ALL PRICES ARE QUOTED IN CND $

Transportation to/from Airport
GO Transit- this transit system makes commuting easy for those who live outside of Toronto. When arriving at the airport you can take a taxi to the Malton GO Station. This train will then take you to Union Station in downtown Toronto. The taxi charges around $20 for a ride that’ll last about 10 mins. The ticket for the GO Train will run about $7.
This is the system map.

Airport Shuttle Express- this shuttle leaves every 30 mins from all terminals. The ride takes 1.5- 2.0 hours and a one way ticket costs $16.45. You can buy them online or at the airport. If you want to get to Union Station just get off at the Royal York Hotel. You can catch the shuttle at the following areas…. Terminal 1: Arrivals area outside domestic baggage claim, bus departs from Post B3. Terminal 2: Curbside at Area #17. Terminal 3: Curbside at Area #25.

Transportation around the City

Union Station is a transportation hub in the downtown core. This is a VERY busy place! Union Station accommodates GO Transit, TTC (Subway), and VIA Rail all on various floors. They have shops, and a food court. At peak commute hours (7-10 am and 3-6 pm), there is a crush of people.

Subway- The subway is one of the best ways to get around the city. Fares are $2.75, or 5 subway tokens for $10.50. A day pass is $8.50 and gives you unlimited travel.

Street Cars- always an experience, these street cars will take you along streets such as Spadina (through Chinatown), and Queen St. which has gone from ultra funky to sheik. Queen Street is also the home of CityTV/ MuchMusic. Fares are $2.75 or 5 tokens for $10.50. A day pass is $8.50.

Lodging

[URL=http://www.hostellingtoronto.com ]HI Toronto[/URL] 76 Church Street. Members, shared $24.32 + tax (14% in Ontario), private room $80.18. Non-members pay $27.93 and $89.19.

Global Backpackers- 460 King St. W (King & Spadina). Dorm bed $27, Quad bed $29.99, Private $72.50. All prices include tax and there are special rates if you book online.

Good Eats!

Canadian/ American

Fran’s- 20 College St. and 200 Victoria St. This place is open 24 hours and has a great menu. Many 3 am meals have been eaten here!

Hard Rock Cafe- Across from Eatons Centre on Yonge St. & Inside Skydome off of Front St. Always a classic! During baseball season you can get a table at the Hard Rock Skydome for $15 and watch the game beng played below.

Jessies- Matheson & Kennedy. Although they’re in Mississauga, it’s well worth the trip for one of his hamburgers. In the summer the line will be out the door and you and wait as long as 40 mins before placing your order, but it’s more than worth it! This place cooks and assembles right before your eyes! Recommendation: Jessie burger and onion rings

Mr. Green Jeans- 220 Yonge St. Eatons Centre. A Toronto icon that has been at this location for years! Not on the cheap cheap side, but still very good. Price range: $6- $19.

Shopsy's Delicatessen- 33 Yonge St., in business for OVER 75 YEARS! Price range: $5.75- $12.95.


Indian

Kamasutra- 1522 Bayview Ave. Although their lunch and dinner menus are pricey, their take-out menu is diverse and pretty good. Price range: $4.95- $19.95

The Indian Hut- 636 Church St. This place offers a lunch buffet for $10.95 and a dinner buffet for $15.95. Their menu price range: $3.95- $19.95. They also have authentic Indian cooking classes available.

Italian
Old Spaghetti Factory- 54 The Esplanade. Price Range: $3.95- $16.29


Pan- Asian

Spring Rolls – they have 3 GO locations: 120 Church St. @ Richmond, 687 Yonge St. @ Charles, and 348 Broadway Ave. @ Gerrard. They also have 5 other locations that are regular dining, including one just down the street from Union Station on Front St E. Price Range: $2.95- 10.95.

Vendors

Street corners around the city- there is nothing better than a vendor sausage. You can find Polish and Italian sausages and the prices are around $3.50. Nothing better in the world!

