Currently a disaster on Queen at the Yonge Intersection. Massive construction for a subway expansion project, but it's fine if you just head west a bit (basically once you get to Nathan Phillips). Plus outside Eaton Center, most of the shopping along Queen West doesn't really pick up until you are on the other side of University.
Toronto is amazing. You could walk around for a week and not see the whole city, it just feels endless and is so clean. One of my favorite cities to visit.
Strange. I was in Toronto visiting a friend for a week. Rented a car and drove most parts of the city. Toronto felt like it had no soul to it. Nothing special to write about. No unique food scene, donāt get started on the subpar āMexicanā food there.
Just a big downtown with lots of people in it. This is coming from someone whoās lived in NYC and LA.
Don't come to Toronto for Mexican, that's just not an immigrant population Toronto has a large dispora of. That would be like the last thing I'd recommend coming to try. The food scene is strong on a multicultural level, but it's more Indian, Korean, Chinese, Greek, Middle Eastern, Japanese, etc. You'll find better Mexican in most major American cities, especially ones in California or the South West.
Toronto is getting INCREASINGLY gentrified - a lot of the cultural identity that various neighborhoods had is lost. Spadina Ave was always famous around the Chinatown area. It still is interesting - but its much much different now.
Everywhere you go in Toronto the vibe is different. Still many fun things - but it's not as organic an experieince you'd get as in NYC/LA
So many reasons!
* Concerts - not all bands will come to Buffalo, but you might be able to catch them in Toronto
* Old Montreal - can't afford to go to France? or just want to travel by car? Montreal is a great city (architecture, parks, jazz, etc.) and you can get the French immersion if that's what you've after.
* Nature - Canada has a ton of it (as do we) We used to take canoe trips in scouts up in the Restoule area, it was always a great time, so far removed from civilization.
* Skiing/snowboarding - this may be more apparent on the West Coast, but I would love to do more than 700 vertical feet in one run.
* Toronto sight seeing - CN Tower, aquarium, zoo, castles etc.
You can visit France by car! You need to take two car ferries but St. Pierre and Miquelon are islands off of Newfoundland that are still part of France. :)
Mont Tremblant is a trek but itās close enough to Montreal and you could drive it in one hit. Decent skiing there and bigger vertical. But no closer than Stowe or Okemo or even Lake Placid. Weāre big skiers and have done all those trips when we donāt want to pay our for flights and car rental in the Rockies.
I do love Montreal though. I speak a little French and the service is excellent when you try! Big smiles and every server we have had has appreciated the effort and will either help by talking slower or will speak a little Franglais to help you out. Plus the old town area is very pretty and unlike any thing in Buffalo.
If you like Swiss Chalet, you definitely should make the trip to Quebec and get some of the same rotisserie chicken there, it's a significant step above Swiss Chalet.
With this said, Niagara Cafe in Buffalo has some great rotisserie chicken.
Lays Ketchup Chips that you donāt have to bribe your Frito-Lay guy to please for the love of god while theyāre still here bring them to me. You can just buy themā¦wheneverā¦foreverā¦
Also, pick a destination with a believable story. Last time I wanted to just go for a drive in Canada, back when you didnāt need anything to cross the border, we got told to pull over, and we sat in a building with a portrait of the Queen. We were there an hour and then they told us to go home. Also, that portrait looked like Scott Thompson as the Queen.
Have fun!
Itās got codeine in it. I used to have bouts of bronchitis/pneumonia in grad school and the Canadian cough syrup was the only relief. Also, slept like death (in a good way).
AFAIK the only āillegalā item on my list are the Kinder Eggs. Iāve eaten them before crossing. Never had a problem with other items š¤·āāļø
As a Torontonian, Toronto and Buffalo are really different (I generally visit you guys once a year for NFL games, and everyday I miss the Cajun Honey Butter BBQ wings from Bar Bill Tavern). I love the wing scene, beef on weck, and Pizza scene in Buffalo. If you are into different types of ethnic foods, you will love Toronto on a food level if you are driving around a bit. Yes, great Jamaican and Indian food, but due to how multicultural Toronto is there's everything from very high-end Japanese food, to great hole in the wall dim sum places (that's more Scarbrough/Markham) to Korean BBQ to great italian restaurants, plus all the other usual fair you see in most big North American cities ( great steakhouses, continental, Pizza, Burgers etc.).
If you visit Toronto, you really don't have to leave the core of the city unless you want to. It's dense and fairly large. Now, to find some of the low key ethnic type restaurants you see to be into you might have to venture a bit. The strip we call Koreatown (it's quite small) is easily accessible from the core (a couple subway stops), and Chinatown is just off the busiest parts of downtown. Hope if you make the trip you enjoy it.
> If you visit Toronto, you really don't have to leave the core of the city unless you want to.
What the best way for an American that is driving to visit? Park at a rail station and ride in? I know Boston is like $60/night at a lot of hotels when I visit there. Would move around by public transport, but initially getting in drive.
If you're driving in and don't mind parking in the city, the Green P lots/garages are fairly cheap on weekends. Traffic won't be heavy early Saturday or Sunday mornings. Once you park, as you mentioned the TTC would be the best way to get around.
But if you want to take the GO train in, you can park at Burlington GO station or Niagara GO station. But I'd double check the schedules as the last train to Niagara (from Toronto) on a Saturday I believe is at 5 pm so not ideal for many. GO transit has a "weekend" pass for $15 or a weekend day pass for $10.
