Without a doubt Toronto is one of the most cosmopolitan cities, and one of our favorite cities to travel to.  Besides being the financial epicenter of Canada, it’s actually one of the most exciting cities to travel to in part because its truly diverse and multi-cultural environment; and architecturally speaking it has many gems, as well as other tourist attractions like CN Tour Tower, the Aquarium, etc.

Since Toronto (or TO for short) is just a quick flight for those of us residing in Chicago, it is a quick trip.   The flight is approximately about 1 hr. 15 min. from Chicago, so it makes it super accessible to those of us who reside in the Windy City–specially if on a weekend getaway.

Porter Airlines, which flies out of Midway International Airport, will take you directly to Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, which is a win-win situation considering that they’re both smaller airports– i.e. less delays in your flight.  And Billy Bishop Airport is literally in downtown Toronto (you land in an island airport, pretty cool if you ask us).

Our weekend getaway began with an early flight, which ensured arriving to Toronto (or the 6ix as our Toronto friends call it), we checked in at the Hyatt Regency Toronto in downtown.  Located on the Theater & Entertainment district, it was the perfect choice to stay relatively close to major attractions, bars, cafes and restaurants.   Since we were super hungry, our local guide and bestie took us to a place named Pearl King — literally two blocks away from our hotel.   It was a dim sum / tapas place, and oh my dear dumpling to say that it was scrumptious would be an understatement. This was not the first time for us visiting Toronto by all means, but it always helps to have a local to refer you to the best kept secrets of a city.   Totally a worthwhile experience.

Our day continued filled of Art, Culture and Architectural sights (of course),  if you follow our personal Instagram accounts you know why.  The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is a total must.  You really need to check it out if you’re visiting Toronto.   It contains a mixture of classic and contemporary artists, and the building itself (a Frank Gehry design) is eye-candy in its own right. 

The Galleria Italia,  a wing of the AGO is jaw-dropping so don’t forget to get a pick me up cup of Joe if you feel tired.

The gigantic wooden beams and glass panels are just some of the details of the wing’s interior.

In the gallery itself there’s a staircase that I will always remember as it’s a masterpiece. Nautilus-like shape made out of wood, it’s simply beautiful, and very three-dimensional from upside down.   #UltimateGhery.  (Trivia: Frank Gehry is a native Torontonian).

 

 

We continued the trip by heading to the waterfront of the city, which for those us who reside in Chicago, there are quite a few similarities between our lake fronts.  I think Toronto has just an ounce more of European flavors, as the local trams for example are reminiscent of cities like Amsterdam and Rome for example.

If you’re looking for a great place to go to over the weekend and you’re within reachable access (or long-haul), Toronto has so many cultural neighborhoods that you would want to stay longer.  Being a city with a large Asian immigration, you will find Toronto has some of the best Asian restaurants, which in our experience they are very legit– even better than  those in Chicago (sorry guys, we love Chitown’s Asian food Venus but the food in the 6ix is more authentic to its roots).