May 03, 2005 - 6:53 p.m.
so... while you're here, it depends on what you'd like to do...
first, are you a vegetarian? what kind of music do you like? are you an early morning person? into nature? shopping? expensive? or budgeted fun?
best veggie food is at Fresh on Bloor Street West of Spadina. Really tasty with lots of variety.
Personally, i'm a small-budget fun-seeker... I love walking around in Kensington market, stopping in to look at vintage clothing and trying yummy treats at the local bakeries (right in the market, try Moonbeam Cafe or Last temptation (restaurant with very cheap but not exceptionally good food... very bohemian and chill)
Take a trip to the harbour front... all the way down York street to the Queen's Quay terminal... you can take a ferry to Toronto Island or just eat at a patio on the waterfront...
My favourite up-beat area is Queen street West... local designers, great shoes and some more mainstream places... (between University Ave and Bathurst ... the farther past Bathurst you go, on Queen) the more hipster you get... but it gets less condensed... and requires more walking..
if you go the opposite direction on Queen... look out for great vintage furniture, and mod furniture design on Queen East, great mom and pop shop food... and if you go all the way East you can get to "the Beaches" a little beach community that's like its own town... with icecream shops and a board walk.
for more shi-shi.. shopping, Bloor street between Queen's Park and Yonge street, has Holt Renfrew, Prada, Lulu Lemon yoga apparel etc.. and north of Bloor in the same area is uber-posh Yorkville and some nice little shops full of ridiculously expensive nothings... but also lots of diesel jeans at Over the Rainbow.. which sometimes has great sales like 30$ Diesel denim.
Otherwise, check out the CN tower, the entertainment district for night life, the gay village at Church and Wellesley intersection which has a great restaurant... Zelda's (west side of Church, south of Wellesley...) and a great but more pricey place to have drinks at dusk is the Panorama... a cafe/martini bar located on the 32nd floor of the Manulife center (at Bay and Bloor street).
hope you have fun!!!
