NorthWest Carrollton

So my brother is in town, together with his wife and 2 friends from my little home town in Austria. It is everybody’s first time in North America and their initiation to Toronto. Just to give you ideas of dimensions: Austria has a population of about 9 million and the country extends about 900 km from east to west while the Greater Toronto area nowadays probably has about 4 to 5 million people and Lake Ontario alone is over 300 km long. The first thing my visitors noticed was the difference in size: the size of the city, the size of the lake, the size of cars, the size of supermarkets, and even of refrigerators.

On Sunday we started off with a little driving tour of Toronto where I first took my visitors down to the lakefront by the historic Art Deco style R.C. Harris Filtration Plant. All of them love water and to have a lake as big as an ocean so close by fascinated them. After a leisurely drive on Queen Street through the quaint Beaches neighbourhood we parked the car close to the St. Lawrence Market and started our walk around.

Since my brother is a chef and always loves to purchase market-fresh food, I initially took him to the St. Lawrence Market which always has an antique sale on Sunday. The food market is actually closed on Sunday. We checked out the wares from old furniture to cameras to various knick-knacks.

Our exploration continued westwards along Front Street past historic 19th century houses and of course past the famous triangular-shaped Flatiron Building which has a mural on its west side. Approaching Yonge Street we walked past the Hockey Hall of Fame, a historic Beaux-Arts former bank building, the magnificent Royal York Hotel, built in 1929, once the largest hotel in the British Commonwealth.

One of the things that fascinated my visitors most was how old and new can coexist right next to each other: shiny skyscrapers are located right beside historic sandstone churches. Our walking tour continued past Union Station, Toronto’s impressive central railway station, built between 1914 and 1927 as a joint construction project by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Grand Trunk Railway (now the Canadian National Railway). Its monumental scale, classical detail and rational, ordered planning were hallmarks of the style. The station is massive and takes up an entire block on Front Street between York Street and Bay Street. The Great Hall of the Station is 250 ft. long and 84 ft. wide.

Our walk continued further west on Front Street past the Convention Centre to the base of the CN Tower and the entrance to the Skydome, Toronto’s multi-purpose stadium with a retractable roof, now called the Rogers Centre. We then snaked our way up through the Entertainment District to Queen Street where we admired Osgoode Hall, built in the 1830s, and now an oasis of green in the city. An ornate iron fence, built in 1867, renowned for its peculiar “cow gates,” surrounds the property and its beautiful gardens. The cow gates in particular fascinated my visitors.

Our next stop was at New City Hall and Old City Hall, opened in 1899, which racked up construction costs of more than $2.5 million at the time which caused great controversy in those days. Continuing past the Bay Department Store on Queen we passed the Metropolitan United Church, an English style cathedral dating from 1872, whose churchyard was filled with people enjoying the warm day.

Once back in the car we drove through the U of T campus, my Alma Mater and we stopped briefly to check out Hart House and Kings College. Then we headed down to Chinatown at Spadina and Dundas and my visitors marvelled at this exotic, busy market area. Our last stop on the tour was Kensington Market, a lively little neighbourhood full of food and clothing stores and restaurants where we ended up picking up fresh vegetables, dry beans, and a variety of cheeses for some of the scrumptious meals to come. My brother, the chef, marvelled at the variety of food available here, combined with the inexpensive prices a food lover’s dream.

We took our loot home where my husband was waiting for us with a big brunch to strengthen ourselves for attending a birthday party of one of my friends that had the motto of “let out your inner child”. The party was unique in that it involved such time-honoured Toronto traditions as hitting a piñada while a bunch of adults were playing with water guns, chasing one another around the house with buckets of water dropping on the combatants from the second floor.

I think our visitors had a full day, from getting a first taste of Toronto, to participating in a rather eventful birthday party, their first impressions were very positive and they were looking forward to exploring more of this exciting city.

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the USA. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles north of the Mexican border and 400 miles south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels, but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.

Los Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500 meter high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains define its northern limit and the Santa Anna Mountains define the southern.

Los Angeles has four major airports Los Angeles International, Burbank Glendale Airport, John Wayne Airport and Ontario International Airport. In addition, the Orange County Airport is less than one hour from the city and San Diego Airport is within a two hour drive.

Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain and all the local hills plus the sides of the mountain ranges and into all of the connecting valleys. The city now covers over 1000 square miles in dozens of interconnected communities. High rise buildings only exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low rooftops with palm trees towering above.

Along the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high class residential beach communities.

Hollywood is the historic home of the old movie studios and Beverly Hills is still the home of the movie stars. Here you can drive along the western terminus of historic route 66 on Santa Monica Boulevard. You can stroll along famous Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. In nearby Burbank, you can visit many modern movie and television studios. In Anaheim, you can see the original Disney Land and Knotts Berry Farm.

