I’m legally blind and I LOVE that you talk about all of the senses, not just the “sights”. I’m travelling to Toronto soon and this helped me imagine what I might experience 👩🏻🦯, thank you!
Anyone visiting Toronto should make the St Lawrence market their first stop for a lunch. Don’t fill up in one spot. Walk around, smell and try many different foods. Love that place and it’s always my first stop when I get to Toronto.
Was just there a few weeks ago and I totally agree. It was an awesome slice of so many different cultures. A great encapsulation of Toronto as a whole.
I love your descriptions and how you try and convey the overall ambience your senses are giving you of a pace rather than just describing what you saw nd where you went.
Thank you! I always like to try and "feel" a place through the screen when watching travel videos, so my goal is to find a way to help people do the same!
I love your approach ---- giving us the sounds and the smells. Brilliant. You missed out on Cabbagetown, a neighbourhood with hundreds of beautiful Victorian-era houses on tree-shaded streets. This district is just a short walk from the downtown core, but it's a world apart. So much so that it has long had it's own flag (two green bars on each side of a green cabbage on white). It has one of the friendliest parks in town, where you see big family picnics, frolicking dogs, frisbee tossers aplenty, and a kids' zoo of farm animals ---- and a fantastic tobogganing hill with wonderful views. It's not far from a lively gay neighbourhood and scores of thickly populated apartment towers full of new immigrants, and an inner city university campus. There are dozens of novels set here, going back to the 1930s, and many writers and artists spent their childhoods in it, when it was considered a slum. The cabbage? In the 19th century, it was a rough and rowdy Irish Catholic neighborhood in a city run by dour Protestant Scots and prissy Anglicans. To the horror of the straight-laced elite, the poor Irish grew cabbages in their front yards instead of flowers. One of dozens of distinct and interesting neighbourhoods. But watch out for the raccoons! They'll grab your pizza slice.
I do not think I have seen a better review of Toronto. Reminded me that I have to get out more, as I live in Toronto. Although I have seen and experienced everything you have shown, it perked my interest to go back to some spots again and soon. Thanks!
Toronto has the largest underground pedestrian walkway (called The Path) in the world. It spans more than 30 km and connects 70 buildings. It is listed in the Guinnes World Record as the largest underground shopping complex in the world.
The Path truly pays off in the depths of winter. You can plot a path through the downtown and never step outside. And naturally, it's chock-a-block with shops and restaurants and passages up, down, and sideways to streets, businesses, subway stations, hotels etc.
Philly is tiny compared to Toronto. Toronto is most similar to Chicago. New York and Mexico City are on another level of urbanity. But in terms of dense, skyscraper filled, walkable cities in North America, I'd say NYC, Mexico City, Chicago and Toronto are the main ones. Toronto feels even bigger than LA just because LA doesn't have that big city, skyscraper feel to it, even in downtown LA.
@@ringdoorbell3223 Downtown Philadelphia looks nice on TV (although I've heard the streets look literally 'ghetto' throughout and it does not have a safe 'feel' to it?). Disclaimer: I have personally never been to Philadelphia!
Toronto is not NYC and Not Chicago . Toronto decided to merges city as far as 130 km away in order to get the title of the largest city inCnada . Montreal ( 5.1 million , gerater Montreal) ) has more in commun with NYC than Toronto . Montreal is a dense city ,built on an ISland ( 10 times the size of Manhattan) with a central park , the canadian capital of culture , architecture and 400 years of history . Toronto is unilingual ( english ) , Montreal is more cultural speaking both official languages of Canada and all languages of the world . Toronto has more indians as chineses than Montreal but both are metropolis .
@@scholarlyanalyst7700 Philly is beautiful but it is a dangerous city. The downtown (Center City) has the most beautiful beaux arts and colonial architecture in the world - it's fine to walk around during the day. North and West Philly are very run down and dangerous. In general you shouldn't walk around at night in Philly and try not to be alone.
Thank you for this amazing review. I'm a Toronto native now living in the states. Toronto isnt perfect but, whenever I'm home, Im amazed by how walkable and alive the downtown is. Transit is clean and frequent. Even the suburbs where you can find the most authentic ethnic cusine are more walkable than most US suburbs. Toronto can be better and im glad urbanists are always fighting for transit improvements, walkability and biking infrastructures. But after living in the states...I have a new found appreciation of my hometown.
Thank you for watching! Toronto really is an incredible city. It's so exciting to see it continue to grow. I imagine it will rival New York someday as THE city of North America.
That's why Canada has been the top 5 best living countries in the world. Thank you for noticing a better build city than the U.S. You have a good taste.
Thanks for doing such a great job highlighting Toronto, my home town and the place that holds the biggest part of my heart. The city's multiculturalism is unrivalled and is reflected in the amazing food. Another highlight for visitors is the Don Valley walking trails and river. An oasis in the middle of downtown. I've travelled extensively and worked in the US for a bit. Every time the plane circled Pearson airport a lump would form in my throat. I was home. Your video brings all that to life. And yes, the Horseshoe Falls are THE falls to see in Niagara. Much more exciting than the US falls.
It's genuinely great to hear this from a native Torontonian. I'm glad I could capture the essence of your hometown as a tourist. It really is a great place
A tip for the CN tower, dont pay to go up if you plan on grabbing food, get a restaurant reservation beforehand and go up for free. @7:22 those 2 cube looking structures, should go explore the area around them, under that bridge is one of the prettiest graffiti spots in the city. For Poutine, dont go to a general eatery, go to a poutine specific restaurant. At the very least Smoke's Poutine. Its a different world.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely have to go check out the bridge. As for poutine, I'll check out Smoke's next time! My first poutine was in Montréal, so that may be hard to top
@@asenseoftravel You can actually get worse poutine in Montreal than the best in Toronto. Hopefully you knew where to find the good stuff in Montreal, because that is definitely best.
