Tips about Toronto

contact June 4th, 2010

Los Angelinos and San Franciscans, rejoice! Starting June 23, 2010, Virgin America is offering direct flights out of San Francisco and Los Angeles to and from Toronto, marking the airline’s first international destination. For an unbeatable fare, you’ll get power outlets at every seat, in-flight internet, mood-lit cabins, custom designed leather seating, and Red™ — the touch-screen personal entertainment system featuring live TV, movies, music, video games and more. [via thrillist]

See the flight schedule and fees

Tags: cheap airfare, direct flights to toronto from la and sf, lax, sfo, toronto, virgin, virgin america, yyz

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contact May 17th, 2010

This doesn’t have anything to do with hotels or restaurants or places to see or dance or drink but it DOES have something to do with you and the world – plus it’s taking place in Toronto, so I thought I should post about it. My absolute hero of the world, David Suzuki (he rules so much!) is giving a talk this Monday, October 29 at 7pm. Be there or be a jackass. Oops, excuse my rudeness.

David T. Suzuki PhD, Co-Founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster. Since 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation has worked to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us. Focusing on four program areas – oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and the Nature Challenge – the Foundation uses science and education to promote solutions that conserve nature and help achieve sustainability within a generation.

Click here to purchase tickets online

For more information contact:

Emma Roche
416-533-9481
eroche@rsgc.on.ca

Tags: A Focus On The Environment, David Suzuki, environment, toronto

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contact May 16th, 2010

You found yourself on this site so I have one question to ask you: Are you gay? No, I don’t mean to be nosy or indiscrete (today anyway!), I’m asking because today’s post is about the adorable gay B&B in Toronto, The Dundonald House – that will be perfect for you. Perfect, that is, if you’re gay. Well, are you?

About Dundonald House

The Church – Wellesley corner is center of the Toronto gay village– Shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and public transportation, are all a quick three minute walk from the guest house. Voted Best Bed and Breakfast 6 years in a row by the gay community, Dundonald House offers an oasis of calm in a busy yet exciting area of downtown.

Dundonald House Bed and Breakfast
35 Dundonald St Toronto
Ontario M4Y 1K3 Canada
Email: dh@dundonaldhouse.com
Phone: 1-800-260-7227

Tags: b&b, bed and breakfast, dundonald house, gay, places to stay, toronto

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contact May 15th, 2010

Sometimes when traveling, you want a hotel experience versus a B&B experience, but still want something that is not a typical, run-of–the-mill hotel chain. Life’s too short to do that Average Joe kinda thing. You’re SPECIAL, damn it!

I know you are, so, I’m going to recommend Toronto’s The Drake Hotel to you. It’s great, so much so, that it just found out that it is part of Travel & Leisure Magazine’s Top 500 Hotels in ZEE WORLD! You simply can’t go wrong with a hotel like that.

It’s host to various art exhibits and funky, cool lounges and bars so get ready to be part of the chill crowd. Ok, maybe not “chill” all the time, but definitely COOL 24/7 and OOZING with culture.

Drake has 19 hotel rooms to play in, offering guests a comfortable mix of intimacy, bohemian luxury and high tech toys. Ranging in size up to nearly 400 square feet, every room features a Queen sized bed with fine linens and duvets, oversized bath towels and cotton robes. The design strikes a balance between functionality and beauty. Lovingly customized vintage furniture and handcrafted delights by local artists sit side-by-side with all the high tech amenities necessary for work and play: CD and DVD player, flat screen television and complimentary high-speed internet access. Rooms have high ceilings and windows that open, hardwood floors or mod black carpets. Washrooms come equipped with transparent glass shower stalls and premium Aveda bath products.
Let your needs and desires determine the type of room you choose; Drake promises relaxation, stimulation and fun for each one.

The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St. W,
Toronto, ON M6J1J3
Canada
Phone (416) 531-5042

Tags: cool hotels, drake hotel, hotels, places to stay, toronto

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contact May 14th, 2010

Vaticano Trattoria (chef Felice Vacca’s authentic cuisine at ) – Who has been spotted there? Susan Sarandon, Andy Garcia and Lindsay Lohan. Also check out the nearby Trattorio Sotto Sotto and you may run into Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman or Jason Bateman.

