You can live in Toronto for years and never feel like a local. I’ve lived in Canada’s biggest city since 2009, when I moved here for an internship that turned into a full-time gig and then jobs for multiple news organizations, most recently as a correspondent for Reuters.
I’m constantly discovering how little I know, constantly rediscovering this evolving urbanity for myself. Toronto is a city to wander and get lost in a bit, but I am going to highlight a pocketof Toronto’s west side that covers several neighborhoods and is the place to find lovely walks and rides, great restaurants, alluring bookstores, a lakeside path and the best park in the city.
Here’s my guide to getting lost in the city like a local:
Getting around: Toronto’s transit system, the TTC, is not always the most reliable,but its subways and snazzy-looking streetcars are a practical option for getting around. If the weather allows, though, I recommend seeing the city on foot or by bike. Toronto has an extensive series of bike-rental stations and while the bikes themselves are somewhat heavy, it’s a handy mode of transport. Walking –indeed, wandering – is even better, as long as you aren’t in a rush.
Where to go: High Park, whose Indigenous history long predates the city itself, is the place to be if you want to feel like you are in the woods in the middle of the city. It may be the only place in Toronto that is equally alluring in summer and in winter, although when it gets muddy or snowy or slushy – or, worse yet, icy – you will need good boots.
There is a lovely trail that starts at the southwest corner of Bloor and Parkside (be careful at this intersection: the drivers can be maniacs) and becomes an off-leash area a couple hundred meters in. Loop around the doggie sandbox past the allotment gardens or emerge from the woods to a road and a sidewalk and pass birdwatchers on your way down Colborne Lodge Drive to The Queensway and the water. There are two excellent playgrounds, one on the west side and the other on the east, if you are a playground person or have playground people in your life.
In summer, stake out a space on the grass for your blanket and a basket of Ontario fruit – my favorite season is the magical late-summer period when peaches overlap with concord grapes – but skip the booze: This park is not included in Toronto’s alcohol-in-parks program. And keep an eye out for coyotes: They are likely afraid of you but may see your chihuahua as a snack.
For a similar city escape within the city, make your way to the waterfront, where you’ll find a great pathway hugging Lake Ontario. Bring a picnic and a book, a bike (the bike lane is the one closer to the road) and a bathing suit, if you’re brave.
City walking: For a more urban vibe, you could do worse than to meander along Dundas Street – one of Toronto’s major arterial thoroughfares– where you can find local independentstores, trendy restaurants and cozy coffee shops.
I’d start at Dundas West Station, reachable by subway, streetcar or bus. Either head north to the Junction neighborhood, where I like to satisfy my stationery cravings at Take Note and curried goat cravings at Taste Seduction on Keele Street, or head south until Dundas becomes Roncesvalles Avenue, which is packed with restaurants, shops, bookstores and an indie movie theatre. You can also stick to Dundas as it swings east. Head through Little Portugal, where you can stop at Saudade for the sweet ceramics. Check out Trinity Bellwoods Park just past Shaw Street for some dog-watching in the pit or some people-watching on the grass before continuing along Dundas through the city’s largest Chinatown all the way to the Art Gallery of Ontario. This beautiful, bright building is home to both Canadian and global art, permanent and temporary exhibits, Indigenous work and what the museum says is the largest public collection of Henry Moore artworks in the world. Keep heading east if you’re especially cool (all my friends assure me the east end is way cooler).
Best smell: Toronto has a well-earned reputation as a stinky city. But if you stand on the Dundas Street bridge over the train tracks at Sterling Road at the right time of day, you can inhale wafts of chocolate scent from the Nestle factory nearby.
Best public washroom: Toronto is notorious for its lack of clean, year-round public washrooms. So I am here to tell you a secret: The public washroom at Colborne Lodge, a historic house-turned-museum near the southern end of High Park, is open all winter during the day. Last I checked, they had soap.
Best place to see the sun rise – or set: On the off-chance you don’t make friends with someone who lives in a high-rise condo or apartment in the city, head to the white arches of the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, where you can watch the big golden orb emerge with a view of the waterfront and the CN Tower – or, pointed westward, watch the sun dip. The area is reachable on foot or two wheels (or several wheels, if you’re a rollerblader or skater). Either way, spend as much time as possible along the lakeside Martin Goodman Trail. Just remember the path closer to the water is for pedestrians, and the one closer to the road is for cyclists. Another sunset option, for those venturing eastward: The west-facing hill of Riverdale Park. Bring a blanket and snacks.
For travelers with disabilities: I am writing this as the city digs out from under a couple of massive snowstorms and, reader, the sidewalks do not look good in terms of wheelchair accessibility. Note that many restaurants or coffee shops in older buildings have their washrooms downstairs. The Art Gallery of Ontario is wheelchair accessible and BlindSquare-enabled and has other accessibility supports.
Biggest faux pas: Not being mindful of passersby. On snow-narrowed sidewalks, stop and squeeze to the side to let people pass. At the same time, keep in mind: Not all Canadians are nice. Not all Torontonians are nice. Prepare your pointy elbows when navigating crowded buses and subways. But, also, give up your seat to people who need it.
DATA POINTS
Population: 3 million for the whole city
Price of a cup of coffee: from C$3 ($2.11) at Outpost Coffee, 1578 Bloor West
Price of an ice cream cone: From C$6 ($4.22) at Ed’s Real Scoop, 189 Roncesvalles, or from C$4.50 ($3.16) at Chocolateria, 361 Roncesvalles. Ed’s has a wider selection of ice creams and sorbets but Chocolateria has just about everything you could want in chocolate form.
Best independent cinema: The Revue Cinema at 400 Roncesvalles just got a literal new lease on life. Check out its array of cinematic offerings.
Essential read: Nonfiction: “Stroll,” by Shawn Micallef, updated 2024. Fiction: “Fifteen Dogs,” by Andre Alexis (2015), or “Kicking the Sky,” by Anthony De Sa (2014) (Anna Mehler Paperny/Reuters)
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