Sharon from Philadelphia. I will watch your video at a better time. I love Toronto, it is my favorite city, privileged to have been there twice. I always say to people who are younger than I am, that if you are going to do any traveling, do it while you are younger, because you never know what thingd will be like when you get older. While I subscribed, I honestly don't know if I will be able to watch this, it brings back too many memories that are hard to deal with.
A very passionate way to describe senses, colors, odors, and even noise, it's is like reading a book. I've been in TO for a couple of times. This time, I will try to absorb all the senses you meticously described. Cheers from Riviera Maya.
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen. Pretty good representation of the city. You at least mentioned that it is a city of neighbourhoods but I wish you would have shown some residential streets. Houses are a mix of styles with a lot of the houses ringing downtown built from 1905-1925. Craftsman, Edwardian styles are popular and most houses are brick. Toronto has a lot of semi-detached homes, which means two houses side by side attached in the middle. You were right in the Beaches neighbourhood. From their you could have walked west thru LeslieVille and Riverside (where you would have passed Degrassi Street). Walk north on Broadview passing thru Chinatown East and then the wester boundary of Riverdale. You would have see a wonderful view of Toronto from Riverdale Park East. When you go to the Danforth turn right to go east thru Greektown. Throuout this walk I’d go down a few side streets to see the beautiful urban homes built close together making for amazing communities. I’d recommend this walk for anybody visiting Toronto
Thank you! The inspiration for this take on vlogging really came from the fact that I just couldn't find anything out there that would help me imagine places I'd never be able to visit. Hopefully this helps paint an experiential picture of places around the world!
@@asenseoftravel, you need to return and check out Toronto's Inner Suburbs (the boroughs of Norrh York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, & York) for some more surprises (a science museum in North York and a zoo in Scarborough, lots of great ethnic restaurants in North York & Scarborough as well as Etobicoke), the Caribana festival/parade that happens in early August, the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) that happens late August, the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and last but not least, both Chinatowns and little India (as well as the Pacific Mall.)
Fantastic video! I think though you missed the biggest thing about the city; that it developed outward along the east/west streetcar lines and the bloor subway line. As you travel along it the neighbourhoods change, along with the food, people and general vibe. If you come back to the city you need to ride the queen streetcar both directions!
That was enjoyable. It reminded me that Toronto is a pretty great city, despite the fact that most people in Toronto (including me) are always complaining about it. Endless and disruptive road construction everywhere. An unreliable subway system and the highest real estate prices in North American. Oh, and that was a weird looking butter tart. Better to try a more traditional butter tart. ;-)
Agreed, Toronto is awesome. I think a big reason people complain is that humans by nature are pretty resistant to change, and Toronto is growing/changing rapidly. But it's easily one of the best cities in North America!
If you want a nice beach in Ontario, I would suggest the Sandbanks in Picton and Wasaga Beach. I believe that the first beach is the largest freshwater sandbanks and the second is the longest freshwater beach. Both beautiful.
@@asenseoftravel the Sandbanks are on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Kingston and Wasaga Beach is north of Toronto about 2 1/2 hours and is on Georgian Bay east of Collingwood. Another beautiful spot is Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton, also on Lake Ontario. Not many bad spots to go in Ontario, it's a great place to explore.
A very good job pf catching the vibe throughout Torornto considering your limited time constraints. I lived there until my late 20s. Now put Vancouver next on your list...especially between late spring to early Fall. When there...make the trek to Whistler... only 1 1/2 hours north.
I would suggest visiting the other smaller cities around Toronto like markham (amazing Chinese food, better than anything in the US), Mississauga, North York (on Yonge street for the best Korean food) and Vaughan. Because Toronto expands out in “spokes” like LA and Tokyo with multiple city centres, those areas are worth a visit as well. Chicago’s downtown is better than Toronto’s, but it doesn’t have the radius cities around it that make Toronto so unique.
I was truly shocked by how big the skylines of Toronto's suburbs were. I will agree that Toronto wins in terms of places nearby. Chicago is great but you're hours of driving away from nature and other big cities unfortunately :/
Jack Astors has locations everywhere and yes, likely if you live here, you've been there. With respect to your comments about urbanism, I would tend to agree that Toronto does it well with its neighbourhoods, however, the suburbs do not have the infrastructure with respect to transit and roads to accommodate the population and getting anywhere in the city is generally a nightmare. I avoid that by living downtown, not something everyone can afford, and on that note, house prices and rents recently have risen to a point where few can afford to live throughout the city... which has increased homelessness, forced people out of the housing market, and trapped people into staying in their rent controlled units. All factors that have an upward pressure on prices.
Completed understood - we have the same problems even here in the Washington, DC region, which by American standards is one of the "best" in terms of the urban fabric/infrastructure. Hopefully Toronto can keep up its infrastructure with transit in the front and center!
