Toronto Off the Beaten Path

As I continue my focus on quality travel experiences, including travel that emphasizes the slow, experiential, and mindful, I am highlighting off-the-beaten-path choices for well known destinations. I have always tried to get off the main tourist path to discover the real beat of a place, and in some destinations (Prague, Florence), I couldn’t imagine traveling without getting away from the most popular tourist attractions.

The first posts in this series were about Florence, Prague and Thailand off the beaten path. Today’s post is from Kyle and Jamie, a couple of 20-something travel bloggers who share their insider tips about Toronto, a city I would love to visit someday. And here are more things to do in Toronto from a local, my friend Ayngelina. 

Toronto Off the Beaten Path

Most who visit Toronto will likely stick to the downtown core. This is not necessarily because downtown has all that much to do, but it is the most obvious conglomeration of people in the city. Jamie and I have lived in Toronto for almost two years now, and the one thing that I have learned is that the best way to spend copious amounts of money on pretty much anything that is underwhelming, is the essence of downtown Toronto. Don’t get me wrong, King West has some cool looking clubs, restaurants, and bars… and yes, if you’re a hockey fan you most definitely should make a trip to the hockey hall of fame, but there is a hell of a lot more to see in T-Dot than what lies closest to the high rises. This is not New York City (as much as Torontonians might want it to be).

 Roncesvalles Avenue (Little Poland)

A real up and coming area in Toronto is the Roncesvalles strip. Located in the west end of the city, a mere 5 minute walk from the beautiful High Park, Roncesvalles is also known affectionately as Toronto’s Little Poland. Roncesvalles is packed with countless bars, restaurants, bakeries, butchers, and antique shops.

Although Jamie and I have moved closer to downtown, we still make the trek out west to the Chicago Bakery on Roncesvalles every weekend. The owners are Polish and so are most of the customers. On Saturday they sell sausages served up on their INCREDIBLE freshly baked hot dog rolls for a mere $2.50, cheaper than most street meat that downtown has to offer and twice as good.

Local hot spots such as Barque Smokehouse and Foodliner are great spots to grab a high quality dinner, and The Local is a fantastic place to grab a few pints to wind down the night and catch some live music. In the summer time I would highly recommend making your way from Roncesvalles over to High Park for a showing of Shakespeare in High Park, a pay-what-you-can event that runs all summer long.

Liberty Village

For those of you who have been to London, England, I consider Liberty Village to be Toronto’s version of Shoreditch (in regards to architecture). Liberty Village is packed with loft style living for the young and hip, brick-built everything, as well as countless cooler-than-cool restaurants and bars.

You can find, in my opinion at least, the best brunch in the city at Liberty Village’s School, which has a fantastic patio in the summertime to chillax your way through the morning. Speaking of patios, Williams Landing, a few steps east of School in Liberty Village, has one of the best that the city has to offer and is a great place to grab a few pints and a bite to eat before heading to a Toronto FC game. Yes, Toronto has a fanatical soccer following! Jamie and I both agree that out of all the sports teams Toronto has, the TFC games at Molson Stadium, a 5 minute walk from Liberty Village, are the most rowdy and thus the most fun.

Toronto Island

Toronto Island is a beautiful spot and a FANTASTIC place to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. There are a few bars hidden throughout the island alongside the beach and within one of the island’s residential communities, an amusement park, and a seemingly endless web of pathways perfect for cyclists to take in the full extent of Lake Ontario. Toronto Island is where Torontonians venture for an afternoon to grab a mini vacation. Countless BBQ stands cover the island while families of all ages eat, kick a ball around, play badminton, go for a swim…

Toronto Island is the perfect place to enjoy the warm summer days. If you’re feeling adventurous enough, you should definitely check out Hanlan’s Point, Toronto’s only official nude beach. The crowd is a mix of nude beach veterans in their mid to late 60’s interspersed with curious 20 something’s looking for something a little different (and exhilarating) to experience in the city. All in all, Toronto Island has something a little different to offer for people of all ages, and is an absolute must if visiting the city.

 A Picnic at Trinity College Courtyard

The University of Toronto (known by locals as U of T) is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, and if you know where to look, one of the most beautiful as well. The campus is located throughout downtown, but conglomerates around Bloor and University Street. Toronto is a busy city, and Torontonians are notoriously regarded by the majority of Canadians as “cold and rude.” If you should happen to walk alongside a busy downtown street in the middle of rush hour, you will see this for yourself. Honking, swearing, and shouting somehow add a certain charm in New York City, but in Toronto the same activities are downright agitating. However, one step in to the oasis that is the U of T campus and all evidence of road rage disappears entirely.

The sound is quiet, and the gardens are lush, intertwined with various plaques and statues commemorating the history of the gorgeous architecture and those who have contributed toward the development of U of T’s academic foundations.

The courtyard at Trinity College is particularly quaint, and pays homage to Johannes Strachan, the first Anglican Bishop in Toronto and an influential figure in Upper Canada in the 1800’s. Strachan was a strong supporter of education and a founding father of the U of T.

The University offers tours of Trinity College which includes Trinity College Chapel, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the man who so famously designed the red telephone booths in the UK. Unlike our American neighbors to the south, Canadians celebrate our strong ties to British heritage, and landmarks such as Trinity College are testament to this. The University is designed to replicate similar designs of renowned schools in England, and the Trinity College Courtyard is a perfect place to take in the history while enjoying a packed lunch on one of the many benches or the beautifully manicured green lawn.