Stuff to do in Toronto

[ADbassman]

Apparently I'm going to Toronto over the 4th of July weekend. I realize the irony of spending my country's birthday in another country, but I'll make up for it the other 363 days or so I'm in the USA. Guess I'll have to brush up on my Canadian too.

Anyway, whats sorts of cool and hip things are the youth doing in Toronto nowadays?

[GeneralElectric]

Some fun things to do in Canada:

[CrispyDelicious]

Buy me beer.


No seriously though, it depends on what you're into. What kind of music do you like? You a pub or club type? Etc Etc, and so forth. There tons to do here, so give us some insight Regardless, there's live music everywhere, 7 days a week, so it would be a good idea to check out the listings beforehand.

Check www.nowtoronto.com for live music listings.

I would highly recommend The Rex, the most excellent jazz joint in town (well, my favorite) www.therex.ca

Anything else you're curious about, let me know.

[geeza]

1) Chug maple syrup
2) Hockey Hall of Fame (unless you're a hoser and don't like hockey)
3) Eat at Alex Lifeson's restaurant
4) Eat some poutine.
5) Smoke cuban cigars
6) CN tower
7) Chase moose and beaver down Younge St.
8) Coffee and donuts a Tim Horton's.

[hover]

they still do that cool Bohemian type street market in the Spadina Ave. area? Also, is that huge anything-goes store still around? The one with the dude's huge head on the front of it? Hang at the Rivoli (still around???), and shoot across town and up the CN tower (I almost lost my mind going up that outside elevator...the cute girl giving the history tour on the ride up kept ribbing me because I wouldn't look "out", hahahaha)...I had some fun tours up in that area, long time back..what was that club..Shakey Jakes or something like that? Then of course playing the El Mocambo, fun stuff, crappy house gear...I'm showing my age here...haven't been up that way since before my Daughter was born...(my Wife was preggers last time I toured up there, hahahaha)

[CrispyDelicious]

Okay hover, lemme see here:

The cool bohemian type street market you're thinking of is Kensington Market. Yes, it's still there, still bohemian, still awesome, and still filled with hippies :P

The huge anything goes store with the dude's head...?? Not sure about that one. Maybe youre tinking of Honest Ed's? Though it doesn't have a head that I know of.

The Rivoli is still kicking - lots of good shows there.

CN tower is pretty neat.

Shakey Jakes? LOL I think you mean Sneaky Dee's. Its always putting on killer shows. Awesome place, especially for punk, rock, metal, anything with edge to it.

El Mocabo, I have a friend who does sound there. Awesome place, too.

Sounds like you're due for another visit!

[Mark Wilson]

Shakey Jakes - HAHAHA I love it!!

If you're into Jazz, check out the Rex!

Also, be SURE to drop by Club Bass. It's in Etobicoke (West of Toronto) but you'll play some KILLER basses!! www.clubbass.ca

[hover]

Yeh, Sneaky Dee's, sorry friends to the North, I just remember that club bein cool... and yeah, Honest Ed's, I coulda sworn it had a huge pic of the guys head on it, but yeah...that's it. I remember walkin in one door and out the other a full block away it was that huge.

Yeah, I need to go back up, it was def awesome.

Memory a little fuzzy...

[CrispyDelicious]

LOL Honest Ed's. I've lived in Toronto 7.5 years, and not once been in Honest Ed's. I've heard it's mentally and visually draining inside. Hell, the OUTSIDE is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies.

[hover]

Yeah, I do remember Ed's being overwhelming, like a dollar-store explosion, or a flea market of all new cheap stuff, just ginormous...

Maybe I brain farted on that club name because my son's name is Jake....hahaha. I dunno, still funny. Anyway, yeah, I remember kensington market as being completely awesome, and was my first introduction to "jamaican patties" too, lotsa cool stuff and great grub.

Meh-more-eees.

[CrispyDelicious]

Now you have me GASing for a trip to Kensington. And for beef patties.

[mrpackerguy]

As far as the language barrier, I can offer these few tips:

Aboot = about
bean = been
mum = mom

I figured those interpretations out from Corner Gas. Have fun - I love visiting our neighbors to the nort!

[geeza]

Originally Posted by mrpackerguy

Have fun - I love visiting our neighbors to the nort, eh?!

Fixed it for ya.

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by mrpackerguy

As far as the language barrier, I can offer these few tips:

Aboot = about
bean = been
mum = mom

I figured those interpretations out from Corner Gas. Have fun - I love visiting our neighbors to the nort!

Yeeeah. Aaaaahm American. I'm goin' owt schaaapping.

You guys pronounce vowels like you're trying to open your mouths as wide as humanly possible!

Edit: The actual linguistic term for this is "Canadian Raising". We contract our vowels before voiceless consonants (consonants where your vocal cords are not vibrating - such as the 't' in "about").

Here are some samples of Canadian Raising. It's different than the way americans speak, but it's in no way "oot and aboot"!

http://www.gazzaro.it/accents/files/CanRaising.html

http://www.yorku.ca/twainweb/troberts/raising.html

I think the best example is the "lout vs. loud" one. The raising only happens in "lout" because the vowel sound is followed by a voiceless consonant (where the vocal cords do not vibrate), unlike "loud" which ends in a voiced consonant (vocal cords vibrating).

This linguistics lesson has been brought to you by The Crispy Delicious.

[megadan]

Moog Audio!


Seriously, you owe it to yourself to check them out. The one in Montreal is a little cooler, but it's still the Moog store and it's awesome.

About 20 - 30 minutes outside of the city is Canada's largest waterpark. We went there while on tour, and it was awesome. Wet Wild Kingdom or something.

[mrpackerguy]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

Yeeeah. Aaaaahm American. I'm goin' owt schaaapping.

You guys pronounce vowels like you're trying to open your mouths as wide as humanly possible!

Edit: The actual linguistic term for this is "Canadian Raising". We contract our vowels before voiceless consonants (consonants where your vocal cords are not vibrating - such as the 't' in "about").

Here are some samples of Canadian Raising. It's different than the way americans speak, but it's in no way "oot and aboot"!

http://www.gazzaro.it/accents/files/CanRaising.html

http://www.yorku.ca/twainweb/troberts/raising.html

I think the best example is the "lout vs. loud" one. The raising only happens in "lout" because the vowel sound is followed by a voiceless consonant (where the vocal cords do not vibrate), unlike "loud" which ends in a voiced consonant (vocal cords vibrating).

This linguistics lesson has been brought to you by The Crispy Delicious.

You learn something new everyday here on TB. Language/linguistics/accents always facscinated me.

[Fishheadjoe]

i hope you enjoy your visit to our friendly city! Here's what you may find upon arrival;
-garbage everywhere as we are as of today in day nine of a strike.
-a lovely shoreline view of the Toronto Islands. You won't be able to go though, as the ferry operators are also on strike.
-you won't find a public pool open as they to, are on strike
-as mentioned above, Dave a Club Bass is a good spot for some really nices basses.
-babes galore, every where! The warm weather seems to have brought them out!
-basically any type of food you could want or even think about. Toronto is the most multi-cultural city in the world, with many pockets of the city oriented towards the ethnic back ground of it's local inhabitants. You name it, you can most likely find it.
- BIG! many folks who come to our city are shocked at the geographical size of Toronto. By comparison to many like sized or more highly populated cities, Toronto is huge. You can easily spend an hour at highway speeds passing through the GTA.
Hope this helps? Let us know if you have any specific questions!
Fishheadjoe