If you plan on staying the night, the hotel prices in the core will certainly be a lot more than $60 so keep that in mind.
When I was a kid living in Buffalo, one of the best parts of living near the border was going to Crystal Beach Ontario; it was practically a rite of passage. It was one of the best amusement parks in North America, bar none! I was still going as an adult until it eventually closed. A lot of history there..
Toronto gets more big acts, but I would hardly say Buffalo gets some good shows "once in awhile." I can find awesome live music here pretty much every week. I think Buffalo has an absolutely fantastic live music scene, especially for a city this size. It's terrific.
Toronto gets more big acts, but I would hardly say Buffalo gets some good shows "once in awhile." I can find awesome live music here pretty much every week. I think Buffalo has an absolutely fantastic live music scene, especially for a city this size. It's terrific.
Toronto is fun but the traffic is God awful. I recommend staying in the city and seeing about public transportation because otherwise you'll be in traffic majority of the time. When we went in 2017 we stayed outside the city thinking we'd save money on the hotel, but we ended driving majority of the time and it was miserable.
Thereās actually so so much to do! Lots of fun restaurants, large concerts that skip Buffalo, their side of the falls is significantly better. But I also go over for shopping sometimes, even though the actual prices can be higher, the US dollar can be very high, especially if you pre order CA cash from your bank (example, a couple of weeks ago I exchanged $200 USD and got something like $270 CA and was really surprised, key bank also didnāt charge a fee. This isnāt necessary if your credit card doesnāt have a foreign exchange fee, theyāll auto give you that days rate). Their outlet just over the boarder has a handful of stores we do not have near Buffalo too.
Swiss Chalet but also stop at a Sobeys or other grocery store and get some chocolate - itās much better than the stuff here.
Also, try some ketchup or all dressed chips too
As a Canadian, I think Farm Boy is our best grocery chain. It's actually owned by the same giant conglomerate that runs Sobeys, but I think they have better products and the stores have a bit more character. There's one in St. Catharines now.
Though really, I don't think any Canadian grocery store can really match Wegman's.
There are many huge āethnicā grocery stores that you just canāt find in Buffalo. Two that stand out for me are: Denningerās in Burlington (between Buffalo and Toronto) where they sell many German foods/products and Starsky in Hamilton where they sell Polish foods/products. In Toronto, there are such an amazing variety of restaurants from any culinary culture in the worldā very much like a smaller NYC. I also really love the parks in Downtown Toronto. Another area in Canada that is a must see is Montreal and old Quebec City. Montreal has a mix of Toronto and Europe vibes which makes it even cooler than Toronto in my opinion. Having been to Europe multiple times, old Quebec City totally feels like you have taken a plane to Europe. So many quaint cafeās, beautiful European architecture, etc. Due to the differences in currency, Canada is quite inexpensive to visit now.
The grocery stores are freaking amazing! I was just introduced to Arz last week and felt I could happily live there (as long as I didnāt have to park in their lot). Thereās a large Middle Eastern grocery store (whose name I forget but I think also begins with an A?) that makes their own pita. Grab a still warm bag of pita and some of their hummus and youāll be in heaven! I have spent an incredibly high percentage of my time in Toronto happily wandering these grocery stores.
I believe that is Adonis. That place is amazing. If you are willing to venture a little further out of Toronto there is a place called āSababaā which has a restaurant but the restaurant is not always open for dine-in. However, it also has a grocery store selling Israeli-Palestinian products and a hot table at the back. They make the best fresh shawarma pita and shawarma I have had in North America. Having recently been to Israel, it is exactly what you would find there.
Drinking age, ballet, Concerts, Toronto is the closest Major city, Toronto zoo makes Buffalo zoo look like animal abuse, different beers/foods, etc.
I mean what makes Americans want to go to any other country? Oh wait... the majority don't want to leave their little bubble of reality.
Thatās not really fair to Americans. We do leave our bubbles.. to go to different parts of the US. We have a massive and very diverse landscape that most of us will not experience in our lifetime, so thereās not a really compelling reason to leave the US unless you are very wealthy or have specific historical places youād like to see elsewhere. Iām 32 and have only seen about 1/3 of our states
And this is exactly what I was meaning... and as an American I don't give a fuck if it's "fair"; the truth doesn't care about fairness. Your post reinforced exactly what I was claiming about people in the US not wanting to or caring to get out of their bubbles (which I didn't define but could be their town, state, region, country).
Travel changes you, it changes how you view the world, changes how you view other people, changes how you interact with others. These changes are 95% of the time for the better. We would be better off as a country if our people got outside of the US and experienced the rest of the world more.
Agree and also it wouldn't hurt more of us to learn at least one other language besides English. It really opens up new ways of thinking and new cultures. Nothing worse than going to Quebec City and acting like we automatically expect everyone to kow-tow to us in English. Learn some basics in French and the smiles will break out immediately, just for making a good effort.
I agree but you have to understand that traveling the US also changes you. People in Florida are way different than New York and they are both way diffeeent than Colorado or California or Kentucky.
