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Things to do/see in Toronto


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So, in late June, my fiancee, her son, his girlfriend and I will be travelling to TO for a vacation. For those of you who've been there or live there, what are THE must see attractions? We'll be taking in a Blue Jays game one night.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

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17 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

Probably the most “touristy” thing to do is to go up the CN tower but it is pretty cool.  

 

Never thought I was afraid of heights til I ventured outside on the observation deck!

 

Been a while since I’ve visited Canada’s largest city so, , besides CN Tower, all I can suggest is Yorkville, China Town, and Hockey Hall of Fame.  City Hall Plaza is cool, at least to me.  Adult beverages at the Royal York as well.  Eaton Center, if you like shopping.

 

Also, CBC has a broadcast studio at CN Tower with Glenn Gould’s actual Chickering Piano in the lobby, but I’m one of few who finds that interesting.

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Just now, The Senator said:

 

Never thought I was afraid of heights til I ventured outside on the observation deck!

 

Been a while since I’ve visited Canada’s largest city so, , besides CN Tower, all I can suggest is Yorkville, China Town, and Hockey Hall of Fame.  City Hall Plaza is cool, at least to me.  Adult beverages at the Royal York as well.  Eaton Center, if you like shopping.

 

Also, CBC has a broadcast studio at CN Tower with Glenn Gould’s actual Chickering Piano in the lobby, but I’m one of few who find’s that interesting.

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If you are with a group Dim Sum in China town is awesome.

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14 minutes ago, The Senator said:

 

Never thought I was afraid of heights til I ventured outside on the observation deck!

 

Been a while since I’ve visited Canada’s largest city so, , besides CN Tower, all I can suggest is Yorkville, China Town, and Hockey Hall of Fame.  City Hall Plaza is cool, at least to me.  Adult beverages at the Royal York as well.  Eaton Center, if you like shopping.

 

Also, CBC has a broadcast studio at CN Tower with Glenn Gould’s actual Chickering Piano in the lobby, but I’m one of few who finds that interesting.

.

 

i have no huge fear of heights but wouldn't want to do something like that....

 

Glenn's CDs are a staple of my existence, especially his 20th century stuff like Krenek

 

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

If you are with a group Dim Sum in China town is awesome.

 

LOVE Dim Sum - made a point to go for breakfast at least once a month in SF.

 

Never went in TO but, on your recommendation, it’s now on my list!

.

 

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25 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

i have no huge fear of heights but wouldn't want to do something like that....

 

Glenn's CDs are a staple of my existence, especially his 20th century stuff like Krenek

 

Mine as well, but, being more of a traditionalist, I own everything he ever recorded by Bach (also have his recordings of all the Mozart and Beethoven sonatas, and Prokofiev and Wagner’s Sigfried Idyll).

 

I found his distaste for the Romantics quite odd, as I have a bootleg of Chopin’s 3rd piano sonata - Gould sounded like Horowitz!

 

Next time visit, I must go see Steinway CD318 at the National Library.  I believe the last person to perform on it was fellow Canadian Angela Hewitt, a brilliant interpreter of Bach whom I had the geat pleasure of seeing perform the ‘Goldbergs’ in their entirety, at Davies Hall in SF, when she was just on the cusp of her rise to fame.

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16 minutes ago, The Senator said:

 

Mine as well, but, being more of a traditionalist, I own everything he ever recorded by Bach (also have his recordings of all the Mozart and Beethoven sonatas, and Prokofiev and Wagner’s Sigfried Idyll).

 

I found his distaste for the Romantics quite odd, as I have a bootleg of Chopin’s 3rd piano sonata - Gould sounded like Horowitz!

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good stuff

 

Glenn wanted to work on the 20th century rep that would not get wide release, John Ogdon was another who took to this line of composers, both had a tough time....

 

 

 

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11 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

good stuff

 

Glenn wanted to work on the 20th century rep that would not get wide release, John Ogdon was another who took to this line of composers, both had a tough time....

 

Gould’s success and brilliance with the more ‘traditional repertoire’, and success in the stock market, made it much easier for him to indulge his ‘less traditional tastes.

