My North American Diaries: Reasons to fall in love with Toronto: the low-down

I am so happy that I have finally reached the Toronto part within my North American Diaries series! 

Toronto was by far my favourite place we visited on our road trip, so I have been so excited to share it with you!

A skyline to rival all skylines... Toronto blew me away!

From the moment I arrived I felt a real sense of homeliness in Toronto. Unlike Montreal, we weren't immediately greeted with glass high rises. Instead, the route into the city takes you through the suburbs, the parts of a city that you normally don't see or while on holiday avidly avoid. 

Toronto is a city that grows: outwards and upwards. Not long after driving through the residential outskirts that are littered with small, detached houses, were we met with apartment block urban residency just outside of the city centre - our accommodation was located here, in Liberty Village. Already it feels so much more cosmopolitan; between the apartment blocks are squares and streets of independent bars and restaurants, all of which ooze not only style and sophistication, but convey a more artsy and care-free lifestyle. It is a place which is, as described by my eighteen year old brother, 'sick'.

Taking a boat from the ferry terminal at the other side of the city and you will find yet again a very different environment. The 10 minute ride across the river will take you across to Toronto Island, home to the Billy Bishop city airport and the most expensive ice-cream you will ever encounter. Dollars and planes aside though, and you would never know that you are technically still 'in a city'. The boat docks at 3 locations along the 820 acre island, ours to the west within a park that, after a few minutes of peaceful walking, takes you to idyllic white sandy beaches. The island is a place of true tranquility and offers an escape from the busy hustle and bustle of continuous city life. With no roads to accommodate cars, the main ways of transportation include bikes, boat (the island is actually made up of lots of mini islands), or indeed by foot. 

One of the Island's yacht clubs - we passed this along one of the footpaths.

The skyline of the city in the distance as we were coming into dock

Toronto's sheer diversity before even reaching the city centre proves its a city that grows and continues outwards. It is what is in the centre, however, that proves it is also a city that grows upwards. Standing 553.3m tall, the CN tower is the third tallest building in the world. The tower dominates the centre of the city, standing proud above the swanky apartment blocks and skyscrapers surrounding it.  

(If you're interested in hearing about my trip up the CN, I will be writing a separate post about it soon!)

The CN Tower stands proud in the centre of Toronto

Located just next to the tower is Toronto's second most pride and joy: the Rogers Centre. The arena is home to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and we were lucky enough to get tickets for a game against the New York Yankees during our time in the city! I had never been to a baseball match before and had high expectations. It's safe to say the Blue Jays did not let us down! Although it wasn't a win for them, the overall team spirit and patriotic atmosphere was incredible - there was such a happy and optimistic vibe both before the match and after, despite the loss. If you ever get a chance to go to a match I would definitely recommend it!

Supporting Toronto's home team with my Blue Jays hat!

The sun setting over the stadium mid match

It is hard to pinpoint the 'centre' of such a lively and diverse city, especially one which expands so impressively in every direction. Toronto's waterfront (or Harbourfront) is just as bustling, if not more so, than the square around the tower and Rogers Centre that makes up the 'entertainment district'. 

Throughout the summer various evening dancing events are held at the Harbourfront Centre every Thursday. They offer the chance for the public to join in in some informal dancing, including Salsa, with music provided by local bands.

It is also here where you can catch boat trips (however not the ferry as mentioned above) that take you around Toronto Island and provide some of the best views that overlook the skyline. You can also visit one of Toronto's iconic local breweries. There are various breweries dotted throughout the city, one of which is located by the waterfront and overlooks beautiful Lake Ontario. Here you can taste some local beers and grab a bite to eat - some also offer tours into the brewery itself!

A slightly distorted panorama of Toronto's waterfront, looking back towards the city

An even more distorted panorama! Views over Lake Ontraio

My time in Toronto was amazing and there are so many more reasons beyond the realm of this post for why I love it. Toronto really is one of these places that you just want to visit again, and again and again - before we left I was already hunting down the cheapest flights on Skyscanner from London! It has so much more to offer than what I had time to visit but my overall experience there was incredible, so much so that I can even say that if there is ever one place that I could ever visit again, it would be here... and that's saying something!

Have you ever been to Toronto? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

NEXT BLOG POST (Coming Soon): 'A view from the top: Going up the CN Tower, Toronto'