Bored in Toronto? BLASPHEMY.

When I thought about where I wanted to be in the world, as a wide-eyed teenager in Pakistan, I can promise you all that Toronto was not at the tip of my tongue. Even if you ask me now my eyes will glaze over and I shall whisper Tokyo as my most sacred of destinations. However let us not misjudge this great city! Toronto is one of the best cities in the world to live in. (Here are a few surveys to check. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_most_livable_cities)

Pretty distinctive skyline

Lets talk about Toronto!

All those neighbourhoods  you don't know the name of

Here is a beginners list of things you absolutely need to see/visit/do in Toronto!

Since Toronto hosts quite literally every nationality in the world take advantage of all the diverse food options. You can get everything from Somalian cuisine to Peking Duck. A romp through Greektown, Koreatown, Chinatown, Little India, Little Italy or a simple walk down Yonge street from College to Queen or Lawrence to Eglinton will send you past dozens of restaurants which will call to your tummy. 

Condescending Wonka = BEST. MEME. EVER.

By active night life I am referring to 'd club scene'. There are many MANY options if music and hip jiggling is your fancy. A lot of events are hosted by our very own SCSU. The Entertainment District downtown is the place to be most weekends. I saw David Guetta (before he was mainstream) at Circa  and I can assure you live DJ > auto-tuned 'music'. Warning, though, clubs are full of greasy men trying to take advantage of the claustrophobic crowds, so go with a group. Safety in numbers! Karaoke bars are open really late and are an amazing way to steer clear of crowds.

When I talk about the safety factor I am of course comparing it to my hometown of Karachi, where I was not allowed to walk down the street to a grocery store for valid fears of being held up. I have walked around Dundas Square at 3am with 2 female friends without a care. Bearing in mind that's a well lit and patrolled area. Queen and Spadina in the same time frame ... not a good idea.

Now I am  from a coastal town so I feel the need to see water. Hot sand on my feet and cold water to splash about in are those irreplaceable simple pleasures to me. There is the Beaches territory and the Scarborough Bluffs for those warm weather adventures.

This sculpture at the Harbourfront is fun to down on.

Let's not forget the Harbourfront which has a skating rink in the winter and the Power Plant (free contemporary art gallery) to wander through plus random events all year round. It is also the No.1 romantic walk destination. http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/winter/index.cfm#festival

For all those art geeks (hello my people) there is the Distillery District. Walk through specialty shops, art galleries and cafes. This renovated distillery plays home to our snooty hearts' desires. http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Sculpture is not for the weak. 

Do not forget all the festivals and cultural events! (I wonder if Boxing day counts..) TIFF, TAAFI, Cirque du Soleil, Nuit Blanche, Anime North, Comic Con and all the concerts. I recently went to a death metal concert and I gotta say the crowd was very well behaved, for death metal. Gotta love Canada. Got no money? Who cares, TIFF and IIFA (International Indian Film Festival) are great for celebrity watching. Sometimes bands do free concerts. METRIC did a couple years ago and every Canada Day and New Years there are special performances in every district of Toronto.

For all the classical music lovers and opera nerds (you are also my people), the Canadian Opera Company has a deal. Anyone under 30 qualifies for super subsidized tickets of $22 - $30 which is an amazing deal. For music students the Canadian Opera Company has an ongoing free concert series.

Saw this live. Visual and audio pleasure overload

This is really just a taste of what Toronto has to offer..

So how is anyone ever bored in this town?

I don't really know, I find it challenging.

Got any suggestions? COMMENT!

Beau Séjour

Zarish

Random note of the day:

While doing research for this blog I found THIS!!

http://awesometo.org/how-it-works/

Basically its a blog which sponsors people to be awesome! It's international too! This is the Toronto chapter.