Toronto
I remember thinking, as I walked through the airport, "Why am I in another country again?". It had started to sink in, that this was my life. A life of constant goodbyes, of being comfortably uncomfortable. So there I stood, in front of a lady who stands behind glass as she stapled in a work permit to my passport, and I thought, "It worked, that wasn't so hard!" From there, I headed out some glass sliding doors to where my friend Mike was waiting. He hugged me, and welcomed me to my new home.
I remember when my friend Ant came to visit me in Toronto, and how I had no idea what to recommend for him to do. There is a South African guy who hangs out in Kensington Market, and he once said to me, "Give it seven years." I didn't know what he meant, but now I do. Toronto wasn't a particularly great city for doing touristy things in, but it was a great city to live in. I wonder if this is just because of the way I am. You'll notice in my guide to New York City that I haven't been to Times Square, the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty (although I could see it from a hill in Brooklyn once). This is because what people say you 'need to see/do' doesn't interest me. I want to go and have a coffee, and eat good food, and go skateboarding, and see art, and take public transport just to see where I end up. So that's what you'll find here. Stuff that to some is boring, and to others are the tips of a lifetime.
Coffee
Toronto has a great coffee scene, but I'm going to spotlight my three favourite white-refuges (phrase coined by Akin). Pamenar in Kensington Market is a must, a little bit of a wanky-hipster vibe, but that's basically everywhere these days. They do great coffee, and also have a cool beer selection. There's a killer garden area out the back, but my favourite spot is out in the front where it has great people watching. They have a chess board, and there are a few regulars who play, so I'm obviously at home there. Khalik lives near here, so it's often the spot where Brandon and I would meet him for some shit-talk. Also, whoever makes the carrot cake they sell there does a great job. There's a bar-type area, which is great if you're flying solo and don't want to mingle.
The second spot I want to talk about is Capitol Espresso in Parkdale. Again, great coffee and a nice selection of sweet stuff, as well as having a bar for the people who want to go by their lonesome and not take up a whole table with their laptops - you know who you are, and I fucking hate you guys! This is just an all-around good joint. A banana and choc muffin with an espresso is my kind of morning done right.
Somebody once asked me if I miss home. I asked which home they meant. Toronto is definitely one of my homes, and I realise that we don't really miss places, or people, we miss moments. And the moment I miss the most is when Brandon and I go to Jimmy's Coffee on Portland St, sit out front, tell jokes and play with people's dogs. This spot has super friendly staff, and (since it's a chain) super consistent coffee. For me, this deserves a mention mainly because of the small coffee-house vibe, right off the main strip of King St. All of the spots on my coffee list are great date spots, have a social aspect as far as strangers talking to each other, and are comfortable for the lone wolf. I thoroughly recommend all three.
Mexican Food
There's a few spots to get great tacos, but the two that really came through for me were Grand Electric in Parkdale, and La Carnita, which has a bunch of locations. As for burritos, there's not as much going on, but Burrito Boyz and Big Fat Burrito are both worth checking out. I went to a more traditional Mexican joint, up on Dupont (I think), but am waiting for Jess to get back to me with what the name of that spot is.
Jess got back to me and it's called Playa Cabana.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding in general wasn't great here. The places that are nice to roll, are full of skate-stoppers, but they are around Bay and King and Yorkville. Ant and I skated in an old water park called Ontario Place, which was fucking cool. I never actually thought we'd make it past some security guards once we jumped the fence. Although, since there was a rock concert going on in a different part, I think most people just thought that we were part of the crew/entourage.
Weather
It's the same as Chicago: lovely for half of the year, and suicidal the other half.
Veg Food
Two spots that are definitely worth mentioning are Clinton's at Bloor and Christie, which has a killer amount of veg pub-food options, and Bloomer's at Bloor and Ossington, a super lovely cafe (which I think is totally vegan).
Graffiti
There are some fantastic pieces around Kensington Market, as well as the train tracks near Queen and Dufferin. There's a killer bombing of George Chuvalo over there.
Public Transport
This is where Toronto is behind. The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) is beyond a joke. There are a lot of trams (which they call streetcars), which make no sense in a place that snows like Toronto does. There are basically only two subway lines (there are another two that I'm sure most people have never needed to use, and every fare costs the same - no matter where you go. There's a monthly pass, but unlike a city that has its shit together, it only runs from the start to the end of each month. So you have to line up like cattle to get a pass, or miss days and fare opportunities.
Sights
Who-fucking-knows? There's the CN Tower, but I've never been there, and it's just one of those big buildings that every city (that has one) thinks is a big deal. High Park is cool, there's a little "kind-of" zoo there. It's quite nice to walk around and point at the trapped animals they have there. There's the Toronto Island, which is super nice to check out on a summer day. Other random things that are fun to check out: Snakes & Lattes on Bloor (board-game cafe), Glory Hole Donuts in Parkdale, a drag show at Woody's on Church.
Fun Fact: One of the three parts of the Island is way gayer than the other two, but I won't tell you which one.
I love Toronto to death, and I've always had a weird relationship with it. I very much think you should go there if you haven't, and appreciate it if you live there. I know I'll be back and forth for the rest of my days.
I'll always love the 6ix Side.