Clubs & Bars

Crocodile Rock- 240 Adelaide St. W. “Best Party Bar in Toronto”. A 25+ crowd enjoy a DJ and nightly dancing to classic rock, top 40, retro 80's, disco and dance. A menu featuring Cajun cooling and wood-oven pizza is always available on any of their three floors. Open Wed, Thurs., Fri. at 4:00pm and Sat. at 7:00pm. Call for reservations or guest list.

The Docks- 11 Polson St. Open weekends only until Victoria Day weekend, opens everyday after that until the fall. More than 21 acres in size, The Docks features a large patio, lakeside pool, 16 outdoor pool tables, 10 volleyball courts, basketball courts, giant swing ride, 18-hole mini putt, sand beach and a professional driving range. This place is an adult playground!

Velvet Underground- 508 Queen St. W. (Alternative music.) Mon & Wed-Sun nights.


more to come

To See and Do

www.beachesjazz.com]Beaches International Jazz Festival- FREE! Net dates are July 23-29, 2007.

Bloor West Village Ukrainian Street Festival- FREE!Generally the last weekend in August.

BrazilFest- FREE! July 29th, 2007, Toronto Centre Island. The only cost will be your ferry ride to the island. Fares are $6 Adults, $3.50 Students.

Centennial Park Conservatory- FREE! 15 Elmcrest Rd. Open daily 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Chinese Dragon Boat Festival- June at the Toronto Harbour off the Toronto Islands.

Chinese New Year: Dragon Dance Parade- End of Jan, early Feb. The parade takes place on Dundas St Chinatown.

CN Tower is 30 yrs old- June 26, 2006- June 26, 2007. 1,815 ft. tall, the CN Tower is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The CN Tower is located beside the SkyDome on Front St. and can be seen as far away as 130 km north of the downtown core.

Cummer Skateboard Park- FREE. 1,440 sq. meter facility. Open daylight hours. 600 Leslie St.

Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival- July 4-15, 2007. Advance tickets are $10.

International Bach Festival- October. They have FREE admission to lecture discussions by Bach Scholars. Admission to the Discovery Series is $19 Adults, $13 Students.

Movie Nights- In the summer the CHUM (CityTV) building on Queen St. shows movies outside on the side of the building.

St. Lawrence Market- 95 Front St E. If you want fresh food this is the place to be! This huge indoor market has everything from Organic fruits and vegetables to fish mongers, cheese mongers, butchers, and bakeries. In this two storey market there are also little shops and galleries.

Toronto Summer Music Academy & Festival- July 23- August 19, 2007. Chamber music. Price per concert is $30 for Adults and $20 for Seniors/ Students.

Toronto Wine & Cheese Show- International Centre (By Airport)- March 23-25, 2007. Admission $18.

Museums & Galleries

Art Gallery of Ontario- 317 Dundas St. W. (Dundas & McCaul). Wednesday evenings FREE 6-9 p.m. Admission $5 Adults, $4 Student on other days. Open Wed- Fri 12 noon- 9 p.m., Sat- Sunday 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art- FREE ADMISSION! 952 Queen St. W. Tues. – Sun. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. The museum is currently holding approximately 400 works of art by more than 150 Canadian artists, acquired through purchase and donation. The collection includes seminal works by some of Canada’s most important artists.

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)- 100 Queen's Park. Mon- Thurs & Sat-Sun 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Admission FREE from 5-6 p.m. Sat- Thurs. Admission at other times: $18 Adult, $15 Student.

Neighbourhoods

Bloor/ Yorkville- Bounded by Bloor St. West, Avenue Rd., Davenport Rd. and Yonge St. TTC: Bay Station
This Toronto hotspot is strictly upper crust. One of Toronto's more elegant shopping and dining areas, Yorkville's designer boutiques, antique shops and galleries are absolutely first-class. The area features a gallery of small courtyards and alleyways, including a contemporary park located in the very heart of the neighbourhood. (Make sure you visit the "Rock", a huge piece of granite trucked hundreds of miles from the Canadian Shield!)

