Scary Toronto Offers Much More then the CN Tower

by Abigail Vint

Growing up in small town Ontario, the big city lights of Toronto always seemed like a bit of a scary place. We would go there for school trips to see a play or a baseball game and I was always in awe. So many people, rushing from place to place. It would be so easy to get lost there. No one looked you in the eye. No one knew who you were.

It was a bit of an accident that I ended up applying to school there. For years, I had set my heart on Carleton University in Ottawa. It was only after I attended a university information session that I even heard about Ryerson. From then on, I decided it was where I wanted to be.

Visiting the campus was overwhelming. It is set right in the centre of the city. One minute you`re shopping on the main street, the next minute you're wandering the campus of a university.

It didn't take me long to fall in love with the city and lose any fear or apprehension I had about living in the centre of it all. In six years that I stayed there, I moved five times. I got to know the city quite well and found a number of places not always inhabited by tourists.

St. Lawrence Market
Every major city has a good market and Toronto is no exception. In 2003, the Market Block celebrated its 200 year anniversary. The market itself has been serving customers for over 100 years, well known for its fresh fruits and vegetables. Today, in addition to the wide variety of vendors selling their wares, it is surrounded by cafes, condos and restaurants. The relaxed atmosphere makes you forget that you're an out-of-towner, as most of the people you'll find in the market are doing their home shopping. This area is not a far walk from the main hotel area and is a perfect spot to really get a sense of the city.

High Park
Set in the west end of the city, High Park is one of the largest green spaces in the city. When the nice weather hits, you'll find loads of city folk flocking to this big park for the fresh air and the scenery. It is very accessible by the subway system, as you probably wouldn't want to walk it from the centre. Groups of people often gather together here to play pick up sport games of football, soccer and ulitmate frisbee. There are bike trails that wind in amongst forests and bodies of water. And, when you're finished with nature, you're not too far off from another interesting street of shops and cafes--Bloor West Village. Wander around the area to see some of the spectacular old homes or simply take a tour along Bloor Street and go in and out of the local shops.

China Town
Since moving to Europe, this is what I miss most. Good Chinese food. A place near our house--Oriental Taste--was so reasonably priced and so scrumptious that we ate there all the time. And that place was no where near the heart of Chinatown. Any one of the restaurants on Spadina or Dundas or on the tiny streets that make up this area of town will have fantastic food. And all authentic. The best part: you could sit down for a restaurant meal until the wee hours of the morning. There's nothing better after a night out in the city than a sit down meal. Service with a smile; at 4 in the morning.

Toronto Islands
My first experience with the islands was during frosh week of first year university. All the students would parade down Yonge street--Toronto's main drag--and end up at the bottom of the street where the ferry would take us across to another beautiful outdoor spot. You could wander around the islands and find a spot where no one was around. People actually inhabit the island and take the ferry back and forth to work each day. It's like a whole new world--it feels like you've travelled hundreds of miles to get out into the countryside when really, you've simply gotten on a ferry.

Ryerson University and University of Toronto
You may simply stumble upon the campuses of Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. They are literally set in amongst the busyness of the city. Ryerson is just beside the Eaton's Centre--the city's most famous shopping complex. Lake Devo, the small pond on campus, is a great ice skating alternative to Nathan Phillips Square. The University of Toronto is near the high end shopping district on Bloor Street. Even with its large Varsity Stadium, you still need to take a second look around you to realize that you are officially on a university campus. One of the most famous Toronto university bars is right near the University of Toronto campus, The Brunswick House. It threw me for a bit of a loop when my uncle told me stories of partying there: he's over 20 years older then me.

Toronto is quite a diverse city and this list is my humble suggestions. There are certainly places I frequent when I am home that I have not listed but hey, if I told you everything, they'd just become touristy, wouldn't they?