me these are the must see in Toronto:
ReplyDeleteDistillery District is such a great area where you can see how old Toronto was and the shops and galleris there are amazing.
biking along the Don Vallery River Hiking Trial is amazing in summer and fall (make sure to pass by the Brickworks for farmers market on Saturday)
some spots in the waterfront (city skyline is amazing by Cherry Street, the docks) (waterfront on the west side pass High Park is amazing for a picnic or watching the airshow during CNE) (The tip of abandoned place that sticks out from the Cherry street area has amazing view of the city, but it's a dumping ground for many years there are tons of scraps and bricks there, be careful when going there. amazing photo opt!! even in the winter where everything froze is great! but it's windy)
the annex area is a must I'm not sure if it's a tourist spot right now tho. Honest Eds it's such amazing place to browse on a less busy day, you get to see locals go there without all the tourists. The history in the whole store is just amazing.
Kensington Market is a must see as well, hip, artsy, cultural, real, people are amazingly friendly there, grab a coffee and do people watching by the patio is just a great thing to do in the summer.
Out of downtown Toronto, Scarborough actually has amazing outdoor trails, the Scarborough Buffs, are where you get to walk on hills and cliffs. The Rouge Valley trails around Toronto Zoo, lots of history in the area, I think they are about to make Rouge Valley into a national park. (I'm not sure if it's happening or not tho)
North York has the largest Korean neighbourhood besides the Korean Town in downtown, great restaurants, and then is the Mel Lastman square in front of North York Reference Library, it is a great skating rink in winter, movie theatre and subway station there.
All of these things I said was summer,
In winter, if your into outdoor activities, of course there are outdoor skating throughout the city, harbourfront skating rink is great and atmospheric and they have DJ in the weekends in winter, love it.
For snow, you got to go to that hill by Riverdale Park, it's an insanely steep hill, amazing for tobogganing or even snowbroading when enough snow is accumulated... fun!!
Snowshoe hiking is great anywhere on different hiking routes, you will be amaze that you will feel like your away from the city because of the scenery and trees but in fact your just right here in Toronto.
If outdoor activity is not your thing in winter, don't worry, there's always the largest underground city in the world for you, yes, the largest, cool EH? and that is --- the PATH that connect the many different places in downtown Toronto, you can do all your dinning, shopping and walking and exploring along the PATH without the cold!!!