Gay Neighbourhood

Church & Wellesley: The heart of the city's main gay village in downtown Toronto. (Subway: Wellesley or College)
The Danforth: A trendy area with lots of gay and lesbian residents as well as gay-owned businesses. (Subway: Broadview, Chester or Pape)
College Street: Little Italy around Clinton has a decided gay/artsy flair. (Streetcar: College)
Leslieville: Gay boys and girls in search of affordable homes and starving artists being, well, starving artists are transforming this gritty neighbourhood with great restaurants and quirky shops. (Streetcar: Queen east)
Queen West: Home to a vibrant arts, fashion and culture scene, "Queer West" (as it's affectionately called) is another neighbourhood attracting a younger gay/straight bohemian crowd. (Streetcar: Queen west)

Events

Inside Out: Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival - late May
Pride Toronto - late June
Dyke March - late June
Canada Cup - early July
Halloween on Church Street - late October

Best Known For

Celebration of diversity
Ethnic neighbourhoods
Great food and restaurants

Three Must Dos

Ride the Queen streetcar from one end of the line to the other.
Stroll up and down Church Street on a weekend afternoon with a coffee.
Take the ferry to "the island" and check out Hanlan's Point.

More Local Info

Gay Guide Toronto is a decent guide primarily for gay boys to events and nightlife in the city but is oriented primarily to locals.
LSBN Toronto is the lesbian equivalent, again primarily for locals.
Tourism Toronto has introductory gay and lesbian information along with general tourism stuff.

Tips

The Toronto CityPASS is an excellent value as it gives you admission to five of the city's favouite attractions including the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Toronto was laid out on a fairly standard grid with Yonge Street running northward dividing the city between "east" and "west" addresses. For example "Queen Street East" is east of Yonge and "Queen Street West" is (yes, you guessed it) west.

What else do you want to know about Toronto?

How To Get There

Almost all flights arrive at Toronto Pearson International (airport code YYZ). Air Canada and Star Alliance flights arrive at Terminal 1 while all other carriers arrive at Terminal 3. (Terminal 2 is no longer used.)

If you're going to spend most of your time in central Toronto, you don't need to rent a car. Taxi and limo ranks are just outside the arrivals area at each terminal and a flat rate for a trip into downtown Toronto will be approximately $50 for a taxi and a few dollars more for a limo. The Airport Express bus offers shuttle service between the airport and downtown hotels for a one-way fare of around $17. The least expensive ($2.75) but most time-consuming option (about an hour in good traffic) is the TTC (the local transit system).

Porter, a short-haul airline, operates from the conveniently located Toronto City Centre Airport (also called the Island Airport, airport code YTZ). Air Canada Jazz is now available from the Island Airport. A taxi to downtown hotels will cost about $15 or you can take the free shuttle to Union Station where you can connect to the TTC.

VIA and Amtrak trains arrive at Union Station in downtown Toronto where you can connect to the subway and GO Transit, the suburban commuter rail service. Union Sation is connected to the PATH system of underground walkways connecting most of the downtown core.

Where To Stay

Nestled on a quiet street, just a couple of blocks from the heart of the Church/Wellesley Village, Banting House has seven unique guest rooms and includes a hot, homemade-to- order breakfast. (73 Homewood, Subway: Wellesley)

Located in the Village, this full service hotel offers free wireless internet, Starbucks® coffees, lap pool, fitness, restaurants, valet parking and more! 475 Yonge Street Reservations: 1-800-847-5075

You deserve the luxurious décor, elegant service and exquisite menu The Old Mill Inn & Spa boutique Hotel provides. With 57 unique beautifully appointed rooms & suites it¹s truly an elegant, luxury getaway retreat.

This moderate hotel is just a short walk from Church Street and the subway. Rooms are good sized and well appointed but you might want to avoid the noisier rooms facing Jarvis. The hotel has a long tradition of hosting many of the city's leather events. (300 Jarvis, Subway: College)

Experience our hotel on your next visit to Toronto. This upscale location offers guests a unique retreat around the corner from "The Village", steps away from Yonge and Bloor subway lines, world-class shopping, dining and entertainment. (90 Bloor St. E, Subway: Bloor/Yonge)

Where To Eat

Toronto is renowned for its wide array of dining options. You'll find that you will be in good company at almost any eatery on Church Street between Carlton and Isabella. Similarily, there are plenty of exciting options on Queen Street (West anywhere from University to beyond Bathurst, or East between Broadview and Greenwood). Then there's the Danforth (home to the Summer Food Festival of the Danforth) with plenty of restaurants where gay boys and girls happily mix with straight folk. The cafe at Holt Renfrew is pricey but is fun for watching "Ladies Who Lunch" and the Wannabe sales staff who serve them. Here are some recommendations (both on and off of Church Street) that are worth checking out because of the food, the crowd, or the experience.

