I liked Toronto overall as it feels very cosy in winter and there are so many nice districts to explore. One thing I didn't like though is the ticketing system on the streetcars which is very confusing especially for tourists. Anyway here are my photos

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4162/torontofd0000.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8893/toronto.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/5047/p1010438p.jpg

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8353/p1010436m.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/2295/p1010435.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/452/p1010434z.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1710/p1010433.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2848/p1010432.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2990/p1010431e.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3418/p1010430kq.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3460/p1010427u.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7121/p1010423y.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9163/p1010422f.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6156/p1010421.jpg

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2984/p1010419o.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8365/p1010418w.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4220/p1010417b.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6813/p1010415r.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4715/p1010414.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/7341/p1010413z.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7206/p1010412u.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2167/p1010411v.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4757/p1010410p.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/2285/p1010409.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8488/p1010408e.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/883/p1010407.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6198/p1010406g.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2715/p1010403et.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/7199/p1010402g.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8323/p1010401.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7623/p1010400mc.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4599/p1010399.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2936/p1010395.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6499/p1010394f.jpg

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8060/p1010303r.jpg

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/2106/p1010302s.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/5444/p1010297w.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3023/p1010287r.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2766/p1010286e.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/33/p1010276e.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/916/p1010275u.jpg

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8164/p1010274s.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1083/p1010273cx.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8434/p1010272.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/453/p1010271k.jpg'

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4602/p1010270x.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4871/p1010269m.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/5345/p1010268.jpg

Great pics, Hellospank! Hope you enjoyed your holidays in Canada!

Indeed, the best - great photos of Toronto by hellospank :cheers:

Well done!

Great photos of Toronto! Thanks for posting them! I hope you enjoyed your visit :)

great pics

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/6617/p1010267k.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/6975/p1010266cd.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8048/p1010265d.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/9580/p1010261.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3456/p1010260fd0000.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3218/p1010259.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9081/p1010258hr.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/909/p1010256a.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7923/p1010255w.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/2073/p1010254l.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6094/p1010252.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2047/p1010251b.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/9754/p1010249w.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/4831/p1010247s.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/9231/p1010246wq.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4603/p1010250.jpg

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4904/p1010244f.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/9031/p1010243n.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7346/p1010242b.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/1965/p1010241t.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4727/p1010240j.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/97/p1010239y.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/9518/p1010238.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/28/p1010237s.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2973/p1010236z.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/2170/p1010235.jpg

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5412/p1010234o.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4139/p1010233.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1442/p1010232p.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8223/p1010230fd0000.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/5652/p1010229.jpg

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/7704/p1010228a.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/864/p1010227u.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8730/p1010226a.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6066/p1010225y.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1534/p1010224xt.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9284/p1010222su.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/7682/p1010221mb.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/3778/p1010219j.jpg

the first picture is really impressive and the rest are equally great.
Toronto is really Canada's top city.

the first picture is really impressive and the rest are equally great.
Toronto is really Canada's top city.

Are you kidding me. Toronto is more then just Yonge street and downtown. Sure downtown is very nice(the waterfront is not), and the residential areas are very charming. Canada's top city? come on now. There are way too many ugly high rise buildings, way too much grey and concrete, and way too much eyesores to make this the top city in Canada, let alone world class, as our mayor would like the world to believe. The crime is getting worse, more pollution, more people, more garbage, old historic neighborhoods are not treated with any importance(old buildings torn down and replaced with something ugly). Toronto used to be a nice, charming, clean city back in the 60s and 70s, too some extent it still is, but mark my words, this city will be a dump in 20 years.

Ah, yes. Damian. You are the one who claims the city is being over-run by slums and ghettos! ;)

I am afraid I have to sort of agree with Damian 1 - I was not very impressed with Toronto and these photos, good as they are, only confirm my memories.
Personally, I prefer Montreal and Vancouver but you have to live in a city to really know if you like it or not.

Ah, yes. Damian. You are the one who claims the city is being over-run by slums and ghettos! ;)

Is it not? I lived in one of the most historic neighborhoods in Toronto, and in less then ten years, i watched it become, nothing more than a trashy slum overrun with dollar shops, crackheads and graffiti. If you can't see that, then i feel sorry for you.

I can assure you it is completely unnecessary to feel sorry for me! I have chosen to live here and am quite happy with my choice. I would say every major city
has areas of both high and lower income residents. That is normal, and is typical of cities all over the world. I do not assume that areas of lower income are ghettos or slums, however, as I have travelled to enough cities in the world that have genuine ghettos and slums. I can safely say from my experience, that they are completely different than what is here. It is true that not everyone in Toronto is wealthy, but that is perhaps it is a real city with a full cross section of society living in it.

Let's not ruin (Damian) an otherwise pleasant thread about someone's travels with unsubstantiated claims that are actually false. There are other areas on this forum where you can rant about your discontents. :)

I didn't realise that the whole of Toronto is dead flat. Not even a hill in the distance.