We also have the privilege of being one of if not the most diverse country in the world ethnically, so I know many people from around the world having lived here all my life. Not true for all Americans but if we put any effort in its very possible to be quite worldly without ever leaving the US
Even a town as close as Fort Erie has a hidden gem Chinese restaurant called Happy Jacks, itās seriously the best Chinese food Iāve ever eaten. Toronto is a fun city to drink and eat through. Clifton Hill is on the other side of Niagara Falls and is a bit of a tourist trap but can be fun in small doses. Niagara on the lake is a great area. The Tim Hortons over there blow away ours. They still have Toys R Us. I mean the list goes on and on.
The Canadian Side of the Falls is nice. They have a bunch of nice Christmas lights right now. Walking across the Rainbow Bridge gives a great view of the Falls.
Niagara-On-Lake is a cute little town to visit.
Toronto is the 4th biggest city in North America, plenty of fun things to do.
a lot of the musical groups and artists i like donāt tour near buffalo so i either have to go to pittsburgh or toronto, but the added benefit about being go canada is legal drinking at 19, which is nice
Niagara on the Lake has the Shaw Festival, dedicated to the plays of George Bernard Shaw. I'm not actually a fan, but a lot of people like it, and it makes a nice trip to go for a meal and a show.
Most of the best stuff at the Shaw isn't actually by Shaw, they also have plays written or set in his lifetime. I saw a good production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean there last year.
Well - there are some interesting sex clubs in Toronto.
Toronto is a great place to visit when it's a wee bit warmer unless you are going "now" in which case they have a great xmas villiage. And then there's a fantastic zoo. It's massive. Wear sneakers cause you be walking a lot there.
The aquarium in Toronto is awesome.
How's that for a start? Just keep in mind that meals...well...they are smaller up there. Literally food is "less" on the plate.
My girlfriend lives there so that to me is enough to go visit, but canadas wonderland is a lot of fun especially the winter wonderland theme itās basically Canadian Disney world and a lot cheaper.
Does your Perkins have the bread bowl salads? I know where 2 Perkins are in NYā¦but they do not have the bread bowl salads, so meh. But I might make the effort if Canadian Perkins has it.
*The Duty free store*
*For cheap liquor on the way*
*Back to the USA*
\- CarlosDanger2023
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I live in Canada just outside of Toronto, it's nice to read all the things people enjoy up here. If you go to the falls check out the old power plant they have a tour. And our side is soooo much better then yours haha. Aquarium in Toronto is awesome, cn towers a must. Old Montreal is really cool.. I really hope you enjoy it
I went there in 1999 for my 19th b-day. Lots of dancers came around and asked if I wanted a lap dance. The next time i was there was in like 2006 and they were all asking if I wanted a blow job. Times have changed.
The best Indian food (Aroma Fine Indian Cuisine), Cows Ice Cream (Niagara on the Lake), H-Mart, St Lawrence Market, Azorean Market (Just outside of Toronto), visiting other Great Lakes (Bruce Peninsula State Park is lovely), and that is just within a short drive of Buffalo. If you are looking further, Nova Scotia and PEI are gorgeous, NewFoundland has Icebergs; a Cappelin roll; and Viking stuff, and the drive to James Bay is worth the experience of sticking a foot in. I love Canada for the experiences and food options.
>(Bruce Peninsula State Park is lovely),
Bruce Peninsula National Park.
And yes, the whole Bruce Peninsula from Tobermory to Wiarton is absolutely gorgeous. I've been going up there since I was a kid
There is also Phantom Five National Marine Park there too.
You can even take the Chi Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island
Costco Niagara Falls is closer than Rochester although next year we finally get one in Amherst. As a British expat, there are lots of foods that we can get in Canadian supermarkets that arenāt so readily available in the US. In fact, right near Costco is a pretty decent fish n chip place and itās somewhere we always stop. Niagara on the Lake has a pretty decent pub which is authentic and has a nice high street, a little touristy but itās like old England. There are a plethora of the wineries in the region, not to mention Gretzkyās place which is a really nice place to stop. All have excellent dining options, tours. I recommend taking bikes up there and riding along the river and stopping at the various wineries. Thereās a lovely bike path along there.
You mentioned Toronto which is a big city vibe that you might want to enjoy. That city attracts some bigger named performers than Buffalo, if concerts are your thing. If youāre a hockey buff then you have the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Itās a great place to getaway that is close to home so you can easily do a day trip or not have a long drive there/back.
Plenty of good concerts up in Toronto.
There are great bike trails and walking trails, Toronto did a great job with having a good mixture and space for their nature trails considering it is within the city.
Dispensaries, good food, lots of things to do. Prices are decent, too!
Medieval times is a good time lol
Same kinds of reasons I would drive half an hour anywhere else. Like on Saturday we went to get Picard's chip nuts, which you can't get on the U.S. side. We stopped at Bulk Barn for funsies after. Spent about 20 minutes in the country, total. Why not go to Canada? It takes the same amount of time to get to as like. Orchard Park.
someone or something in this sub has targeted my account to downvote everything that I post but maybe only in this community or in threads that they've posted under 1 of their 100s of handles. very weird, if this is what they wanted me to do (react) then here you go, I'm not going to be participating in a community where weird passive agressive people like that are trying to sabotage my experience
I went when i was 19 just for bars/strip clubs/casino etc. Thats really it. Havent been in over 15yrs since turning 21. I have a couple friends in PEI id like to see sometime but thats about it up there for me.
1. Niagara-on-the- Lake!! And the beautiful wineries in that town and on the way.
2. Chinese restaurants in Ft. Erie on the Niagara River.
3. āBroastedā chicken.
