Our day in Toronto started with bad weather, as the weather forecast had predicted. The view out of the window showed low-hanging clouds, rain and wind – not optimal conditions for exploring the city. We spontaneously changed our plans and decided to spend the day doing indoor activities.
Distillery District: A piece of history in the heart of Toronto
Despite the pouring rain, we made our way to the city. Our first stop: the Distillery District. This former industrial area was built in 1832 and converted into a cultural center by the city in 2001. This was followed by an elaborate restoration of the buildings and the redesign into a pedestrian zone. Since 2003, the car-free district has offered a charming mix of restaurants, music pubs and galleries. In summer, jazz festivals are held here. Particularly worth seeing is the Mill Street Brewery, which brews beer in an old building from 1879. Luckily, it stopped raining, so we could admire the art festival with the many small stalls of artisans. The unique local shops were definitely worth a visit.
St. Lawrence Market: A Culinary Paradise
After our visit to the Distillery District, we went on to the St. Lawrence Market. The market was completely crowded, but the huge range of fresh food, from fish and meat to fruit and vegetables, was impressive. We treated ourselves to a freshly filled bagel – simply delicious! However, it was so crowded that we soon left the market because our son was overwhelmed by the crowds.
Outside, the rain had increased again. We were only able to take a short picture of our next destination, the Gooderham Building, from a distance before we got back into the car because of the heavy rain. Since the weather didn't get any better, we decided to drive to the Toronto Premium Outlets. Unfortunately, these were also very crowded in the weather and the prices were not as good as in the USA.
A sunny next day in downtown Toronto
The next morning the weather looked much better, so we made our way back to downtown Toronto. Our first stop was Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto's smaller but not quite as impressive counterpart to Times Square in New York. We quickly drove on to Nathan Phillips Square, where we found a parking lot directly behind the city hall. Especially on Sundays, there is free parking here until 1:00 p.m.! Our son enjoyed the nearby playground while we marveled at the two town halls – we liked the old town hall with its historic architecture much better than the modern concrete bunker of the new town hall.
Graffiti Alley: Colorful Art and Mixed Impressions
Our last stop was the Graffiti Alley. After a difficult search for a parking space, we decided to simply drive through the street by car. Some of the graffiti was impressive, but many of the writings looked rather scribbled. We didn't feel quite comfortable in the area with a child, but decided to marvel at the colorful works of art from the car.
The CN Tower from afar
Since we had already been to tall buildings in Chicago, we decided not to go to the CN Tower. Instead, we took some photos from a distance – the tower looks almost more impressive when viewed from below.
Despite the rainy start, our stay in Toronto was full of interesting impressions, historic places and delicious treats.
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