Great video of Toronto! Found your channel last night and been binging a bunch of vids! Some comments, as a Quebecer whose lived in both Montreal (4 yrs) and Toronto (6 yrs) Its funny that as an American you feel like Toronto has good transit and bike infrastructure, as most Torontonians feel like the TTC is absolutely awful, the subway is lagging behind world-class cities and trying to expand it has been a political nightmare for the past few city governments of the last 15-30 years The waterfront of Toronto proper (the bluffs are a bit far from DT for most - especially with how annoying the TTC is lol) is also, in my opinion, criminally underutilized. Condos are right up on the lake, offering no space for plazas, or "malecons" you'd see in latin america, with shops, restaurants and bars on the waterfront. There is Sugar and Cherry beach, which are downtown spaces by the water, but they are not really connected to any commercial space. The Islands on the lake right off the downtown core are partly residential, partly an airport, but there is a large park area that is used by festivals, although it has had flooding issues in recent years, leading local events to move away from using that space. Again, not much commercial activity there either. Also, dont tell anyone you found good poutine outside of Quebec, or theyll ban you from coming back to Montreal 🤣
I think Toronto's transit seems so great to me because we really have horrible transit in the US in general. Even our best examples like the New York Subway, Boston "T" and Washington, DC Metro are subpar at best compared to countries in Europe and Asia, so Toronto's was a pleasant surprise! I would agree that the beaches should be far more utilized in certain places, although I do love how secluded the bluffs are. That's one thing about Toronto that I find superior to a ton of cities that I've been to: remote nature is super accessible. As for the poutine, don't worry. It's still no match for Montréal 😂
You didn't mention or go to Fort York. A British fort in the downtown of Toronto. On the exhibition grounds there is Scadding Cabin, a pioneer home that was moved from the Don Valley. (they predate Canada too) There is also Black Creek Pioneer Village, with many early Homes, farms/barns and an Inn. If you like History, You would also like that.
I try to group visits to nearby places as much as I can! For example, I was in Tokyo and Seoul in the fall, so instead of two very expensive trips, it was just one expensive trip. In terms of where I visit, I try to research the historic landmarks and central markets. I feel like these are the places that tell the story of a place the most holistically.
Two days is enough to see the main highlights! But I would suggest between 3-5 days (¡Dos días son suficientes para ver los aspectos más destacados! Pero sugeriría entre 3 y 5 días)
I was hoping you were going to make it to Halan's Clothing Optional Beach on Toronto Island. I wanted to see more of your gorgeous body after a tease of that hairy chest of yours and hairy face stubble. What a beautiful and thoughtful video from such a cute guy!
I dont know why people are determined to insist that Toronto is bigger than Chicago. it isnt. never quote city proper populations because those lines can be drawn arbitrarily or long ago before a city had much of it's growth. up until 25 years ago, Toronto "proper" only had a population of about 800k... then the city decided to redraw the lines so it included it's closest suburbs. the Toronto Metro pop of about 6.5 million vs Chicago's 9 million is a far more true comparison. if you were talking about London, UK would you only quote the population of the 1 mile by 1 mile "City of London"? no of course not because it doesnt make any sense.
The official cities are about the same size in sq km and Toronto has a little bit more people in that space. In the "Metro" area, yes, Chicago has more people but it also has a much larger space because the USA usually includes larger spaces in their Metro areas. ChicagoLand is 24,000 sq km and includes 9.4 million people, while the Greater Toronto Area is only 7,400 sq km and 6.7 million people. If we take the Golden Horseshoe as the Toronto metro then it is still only 10,000 sqkm (less than half of ChicagoLand) and has a population of 7.7 million people. So basically, the cities are very similar, and the appearance of Chicago seeming bigger is mostly because of the classification of US cities.
Awesome video mate! Visited Toronto 5 years ago. Was great! Visited a month ago. Every part of the tourist places that i visited and went to eat or drove outside of Toronto to see. Was filled with massive amounts of Indians from Indian. What has happened? It was so overwhelming for the most part. What is going on with Canada?? Feels good being back in Switzerland
He loses it when he says, "Quite often, Canadians and Americans are indistinguishable." No, that is not true. Sure, on the surface, if you see a white person and ask for directions, it's the same. But spend more time talking, and the differences become immediately apparent (to me, as a Canadian). Americans are quite opinionated and have a relative ignorance of the world beyond their borders. Their politics are vastly different, so much so that such politics cut to the heart of American identity. (And as far as politics goes, Canadian identity is certainly shaped by our politics.) So, not "yes and no" when making a comparison to Chicago; it's always "no and no."
re architecture... Chicago's skyline and individual buildings far outshine Toronto's forest of banal low budget glass boxes that are simply copy and pasted dozens of times by the same 3-5 archit4ectural firms. you could probably count on one hand the number of top tier skyscrapers in Toronto, while Chicago would have dozens. you must be blind if you think they are super cool and innovative. look again closer. they are all literally glass boxes just with different glass or balcony patterns on them. it is the biggest joke of architecture I have seen anywhere in the world.
In 2024 , i cannot even order a coffee in french in Toronto ( french and english are both official langues of Canada ) . I agree there are more Chineses and Indians in Toronto than Montreal . Montreal is the only world class metropolis in Canada where you can speak both official langues and all lanuages of the world . Montreal is the canadian capital of culture with endless multicultural festivals, architecture and 400 years of history .
Mexico is part of North America just look at NAFTA. Depending on where you learned geography. North America is usually separated from South America by Panama/Colombia border and Central America is the southern Mexican border to Colombia
@@jasonstevens2060 they added Mexico to NAFTA in order to get cheap labor. It was never considered part of North America when I was growing up .. that's why they aren't in NATO.
This really depends on how you're taught about the continents. In most of the English-speaking world, for example, North and South America are two continents, and Mexico is definitively a part of North America. In the Spanish speaking world, "America" is one continent, and Mexico would indeed fit into the region of Central America.