 

I wish some of his 20h century recordings included Rachmaninov.  When discussing Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ (way over-played at sporting events), Gould humorously stated, “And you thought Phillip Glass found an easy way to earn a living!”

 

I’m glad he never recorded  John Cage’s ‘4’33’!

 

If you haven’t read Tim Page’s ‘The Glenn Gould Reader’, I highly suggest it.  Likewise, the movie, ‘Thirty Short Films About Glenn Gould’.

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4 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

So do I.  ‘That’s What I Like About You’ was a kicka$$ song!

 

Sure was, If you enjoy senseless lyrics over the simplest 3-chord progression . ?

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5 minutes ago, The Senator said:

Sure was, If you enjoy senseless lyrics over the simplest 3-chord progression . 

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Although my comprehension of the intricacies of classical is woefully inadequate, both have a place in my listening.  Pardon my whiskey breath, I just rode in from Butte...  ?

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28 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Although my comprehension of the intricacies of classical is woefully inadequate, both have a place in my listening.  Pardon my whiskey breath, I just rode in from Butte...  ?

 

Well, no probs, you didn’t spend a lifetime studying it, and are certainly very knowledgable of things I am completely ignorant.

 

BTW, I enjoy almost very form of music, save for rap, which I probably should appreciate since it reminds me of the first primitive humans beating a hollow log (rhythm), or stretching an animal hide across one (drums), or an stretching an animal sinew across one to discover the harmonic series (melody) and invent the first string instrument.

 

I adore Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Sinatra, Connick, etc., as much as I adore Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Springsteen, Dylan, Skynard, Little Feat, etc., as much as I like any music.

 

As long as it’s good music, I like it.

 

(BTW, I enjoy good whiskey too - had probably a bit too much bourbon yesterday, but understandable, I hope - I lost a bit of money.)

 

You didn’t really ‘ride in’ from Butte?  Must have saddle sores!

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2 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

So, in late June, my fiancee, her son, his girlfriend and I will be travelling to TO for a vacation. For those of you who've been there or live there, what are THE must see attractions? We'll be taking in a Blue Jays game one night.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

African Lion Safari is about an hour away from the GTA..well worth the ride imo.As others stated...Hockey HOF is a no miss.

Very good Thai places around if you folks like that type of food.

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You guys are better at hijacking than the plo

17 minutes ago, Misterbluesky said:

African Lion Safari is about an hour away from the GTA..well worth the ride imo.As others stated...Hockey HOF is a no miss.

Very good Thai places around if you folks like that type of food.

 

Thank you!

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13 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

You guys are better at hijacking than the plo

 

Yeah, sorry.

 

Thai is probably my favorite - go eat some.

 

(Also, head up to Mt. Pleasant cemetery to see the Gould grave site - has the first few measures of the ‘Goldberg Variations’, his most famous recording and only piece of music he recorded twice, in 1955 and again in 1980, etched on his tombstone.)

 

?

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It’s been a long time since I’ve visited. The last time was the week after a couple in the hotel attached to the dome apparently thought the windows looking into the stadium was one way glass. It was NOT. You may get my drift here, as they provided better entertainment than any baseball game. Just worth having that bit of knowledge in case you stay in a room with viewing access by tens of thousands of people! Oops! 

 

I was also shocked at how quickly the dome closed when it started raining a bit. I went for a walk to look around and missed it! 

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15 minutes ago, Augie said:

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited. The last time was the week after a couple in the hotel attached to the dome apparently thought the windows looking into the stadium was one way glass. It was NOT. You may get my drift here, as they provided better entertainment than any baseball game. Just worth having that bit of knowledge in case you stay in a room with viewing access by tens of thousands of people! Oops! 

 

I was also shocked at how quickly the dome closed when it started raining a bit. I went for a walk to look around and missed it! 

 

Yes, I know the incident to which you refer. ?

 

Apparently, that horny couple was interested in something other than baseball!  (And, at that moment, also several thousand spectators!)

 

But, if you ARE interested in baseball, Skydome, er, uh, Rogers Stadium, and a Blue Jays game, is a great choice.  Kids love baseball. Stuff ‘em with hot dogs and ice cream.

.

