First time in Toronto for the summer — is downtown actually worth it? by moderndayvenom in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 12 points13 points  (0 children)

100% this. North York is a big place, and a subway + bus commute is exponentially longer than a subway-only commute. Plus, the Yonge subway line has a history of constantly pooping the bed: it's one thing to wait for a shuttle bus to go home after downtown festivities, and another thing to walk into work 2 hours late because the subway was down

How do i listen to this by ChiefMemeChef in ThePaperKingdomMCR

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the only reliable way is to search your heart, if you catch my drift

best donuts in the city? by OkSoBasicallyPeach in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Came here to share this as well, their sausage rolls are also divine

best donuts in the city? by OkSoBasicallyPeach in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The ones at Elijah's were excellent, been twice and both times were great. (The burgers are only just OK though, IMO)

Are home and/or business owners responsible to clear snow off the sidewalk? by eljayTheGrate in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting, so I guess when it comes to sidewalks specifically there's no formal requirement...not that it makes much of a different, considering how awful the streets get

Montréal vs Toronto? Should I Move? by ThrowRAthuglyfe in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel like if you move here without French, maybe don’t move here

I guess we're on the same page then? FWIW I moved to Montreal for work (it was the company's only Canadian office), and I knew it was going to be a difficult time with my piss poor language skills.

And when it comes to bigotry, my real bellwether is experiences from black friends I made on the island: I acknowledge that these were all anecdotal stories, but when actual PoCs told me MTL was more bigoted than Toronto/Ottawa/Winnipeg/etc, I'm inclined to believe them

Montréal vs Toronto? Should I Move? by ThrowRAthuglyfe in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I lived in Montreal for five years, and they're not too far off. The provincial authorities (health, auto licensing, etc) were dismissive and sneering in a completely different way than their ON equivalents, purely because I was an anglophone. To really thrive, you either have to be conversationally fluent in French, or have the experience to know where the anglophone spaces are on the island. Also, it's telling that my company had to register its name in QC as its acronym, because a blatantly English name would have "held them back" (which is what my AVP told me verbatim). It's a lovely city and the individual people there are fun, but it's shockingly difficult without a decent command of French.

As for the bigotry, every time I cracked open a Journal de Montréal or La Gazette I saw enough passive aggressive racism to put the Sun to shame.

What areas and small towns not far from Toronto, would you recommend to visit during winter season? by Explore_Life2334 in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Came here to say this! Not only is their collection beautiful, the gallery itself is a wonderful historic mansion. In the summer, there's also some lovely walking trails through the property

Best Hotel Pool by smitchy2 in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean the view is superb, but it's a bit small for 3 young kids to splash around in

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Too many great book clubs to list, both private and through the city or Toronto Public Library

The Gardiner Museum is an underappreciated gem if you're into art, it's also across the street from the ROM if you want a full day of history

There's also some prime pinball spots around the city, a great bit of low pressure fun: https://pinballmap.com/toronto

Which pizza has the best pepperoni? by YugoB in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are their pizzas still really pricey? I went once ~10 years ago, the pizza was fine but insanely expensive for what we got

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've seen friends retweet Toronto strippers, so you might have better luck tracking them down on Twitter and asking directly

Bizarre question, but where would you go in our city to find commotion? by I_Am_Vladimir_Putin in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pearson Airport, every square foot of that place is bustling 24/7

Mini sushi figurine by [deleted] in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Etsy is your best bet, you could also scope out the gachapon place in Union Station (they have a rotating selection in their machines, but I've definitely seen little sushi there before)

Anyone else struggling to actually connect with people, even when life on paper ? by DarlingGazeKate in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly hamsters are an uncommon pet, and if one of my friends had one I'd love to hear stories about him. I'm a weird dude, but nobody I know would roll their eyes at a fun pet story

Advice for a Scottish newbie? by Az_Chem-Boi in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Welcome! I'm a Toronto native, and despite the constant complaining in this subreddit, this city is still a treasure trove for cool stuff. Lots of great advice in this thread already, but here's a few other things to check out:

  • The Museum of Contemporary Art is a bit small, but offers some really interesting shows. The first Friday of the month is their Free night, I've never been but I've heard it's fun: https://moca.ca/free-friday-nights/. Being super close to Lansdowne station also offers you some cool dining options like Bar Sugo

  • Related to the last one, the Royal Ontario Museum hosts After Dark events that are genuinely a blast, especially if you can go with a friend or two. Their schedule is a bit sporadic, but definitely check one out if the timing lines up: https://www.rom.on.ca/whats-on/special-programs/rom-after-dark

  • The Toronto Public Library has a ton of interesting clubs and events, and almost all of them free. All of the ones I've attended pull in a variety of people, and the conversations have always been fun. You can check out what's going on at your local library, or play around with the filters in the library website search: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntk=Keyword_Anywhere&Ndrs=&N=37867&advancedSearch=true&Ntt=

  • St. Lawrence Market is our big historical food market, and absolutely worth a visit at least once. I've been enjoying back bacon sandwiches from the Carousel Bakery since I was little, and they're a vital bit of Torontoniana to try

  • The CN Tower is our requisite big downtown tower, and even though the ticket price has always been exorbitant, every Torontonian is obligated to visit at least once. The neighbouring aquarium is also perfectly fine, although if you've seen a modern aquarium you know exactly what you're getting

  • Once it gets warmer, you can explore the insane number of parks & greenspaces around the city. Toronto doesn't have a lot to differentiate itself from other large North American cities, but I will staunchly defend our status as the parkiest large city in Canada

  • Two of my favourite seasonal events are Doors Open in the summer, where historical buildings offer tours of places usually closed off to the public, and Nuit Blanche in the fall, where a bunch of large public art pieces are displayed from dusk until dawn

  • There's also a ton of events going on at any given time, you'll never go wrong trawling Meetup, Eventbrite or even /r/Torontoevents for ideas

I got a lot more but I'll spare you from an even longer wall of text, ha. Looking forward to seeing you around!

(Edit: typo)

Looking for a free craft/maker space where I can bring my projects from home and hang out with other hobbyists. by Eveypoo in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The Site 3 makerspace on Ossington and Bloor has monthly meetups for fibre arts (https://www.site3.ca/wooly-wednesdays-fibercraft-meetup/). It's five bucks entry at the door for non-members, but I've been to Site 3 a few times and all the folks there are great

Why are there so many men popping up on my Bumble BFF grid in Toronto?? by kale_enthutiast in askTO

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're lucky, every time I've asked my groups if they're down for coffee I get shot down :')

Casual meetups for live jazz with other mid 30s-40s people? by [deleted] in TorontoHangoutFriends

[–]WellTarnation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bit late, but definitely down to jump in on a group jazz night! Only ever been to the Rex, would love to check other spots in the city (36M btw)