Over The Rainbow – Denim deficient rock stars Mick Jagger and Hilary Duff in search of the coolest duds can be spotted here.

Holt Renfrew, the Canadian equivalent of Bloomingdale’s, is a magnet to celebs like German actress Diane Kruger and her Canadian boyfriend Joshua Jackson. Trek farther west along Bloor Street, and who might you run into? Ashton Kutcher and Canuck celebrities like Mike Myers and singer Deborah Cox emptying their wallets for leather goods and athletic gear at Roots.

Kidding Awound – Famous parents such as Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan are known to shop at this Canadian version of FAO Schwartz (toy store).

Starbucks (139 Yorkville Ave.) has taken orders for Sienna Miller, James Franco and Colin Farell, while other celebrities like Wesley Snipes head to Canadian-coffee staple, Second Cup (170 Bloor St. W.).

Four Seasons Hotel – Particularly during film festivals, A-listers like Bruce Willis and Gwyneth Paltrow stay at this Yorkville sanctuary, with equally star-studded room service going on downtown at the Fairmont Royal York, which attracts festival favourites like Mira Sorvino and John Cusack.

Vikaspa – is the spa where Kate Hudson, Robert Downey Jr. and Hilary Swank chill.

Thomas Hinds Tobacconist – attracts the likes of stogie sportin’ Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn or Charlie Sheen.

Kultura, is a multi-floor lounge where Jude Law, Vince Vaughn, Ethan Hawke, Sofia Coppola, Scarlett Johansson and Christina Ricci have all hung out.

Bistro 990, a French bistro, is one of the city’s biggest stomping grounds for visiting celebs like renowned Canadian director Norman Jewison (Moonstruck, In Country), Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

Note: These star gazing ops are more successful during film fests when Hollywood descends upon the beautiful Canadian haven of Toronto.

Tags: celebrities, hollywood, places to star gaze, spot stars here, toronto

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contact May 12th, 2010

The Art Bar is well frequented in Toronto’s arts scene but hidden to the general tourist. What is it? The Art Bar is a space that is leased out to talented artists looking to showcase their work and the room is used nightly as a venue for poetry readings, film screenings, live music performances and the occasional DJ.

It is home to a variety of art and events at varying levels so you if show up without knowing what’s going on for the night, you may get anything from screaming performance artists to a more classic art exhibit. You never know and that is the beauty of this place. The crowd there is diverse so if you see some grannies or people over 30, and you can’t handle that (because you have some issues), check beforehand about what is going on. But really, people are people and it’s what’s INSIDE that counts so try to rid yourself of those shallow beliefs.

Surprise! If you’re looking to partake in some over 21 drinking, don’t expect that here. Go next door. I know it’s called an art BAR but oh well. Deal with that.

The Art Bar
1214 Queen Street West
Toronto M6J 1J6 Ontario
Canada
Phone: 416-531-4635

Note: The Art Bar Poetry Series is now held at Clinton’s, 693 Bloor Street West, by Christie subway station.

Tags: art+scene, canada, the+art+bar, things+to+do, toronto

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contact May 11th, 2010

Deep in the very heart of downtown Toronto, you might find some friends. Well perhaps, but at least you’ll definitely find Les Amis, a quaint and special kind of bed and breakfast. You will be welcomed by the owners, Paul Antoine and Michelle, an expatriated Parisian couple, and because of the location, you will have easy access to Toronto’s main attractions. In addition to this convenience, every morning you’ll be treated to an organic, gourmet vegetarian breakfast. (Vegan breakfasts are available as well upon request.) It can’t get better than this. If you stay for several nights or more, each day you will have a different breakfast, so things don’t get boring. How is that for service?

Les Amis
A Vegetarian Bed & Breakfast in Toronto /
Paul-Antoine & Michelle Buer
31 Granby St., Toronto, Ontario M5B 1H8 Canada.
Tel. (416)928-1348
Fax (416) 591-8546
Website and Rates (Canadian Dollars)
E-mail: les-amis@bbtoronto.com

Tags: b&b, bed and breakfast, canada, chambre d'hotes, les amis, organic, toronto, vegetarian

• b&b , good eats / restaurants / cafes , hotels and places to stay , organic / vegetarian / vegan , toronto
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contact May 10th, 2010

1. Allan Gardens – In the heart of downtown Toronto, you’ll be able to escape to wonderful Victorian Greenhouses, which will remind you that greenery DOES exist in a big city. Find some photos of Allan Gardens here.

