Toronto – Energize your vacation with sights, sounds and food

My love for big cities goes beyond the borders of the US, and one that always energizes me is Toronto. It is the only city in North America that, like New York, has electricity in the air. And Toronto, also like Manhattan, is a major business center and tourist destination.

The image that often comes to mind when people think of Toronto is the CN Tower. It is the tallest free-standing structure in the world at 1,815 feet (553 meters) and a good place to start your visit. From your observation deck, you can identify the sights and various neighborhoods to visit on your vacation. In addition to being Toronto’s most famous tourist attraction, the CN Tower was designed with functionality in mind; On its roof are the antennas for 6 TV stations and 10 FM. The CN Tower also contains the world’s largest revolving restaurant, rotating a full 360 degrees every 72 minutes.

The CN Tower is located near the Harbourfront, facing Lake Ontario. In the 1980s, the area came alive with new parks, trails, hotels, apartments, and cafes. The Molson Amphitheater is an open-air concert venue on the Harbourfront, where performances take place on summer nights.

A couple of important structures are within walking distance of the Harbourfront. If you’ve been to Canada, you’ve probably heard the name Rogers, the communications giant, similar in stature to Comcast in the US. The Rogers Centre, the world’s first stadium with a fully retractable roof, is home to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The nearby Metro Toronto Convention Center hosts large-scale consumer and trade exhibits.

A very distinctive downtown building is the Toronto City Hall. Consisting of two crescent-shaped office towers, it still looks ultra-modern after being in service for 46 years. Its contrast to the city’s elegant Old Town Hall, built in the 19th century, is absolutely striking.

Toronto has its share of excellent museums, the most acclaimed of which is the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), which specializes in art, archeology, and natural sciences. Its new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal wing has a spectacular interior and houses cutting-edge galleries. Other ROM highlights include a spectacular dinosaur gallery and Chinese temple art.

One of my favorite Toronto attractions is Casa Loma, which sits on a hill north of downtown. The main reason for my infatuation with Casa Loma is probably its architectural splendor. The Greek Revival mansion was the dream of Toronto businessman Sir Henry Pellatt, who made his fortune from it in the hydroelectric and rail industries. When it was completed in 1914 at a cost of $3.5 million, Casa Loma was the largest residence in North America.

Yorkville, just north of downtown, is an oasis of Victorian homes, as well as art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. The neighborhood is a perfect place to relax at an outdoor cafe, enjoy a fine dining experience; or shop at exclusive retailers like Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Cole Haan.

In the 1990s, a wave of affluent Chinese immigrated from Hong Kong and moved to Toronto, helping make the city’s Chinatown the second-largest in North America. The area is located on Spadina Avenue between College and Dundas streets. Restaurants offering delicious Asian food, as well as shops and sidewalk stalls evoke the feeling of being in Hong Kong.

Toronto is a great restaurant city, especially if your tastes lean toward Italian, French, or Mediterranean cuisine, but it’s not the place for seafood lovers. Toronto rivals New York for the quality of its bagels.