Toronto through a Calgarian’s [big] Eyes

[casa loma at sunset]

My last post was a tad melancholy, oh-so-nostalgic and incredibly emo as I was reminiscing about packing up my childhood in 19 UHAUL boxes and starting a new chapter in my life. But now that I am on the brink of a new move to London for B-School [London Ontario that is, although England would sound more exotic and fitting for a “travel blog” post!], I thought I would write a bit about my adventures in Toronto thus far.

For the past year, I’ve had tons of people (from all over) ask me how I’m liking Toronto, advice on moving out of Calgary, etc….so I thought I would write a bit about what I’ve LOVED about living in Toronto this past year, and some things that I have not so loved….which are few and far between. I have really taken the time to try and explore this city, but the funny thing is that there is still so much more to do and see…Toronto is so dynamic and alive, and in such stark contrast with Calgary, a place I hold near and dear to my heart. So here I go…and in an effort to keep this list under control, I am organizing by category [surprise, surprise].

What I love about Toronto:
1) Fashion
• Toronto shopping is a constant battle for me…it’s always a Reccesionista versus Fashionista showdown. There are so many shoe stores and so many sales and I heart it!! Hurts my bank account but nothing can replace the feeling I get when I find that special something I’ve been waiting for all my life and just didn’t realize….erm, ya, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!!!
• I love shopping on Queen Street in my wayfarers…hehe. So much fun boutique fashion…and so unique. Toronto really lets you embrace your personal style…kind of like Tokyo but not so extreme. But you could be extreme if you wanted to be…which is nice!
• Fashion Week is full of fun events and fashion shows – a definite must do if you are into that type of stuff.
• Nothing beats walking down Bloor Street on my Fridays off while sippin’ on Starbucks latte…the people here are next level rich and sometimes I just sit and people watch to see how one can afford to buy such extravagant stuff! Exhibit A: There is regularly a waiting list at Tiffany’s to speak to a sales associate! To SPEAK to a sales associate!! Recession?! What recession? The uber rich here are supercalafragilistic rich. Its depressing and amusing at the same time!

2) Culture
• If you don’t like a radio station…you have about a bazillion other choices. This really, really comes in handy when you are stuck in traffic due to a protest or something on a Sunday night at 11:00 trying to get home (I speak from experience).
• The throngs of people on the street! Calgary is a ghost town in downtown after 6:00 pm….while downtown Toronto dynamically comes alive. Patios, festivals, free shows…its amazing. Just this past weekend Cirque du Soleil did a free show at Harbour Front – for…free!
• You can go to an obscure club on a Wednesday night and have amazing music…that’s just how it is here. And it doesn’t matter whether you like hardcore reggae or acid rock….you can find a place that suits your fancy.
• Breakdancers in Dundas Square and street buskers in general! So fun to watch!
• The different pockets of culture…Portuguese town, artsy fartsy scene in Kensington market, coffee houses, poetry readings…you can be anything you want to be and embrace it with all you have. I was once walking down Queen with some girlfriends and one stepped into a music store and bought a guitar b/c its something she wanted to do for a while and didn’t have the chance…these are the best moments because it shows how the city just inspires you to explore your inner talents that have yet to be realized.
• Not enough culture for you? Tdot is a hop skip & jump from Montreal…which needs it's own list all together

3) Food
• So much food, amazing food, everywhere! At any time! At any price! 10:00 on a Tuesday night and craving Burmese food?? You can get it! Sushi is cheap, Thai is cheap, and the restos are guaranteed to be packed :)
• Not only is the street meat halal and amazing, but now you can get street vended ethnic food!
• Italian food in Little Italy (College) – mama mia, it’s amazing! (Try Vivoli, Coco Lezzone, the crepe place, Kalender, and Pomogranate Restaurant!)
• The Greek food on Danforth, especially during the annual Greek Festival
• Lahore Tikka House on Gerrard Street (Little India) – even though it has been under renos since ’05…the kebabs are amazing!!
• Finding random pizzerias…just went to an amazing place called Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington/Dundas and had a Duck Confit and Pear pizza cooked in a wood fired oven – it’s a must do for “authentic” Neapolitan pizza!
• The plethora of restos on King – jazz bars, wine bars, fusion restaurants, etc.

4) Weather
• We have 4 actual seasons here! I know this may sound odd to non-Calgarians, but this is important to note because Calgary has only 2 seasons…..Snowy and Rainy Season, and Stampede Season which is the hottest week of the year [30 C] when everyone parties and gets heat stroke…then we are back to Snowy and Rainy Season. It's not at all consistent! I do miss Chinooks…but the predictability of the weather in Toronto is well worth it. If it says its going to rain…it rains! If it says its going to snow, it snows! Its amazing!
• From November to February we have Winter. It snows like crazy, snow tires help. But then its OVER!!
• From March to mid June, we have Spring, where it rains. Rubber boots help, especially funky colourful ones.
• From mid June to September, we have Summer, beautiful wonderful summer, full of heat, tanning, beaches, patios, bonfires, bbq’s and sundresses. It’s absolutely divine!
• From Sept to November, we have Autumn…crisp, cool, crunchy, colourful Autumn. Far cry from the resilient ever-greens in Calgary that stay…ever green no matter what is on the ground.

5) Misc.
• Driving on the 407 – wide open spaces! Love it!
• Driving to and from downtown through Rosedale Valley Road…such a relaxing way to get into the core…its usually the stretch when I blast my music and sing my heart out! In the winter it looks like a curving sparkly winter wonderland, and in the summer like you are driving through a lush green forest.
• The anonymity of a big city…no one cares what car you drive or what purse you buy, no ones in your business. Speaking of purses, I love the smorgasbord of purse choices in the city!! But maybe that should go in another category…
• Beaches! Coming from Calgary, and trips to “Fish Creek Park” as the closest thing to a beach, it was such a foreign concept to have beautiful beaches on the lakes so close!
• I love that I have the ability to escape the concrete jungle of downtown to suburbia at least one day a weekend…to have a hearty indian meal, play some golf, spend 2 hours washing/waxing/leather conditioning my car…its great :)

What I do not love about Toronto:
• Paying for the 407 – it’s a toll highway and I use it too much. Eek!
• Road kill on the DVP – so much roadkill on my morning drives that I started naming the racoons that I see every morning and count how many days they’ve been there! [Roxy has currently been lying at DVP & Wynford drive for 3 days]
• For those of you that like the mountains…Toronto is a sad sad excuse for mountains. They have “Blue Mountain”, but its basically like Nose Hill, and probably smaller.
• Rush hour sucks, not gonna lie. But the solution is….live near your work! Your quality of life will vastly improve…so pay the premium to keep your commuting time low…you are in control! I go against traffic every morning so I don’t have a bad commute at all…so it is possible to work around it.
• It takes me a long time to straighten my hair with the humidity with this new godforsaken hair cut I chose to get in the efforts to feel more “edgy”. But when I return to my curly hair the humidity works in favour of my hair, nails, and skin! So it’s a pro and a con :)

All in all Toronto is a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book…and God knows, I loved those growing up! So that is my list, and I hope it helps anyone who is considering a move to Toronto! Ciao ciao!