 

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17 minutes ago, The Senator said:

But, if you ARE interested in baseball, Skydome, er, uh, Rogers Stadium, and a Blue Jays game, is a great choice.  Kids love baseball. Stuff ‘em with hot dogs and ice cream.

 

We almost went to game last week when we were there. Stayed downtown at the Intercontinental and saw there was a game Friday night. We could have easily got a pair of tickets for about $40/US. But neither of us is into baseball that much so we ended up going out to dinner at this Irish pub...

 

http://irishembassypub.com/

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16 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

We almost went to game last week when we were there. Stayed downtown at the Intercontinental and saw there was a game Friday night. We could have easily got a pair of tickets for about $40/US. But neither of us is into baseball that much so we ended up going out to dinner at this Irish pub...

 

http://irishembassypub.com/

 

The Pub looks nice, and their website made me hungry!

 

At the Braves new stadium you can get General Admission tix for about $8, so we went just to see the new stadium, have a beer and hear a couple cracks of the bat. I’m with you on baseball, I’m good for about 3 innings. (Golf, btw, should be more like 12 holes, but I digress.) For $8 I go in and check it out, for $40 I go straight to the Pub. 

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18 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

The Pub looks nice, and their website made me hungry!

 

At the Braves new stadium you can get General Admission tix for about $8, so we went just to see the new stadium, have a beer and hear a couple cracks of the bat. I’m with you on baseball, I’m good for about 3 innings. (Golf, btw, should be more like 12 holes, but I digress.) For $8 I go in and check it out, for $40 I go straight to the Pub. 

 

Yea, even with our minor league team (Syracuse Mets) I'm good for about 6-7 innings, then I'm itching to leave. 

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1 hour ago, Augie said:

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited. The last time was the week after a couple in the hotel attached to the dome apparently thought the windows looking into the stadium was one way glass. It was NOT. You may get my drift here, as they provided better entertainment than any baseball game. Just worth having that bit of knowledge in case you stay in a room with viewing access by tens of thousands of people! Oops! 

 

I was also shocked at how quickly the dome closed when it started raining a bit. I went for a walk to look around and missed it! 

Humana hummana hummana! Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah! :lol:

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17 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

Yea, even with our minor league team (Syracuse Mets) I'm good for about 6-7 innings, then I'm itching to leave. 

 

It’s funny, but I think I actually prefer minor league games in person. More....intimate? (Yeah, don’t go there!) A baseball loving college buddy came from Cincinnati to head to a Braves game last summer. We went early for drinks and food around the stadium. Tons of entertainment surrounding the stadium, and we started throwing darts (an old college thing). Looked up and the game had started, Braves were down like 4-1 in a hurry. By the time we got the check, the score was worse and people were leaving the stadium and filing into the bars. We just opened a new tab! 

 

I promised him if he comes down again this year we will actually GO IN the stadium! I’ll suck it up for a while. It’s a pleasant setting....for a while. 

 

 

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19 minutes ago, The Senator said:

 

plenzmd is still trying to find the best place to get a haircut.

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A haircut with a happy ending? Those massage parlors have such a nasty stigma, and who knows what’s happening under that cape? 

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The Cn Tower

Shopping along Queens Quay

A Ferry ride to Centre Island

Kensingston and St. Lawrence Markets

The Science Center 

Hockey Hall of Fame 

Great dining along the Dandforth. 

The Aquarium (awesome) 

 

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1 hour ago, The Senator said:

 

plenzmd is still trying to find the best place to get a haircut.

.

 

 I’m sure this attitude would change drastically if I met him

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9 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

cause you old and cranky like @Augie and @mead107, now, you may not be as hard on the eyes as those two old bastads, ...

 

NO STROMBOLI FOR YOU! 

 

Me? I got nothin’. 

 

But I know who comes off as the old and cranky one here. ?

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4 hours ago, millbank said:

The Cn Tower

Shopping along Queens Quay

A Ferry ride to Centre Island

Kensingston and St. Lawrence Markets

The Science Center 

Hockey Hall of Fame 

Great dining along the Dandforth. 

The Aquarium (awesome) 

 

 

‘We bought an old house on the Danforth...’

 

 

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