The Toronto List

Toronto is a city that is often underestimated—as a high-rise-filled metropolis that’s a doppelgänger for New York on TV, but cleaner and less exciting… And yet what most people don’t realize is just how massive this city on Lake Ontario really is, and how diverse. As our friend and Toronto-based travel advisor Tyler Dillon puts it, “On the shores of the waters of the Great Lakes and at the cross section of old trail systems, it has always been a gathering place. There are some cities that have such cultural complexity they transcend the country they are in, becoming truly global: New York, Shanghai, London. Toronto is the quiet one among that pack—51 percent of its population was born outside of Canada. Most people here are not ‘from’ here. This brings a unique culture to Toronto, a story that is constantly being written, a place full of many places.” 

This means the city’s neighborhood map looks like a multicultural mosaic: Chinatown, Little India, Little Portugal, Greektown, Little Tokyo, Little Tibet… and those are just the obvious ones. From the historic Victorian homes of charming Cabbagetown to the vintage shops and chic restaurants of ultra-hip Dundas West, Toronto is so many things to so many different people that it can be hard to categorize, but that eclectic mix is exactly what makes this hospitable city so cool. Whether our contributors grew up in Toronto or made it their adopted home, they remain just as proud to be living in The Six.

TOMMY SMYTHE – interior designer and founding partner at TOM Design Collective

“I was born and raised in Toronto and lived in London in my early 20s. Now my partner, interior design photographer Patrick Biller, and I live in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood and in the West Village in New York. Cabbagetown is diverse in all ways. It’s a beautifully preserved Victorian neighbourhood—think Georgetown in DC, or The West Village in NYC. What makes it especially unusual is that there are homes here of all sizes, from little workers’ cottages to seven-bedroom mansions, and we have several governmentally subsidized housing clusters mixed in. This means people from every walk of life live together here. I always say when I go to the liquor store and I’m in the queue, behind me is an heiress and in front of me is someone who lives in subsidized housing and there I am right in the middle. I love that. 

Toronto itself has gone through many changes since I was born here in the 1970s, but what stays the same is the diversity. Every city has a Chinatown… we have two. Plus a Little Italy, Greektown, Little India, Little Portugal and more. The world of culture is only a streetcar ride away from anyone’s front door. Our festivals are world renowned and we have them for music, film, food, comedy and theatre. This isn’t a place to just come and shop and see a show, it’s an immersive, eclectic, moving experience. I’ve been tempted to leave many times, but Toronto is always going to be my home base. A place that’s grounded in community, culture and commerce. All of its diverse strengths are what ground me.”

STAYS

Ace Hotel – Designed by the brilliant firm of Shim Sutcliffe, the Ace is Toronto’s best boutique bet. Great bar on the ground level, even greater bar on the roof, with views of the city skyline and cool vintage furniture. The rooms are clever and comfy and the staff is top of their game. If you want to be close to sports, theatre, and attractions, but you don’t want a generic or frenzied feel, The Ace is your best bet.

Fairmont Royal York – I’m a firm believer in the old-school hotel guarantee. The rooms may not be cutting-edge, but the service and the roaring twenties glamour of the lobbies and bars win the day every time for me. It’s old and it’s formal and you’ll feel special. The location, across from Union Station, is great for visitors who like to arrive via rail and is right in the centre of it all. The ballet and opera are a short walk away, as are concert venues, the Waterfront, and dozens of excellent restaurants (due to its proximity to the Financial District… the high rollers love a good meal). It’s Toronto’s answer to The Park Plaza, but it’s uniquely ours.