And where's the snow?

and great photos too

I can assure you it is completely unnecessary to feel sorry for me! I have chosen to live here and am quite happy with my choice. I would say every major city
has areas of both high and lower income residents. That is normal, and is typical of cities all over the world. I do not assume that areas of lower income are ghettos or slums, however, as I have travelled to enough cities in the world that have genuine ghettos and slums. I can safely say from my experience, that they are completely different than what is here. It is true that not everyone in Toronto is wealthy, but that is perhaps it is a real city with a full cross section of society living in it.


The point is, we are importing poverty and crime. Most other countries do not purposely import poor people into their nation. Like i said, i watched my neighborhood turn into a crime ridden dump in less then ten years(more like 5 years). I don't like seeing a beautiful historic area being swamped with dollar stores, garbage, and high rise buildings. I care about where i live, and it makes me mad when i see people making decisions about my city who obviously do not give a damn. If that makes me a hater, and a bad person, then so be it. I apologize if i may have offended you, but i am sticking to my opinion.

The point is, we are importing poverty and crime. Most other countries do not purposely import poor people into their nation. Like i said, i watched my neighborhood turn into a crime ridden dump in less then ten years(more like 5 years).
s

so that is what this is about :ohno:

You spelled "neighbourhoods" wrong! http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/frech/p026.gif
Are you kidding me. Toronto is more then just Yonge street and downtown. Sure downtown is very nice(the waterfront is not), and the residential areas are very charming. Canada's top city? come on now. There are way too many ugly high rise buildings, way too much grey and concrete, and way too much eyesores to make this the top city in Canada, let alone world class, as our mayor would like the world to believe. The crime is getting worse, more pollution, more people, more garbage, old historic neighborhoods are not treated with any importance(old buildings torn down and replaced with something ugly). Toronto used to be a nice, charming, clean city back in the 60s and 70s, too some extent it still is, but mark my words, this city will be a dump in 20 years.

You spelled "neighbourhoods" wrong! http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/frech/p026.gif

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/neighborhood

Crime rates are falling Damian and we are not 'importing poor people'. We are poaching the best of the best more like it. The reason why many recent immigrants are poor soon after arrival is because of a systemic failure to recognize foreign credentials. Unintentional or sometimes intentional racism plays a role as well.

Where is this historic area you speack of?? If anything, historic areas have gentrified over the past ten years.

These are great photos! I'll most likely be visiting Toronto in April (90% chance at this point) and I can't wait! I haven't been there since late October 2003 and at that time I wasn't quite the urban enthusiast that I am these days. So getting out to explore different neighbourhoods will be my number one priority.

Oh, and while I can't comment with any certainty on the supposedly increasing number of slums of Toronto, I will say that I'll be mighty surprised if these areas can measure up to the south side of Chicago. :lol: I frequently watch the live evening newscasts on the CBC website from Toronto and/or Vancouver and it's always striking to me the lack of news about killings & stabbings... particularly when it was almost a daily occurrence on the evening news when I lived in Chicago. :tongue2:

Toronto is often a massive shock to European sensibilities. The chaotic jumbled mess is disconcerting while the rudderless nature of the culture makes some people very uncomfortable. To those that live here, the unpredictability and diversity of the city is Toronto's trump card. Toronto is a sensory overload.

If you want street after street of perfect picture post card architecture and predictability, Europe is a better choice. Toronto is warts and all and still very much a work in progress. Will it ever be finished in the way that many European cities seem to be? Nope, and I hope it never does look that way.

Nice selection of photos ... :) You even had the courage to walk up Sherbourne ;)

Nice selection of photos ... :) You even had the courage to walk up Sherbourne ;)

Yes that Sherbourne street looked rather scary, is that where all the government housing is?

Toronto is often a massive shock to European sensibilities. The chaotic jumbled mess is disconcerting while the rudderless nature of the culture makes some people very uncomfortable. To those that live here, the unpredictability and diversity of the city is Toronto's trump card. Toronto is a sensory overload.

If you want street after street of perfect picture post card architecture and predictability, Europe is a better choice. Toronto is warts and all and still very much a work in progress. Will it ever be finished in the way that many European cities seem to be? Nope, and I hope it never does look that way.

Agreed!! I lived in Paris immediately before moving to Toronto and though Paris is a far more beautiful city in the conventional sense, it's arguably in worse shape than Toronto (socially). Paris, like many cities, is just more thoroughly divided and so seems shinier than Toronto. Get out of the central neighbourhoods clustering around the Seine and you'll find true poverty, slums filled with refugees and/or actually poor and uneducated immigrants (who are kept out of the canadian system for better or worse), and many French-born non-whites who struggle for fair treatment and job opportunities.

In Toronto, all sections of society share the same downtown streets. That's maybe not as pretty as what you see in some other cities, but it's more democratic and far more human. There are many many things that need improving in Toronto but, Damian1, a little perspective, please.

And hellospank25, thanks for the great photos!!