Montreal is the only place you can speak both official languages of Canada . You cannot even order a coffee in french in Toronto or Ottawa . Montreal has the most international ( multicultural) street in North america , Cote des neiges . Toronto is the only city that merged cities as far as 130 km away to get the title of the largest city in Canada . Toronto is not a cultural city , Montreal is the only one in Canada.
"Canadians do urbanism better than Americans"... with the notable exceptions of NYC and Chicago (before they became Democrat bastions of crime and decay).
lol strong subway system? modern patchwork? LMAO,.....this city used to be so amazing - I was so proud of this city but things have gone downhill. every time I have been to scar bluffs - next week there is always a body being found there. Crime, expenses, traffic etc have gone up big time. Toronto is a city which is full of woke people now - you could literally fall down on the street in downtown and no one would give a crap. 401 is the most busiest hwy in the world. Takes are crazy, rent is crazy...good city to visit but then pls leave....not a city where you want to live in anymore.
Yes Toronto is diverse and that always seems to be a talking point, however, I find that those diverse communities like to stay within their own culture which in my opinion is a negative. Diversity, on its own when you dig deeper is not so great. Interaction between those diverse cultures would be fantastic but people like to be with those whom they have a cominality.
For more of Canada, check out the Montréal Experience! ua-cam.com/video/LhiLCl5bVF0/v-deo.html
Great video Mike!
Thank you!
Great work, we really enjoyed your impressions of Toronto!
Thank you! Toronto is such an awesome place.
I’m legally blind and I LOVE that you talk about all of the senses, not just the “sights”. I’m travelling to Toronto soon and this helped me imagine what I might experience 👩🏻🦯, thank you!
This makes me so happy to hear - experiencing places is so much more than the sights. I hope you enjoy your Toronto adventure!
A great watch. Toronto looks beautiful this time of year. Keep em coming, from new sub❤️🙏
Anyone visiting Toronto should make the St Lawrence market their first stop for a lunch. Don’t fill up in one spot. Walk around, smell and try many different foods. Love that place and it’s always my first stop when I get to Toronto.
Was just there a few weeks ago and I totally agree. It was an awesome slice of so many different cultures. A great encapsulation of Toronto as a whole.
Fully agree!
Agreed! That bacon sammy with mustard on a soft roll has me wanting to go back. LOL
Beautifully written and narrated. What a thoughtful and thorough visit to Toronto. We appreciate that. Became a subscriber. Best 🤸♂
Thank you so much!
@@asenseoftravel 🇨🇦
I love your descriptions and how you try and convey the overall ambience your senses are giving you of a pace rather than just describing what you saw nd where you went.
Thank you! I always like to try and "feel" a place through the screen when watching travel videos, so my goal is to find a way to help people do the same!
I love your approach ---- giving us the sounds and the smells. Brilliant.
You missed out on Cabbagetown, a neighbourhood with hundreds of beautiful Victorian-era houses on tree-shaded streets. This district is just a short walk from the downtown core, but it's a world apart. So much so that it has long had it's own flag (two green bars on each side of a green cabbage on white). It has one of the friendliest parks in town, where you see big family picnics, frolicking dogs, frisbee tossers aplenty, and a kids' zoo of farm animals ---- and a fantastic tobogganing hill with wonderful views. It's not far from a lively gay neighbourhood and scores of thickly populated apartment towers full of new immigrants, and an inner city university campus. There are dozens of novels set here, going back to the 1930s, and many writers and artists spent their childhoods in it, when it was considered a slum. The cabbage? In the 19th century, it was a rough and rowdy Irish Catholic neighborhood in a city run by dour Protestant Scots and prissy Anglicans. To the horror of the straight-laced elite, the poor Irish grew cabbages in their front yards instead of flowers. One of dozens of distinct and interesting neighbourhoods. But watch out for the raccoons! They'll grab your pizza slice.
I do not think I have seen a better review of Toronto. Reminded me that I have to get out more, as I live in Toronto. Although I have seen and experienced everything you have shown, it perked my interest to go back to some spots again and soon. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! Definitely get back out there! It's always fun to be a tourist in your own town
Always so much going on in Toronto on any given day. Lots to see and do!
Agreed!
Toronto has the largest underground pedestrian walkway (called The Path) in the world. It spans more than 30 km and connects 70 buildings. It is listed in the Guinnes World Record as the largest underground shopping complex in the world.
Interesting! I'm definitely going to need to check that out when I make it back up there.
The Path truly pays off in the depths of winter. You can plot a path through the downtown and never step outside. And naturally, it's chock-a-block with shops and restaurants and passages up, down, and sideways to streets, businesses, subway stations, hotels etc.
Philly is tiny compared to Toronto. Toronto is most similar to Chicago. New York and Mexico City are on another level of urbanity. But in terms of dense, skyscraper filled, walkable cities in North America, I'd say NYC, Mexico City, Chicago and Toronto are the main ones. Toronto feels even bigger than LA just because LA doesn't have that big city, skyscraper feel to it, even in downtown LA.
Sharon, I'm from Philadelphia, agree with your comments. Toronto is my favorite city.
Interesting ❤
@@ringdoorbell3223 Downtown Philadelphia looks nice on TV (although I've heard the streets look literally 'ghetto' throughout and it does not have a safe 'feel' to it?). Disclaimer: I have personally never been to Philadelphia!