Downtown is certainly a commercial district, but it is no more the urban centre of the city than many other neighbourhoods. Near the downtown area are ethnic neighbourhoods with large Asian populations called, Korea Town, China Town and Japan Town.

Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a distinct urban centre. It is a collection of individual communities tied together by a complex network of roads and freeways. Each community offers a uniquely different character. Together, they make up this huge metropolitan complex called Los Angeles.

Toronto is the countries largest metropolis. It sprawls along the northern shore of Lake Ontario, its vibrant, appealing centre encased by a jangle of satellite townships and industrial zones that cover as Greater Toronto no less than 100 square kilometres.

The City of Toronto encompasses a geographical area formerly administered by six separate municipalities. These municipalities have each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Throughout the city there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres. Former Municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, North York, Old Toronto, Scarborough, and York.

Torontos stylish and hip city centre is full of cosmopolitan excitement. Experience gourmet food in fine establishments, ethnic cuisine in authentic restaurants, or any number of other options available to the discerning diner. Zip to the top of the worlds tallest building and free standing structure, the CN Tower, or walk down Yonge Street and discover cafes, clothing boutiques and little shops. Visit a spa in the midst of the city and emerge rejuvenated and refreshed.

When night descends on Toronto, the streets come alive with dining, theatre, dancing and revelry. Experience world class theatre, first rate Broadway shows and action packed professional sports teams, such as the National Hockey Leagues Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Associations Toronto Raptors and the Canadian Football Leagues Toronto Argonauts. The shopping is renowned designer stores line Torontos fashionable districts, such as Yorkville, while unique boutiques are just a few blocks away try Kensington Market or Queen Street West. Diverse cultures make up Toronto, resulting in a vibrant international atmosphere.

Summer is the time to celebrate and Toronto is definitely the city to do it in. You can celebrate your lifestyle, your culture or even your favourite four legged friend, whether you love theatre or dance, films, or music theres a Toronto festival to celebrate who you are and what you love this summer.

Torontos climate is moderate for Canada due to its southerly location within the country and its proximity to Lake Ontario. It has a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and generally cold winters, although fairly mild by Canadian and many northern continental US standards. The city experiences four distinct seasons with considerable variance in day to day temperature, particularly during the colder weather season. Due to urbanization and other factors Toronto has a fairly low diurnal temperature range, at least in built up city and lakeshore areas. At different times of the year, the proximity to Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes has various localized and regional impacts on the climate, including lake effect snow.

Cincinnati is a city in south western Ohio, in the United States of America, that lies on the Ohio River.

The city enjoys a rich cultural history, particularly in choral and orchestral music, dating from German settlement in the nineteenth century. Once the nations pork capital and the countries largest city, Cincinnati today is home to several leading national corporations.

Despite its size, the cliche of big city small town feel is a reality here. The downtown neighbourhood is compact and with little effort you can reach even on foot lovely hills overlooking downtown and the Ohio River. Since Cincinnati is by a river, we have hills and water and banks and all sorts of pretty, picturesque places.

The Childrens Theatre of Cinncinnatis rich history began over 80 years ago. Cincinnatis two Art Deco masterpieces were erected just at the end of the booming 1920s and the beginning of the Depression. The Art Museum is one of the countries oldest visual arts institutions and the first general art museum west of the Alleghenies to be established in its own building. Built in 1878 this Cincinnati showpiece has been renovated and updated and includes what is judged to be among the best and most beautiful concert theatres in the world.

Eden Park was assembled by a series of purchases beginning in 1859. The name came, naturally, from the Garden of Eden and was given by Nicholas Long worth who owned a large tract which constitutes the main portion of the park.

The nightlife is speckled with trendy, be seen places and quaint neighbourhood bars. Local music is hot, too, and is featured at many bars and restaurants. Cincinnati sits in a unique culinary band. The gamut with simple meat and potatoes, spaghetti esque chili and goetta for breakfast is a favourite.

Cincinnati could boast of a diversified economy that made it relatively recession proof compared with other Midwestern cities dependent on motor vehicle and heavy machinery manufacturing. The city prospered as the headquarters of Procter and Gamble.

Expect snow often during the winter months. Spring is rainy season with an average rainfall of 40 inches, bringing summer flowers into bloom. Summer heat hits the low 80s but it feels hotter as humidity is high. Fall is the best season with warm temperatures and little rainfall.

The riverfront is being revitalized under The Banks project. The city is undergoing significant changes due to an influx of new development and private investment as well as the beginning of the often stalled The Banks project.