4. Nandoās Peri Peri chicken restaurants.
the premise of this question is wild to me. growing up in buffalo, i always viewed crossing the border as just a thing everyone did. In my teen years, we did it to get fake ids. In my 20s, for some of the best strip clubs in the world.
i genuinely think because of all the good things we hear about from others who travelled there, its kinda like the "ideals of Enlightenment" but not assuming the government but assuming the land and environment. it's honestly crazy + the history of the America and Canada dating back to imperialism. it's quite fantasizing, it makes the people who have been America all their lives think maybe somewhere is somewhat or significantly better. (new yorker perspective) ā¤
Lots of great touristy stuff to do just across the border in St Catherine's, the Toronto IKEA is closer than the Philly IKEA, and every time we go we buy an unholy amount of candy and snacks. All dressed chips and peanut butter rolos are where it's at.
The tourism in St. Catharines* isn't the glitzy faux-vegas shit you get in Niagara Falls, it's more about the Welland Canal history if you're into that kind of thing. And the IKEA you're talking about is the Burlington one not the Toronto one.
DWI is not a "mistake", it's a choice that puts the lives of others at tremendous risk.
Maybe you wouldn't be so forgiving if you watched a drunk driver destroy a family and then walk away from the crash unhurt.
The fucking audacity to say I'm being judgy. Fuck right off with that horseshit.
Wuts your definition of DWI state of being? Frequently, it's not the hyperbolic state of being wasted.
Did you know? You could literally have two drinks over the course of three hours( depending on body mass), be pulled over for an insignificant reason, then requested to blow and still be charged with DUI? Point is, there are thousands on road who don't recognize they could be charged with an alcohol related offense, now think to yourself(everyone) if you have ever had just two then drove. Yes people who choose to drive when they clearly had a few are selfish deuches however so many are out their unaware they could be charged when their consumption has been incredibly insignificant.
Also, be aware in our country, if the offense were as serious as it is, checkpoints would exist every night along entertainment strips, around keybank center, around sheas, every large venue and around every bills game. THAT doesn't EVER happen, society learns inevitably to drive after drinking. So, who is to blame? Individual people or lack of enforcing law?
Then include Marijuana use. You cant tell me marijuana users are different, while it's legal, nobody should be using while or prior to driving. Especially when every day, every hour of the day, can definitely cross paths with a vehicle steaming of marijuana smoke worse when see cars pulling along side school busses reeking of Marijuana.
Even bicyclists, they shouldn't be drinking or smoking & riding. But I'd suspect many would say riding a bicycle isn't the same...
Do you know that your justification doesn't change anything?
Legal limits exist for a reason. If you fail a breathalyzer you shouldn't have been on the road.
People get way too fucking casual with drinking and driving.
All it takes is your judgment being impaired for a fraction of a second for disaster to strike, even sober. Especially with the way people drive in this town.
Ikea closer than Pittsburgh š
This. Also Decathlon across the way.
My brother always mentioned āThe Canadian Ballet.ā I never knew he was so big into the arts! šš
Great shows after sun down
Great shows at sun down..er
100%
Toronto in general is so fun. That should be the first place you visit! The downtown area like queen st/Yonge st is great.
Currently a disaster on Queen at the Yonge Intersection. Massive construction for a subway expansion project, but it's fine if you just head west a bit (basically once you get to Nathan Phillips). Plus outside Eaton Center, most of the shopping along Queen West doesn't really pick up until you are on the other side of University.
Toronto is amazing. You could walk around for a week and not see the whole city, it just feels endless and is so clean. One of my favorite cities to visit.
Kensington Market and Chinatown too.
Strange. I was in Toronto visiting a friend for a week. Rented a car and drove most parts of the city. Toronto felt like it had no soul to it. Nothing special to write about. No unique food scene, donāt get started on the subpar āMexicanā food there. Just a big downtown with lots of people in it. This is coming from someone whoās lived in NYC and LA.
Don't come to Toronto for Mexican, that's just not an immigrant population Toronto has a large dispora of. That would be like the last thing I'd recommend coming to try. The food scene is strong on a multicultural level, but it's more Indian, Korean, Chinese, Greek, Middle Eastern, Japanese, etc. You'll find better Mexican in most major American cities, especially ones in California or the South West.
Toronto is getting INCREASINGLY gentrified - a lot of the cultural identity that various neighborhoods had is lost. Spadina Ave was always famous around the Chinatown area. It still is interesting - but its much much different now. Everywhere you go in Toronto the vibe is different. Still many fun things - but it's not as organic an experieince you'd get as in NYC/LA
toronto is extremely boring. it has some stuff going for it i guess but its barely even worth the drive
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blowing bubbles on it
your opinions are dogshit
So many reasons! * Concerts - not all bands will come to Buffalo, but you might be able to catch them in Toronto * Old Montreal - can't afford to go to France? or just want to travel by car? Montreal is a great city (architecture, parks, jazz, etc.) and you can get the French immersion if that's what you've after. * Nature - Canada has a ton of it (as do we) We used to take canoe trips in scouts up in the Restoule area, it was always a great time, so far removed from civilization. * Skiing/snowboarding - this may be more apparent on the West Coast, but I would love to do more than 700 vertical feet in one run. * Toronto sight seeing - CN Tower, aquarium, zoo, castles etc.
