August 2009,

I was able to travel to Toronto for a conference.  The flights were not bad, customs was a breeze.  We had heard that Canadian customs was a bear but we must have lucked out because it was not tough at all.  Once we arrived at the airport the we had arranged for a car service which we had heard was actually cheaper than a cab and it worked out great.  We found our driver and headed downtown.  We stayed within walking distance of the convention center and the downtown area is easily walkable.  The weather was perfect in August so we walked everywhere.

If you are staying in the downtown area there are some great restaurants and areas to check out when you have a spare moment. The Theatre District along King Street provided a variety of local restaurants and nightlife.  I was not a difficult walk from the center of downtown.  There is a lot of foot traffic in Toronto and there is a subway system that I never once checked out…didn’t need to.

One place near the convention center that I liked was the Loose Moose Tap & Grill.  Good food and good beer and it was reasonably priced…good atmosphere as well.  Toronto is a pretty low-key place.  Not as faced paced as an American city of its size that is for sure.  I would also recommend checking out the Steam Whistle Brewery, they only make one type of beer but it is pretty good and the brewery is an interesting place…they claim to be the most environmentally friendly brewery in North America.

If I am in a location with a Major League Baseball team and they happen to be in town, I tend to skip things and catch a game.  Toronto was no exception to that rule.  I was able to get good seats at the Rogers Centre for a game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox.  While the Rogers Centre is not my favorite stadium it was decent to watch a game there.  The concessions were expensive!  A beer was $9…that is a little high for me, but what do you do?

If you have been to Toronto and have something to add please post it in the comments!