We spent a long weekend in Toronto, and much like our trip to New Mexico, I’m not sure that I’m capable of fully sharing that experience in words. Unlike the trip to New Mexico, I’m going to give it a shot.
Toronto was wonderful. We spent time with friends and saw a good cross-section of the city. It’s a beautiful, walkable, navigable place. The University campus near Spadina is superb—a fun mix of old, sprawling stone and modern, utilitarian buildings. Philosopher’s Walk was precisely the kind of quiet thoroughfare I appreciate. Their large plaza (or mall, as we often call it in American universities) is a stunning feature. It’s difficult to imagine that space when it was a street laden with cars only a few years ago.
I’m already excited to return at some point in the future. There’s so much more I haven’t seen, and Toronto is a big city I can understand and appreciate. Perhaps part of it is I had no expectations: it’s not like visiting New York City or Chicago or Los Angeles, these important concentrated pockets of American urbanism that carry cultural baggage or anticipation that can make or break a first impression. I knew very little about Toronto, so I could take it exactly as it was: a modern Canadian city that felt welcoming with its fun variety of high-rise architecture, its offsite green space on the Islands, its bustling assortment of cultures and cuisines both concentrated on ethnic “towns” and also smushed beautifully together on certain dense streets full of pedestrians happy to be out and about.
My time in San Francisco trained me to fearlessly roam around a city in the morning, enjoying the relative peace so I can observe the storefronts and residences. Then I had the benefit of two well-seasoned guides to lead us to fun, interesting spots. It was great.
I’ll happily return as soon as I can, eager to explore the western reaches we largely ignored, dine at a few new restaurants, and ideally see a Blue Jays game.1That was our original plan for this trip, except I booked all our nonrefundable travel for the wrong weekend. It all worked out.
- 1That was our original plan for this trip, except I booked all our nonrefundable travel for the wrong weekend. It all worked out.