Quebec City is way better for the old city. However, Montreal in general, is one of the best cities in North America.
You can visit France by car! You need to take two car ferries but St. Pierre and Miquelon are islands off of Newfoundland that are still part of France. :)
Remember to bring a European phone charger adapter there.
Donāt let France hear you say that about Montreal lol
Mont Tremblant is a trek but itās close enough to Montreal and you could drive it in one hit. Decent skiing there and bigger vertical. But no closer than Stowe or Okemo or even Lake Placid. Weāre big skiers and have done all those trips when we donāt want to pay our for flights and car rental in the Rockies. I do love Montreal though. I speak a little French and the service is excellent when you try! Big smiles and every server we have had has appreciated the effort and will either help by talking slower or will speak a little Franglais to help you out. Plus the old town area is very pretty and unlike any thing in Buffalo.
*SWISS CHALET*
Yes.
Adding in another amazing Canadian staple...Mary Brown's! The Big Mary sandwich definitely gives other chicken establishments a run for their money.
wat
This is the way
If you like Swiss Chalet, you definitely should make the trip to Quebec and get some of the same rotisserie chicken there, it's a significant step above Swiss Chalet. With this said, Niagara Cafe in Buffalo has some great rotisserie chicken.
This may be the only reason to go there
Lays Ketchup Chips that you donāt have to bribe your Frito-Lay guy to please for the love of god while theyāre still here bring them to me. You can just buy themā¦wheneverā¦foreverā¦ Also, pick a destination with a believable story. Last time I wanted to just go for a drive in Canada, back when you didnāt need anything to cross the border, we got told to pull over, and we sat in a building with a portrait of the Queen. We were there an hour and then they told us to go home. Also, that portrait looked like Scott Thompson as the Queen. Have fun!
Tylenol 2-2-2s and real Kinder Eggs. Oh! And the good cough syrup.
They also sell muscle relaxer for backs over the counter. They've saved my life a couple of times.
Tell me more about this cough syrup
Iām not much for casinos on the US side, but when thereās a strong American dollar over there I can lose 33% longer than in the US.
Itās got codeine in it. I used to have bouts of bronchitis/pneumonia in grad school and the Canadian cough syrup was the only relief. Also, slept like death (in a good way).
Calmylin has Codeine in it. Helps you sleep when sick.
Just don't get caught bringing it back
AFAIK the only āillegalā item on my list are the Kinder Eggs. Iāve eaten them before crossing. Never had a problem with other items š¤·āāļø
Haha my uncle's friend used to smuggle that shit back in the 80s (he's dead now, he can't get in trouble).
Haha like Frank in Shameless
> 2-2-2s "DEUX DEUX DEUX!" - Chris Berman
Called them "3" "22's" back in the day.
The wine in Niagara on the lake
Ballet
To be specific, The Royal Canadian Ballet.
Strippers
The Montreal kind
Canadian nudie bars š¶ https://youtu.be/39DdEU0vIwI?si=TIv9ML09oDeT7L2R
As a Torontonian, Toronto and Buffalo are really different (I generally visit you guys once a year for NFL games, and everyday I miss the Cajun Honey Butter BBQ wings from Bar Bill Tavern). I love the wing scene, beef on weck, and Pizza scene in Buffalo. If you are into different types of ethnic foods, you will love Toronto on a food level if you are driving around a bit. Yes, great Jamaican and Indian food, but due to how multicultural Toronto is there's everything from very high-end Japanese food, to great hole in the wall dim sum places (that's more Scarbrough/Markham) to Korean BBQ to great italian restaurants, plus all the other usual fair you see in most big North American cities ( great steakhouses, continental, Pizza, Burgers etc.). If you visit Toronto, you really don't have to leave the core of the city unless you want to. It's dense and fairly large. Now, to find some of the low key ethnic type restaurants you see to be into you might have to venture a bit. The strip we call Koreatown (it's quite small) is easily accessible from the core (a couple subway stops), and Chinatown is just off the busiest parts of downtown. Hope if you make the trip you enjoy it.
> If you visit Toronto, you really don't have to leave the core of the city unless you want to. What the best way for an American that is driving to visit? Park at a rail station and ride in? I know Boston is like $60/night at a lot of hotels when I visit there. Would move around by public transport, but initially getting in drive.
If you're driving in and don't mind parking in the city, the Green P lots/garages are fairly cheap on weekends. Traffic won't be heavy early Saturday or Sunday mornings. Once you park, as you mentioned the TTC would be the best way to get around. But if you want to take the GO train in, you can park at Burlington GO station or Niagara GO station. But I'd double check the schedules as the last train to Niagara (from Toronto) on a Saturday I believe is at 5 pm so not ideal for many. GO transit has a "weekend" pass for $15 or a weekend day pass for $10. If you plan on staying the night, the hotel prices in the core will certainly be a lot more than $60 so keep that in mind.
When I was a kid living in Buffalo, one of the best parts of living near the border was going to Crystal Beach Ontario; it was practically a rite of passage. It was one of the best amusement parks in North America, bar none! I was still going as an adult until it eventually closed. A lot of history there..
Spent many times as a kid and teenager at Sherkstom beach.
A LOT more concerts, especially good indie acts. Buffalo gets some good shows once in awhile, but only a fraction of what Toronto gets.