Chinatown- Corner of Spadina and Dundas St. W. TTC: St. Patrick Station.
This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. A wealth of oriental shops and fruit markets spills out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature such delicacies as dim sum. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.

Greektown- Danforth Ave., between Chester and Jones Ave. TTC: Chester Station.

A large collection of restaurants feature authentic Greek cuisine in this lively area, which also boasts a fascinating mix of speciality shops. "The Danforth" (its local nickname) is also a night owl's haven with clubs and cafés open into the wee hours.

Kensington Market- Between Dundas and College, west of Spadina Ave. TTC: Queen’s Park Station, then streetcar westbound.
During the 1920s, it was known as the Jewish Market. Today, you can sense the city's rich, multicultural mix, obvious in the shops packed with goods from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America and Asia. A visit to Kensington is like a sensory trip around the world. It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second hand clothing shops, tucked in among eclectic restaurants and cafés.

Koreatown- Bloor St. W., between Bathurst and Christie St. TTC: Bathurst.

From a visitors point of view, this is a great neighbourhood to sample the flavour of a Korean retail community. Shops stocking exotic herbs, acupuncture centres, Internet cafés and Korean restaurants abound here, although strangely enough, few Koreans actually live in the area.

Little India- Gerrard St, around Coxwell Ave, Greenwood Ave and Main St. TTC: Coxwell Station and Southbound 22 bus, Westbound 506 Streetcar.

Toronto’s Indian community congregate here, where it seems as though there is always a party going on. In Little India's festival-like atmosphere, you’ll find Indian-food restaurants, grocers, and shops that specialize in traditional clothing like saris and brightly-coloured scarves. At night, the streets and shops are lit with strings of multi-coloured lights.

Little Italy- College St. between Euclid Ave and Shaw St. TTC: Queen's Park Station, then streetcar westbound
This lively neighbourhood (now more Portuguese than Italian) is the spiritual home of Toronto's Italian community, which has for the most part migrated further north. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafés, and a few more traditional poolhalls. Like Greektown, Little Italy's sidewalks are jammed on weekends – especially in the summer, with locals and visitors alike sipping espressos on outdoor patios.

Little Poland- Roncesvalles Ave. between King St. and Dundas Street West. TTC: Dundas West Station
An enclave of Eastern European and Russian residents, this area is a mix of residential and small, family-owned retail and food shops. An afternoon stroll through this area will take you past eating establishments specializing in traditional cuisine: sausages, hand-made pierogies, sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and hearty soups like the delicious beet-based borscht will warm your insides on a cool day.
You'll also see bakeries, cafés, and if you're lucky, special events from the 'old country'.

Portugal Village- area bordered by Trinity Bellwoods Park, College St. West, Spadina Ave and Ossington Ave
Toronto's large Portuguese community is centred in this neighbourhood, with dozens of bake shops, restaurants, cheese stores, and fish markets – especially along Dundas and College West.

The Beaches- Queen St. East, between Coxwell and Victoria Park Ave. TTC: Queen Station, then streetcar eastbound
Antique shops, clapboard cottages and quirky stores and restaurants typify the Beach. The beachside boardwalk is crowded with joggers, dog-walkers and picnickers, and the beach itself is packed in the summer. The neighbourhood is upscale and laid-back at once, with a relaxed attitude unlike anywhere else in the city.

The Gay Village- Area surrounding Church and Wellesley Sts. TTC: Wellesley Station, then walk east.

Dubbed “The Village” by locals, this predominantly gay neighbourhood in the heart of downtown is host to Canada's largest annual gay and lesbian Pride celebrations. Check out the many bars, shops and restaurants, walk the strip or simply enjoy a beverage on one of the many open-air patios.

That's really Toronto in a nutshell! Good work Canuck Girl!!

I have one addition to the Transportation to/from Airport post:

TTC has the Airport Rocket: Take bus number 192 from the airport to Kipling station and then the subway to the city. Normal TTC fares apply, so this is probably the cheapest way to get downtown.

Here's a good website: http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/service_to_airport.htm