Toronto is not NYC and Not Chicago . Toronto decided to merges city as far as 130 km away in order to get the title of the largest city inCnada . Montreal ( 5.1 million , gerater Montreal) ) has more in commun with NYC than Toronto . Montreal is a dense city ,built on an ISland ( 10 times the size of Manhattan) with a central park , the canadian capital of culture , architecture and 400 years of history . Toronto is unilingual ( english ) , Montreal is more cultural speaking both official languages of Canada and all languages of the world . Toronto has more indians as chineses than Montreal but both are metropolis .
@@scholarlyanalyst7700 Philly is beautiful but it is a dangerous city. The downtown (Center City) has the most beautiful beaux arts and colonial architecture in the world - it's fine to walk around during the day. North and West Philly are very run down and dangerous. In general you shouldn't walk around at night in Philly and try not to be alone.
I've been in Toronto for 40 years and I still have things to see!
Indeed! And I'm sure you'll never run out of new things to discover since the city is growing so rapidly
Hi, Andy, honey. I lived in Toronto 40 years ago. It was an amazing city then and I’m sure it’s more so now.
I was amazed that you pronounced “Toronto” like a local by leaving out the second “t”.
It's because I grew up in the southeastern US! We don't say "Atlanta" we say "Atlanna"
He was going in and out a lot though. Sometimes pronounces the 2nd T, sometimes doesn't.
@@kayflip2233 So do locals. If you ask us to say it slowly, it regains all the letters. In casual conversation it's t'rawneh
One of the best travel logs I’ve ever seen. 👍
This is such a great compliment, thank you!
Toronto Born and raised, thank you for the great video you covered my City Beautifully and 100% on point !!!
So glad to hear that I did your city justice!
Love it! Great way to share unique attractions of Toronto 🤩
Thank you! I know I just scratched the surface too. So, so much more to Toronto!
Hope you enjoyed Toronto and revisit us again! We're definitely an up and coming growing, global city 🍁😎
Please visit Vancouver next! Thank you
Vancouver is the next Canadian city I plan to visit! 🎉🎊
@@asenseoftravel What time of year will you visit Vancouver?
Thank you for this amazing review. I'm a Toronto native now living in the states. Toronto isnt perfect but, whenever I'm home, Im amazed by how walkable and alive the downtown is. Transit is clean and frequent. Even the suburbs where you can find the most authentic ethnic cusine are more walkable than most US suburbs. Toronto can be better and im glad urbanists are always fighting for transit improvements, walkability and biking infrastructures. But after living in the states...I have a new found appreciation of my hometown.
Thank you for watching! Toronto really is an incredible city. It's so exciting to see it continue to grow. I imagine it will rival New York someday as THE city of North America.
That's why Canada has been the top 5 best living countries in the world. Thank you for noticing a better build city than the U.S. You have a good taste.
It's a wonderful place!
Thanks for doing such a great job highlighting Toronto, my home town and the place that holds the biggest part of my heart. The city's multiculturalism is unrivalled and is reflected in the amazing food. Another highlight for visitors is the Don Valley walking trails and river. An oasis in the middle of downtown.
I've travelled extensively and worked in the US for a bit. Every time the plane circled Pearson airport a lump would form in my throat. I was home. Your video brings all that to life. And yes, the Horseshoe Falls are THE falls to see in Niagara. Much more exciting than the US falls.
It's genuinely great to hear this from a native Torontonian. I'm glad I could capture the essence of your hometown as a tourist. It really is a great place
Blue angels just casually fly by
Yeah it was pretty awesome seeing them from that high up
Great video!
Thank you for visiting Canada, hope you had fun. As a home sick Canadian living abroad thanks. Come back.
Hoping to return one day for sure!
this is amazing!! thank you for this! love love love Toronto!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great description of Toronto.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
A tip for the CN tower, dont pay to go up if you plan on grabbing food, get a restaurant reservation beforehand and go up for free.
@7:22 those 2 cube looking structures, should go explore the area around them, under that bridge is one of the prettiest graffiti spots in the city.
For Poutine, dont go to a general eatery, go to a poutine specific restaurant. At the very least Smoke's Poutine. Its a different world.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely have to go check out the bridge. As for poutine, I'll check out Smoke's next time! My first poutine was in Montréal, so that may be hard to top
@@asenseoftravel You can actually get worse poutine in Montreal than the best in Toronto. Hopefully you knew where to find the good stuff in Montreal, because that is definitely best.
Sharon from Philadelphia. I will watch your video at a better time.
I love Toronto, it is my favorite city, privileged to have been there twice.
I always say to people who are younger than I am, that if you are going to do any traveling, do it while you are younger, because you never know what thingd will be like when you get older.
While I subscribed, I honestly don't know if I will be able to watch this, it brings back too many memories that are hard to deal with.
Moved here 41 years ago… super stoked on what you got from this very cool city
It really is an awesome place. Can't wait to get back up there!
Nice work man
Thank you! Cheers
A very passionate way to describe senses, colors, odors, and even noise, it's is like reading a book. I've been in TO for a couple of times. This time, I will try to absorb all the senses you meticously described. Cheers from Riviera Maya.
Thanks so much! The world is a beautiful thing to experience, traffic noise and all!
