Solo Travel with Renee
Toronto has all the bells and whistles of any major city worldwide. In this metropolis of 2.93 million you can equip yourself with the travel tools necessary to conquer any capital solo: using a Metro system, navigating through crowds safely, attending an event or exploring diverse neighbourhoods.
An extended weekend spent here offers unique culinary adventures, high-caliber entertainment and provocative cultural experiences, without money exchanges or language barriers.
The temptation to rush through all the sights and attributes of a notable city when on a short trip only leads to exhaustion and disappointment. I like to visit cities with a theme in mind and plan activities around that theme (see sidebar for ideas).
My cardinal rule is to pick two major activities per day: one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening, leaving plenty of down time in between for window shopping, discovering something new, pausing for a treat or even a quick nap.
When I visit Toronto, I might stake out a distinct neighbourhood like Yorkville, the Danforth, Kensington Market, Harbourfront or the 
Toronto Islands. Alternatively, I’ll arrange my visit around a festival or cultural event, like a Broadway musical.
This past September, I focused on Kensington Market, Baldwin Village and Chinatown, a vibrant stretch along Dundas St. between Spadina and Yonge Streets. Within these borders are a myriad of diverse restaurants and cafes; plenty of shops from funky to upscale; the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Toronto Eaton Centre.
A Sunday at Kensington Market is a riot of colour and activity with street fairs every summer. Vintage and wholesale shops, purveyors of cheeses, fish and fresh produce, eateries and street food are tightly packed together. A few streets west is bustling Chinatown; stop at a Chinese bakery for tea and delightful pastries. Jog back to the AGO, where you can spend an entire day soaking up Canadian art and indulge in one-of-a-kind jewelry, gifts and art books at the stunning Gift Shop.
Continue east along Dundas to hit the Eaton Centre for some retail therapy or dining. Jump on one of Toronto’s iconic eastbound streetcars for the few blocks; fare is $3.75. If you are adventurous, you can pick up a Presto card at any TTC Subway station, load it for the weekend and “ride the rocket” along one of the subway lines. Hop out at any subway stop and spend an hour or two exploring, then shoot back to your original station. Exit the Eaton Centre at Queen Street and turn right, heading west. After a block, you will hit both the Old and New City Hall. Most times of the day you can enjoy a food truck feast on the benches in front of Nathan Phillips 
Square. Just don’t feed the pigeons or you’ll find yourself in a scene from a Hitchcock movie!
Toronto, like any teeming city, can be daunting but with common-sense practices you can enjoy it safely. I walked back to my hotel from the theatre along streets still packed with people around midnight, feeling quite secure. When travelling solo, always follow the advice in earlier blogs posted in At Our Age Travel on April and October 2019 for a worry-free experience.
Toronto is a kaleidoscope of a city, whirling with people and cultures from around the world, pulsing with a unique vibe that places it firmly as the ‘New York of the North’.
Themes for Toronto Travel
1 – Shopping Blast: Yorkdale, the Eaton Centre, the Path (an underground shopping maze connecting downtown office towers), Fairview Mall – all on subway lines https://www.torontopath.com/
2 – Gardens Galore: the Civic Garden Centre, Toronto Botanical Gardens, Allen Gardens, combined with Canada Blooms Garden show
3 –Festival frolics: The Royal Winter Fair in late fall; the Canadian National Exhibition in late summer, Caribana and a plethora of other festivals
4 – Showstoppers: theatrical and musical extravaganzas, combined with a tour of the stunning Toronto Winter Garden https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca
5 –Toronto International Film Festival for some Stargazing and films at the Tiff Bell Lightbox https://www.tiff.net/
6 – Culinary Adventures: sampling street food, fine dining, visiting specialty Food Shops like Eataly Toronto. Go on a food truck trek or quest for the best ice cream in the city
7 – One-of-a-Kind Craft show, combined with a trip to the Gardiner Ceramic Museum https://www.oneofakindshow.com/
8 – Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario, combined with the Bata Shoe museum or the Textile Museum of Canada