Top Toronto Attractions

These tips are intended for those travelers in Toronto who would like to see the real Toronto - it's most interesting neighborhoods, and not just it's parts intended for tourists.
To the east of Downtown Yonge area there is a district called Church-Wellesley, better known as the gay village. The history of this area begins from the bars on Church Street, which were chosen by homosexuals Toronto as a place for their meetings. Gradually, the whole area became a place of residence and leisure of gay people. Church Wellesley area also played an important role in their struggle for their rights. Every year the area hosts one the biggest gay parades in the world.
To the west of the Financial District, there is located Entertainment District. This area used to be highly industrial, but in the early 80s was it was transformed into a place with plenty of theaters, nightclubs, concert venues, restaurants and hotels. In particular Entertainment District is home to such important parts of the cultural life of Toronto as Royal Alexandra Theatre, Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall. It's also famous for its night life, with a large number of night clubs and bars in Toronto.

Near the Entertainment District is another interesting area, which is called Liberty Village. It also contains a large number of art galleries and design studios and hosts various cultural events and art exhibitions. Liberty Village is another place highly favored by representatives of the art world.

In the northern part of Downtown Toronto there is an area known as Yorkville, which is considered one of the most expensive and prestigious in Canada. This place contains exclusive boutiques, the most expensive luxury Toronto hotels, luxury spas and high-class restaurants, and art galleries. It's also home to one of the largest museums in North America, Royal Ontario Museum. The University of Toronto is also located in this area.
Along the waterfront of Lake Ontario there is an area called Harbourfront. Initially, it was a port, and the whole area around it was filled with warehouses and industrial buildings. However, after the port was closed, it has become an important cultural center and a large and very expensive residential area. Today, this area contains many high-end condominiums. There are also major concert and sports facilities such as Air Canada Centre and Rogers Centre. It also has one of the most famous and popular tourist attractions in Toronto - CN Tower and a favorite kids' amusement park Ontario Place.

Other interesting places in Toronto include areas called after names of ethnic groups, who in the past represented majority of the population in these areas. A striking example is China Town. The area appeared on the map of Toronto in the late 19th century and is one of the largest Chinatowns in North America. Currently, however, it is losing its original meaning, because the Chinese community of Toronto is actively migrating to the suburbs and settles all over Toronto. The same applies to other ethnic areas, such as Greek Town or Little Italy. At present these areas are not as much residence of these ethnic groups as a cultural phenomenon in the life of the city and a reminder of who helped to shape them.