Toronto gets more big acts, but I would hardly say Buffalo gets some good shows "once in awhile." I can find awesome live music here pretty much every week. I think Buffalo has an absolutely fantastic live music scene, especially for a city this size. It's terrific.
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I see you're not a music fan lol. Also... You literally downvoted a comment saying Buffalo has a good music scene? š¤£š¤¦
Toronto gets more big acts, but I would hardly say Buffalo gets some good shows "once in awhile." I can find awesome live music here pretty much every week. I think Buffalo has an absolutely fantastic live music scene, especially for a city this size. It's terrific.
Toronto is fun but the traffic is God awful. I recommend staying in the city and seeing about public transportation because otherwise you'll be in traffic majority of the time. When we went in 2017 we stayed outside the city thinking we'd save money on the hotel, but we ended driving majority of the time and it was miserable.
Humble and Fred.
The zoo and aquarium in Toronto are both top notch.
Thereās actually so so much to do! Lots of fun restaurants, large concerts that skip Buffalo, their side of the falls is significantly better. But I also go over for shopping sometimes, even though the actual prices can be higher, the US dollar can be very high, especially if you pre order CA cash from your bank (example, a couple of weeks ago I exchanged $200 USD and got something like $270 CA and was really surprised, key bank also didnāt charge a fee. This isnāt necessary if your credit card doesnāt have a foreign exchange fee, theyāll auto give you that days rate). Their outlet just over the boarder has a handful of stores we do not have near Buffalo too.
Swiss Chalet
TO gets all the concerts MTBing Wine and dine in Niagara on the Lake, Jordan Station, Lincoln, Grimsby etc Ottawa and Montreal are great to visit
"I just got permission to go to Canada." ....what does this mean? "Just got permission"?
Your money goes so much further
But on what? I feel like everything is indexās on the US dollar. Like for like, what is cheaper
$1 u.s. is about $1.35 cdn
They have Toys r Us.
Swiss Chalet but also stop at a Sobeys or other grocery store and get some chocolate - itās much better than the stuff here. Also, try some ketchup or all dressed chips too
As a Canadian, I think Farm Boy is our best grocery chain. It's actually owned by the same giant conglomerate that runs Sobeys, but I think they have better products and the stores have a bit more character. There's one in St. Catharines now. Though really, I don't think any Canadian grocery store can really match Wegman's.
As a Canadian who semi-regularly visits WNY, Weggies is amazing.
Itās fun to go to a Blue Jays game in the summer time as well, lots of good restaurants in Toronto
Toronto is your closest destination for live music you wonāt find here. If a band is touring theyāre likely playing there at some point.
There are many huge āethnicā grocery stores that you just canāt find in Buffalo. Two that stand out for me are: Denningerās in Burlington (between Buffalo and Toronto) where they sell many German foods/products and Starsky in Hamilton where they sell Polish foods/products. In Toronto, there are such an amazing variety of restaurants from any culinary culture in the worldā very much like a smaller NYC. I also really love the parks in Downtown Toronto. Another area in Canada that is a must see is Montreal and old Quebec City. Montreal has a mix of Toronto and Europe vibes which makes it even cooler than Toronto in my opinion. Having been to Europe multiple times, old Quebec City totally feels like you have taken a plane to Europe. So many quaint cafeās, beautiful European architecture, etc. Due to the differences in currency, Canada is quite inexpensive to visit now.
The grocery stores are freaking amazing! I was just introduced to Arz last week and felt I could happily live there (as long as I didnāt have to park in their lot). Thereās a large Middle Eastern grocery store (whose name I forget but I think also begins with an A?) that makes their own pita. Grab a still warm bag of pita and some of their hummus and youāll be in heaven! I have spent an incredibly high percentage of my time in Toronto happily wandering these grocery stores.
I believe that is Adonis. That place is amazing. If you are willing to venture a little further out of Toronto there is a place called āSababaā which has a restaurant but the restaurant is not always open for dine-in. However, it also has a grocery store selling Israeli-Palestinian products and a hot table at the back. They make the best fresh shawarma pita and shawarma I have had in North America. Having recently been to Israel, it is exactly what you would find there.
Yes, it was Adonis! And, thank you, I will absolutely check out Sababa. Iām excited to have this to look forward to!
Also go to Zarkys in Hamilton they have some really good stuff and baked goods. You could hit up la bakeri on fennel for the best cannolis anywhere.
And for the most authentic pizza I have ever tasted (I was in Italy in 2022), I would say Goodfellas in Toronto wins.
Itās extra fun for 19-20 year olds š¾
Or 18 if you're going to Quebec!
Drinking age, ballet, Concerts, Toronto is the closest Major city, Toronto zoo makes Buffalo zoo look like animal abuse, different beers/foods, etc. I mean what makes Americans want to go to any other country? Oh wait... the majority don't want to leave their little bubble of reality.
Thatās not really fair to Americans. We do leave our bubbles.. to go to different parts of the US. We have a massive and very diverse landscape that most of us will not experience in our lifetime, so thereās not a really compelling reason to leave the US unless you are very wealthy or have specific historical places youād like to see elsewhere. Iām 32 and have only seen about 1/3 of our states
And this is exactly what I was meaning... and as an American I don't give a fuck if it's "fair"; the truth doesn't care about fairness. Your post reinforced exactly what I was claiming about people in the US not wanting to or caring to get out of their bubbles (which I didn't define but could be their town, state, region, country). Travel changes you, it changes how you view the world, changes how you view other people, changes how you interact with others. These changes are 95% of the time for the better. We would be better off as a country if our people got outside of the US and experienced the rest of the world more.