2. Beaches – When thinking about Toronto, “beach” probably doesn’t come to mind but yes! There’s an area that can fill all your beach dreams albeit lake beach dreams.

3. Chinatown – How can you not visit the Chinatown? Grab a taste of lacquered duck or take in all the aromas of a place far, far away, but with the convenience of being right here in one of Canada’s most visited cities.

4. Don Valley – Nature lovers and active travelers will get a kick out of the bike paths, hiking trails and climbing areas of Don Valley.

5. Harbourfront Centre – Especially lively during the summer, the waterfront area if filled with live music and entertainment, festivals, kids camps and other activities that will keep you and your family busy and smiling.

6. Kensington Market – You’ll find this colorful of corner fruit stands, thrift stores and pubs, a fascinating meeting place for some of Toronto’s most interesting people. Every month the neighborhood blocks off the narrow streets for a Sunday afternoon festival celebrating the beauty of diversity with live music, dancing and food!

7. Riverdale Farm – Smack dab in the middle of Toronto’s Cabbagetown in the downtown area, is a 7.5 acre farm with wooded paths, flowered vegetable gardens and a variety of animals, including turkeys, ducks, geese, cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and rabbits. This is a great free opportunity to show your kids that chickens aren’t shaped like nuggets.

8. St. Lawrence Market and Market Gallery – Wander and visit, or just sit and people watch. The gallery space hosts changing art installations and exhibits of paintings, artifacts and furnishings that visually describe the history and culture of the area. Admission to the market and the gallery are free.

9. Toronto Islands – Check out the trails, picnic areas and beaches of the Toronto Islands. Explore the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, or bask in the sun on the clothing-optional beach on the west side of Hanlan’s Point. For the sportif, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts and wading pools welcome you with open arms (if they had any).

10. Wednesdays at the Art Gallery of Ontario - 36,000 works of art in its collection, the AGO is gallery worth visiting. Wednesday evenings are free of charge between six and nine o’clock pm.

Tags: b&b, bed and breakfast, free things to do, places to stay in toronto, toronto, travel

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contact May 5th, 2008

You gotta love a dentist with a sense of humor. Let’s hope, however, he’s not like Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors.

Dr. Arthur Dunec
1910 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M4S 3B2
416-485-4433

[via]

Tags: dentist, little+shop+of+horrors, sorry+we're+open, toronto

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contact April 30th, 2008

No, I’m not really the King, but you’ll find a bunch of Elvis impersonators May 1 at the Gladstone Hotel’s Melody Bar. Don’t miss tomorrow’s fun event; there will be 5 Elvis Tribute Artists performing live, the youngest of them is only 12 years old!

I Am Elvis
Gladstone Hotel, Toronto
Thursday, May 1, 2008
7-9:30pm
Melody Bar
Free

Tags: canada, elvis, gladstone+hotel, melody+bar i+am+elvis, toronto

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contact April 24th, 2008

From the torontosun:

“It’s time to get over any hang ups with clotheslines.

Ontario will outlaw clothesline bans by this summer to encourage citizens to use the environmentally friendly option when doing laundry.

“We want you to feel comfortable, wherever you happen to live in the province of Ontario, to put up a clothesline and to let mother nature, let the wind and the sun, dry your clothing,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday.

Homeowners would no longer be subject to municipal bylaws or homebuilder agreements that ban the lines.

Electric clothes dryers account for about 6% of a home’s energy consumption, and cutting use by 25% would save consumers about $30 per year.

Toronto Hydro’s Take A Load Off program is offering citizens a free retractable clothesline and cold water washing detergent.

At the official launch of the program yesterday, Energy Minister Gerry Phillips was wearing a shirt that had been hung out to dry.

“I think it’s safe to say that outdoor clothes-hanging season’s now with us,” Phillips said.”

Tags: clothesline, dry+clothes+outside, laundry, toronto, weird+law+abolished

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