Okay - there is SO much to do up there it isn't funny. A few things my wife and I really like are the local theatre (which is usually abundant), record shopping (well, that's mostly me :-), a relaxing ferry ride out to Toronto Island, ethnic food, the Japanese Cultural Centre exhibits/events, etc. Always good concerts, club stuffs and things happening in Dundas Square if you go in the summer. Food: we've never had a bad meal at Freesen (a vegetarian place on Queen St. West), although we aren't vegan. We also love the Peruvian places - El Bogedon comes to mind. There are a few good Cambodian and tons of Pan-Asian places. We ate at a great Carribean Jerk place, but I can't recall the name offhand. Below I have pasted an email which a friend of mine sent me last year when I was asking for some decent record stores. I have to say I would skip the HMV and Sam the Record Man and opt for places like Play de Record and especially Rotate This. This is the local free rag online which will really help weed through events, eateries, clubs and the like: http://www.nowtoronto.com/ Go through their 'culture', 'arts' and 'live music' links thoroughly. This might be helpful as well : http://www.toronto.com/section/bars_nightlife/ ( I just landed on this section - not recommending 'bars and nightlife' in particular :-) They have some pretty reliable restaurant reviews at Toronto.com. also this : http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/special_events/index.htm I pasted a pile of links at the bottom of this, so you should have a few things to look through. My wife and I tend to wander far afield from the normal 'tourist traps' (which are okay, mind you, if you have time for that kind of thing - Casa Loma, CN Tower, the TO Zoo, etc.) and we'd rather eat the more authentic ethnic in a small, unpretentious setting than do the 5 star /high dollar tour, so take my recommendations with that grain of salt. DO buy your self a day-pass on the Subway, which is good on all busses and transfers all day - it's only $7 or so, and will take you everywhere you want to go. It will take about 5 minutes to learn the layout of the town. There are coffee shops all over as well - Second Cup is the most predominant chain, and even they are pretty good (varying from local owner to owner). We usually hit the one right in from of the Days Inn across from the Maple Leaf Gardens as we usually stay there (it's cheap!) and the owner is really cool. There is a book/tour guide you can find relatively easy (Amazon) which is put out by Cargo that's really helpful as well. It might be edited by NOW Magazine, come to think of it. We have never lacked for anything to do when we have gone - clubs, good concerts, great local theatre, marvelous food, great places to shop. Queen Street West is a haven for cool stores. I can't recall exactly when you're going, but this might be fun (it came across a list I was on and I saved it to show you): ============ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRANSMEDIA :29:59 +++ Launch event: AUGUST 3rd, 8-10pm: vjs fluid & faux amie - music by cyan (dj set) & naw (live) Dundas Square - Yonge & Dundas Street, Toronto +++ TRANSMEDIA :29:59 http://www.year01.com/transmedia2959 one minute media artworks on the Dundas Square video billboard every half hour 24/7 August 1 - 31st, 2005 29th minute: Manu Luksch - 'Movie Stars' 59th minute: Jillian Macdonald - 'Screen Kiss' Year Zero One is pleased to announce the launch of TRANSMEDIA :29:59, a year long programme on the pedestrian level video billboard at Dundas Square in Toronto. Beginning August 1st 2005, one minute video works will be broadcast 24/7 every half hour on the 29th and 59th minutes. Featured for the month of October is Jillian Macdonald's 'Screen Kiss' & Manu Luksch's 'Movie Stars'. Jillian Macdonald's Screen Kiss is a web project/video featuring several popular actors including Daniel Day Lewis, Vincent Gallo, Johnny Depp, and Angelina Jolie. Macdonald inserts herself into existing film scenes as stand-in for the actresses being kissed by or engaged in other gestures of romance with these actors. Manu Luksch's Movie Stars was filmed at the shores of Koh Yao Yai in Thailand - the only place where star fish can be trained as actors. Join us in the square on August 3rd at 8pm for a 2 hour opening launch performance at Dundas Square with image vjs fluid & faux amie + music by cyan & naw. =============================================================================== attached image from 'Screen Kiss' - Jillian Macdonald http://www.theoperahousetoronto.com/ <http://www.theoperahousetoronto.com/> http://www.toronto.ca/getting_around/index.htm <http://www.toronto.ca/getting_around/index.htm> http://app.toronto.ca/lit/imapit/iMapIt.jsp?app=TOMaps&viewdefault=true <http://app.toronto.ca/lit/imapit/iMapIt.jsp?app=TOMaps&viewdefault=true> http://www.toronto.com/section/restaurants <http://www.toronto.com/section/restaurants> http://www.nowtoronto.com/restaurant/index.cfm <http://www.nowtoronto.com/restaurant/index.cfm> http://news24.wordtravels.com/Cities/Ontario/Toronto/Restaurants <http://news24.wordtravels.com/Cities/Ontario/Toronto/Restaurants> http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/links.htm#guides <http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/links.htm#guides> http://www.cabbagetown.biz/ http://www.toronto.com/ <http://www.toronto.com/> http://www.torinfo.com/ http://www.toronto.com/search?type=evloc&flavor_id=16&sort=date&histoindex_l... <http://www.toronto.com/search?type=evloc&flavor_id=16&sort=date&histoindex_left=rdc&context=arts> http://www.factorytheatre.ca/home.htm ....hope all of this is helpful. I envy you!! jeff therealmxyzptlk@comcast.net wrote:

I'll dig through my links when I get home (I'm out of town at the moment and accessing through my laptop) - my wife and I do Toronto regularly. What a fantastic city! SO much to see, do and eat and plenty of places to buy records. Toronto is incredibly easy to navigate and a cornucopia of splendid, relatively inexpensive places to eat great ethnic foods. The subway/mass transit system is cheap and will take you anywhere you want to be.

jeff

...

it's a ways off, but i am heading to Toronto in early September for a little vacation time. looking for recommendations on:

- good record shops - good restaurants/cafes/bars - good bookstores - anything else really cool to do while i am in the city

i am staying with a friend who lives downtown near a trendy shopping area called The Annex, if that helps anyone know specifically where i will be at. but i will have locals who i can make drive me places...

anyway, any help is much appreciated. you can email me off-list so as to not annoy the rest of the people here.

thanks.

PJK

please don't hate me because i can't type..... --- All the cool kids are doing it: HTTP://www.EvilSponge.org

_______________________________________________ Orb mailing list Orb@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/orb Report list abuse to list-abuse at studio-nibble.com

_______________________________________________ Orb mailing list Orb@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/orb Report list abuse to list-abuse at studio-nibble.com