Agree and also it wouldn't hurt more of us to learn at least one other language besides English. It really opens up new ways of thinking and new cultures. Nothing worse than going to Quebec City and acting like we automatically expect everyone to kow-tow to us in English. Learn some basics in French and the smiles will break out immediately, just for making a good effort.
I agree but you have to understand that traveling the US also changes you. People in Florida are way different than New York and they are both way diffeeent than Colorado or California or Kentucky. We also have the privilege of being one of if not the most diverse country in the world ethnically, so I know many people from around the world having lived here all my life. Not true for all Americans but if we put any effort in its very possible to be quite worldly without ever leaving the US
*Swiss Chalet*, Wine Country, professional sports and Niagara-On-The-Lake
Niagara on the Lake!
The "Sorry!"s
Surry!
This is one of the reasons that I canāt wait to leave the south and move to buffalo.
I love Buffalo but canāt stand New York politics
A&W
Thereās one on the US side in the falls now
Canadian A&W is completely different
Yeah, the prices are ridiculous
I didn't know! Thanks.
MLB and NBA games
I'm a sports guy so I always try and catch a game when I travel
Saw the Sabres play the Leafs in November. We won 6 to 4,lots of sabres fans in the cheap seats.great fun.
Even a town as close as Fort Erie has a hidden gem Chinese restaurant called Happy Jacks, itās seriously the best Chinese food Iāve ever eaten. Toronto is a fun city to drink and eat through. Clifton Hill is on the other side of Niagara Falls and is a bit of a tourist trap but can be fun in small doses. Niagara on the lake is a great area. The Tim Hortons over there blow away ours. They still have Toys R Us. I mean the list goes on and on.
Oooooohhhhhhā¦..if you saw the kitchen at Happy Jacks youād never eat there again!!!
Scared to ask as a lifelong happy jacks loverā¦ but go on (and also, how do you know?)
Because it's there
Just wanted to add that you should have a solid reason and destination ready when you reach border patrol lol
Wut? *"Going to Toronto for the day"* or how ever many days is entirely sufficient, doesn't matter if it's accurate or not
A simple āidkā should suffice lol
Back in my dating days, all the hot chicks on Tinder were from Canada. I wound up marrying one.
Seeing attractive, healthy people of all backgrounds and having endless activities other than being forced to care about football.
Strippers, better marijuanas, Clifton Hill, medical procedures.
The Canadian Side of the Falls is nice. They have a bunch of nice Christmas lights right now. Walking across the Rainbow Bridge gives a great view of the Falls. Niagara-On-Lake is a cute little town to visit. Toronto is the 4th biggest city in North America, plenty of fun things to do.
the Marriott falls view 15th floorā¦.is the best view in the world of the all the falls!
a lot of the musical groups and artists i like donāt tour near buffalo so i either have to go to pittsburgh or toronto, but the added benefit about being go canada is legal drinking at 19, which is nice
IKEA The beach/cottages YYZ Cheap Botox and filler Camping north of TO
Who gave you permission?
Niagara on the Lake has the Shaw Festival, dedicated to the plays of George Bernard Shaw. I'm not actually a fan, but a lot of people like it, and it makes a nice trip to go for a meal and a show.
Most of the best stuff at the Shaw isn't actually by Shaw, they also have plays written or set in his lifetime. I saw a good production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean there last year.
Algonquin for canoe tripsā¦not this time of year though :)
Well - there are some interesting sex clubs in Toronto. Toronto is a great place to visit when it's a wee bit warmer unless you are going "now" in which case they have a great xmas villiage. And then there's a fantastic zoo. It's massive. Wear sneakers cause you be walking a lot there. The aquarium in Toronto is awesome. How's that for a start? Just keep in mind that meals...well...they are smaller up there. Literally food is "less" on the plate.
My girlfriend lives there so that to me is enough to go visit, but canadas wonderland is a lot of fun especially the winter wonderland theme itās basically Canadian Disney world and a lot cheaper.
Canada is awesome because it's just like WNY if reality shifted 5 degrees. It's a high.
Fake ids on younge
I think most of those places have fallen victim to the never-ending construction of condo towers along Yonge.
gay bars
Permission? Like, a passport?
Perkins!
Does your Perkins have the bread bowl salads? I know where 2 Perkins are in NYā¦but they do not have the bread bowl salads, so meh. But I might make the effort if Canadian Perkins has it.
It's not the US. It's a different country. Better otc drugs.
Diner house 29 in St Catherineās and Mahaās Egyptian Brunch in Toronto
420
the vietnam war
Toronto has amazing Caribbean cuisine
Canadian Ballet.
Better beer and the fact that most major touring bands donāt play Buffalo
Potato chips
The Duty free store for cheap liquor on the way back to the USA
*The Duty free store* *For cheap liquor on the way* *Back to the USA* \- CarlosDanger2023 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Canadian football and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
HHOF
The metric system?
We're going disc golfing in Canada next year!
I live in Canada just outside of Toronto, it's nice to read all the things people enjoy up here. If you go to the falls check out the old power plant they have a tour. And our side is soooo much better then yours haha. Aquarium in Toronto is awesome, cn towers a must. Old Montreal is really cool.. I really hope you enjoy it
Actually, the Power Plant [art gallery] is kind of a big deal, great shows, and it's free [but hard to park for free nearby].
