Everywhere
The Parks of TO
- One of the reasons we love the city is that it has many beautiful, welcoming parks (ideal for a Hot Girl Walk) that make living here feel spacious and lush. We can’t say there’s anything groundbreaking about these parks, but just by being Very Good Parks, they’ve enriched our lives. Put on your favourite playlist and get lost in thought or bring a friend along to see the pups at the dog park, pique-nique, roll down the grassy hills, reflect. There’s always a lot going on at Christie Pits, Bickford, Riverdale, Trinity Bellwoods, but those are just a few.
Fun Neighbourhoods
Kensington Market
- Kensington Market is a vibrant, bohemian, crunchy, weird, neighbourhood full of a diverse variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, and markets. It’s one of the few places you can have a coffee, visit the butcher or rare spice shop, grab a bomb taco, have an intricate Japanese dessert, purchase construction clothing, and buy some cool vintage items all on a 5-minute walk.
Trinity Bellwoods
- This sleek and trendy neighbourhood, situated around the very popular Trinity Bellwoods Park, is full of awesome restaurants, coffee shops, and locally owned stores.
Downtown
CN Tower
- It’s touristy, but has the Views and Drake knows it is iconic for a reason. See sexy Toronto from all of her best angles at the highest point in the city!
Ripley’s Aquarium
- This aquarium has a conveyor belt, so you can literally just stand still and gawk at a tunnel of awesome sea creatures. There is also a dramatically lit room filled with beautiful jellyfish.
- CN Tower/Ripley’s pack: if you want to go to both the above sights, there’s a bundle pack so you can save some money.
Blue Jays vs. Oakland A’s
- If you love MLB, the Toronto Blue Jay’s are gonna be playing the Oakland A’s (Noah’s original home team!) at the Rogers Centre during our wedding week. Tickets are pretty affordable and it’s a quintessential summer activity. Also stadium hot dogs just hit different??
TIFF Lightbox
- The Toronto International Film Festival is in September, but the TIFF Lightbox plays cool arthouse films from around the world all year round.
Toronto Reference Library
- This is a really cool building. It transports you back to the 70s. It reminds me of the Time Variance Authority in Loki or Lumon in Severance. They shoot a lot of ads and TV shows here because it’s distinctive. There are also rare book collections in there, especially for fans of Sherlock Holmes, there’s a full collection of the work of Arthur Conan Doyle.
University of Toronto
- Walk around this very Hogwarts-esque campus. It’s got some stunning architecture that remind you of a college campus in a movie who spend romantic evenings studying on the quad, even if most of the students are miserable (lol). Go check out Judy’s current educational space and take in the beautiful stone structures or the infamously hideous Turkey (aka Robarts Library). Fun fact, you don’t need a student ID to enter 90% of the buildings, so just walk straight in baby!
Waterfront
Harbourfront
- Toronto’s harbourfront is especially beautiful this time of year. See all the glimmering peaks of Lake Ontario water from the edge of the city! It has a variety of parks, views of the lake, and access to the Toronto Islands ferry. We have spent plenty of time walking along the waterfront here and would absolutely recommend it.
Toronto Islands
- Yes there’s a small island just off of Toronto on Lake Ontario. It’s got its own ecosystem, residents, and culture. (There’s a very interesting battle for the real estate on there too.) It’s also a reliable short getaway for all Torontonians.
- Best for a half day or full day adventure, depending on how long you want to lounge by the water—FYI, you can get the most beautiful view of the skyline here during sunset. Take the public ferry or hire an affordable water taxi to Ward’s or Centre Island for a little getaway from the city. Bring a towel, sunscreen, and some snacks/drinks for a picnic, or check out the Island Cafe for beach snacks and beers.
Rosedale
Mount Pleasant Cementary
- It’s weird to say that one of the most beautiful spots in the city is a cemetery, but it’s true. This place is a sprawling park where people have been laid to rest in creative ways that reflect who they are: weird, cool, wonderful, vain, insecure, isolated, beloved… People are so different from each other, so why should their memorials be the same? It’s a life-affirming place that’s perfect for contemplative walks.
Evergreen Brickworks
- This sweet, sprawling park is situated right in the Don Valley. It’s operated by a sustainability-focused group who operate a co-op and a coffee shop in the former brick factory buildings at the southern end of the park. We love the long walking trails that run through the valley.
Casa Loma
Casa Loma, Spadina House, & The Steps
- It’s highly probable you’ve seen Casa Loma already in a movie or Drake music video. The steep steps leading up to the estate was featured in Scout Pilgrim vs. The World and a hub for runners who want to raise their heartrates. If you want to give it a go, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the city at the top.
- Casa Loma itself is a castle-like mansion built for a wealthy man in the 1910s. The house is… ostentatious and very out of place next to all the other architecture in the area. It was the largest home in Canada when it was built and the owner eventually died bankrupt and isolated. So the home reflects a level of grandeur that never really existed, except in the owner’s fantasy. It’s an interesting house to visit and it also seasonally becomes a haunted house.
- The Spadina Museum next to it is much more modest and picturesque. There is a stunning cultivated garden on its grounds, and the house itself gives a cool glimpse into the 1920s. Guided tours are free and frequent. This is such a sweet spot and one of Judy’s favourites.
Riverdale
Riverdale Park East
- This expansive, lush park has one of the best views of the Toronto skyline in the whole city, second only to the Toronto Islands. The hilly park is also great for sledding in the winter, if you ever find yourself back here that time of year.
Palmerston/Koreatown
Bickford Park/Christie Pits
- These two parks, both across the street from one another, are great parks to kick back and relax in. Bring a beer, bring a frisbee, go for a swim, or join a pickup basketball game at the Christie Pits courts. We have spent many summer afternoons with friends in these parks.
Don Mills
Toronto Botanical Garden
- The Toronto Botanical Garden is a pretty, sprawling grounds that showcase the region’s native flora. Walking trails guide you through the various themed gardens. This will be the best time of year to see these flowers in bloom.
Humber River
Kayak down the Humber River
- If you’d like a dose of adventure, try kayaking down the Humber River! This trip takes you through the Humber Valley just west of Toronto and feeds right into Lake Ontario. You can kayak, stand-up paddle, or canoe down.
- Check out this site to book your trip and equipment!
Markham
Go Place
- Have you ever wanted to experience 12 different types of saunas in a relaxing and luxurious setting? Do you want to wear matching PJs with your besties, play board games, and sip drinks brought to you by a robot waiter? This is the place for you! Go Place is a Chinese sauna and bath house with heated sitting pools, sauna rooms, cold rooms, and optional bookable treatments (a foot massage is not too expensive). The common area has food, drinks, and tables for playing games in between heating sessions (also a gym??). Absolutely worth your time if you’re in the area.
Mississauga
Scooter’s Roller Palace
- While a ways outside of Toronto, this iconic roller skating rink is a tribute to the vintage skating rinks most North Americans remember from their childhoods. With a massive disco ball in the centre of the rink, a concession stand serving exactly the kind of food you expect, and old arcade games, this spot will transport you back to a state of childlike delight or the best 80s fantasy.