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen. Pretty good representation of the city. You at least mentioned that it is a city of neighbourhoods but I wish you would have shown some residential streets. Houses are a mix of styles with a lot of the houses ringing downtown built from 1905-1925. Craftsman, Edwardian styles are popular and most houses are brick. Toronto has a lot of semi-detached homes, which means two houses side by side attached in the middle. You were right in the Beaches neighbourhood. From their you could have walked west thru LeslieVille and Riverside (where you would have passed Degrassi Street). Walk north on Broadview passing thru Chinatown East and then the wester boundary of Riverdale. You would have see a wonderful view of Toronto from Riverdale Park East. When you go to the Danforth turn right to go east thru Greektown. Throuout this walk I’d go down a few side streets to see the beautiful urban homes built close together making for amazing communities. I’d recommend this walk for anybody visiting Toronto
Great video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! Loved every minute in Toronto.
Thank you for a great review and perspective of our city 😊
Thank you for watching! Toronto was fantastic
LOVE your channel. The sense factor is awesome. Very different and welcoming.
Thank you! The inspiration for this take on vlogging really came from the fact that I just couldn't find anything out there that would help me imagine places I'd never be able to visit. Hopefully this helps paint an experiential picture of places around the world!
Cool video.
Toronto is a cool place to walk around.
It is indeed - all of the cool ethnic enclaves, markets, parks, and "big-city-vibes" make for an awesome walking experience.
Canadian and proud ...
As you should be, it’s a wonderful country!
❤🇨🇦❤ Wonderful video very informative , Toronto is a beautiful city & proud to call it my home .....Thank you
I'm glad you liked it! Toronto really is incredible. Excited to return again one day!
I enjoyed your video and visiting Toronto next week. Thanks and i subscribe
Thanks for the sub! Glad you're here
The Waterworks Food Hall is open and is a must-visit.
I'll have to check that out next time! What part of town is it in?
Excellent video.
Thanks a ton! Excited to return to Toronto one day for a deeper dive
@@asenseoftravel, you need to return and check out Toronto's Inner Suburbs (the boroughs of Norrh York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, & York) for some more surprises (a science museum in North York and a zoo in Scarborough, lots of great ethnic restaurants in North York & Scarborough as well as Etobicoke), the Caribana festival/parade that happens in early August, the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) that happens late August, the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and last but not least, both Chinatowns and little India (as well as the Pacific Mall.)
I’ll be there for 10 days in October. I’ve lived in Canada all my life and I’ve only been there in a layover.
So SO excited to take it all in!
October seems like it'd be a perfect time to be in Toronto! The changing seasons will surely be gorgeous - have an awesome time!
Fantastic video! I think though you missed the biggest thing about the city; that it developed outward along the east/west streetcar lines and the bloor subway line. As you travel along it the neighbourhoods change, along with the food, people and general vibe. If you come back to the city you need to ride the queen streetcar both directions!
Thank you! And also interesting note! I'd love to re-visit the city with that in mind. Glad to know the old streetcars are still intact!
Well done. You've represented Toronto very well. This video is basically what my life looks like :)
Thanks so much! It's always gratifying to hear locals say that the video captured the spirit of the city well, as that's always the mission!
Nicely done.
Thank you!
That was enjoyable. It reminded me that Toronto is a pretty great city, despite the fact that most people in Toronto (including me) are always complaining about it. Endless and disruptive road construction everywhere. An unreliable subway system and the highest real estate prices in North American. Oh, and that was a weird looking butter tart. Better to try a more traditional butter tart. ;-)
Agreed, Toronto is awesome. I think a big reason people complain is that humans by nature are pretty resistant to change, and Toronto is growing/changing rapidly. But it's easily one of the best cities in North America!
Well done! 😊
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed 🙂
If you want a nice beach in Ontario, I would suggest the Sandbanks in Picton and Wasaga Beach. I believe that the first beach is the largest freshwater sandbanks and the second is the longest freshwater beach. Both beautiful.
Thanks for the suggestion! Are they near Toronto?
@@asenseoftravel the Sandbanks are on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Kingston and Wasaga Beach is north of Toronto about 2 1/2 hours and is on Georgian Bay east of Collingwood. Another beautiful spot is Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton, also on Lake Ontario. Not many bad spots to go in Ontario, it's a great place to explore.
A very good job pf catching the vibe throughout Torornto considering your limited time constraints. I lived there until my late 20s. Now put Vancouver next on your list...especially between late spring to early Fall. When there...make the trek to Whistler... only 1 1/2 hours north.
Thank you! And yes definitely. Vancouver will be the next Canadian city I visit!
I would suggest visiting the other smaller cities around Toronto like markham (amazing Chinese food, better than anything in the US), Mississauga, North York (on Yonge street for the best Korean food) and Vaughan. Because Toronto expands out in “spokes” like LA and Tokyo with multiple city centres, those areas are worth a visit as well. Chicago’s downtown is better than Toronto’s, but it doesn’t have the radius cities around it that make Toronto so unique.
I was truly shocked by how big the skylines of Toronto's suburbs were. I will agree that Toronto wins in terms of places nearby. Chicago is great but you're hours of driving away from nature and other big cities unfortunately :/
Great video, very interesting.
Thank you!!
Great video new subscriber 👌🏻big like🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thank you!!
❤❤❤
When are you visiting Australia? I want this kind of video for Melbourne and Sydney so badddd
Keep an eye out in 2025 😉
Jack Astors has locations everywhere and yes, likely if you live here, you've been there. With respect to your comments about urbanism, I would tend to agree that Toronto does it well with its neighbourhoods, however, the suburbs do not have the infrastructure with respect to transit and roads to accommodate the population and getting anywhere in the city is generally a nightmare. I avoid that by living downtown, not something everyone can afford, and on that note, house prices and rents recently have risen to a point where few can afford to live throughout the city... which has increased homelessness, forced people out of the housing market, and trapped people into staying in their rent controlled units. All factors that have an upward pressure on prices.
