Most people, when visiting Toronto, would wonder what the “Toronto Experience” would include. Oftentimes it would include things like visiting the CN Tower, Skydome (aka Rogers Centre), Royal Ontario Museum or Casa Loma (among the few tourist attractions in the city)
Some would argue that it would include a visit to the various neighbourhoods that abound in the downtown core, like Kensington, Queen West, Parkdale, The Annex, Riverdale, etc.
While there probably isn’t any one particular thing that would constitute the “Toronto Experience”, I would say that one thing that could be included is a ride on the Toronto Streetcar system. Yes, it may be the bane of existence for many locals what with the tardiness of many vehicles or the fact that one could wait 10 minutes w/o seeing a streetcar and then see 3 in a row. Whatever your qualms with the streetcar system it can still be a fun experience, particularly for one who has never ridden one before.
Yes it gets more packed than a sardine can. And yes, it can get undeniably uncomfortable on the hot smoggy days. But it can still be a fun ride if you let it be.
Below is a video that I took while riding the 510 going north on Spadina. It’s just interesting to see how the neighbourhoods change in the span of a couple of stops. It’s definitely something I have taken more notice of, now that I’ve been walking and taking public transit more since my bicycle accident.
Enjoy.
I love the streetcar. One winter day it was starting to snow, freezing cold, and I was not really appropriately dressed. I got on the car at Queen intending to ride it to King and stay on as it swung back north to Spadina Station. At King the car got de-serviced, but the nice TTC supervisor let me stay on because I was going all the way to the station (as was the car). I got a ‘chariot’ all to myself for $3. Love it! Can’t wait to get back in September. :)
Hey Keirsten,
Thanks for stopping by my site :)
Sounds like you received the royal treatment getting a chariot all to yourself. That’s pretty awesome that the TTC driver did that for you. It’s a shame that we don’t hear more stories like this about TTC workers. Nice stories that paint them in a good light. All-to-often we hear the negative side. They’re not all bad.
It must have been fun having a streetcar all to yourself and all for the price of $3. A steal of a deal really.
I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting back to the grind in September :)