Toronto Top Ten Attractions

When you are asked to compile a list of the top ten attractions in a vibrant city of almost five million souls, you come up with a result that is subject to debate as there are a lot more than ten attractions in a city of this size.

Most noteworthy of the places in Toronto omitted from the list, is one of my favourite places in the city: The Toronto Island Park. I intentionally left it out because if you visit the CN Tower - the "must see" attraction of Toronto - you will see the islands and most likely be compelled to pay them a visit.

Whether or not you agree with my choices, here they are as follow, in no particular order. But I've given the reasons why I think these places qualify and I hope that you'll take the time to give them a look.


1 - The CN Tower (Canadian National)

The most obvious attraction in the city is the CN Tower. It soars above the city to a height of 1,815 feet (553 meters) and was recently nominated as one of the seven wonder of the modern world. It is currently the world's tallest free standing structure.

The city's most recognizable landmark features a glass-floored observation deck, a revolving restaurant, and a Simulator theater. On a clear day New York State across Lake Ontario and the spray from Niagara Falls - 140 kilometers distant - can be seen. The tower attracts nearly 1,000,000 visitors a year.



2 - The Eaton Center

Is a galleria mall featuring 320 shops and restaurants, 17 cinemas and a 400 room Marriott Hotel located in the heart of downtown Toronto. The mall boasts sales of $746 per square foot of retail space - the highest in North America - and was one of the first major "downtown" shopping malls on the continent. The Eaton Center is the number one tourist attraction in Toronto with more than 1,000,000 visitors a week.



3 - The Bloor/Yorkville Area

As the most exclusive district in Toronto, this is the place to go for "stargazing". The luxury hotels in the area house visiting movie stars who are in town making feature films. Toronto is considered Hollywood North; the hit musical "Chicago" was filmed entirely in Toronto. International retailers on Bloor Street and Yorkville Avenue offer high-fashion designs, eclectic boutiques, art galleries, fine crystal and china shops, as well as world-class dining.



4 - Ethnic and Unique Shopping Areas

As the world's most ethnically diverse city, Toronto offers many distinct districts and markets providing a unique range of shopping and dining experiences. These vibrant areas include the trendy, youth-oriented Queen Street West area; the European styled Kensington Market; five Chinatowns; the Gerrard Street India Bazaar; Greek Town; Little India; Little Korea; and Little Portugal - to name but a few.





5 - Harbourfront

Toronto's Harbourfront is one of North America's largest recreational waterfronts. It is the scenic backdrop for many of the city's attractions including Ontario Place; the CN Tower; The Roger's Center; and the Air Canada Center. It is also the setting for many of Toronto's major events such as the Caribana Festival; Scotiabank's Nuit Blanche; the Toronto International Film Festival; the Canadian National Exhibition and Winter City.




6 - The Toronto Zoo

Situated on 710 acres of land, the zoo is the third larges in the world. It has more than 10 kilometers on trails through displays of more than 5000 animals separated by geographic regions. The walking trails are opened for cross-country skiing in the winter. The newly opened Savanna Exhibit features a 32 acre East African hiking experience.





7 - The St. Lawrence Market

Located in the heart of the Old Toronto neighbourhood at Jarvis and Front Streets, the market is rated by Food and Wine Magazine as one of the 25 best food markets in the world. The south market building houses more than 50 gourmet food vendors and more than a dozen lunch counters. The upstairs gallery has archival art and photographs from the city's collection. The north market is home to the 200 year old Saturday Farmer's Market and the Sunday Antique Market.




8 - The Canadian National Exhibition

An annual event for the past 120 years, the permanent buildings occupy 350 acres of land on Toronto's waterfront. The exhibition runs from mid August until Labour Day in September. The "EX" attracts more than 2,000,000 visitors over 18 days. It is the largest annual exhibition of its kind in the world.







9 - The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)

Canada's largest museum and considered one of the top ten museums in the world. It boasts the largest collection of Chinese artifacts outside of Beijing or Taiwan. It is located adjacent to the trendy, star-studded Bloor/Yorkville area. It is architecturally unique built during the depression era of the 1920's and recently renovated and expanded with the fusion of modern crystal/glass.



10 - The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)

Canada's oldest Art Gallery houses more than 15,000 works of art and attracts more than 800,000 visitors a year. It has the world's largest collection of sculptures by Sir Henry Moore and has recently undergone a massive expansion designed by the world-famous Toronto architect Frank Geary, best known as the designer of the Bilbao Museum.


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