Completed understood - we have the same problems even here in the Washington, DC region, which by American standards is one of the "best" in terms of the urban fabric/infrastructure. Hopefully Toronto can keep up its infrastructure with transit in the front and center!
Great video of Toronto! Found your channel last night and been binging a bunch of vids!
Some comments, as a Quebecer whose lived in both Montreal (4 yrs) and Toronto (6 yrs)
Its funny that as an American you feel like Toronto has good transit and bike infrastructure, as most Torontonians feel like the TTC is absolutely awful, the subway is lagging behind world-class cities and trying to expand it has been a political nightmare for the past few city governments of the last 15-30 years
The waterfront of Toronto proper (the bluffs are a bit far from DT for most - especially with how annoying the TTC is lol) is also, in my opinion, criminally underutilized. Condos are right up on the lake, offering no space for plazas, or "malecons" you'd see in latin america, with shops, restaurants and bars on the waterfront. There is Sugar and Cherry beach, which are downtown spaces by the water, but they are not really connected to any commercial space.
The Islands on the lake right off the downtown core are partly residential, partly an airport, but there is a large park area that is used by festivals, although it has had flooding issues in recent years, leading local events to move away from using that space. Again, not much commercial activity there either.
Also, dont tell anyone you found good poutine outside of Quebec, or theyll ban you from coming back to Montreal 🤣
I think Toronto's transit seems so great to me because we really have horrible transit in the US in general. Even our best examples like the New York Subway, Boston "T" and Washington, DC Metro are subpar at best compared to countries in Europe and Asia, so Toronto's was a pleasant surprise!
I would agree that the beaches should be far more utilized in certain places, although I do love how secluded the bluffs are. That's one thing about Toronto that I find superior to a ton of cities that I've been to: remote nature is super accessible.
As for the poutine, don't worry. It's still no match for Montréal 😂
Dude, you need to try the Danforth Greek community , grab some souvlaki and sit and watch the sunset from Riverdale park.
That sounds awesome. I'll add to the bucket list for the next time I make it up there!
You didn't mention or go to Fort York. A British fort in the downtown of Toronto. On the exhibition grounds there is Scadding Cabin, a pioneer home that was moved from the Don Valley. (they predate Canada too) There is also Black Creek Pioneer Village, with many early Homes, farms/barns and an Inn. If you like History, You would also like that.
😅Enjoyed your thoughtful video. Sad that Toronto bashing is so prevalent in Canada!
Agreed! I couldn't believe how many negative comments about Toronto I've seen. A truly fantastic city!
People DO actually surf in Toronto :) It's just a niche commuinty and it mostly happens in the fall on the less touristy beaches.
This is good to know! I'd love to see some of those waves!
How do you plan your stops or trip in general as a solo world traveler ?
I try to group visits to nearby places as much as I can! For example, I was in Tokyo and Seoul in the fall, so instead of two very expensive trips, it was just one expensive trip. In terms of where I visit, I try to research the historic landmarks and central markets. I feel like these are the places that tell the story of a place the most holistically.
Nice video. Multi culti has added diversity to Toronto, but also divisive elements who want to rewrite our history.
True ☹️
Kensington Market is a must-visit.
One of my favorite markets on this side of the world for sure!
@@asenseoftravel I think you'd also enjoy The Distillery area. Maybe next time you're this way.
Montreal used to be Canada's largest city when it hosted Expo 67.
Oh how you flatter us Torontonians
Flattery? Perhaps 😂. But also quite genuine! Toronto is an awesome city.
@@asenseoftravel Aaaww there you go again!
2 dias para quedarse en toronto es suficiente? (2 days is enought?)
Two days is enough to see the main highlights! But I would suggest between 3-5 days (¡Dos días son suficientes para ver los aspectos más destacados! Pero sugeriría entre 3 y 5 días)
Great video man.
Showing the great parts of Toronto
A lot of videos just show the same shit
I can't wait to get back there and see some of the neighborhoods and a bit more of the lakefront.
Hi Michael, I'm en route to becoming like u. Can u mentor me?
why are the cameras in kensington reversed?
Unfortunately, the answer isn't very exciting. Just an amateur editing mistake I'm afraid
Gay toronto was good,
We should have an nfl team for sure
its Trono
I was hoping you were going to make it to Halan's Clothing Optional Beach on Toronto Island. I wanted to see more of your gorgeous body after a tease of that hairy chest of yours and hairy face stubble. What a beautiful and thoughtful video from such a cute guy!
I dont know why people are determined to insist that Toronto is bigger than Chicago. it isnt. never quote city proper populations because those lines can be drawn arbitrarily or long ago before a city had much of it's growth. up until 25 years ago, Toronto "proper" only had a population of about 800k... then the city decided to redraw the lines so it included it's closest suburbs. the Toronto Metro pop of about 6.5 million vs Chicago's 9 million is a far more true comparison. if you were talking about London, UK would you only quote the population of the 1 mile by 1 mile "City of London"? no of course not because it doesnt make any sense.
To me it really doesn't matter which is which. I've had the misfortune of driving though both way too many times.
The official cities are about the same size in sq km and Toronto has a little bit more people in that space. In the "Metro" area, yes, Chicago has more people but it also has a much larger space because the USA usually includes larger spaces in their Metro areas. ChicagoLand is 24,000 sq km and includes 9.4 million people, while the Greater Toronto Area is only 7,400 sq km and 6.7 million people. If we take the Golden Horseshoe as the Toronto metro then it is still only 10,000 sqkm (less than half of ChicagoLand) and has a population of 7.7 million people.