Where To Meet Locals

There are plenty of bars and clubs to choose from, but there are also weekly or monthly events, like Big Primpin' and Eva Christina Presents, throughout the month. Check out Buddies after hours at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Fridays and Saturdays) for a crowd that skews young and queer and out to party.

The women's social scene has an array of regular parties and events that litter the calendar each month. Bush Party at The Beaver (every Sunday night) and synchro at Andy Pool Hall (every Friday except the first Friday of the month) are just a couple of examples. Check out Buddies after hours at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Fridays and Saturdays) for a crowd that skews young and queer and out to party.

"Cruising"

Things To Do

Romantic cruises on Lake Scugog. Lunch, dinner, private, Weddings 119 Queen Street, Port Perry, ON L9L 1B8 905-982-1106

Explore Toronto with us on our fun and unique sightseeing bicycle tours! We'll go on and off the beaten path to visit the most popular landmarks and tourist spots as well as hidden neighbourhoods, parks, and locales. Our rides are leisurely and safe, with plenty of stops, stories and conversation. 416-477-2184

Aside from being the most noticeable feature in the Toronto skyline, the CN Tower is worth a trip to the top just so you can stand on the glass floor on the observation deck and see the city below your feet.

One of the biggest queer festivals in the world, Pride Toronto culminates in two parades - the Dyke March on the Saturday and the main event on the Sunday, both of which attract huge, friendly crowds and a street fair that takes over the Church Street Village.

Even though they never seem to do well as they hope, the city fanatically supports its sports teams, many of which have special gay events - baseball's Blue Jays, hockey's Maple Leafs, basketball's Raptors, Canadian football's Argonauts and the new soccer team, Toronto FC. For something different, check out the Rock, Toronto's professional lacrosse team.

Located on one of the islands in Toronto Harbour, Hanlan's Point has long been a favourite sun spot for gay men. A few years ago the city acknowledged it as clothing-optional, making it one of the few offical nude beaches in North America.

The Carnival tradition of the Caribbean finds a joyous home in Toronto each August. The Caribana festival features a massive parade of mas bands, wildly creative costumes and irresistible rhythms that will get you dancing in the streets.

Catch a performance in the brand new, acoustically brilliant home of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. The Four Seasons is sleekly modern and the glass encased lobby connects the street and the theatre. Arrive early, get yourself a cocktail and watch the crowds arrive.

Glad Day Bookshop has the widest selection of queer reading in the city while the Toronto Women's Bookstore is strongest with lesbian and feminist titles. Aside from Church Street shops like Out on the Street, there are plenty of gay and lesbian owned shops along Queen East and the Danforth.

Toronto has both the great and the quirky. The Royal Ontario Museum is worth a visit if only to see the new Crystal addition designed by Daniel Libeskind whilethe Frank Gehry-inspired facelift at the Art Gallery of Ontario has garnered raves and makes it a treat to enjoy the AGO's collection. Check out the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Bata Shoe Museum the McMichael collection of Canadian art or the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art.

For both off-the-rack and custom leathers, visit Northbound Leather. Priape has a large shop with a broad selection of books, magazines, DVDs, leather and toys.

Head to Bloor Street for high end shopping but for the quirky and wonderful stop by Kensington Market, next door to one of Toronto's three Chinatowns. The St Lawrence Market (particularly the building on the north side of Front) has great farm fresh goods. And drop into the LCBO for the best of both local and international wines and spirits.

Two of North American's best summer theatre festivals are just a day trip away from Toronto. The Shaw Festival in beautiful Niagara on the Lake features plays written or taking place during the lifetime of the festival's namesake. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival takes a broad approach to the Bard including both his plays as well as other classics - ancient and modern.