So basically, the cities are very similar, and the appearance of Chicago seeming bigger is mostly because of the classification of US cities.
Toronto immalgimated into one. It was once separate areas. Before immalgamtion yes, it was only about 2.4 million or so
lived in toornto doubt its most multi cultural city, ever city in a canada mixed and think north america
SEAGULLS not lake birds smh😂
Hahaha, I wasn't sure if what I was hearing was seagulls since it's so far from the coast 🤷🏻♂️
@@asenseoftravel We just call them "gulls" here!
You talk about it…skyscrapers, beaches, the architecture, but rarely show it.
Awesome video mate! Visited Toronto 5 years ago. Was great! Visited a month ago. Every part of the tourist places that i visited and went to eat or drove outside of Toronto to see. Was filled with massive amounts of Indians from Indian. What has happened? It was so overwhelming for the most part. What is going on with Canada?? Feels good being back in Switzerland
He loses it when he says, "Quite often, Canadians and Americans are indistinguishable." No, that is not true. Sure, on the surface, if you see a white person and ask for directions, it's the same. But spend more time talking, and the differences become immediately apparent (to me, as a Canadian). Americans are quite opinionated and have a relative ignorance of the world beyond their borders. Their politics are vastly different, so much so that such politics cut to the heart of American identity. (And as far as politics goes, Canadian identity is certainly shaped by our politics.) So, not "yes and no" when making a comparison to Chicago; it's always "no and no."
TotonTOE ToronTOE ToronTOE
Jackaster sucks lol
Yeah, I mean, I didn't hate it, but I don't doubt there is far better to eat in Toronto
re architecture... Chicago's skyline and individual buildings far outshine Toronto's forest of banal low budget glass boxes that are simply copy and pasted dozens of times by the same 3-5 archit4ectural firms. you could probably count on one hand the number of top tier skyscrapers in Toronto, while Chicago would have dozens. you must be blind if you think they are super cool and innovative. look again closer. they are all literally glass boxes just with different glass or balcony patterns on them. it is the biggest joke of architecture I have seen anywhere in the world.
Insecure much? 😂😂
@@sid7088 insecure? its true, toronto is a soulless city
I will agree Toronto is a great city that has lost its way ...and after living there I will reiterate it is soulless
Is that why Toronto is expected to pass Chi in amount of skyscrapers and super talls as well ? This is expected to happen in the next 5-10 years.
lol! Bedroom ... why so much hate for Toronto? Get a grip lol!!
not TO-RON-TO, you just say Tarrano
In 2024 , i cannot even order a coffee in french in Toronto ( french and english are both official langues of Canada ) . I agree there are more Chineses and Indians in Toronto than Montreal . Montreal is the only world class metropolis in Canada where you can speak both official langues and all lanuages of the world . Montreal is the canadian capital of culture with endless multicultural festivals, architecture and 400 years of history .
Oh shut up.
Poutine ? Is from french Canada not Toronto
If you had listened to what he said, you would have heard him say that Poutine is most commonly found in Quebec where it originated.
Isn't that what he said?
@@motr1912 Yes it was. The other guy didn't see that part
Calme toi!
@@deanjohnston4073 qui te dit que je suis pas calme????
Its also the most UnCanadian city in Canada 🇨🇦 😕
Thank God lol!!
Mexico City is not part of North America .. that's Central America.
Mexico is part of North America just look at NAFTA. Depending on where you learned geography. North America is usually separated from South America by Panama/Colombia border and Central America is the southern Mexican border to Colombia
@@jasonstevens2060 they added Mexico to NAFTA in order to get cheap labor. It was never considered part of North America when I was growing up .. that's why they aren't in NATO.
This really depends on how you're taught about the continents. In most of the English-speaking world, for example, North and South America are two continents, and Mexico is definitively a part of North America. In the Spanish speaking world, "America" is one continent, and Mexico would indeed fit into the region of Central America.
Multicultural? Hmmm i saw mostly punjabis when i went
Oh no, you saw other people 😂
Montreal is the only place you can speak both official languages of Canada . You cannot even order a coffee in french in Toronto or Ottawa . Montreal has the most international ( multicultural) street in North america , Cote des neiges . Toronto is the only city that merged cities as far as 130 km away to get the title of the largest city in Canada . Toronto is not a cultural city , Montreal is the only one in Canada.
"Canadians do urbanism better than Americans"... with the notable exceptions of NYC and Chicago (before they became Democrat bastions of crime and decay).
Most boring big western city
You haven't seen correctly then.
@@TK-1270 i did. 13 years.
lol strong subway system? modern patchwork? LMAO,.....this city used to be so amazing - I was so proud of this city but things have gone downhill. every time I have been to scar bluffs - next week there is always a body being found there. Crime, expenses, traffic etc have gone up big time. Toronto is a city which is full of woke people now - you could literally fall down on the street in downtown and no one would give a crap. 401 is the most busiest hwy in the world. Takes are crazy, rent is crazy...good city to visit but then pls leave....not a city where you want to live in anymore.
Yes Toronto is diverse and that always seems to be a talking point, however, I find that those diverse communities like to stay within their own culture which in my opinion is a negative. Diversity, on its own when you dig deeper is not so great. Interaction between those diverse cultures would be fantastic but people like to be with those whom they have a cominality.