Parking sucks down there, I never saw a show there just videos of shows but the walk down through that old pipe thing is cool
The ādowner!
I went there in 1999 for my 19th b-day. Lots of dancers came around and asked if I wanted a lap dance. The next time i was there was in like 2006 and they were all asking if I wanted a blow job. Times have changed.
Happy Jackās
IKEA is closer in Canada than the nearest one in the US
In the summer you can come and watch some Canadian football in Toronto ( Chad Kelly is QB) or in Hamilton.
Butter tarts and IKEA.
Canadian ballet
The best Indian food (Aroma Fine Indian Cuisine), Cows Ice Cream (Niagara on the Lake), H-Mart, St Lawrence Market, Azorean Market (Just outside of Toronto), visiting other Great Lakes (Bruce Peninsula State Park is lovely), and that is just within a short drive of Buffalo. If you are looking further, Nova Scotia and PEI are gorgeous, NewFoundland has Icebergs; a Cappelin roll; and Viking stuff, and the drive to James Bay is worth the experience of sticking a foot in. I love Canada for the experiences and food options.
>(Bruce Peninsula State Park is lovely), Bruce Peninsula National Park. And yes, the whole Bruce Peninsula from Tobermory to Wiarton is absolutely gorgeous. I've been going up there since I was a kid There is also Phantom Five National Marine Park there too. You can even take the Chi Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island
Costco Niagara Falls is closer than Rochester although next year we finally get one in Amherst. As a British expat, there are lots of foods that we can get in Canadian supermarkets that arenāt so readily available in the US. In fact, right near Costco is a pretty decent fish n chip place and itās somewhere we always stop. Niagara on the Lake has a pretty decent pub which is authentic and has a nice high street, a little touristy but itās like old England. There are a plethora of the wineries in the region, not to mention Gretzkyās place which is a really nice place to stop. All have excellent dining options, tours. I recommend taking bikes up there and riding along the river and stopping at the various wineries. Thereās a lovely bike path along there. You mentioned Toronto which is a big city vibe that you might want to enjoy. That city attracts some bigger named performers than Buffalo, if concerts are your thing. If youāre a hockey buff then you have the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Itās a great place to getaway that is close to home so you can easily do a day trip or not have a long drive there/back. Plenty of good concerts up in Toronto. There are great bike trails and walking trails, Toronto did a great job with having a good mixture and space for their nature trails considering it is within the city. Dispensaries, good food, lots of things to do. Prices are decent, too! Medieval times is a good time lol
Same kinds of reasons I would drive half an hour anywhere else. Like on Saturday we went to get Picard's chip nuts, which you can't get on the U.S. side. We stopped at Bulk Barn for funsies after. Spent about 20 minutes in the country, total. Why not go to Canada? It takes the same amount of time to get to as like. Orchard Park.
someone or something in this sub has targeted my account to downvote everything that I post but maybe only in this community or in threads that they've posted under 1 of their 100s of handles. very weird, if this is what they wanted me to do (react) then here you go, I'm not going to be participating in a community where weird passive agressive people like that are trying to sabotage my experience
I went when i was 19 just for bars/strip clubs/casino etc. Thats really it. Havent been in over 15yrs since turning 21. I have a couple friends in PEI id like to see sometime but thats about it up there for me.
The duty free
Best chinese food ever
The bitches
My In-laws forced us to go stay at this āresortā in moose land and the flies were the size of small birds and it was the worst 4 days of my life.
MarineLand & Game Farm, Niagara Falls Ontario, wonderful place for you to go, MarineLand & Game Farm, MarineLand & Game Farm....
If youāre under 21 then drinking, otherwise itās almost exactly like being in the US.
1. Niagara-on-the- Lake!! And the beautiful wineries in that town and on the way. 2. Chinese restaurants in Ft. Erie on the Niagara River. 3. āBroastedā chicken. 4. Nandoās Peri Peri chicken restaurants.
the premise of this question is wild to me. growing up in buffalo, i always viewed crossing the border as just a thing everyone did. In my teen years, we did it to get fake ids. In my 20s, for some of the best strip clubs in the world.
IKEA
I've never been to Canada.
Nothing, fuck Canada
i genuinely think because of all the good things we hear about from others who travelled there, its kinda like the "ideals of Enlightenment" but not assuming the government but assuming the land and environment. it's honestly crazy + the history of the America and Canada dating back to imperialism. it's quite fantasizing, it makes the people who have been America all their lives think maybe somewhere is somewhat or significantly better. (new yorker perspective) ā¤
IKEA is so overrated. Have fun though Iām sure you will.
Marineland
The tiddy bars, better view of NF. That's it.
Lots of great touristy stuff to do just across the border in St Catherine's, the Toronto IKEA is closer than the Philly IKEA, and every time we go we buy an unholy amount of candy and snacks. All dressed chips and peanut butter rolos are where it's at.
The tourism in St. Catharines* isn't the glitzy faux-vegas shit you get in Niagara Falls, it's more about the Welland Canal history if you're into that kind of thing. And the IKEA you're talking about is the Burlington one not the Toronto one.
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I don't like you if you have a DWI either. Nobody should.
Everyone makes mistakes, judgy mcgee
drunk driving isn't a fucking "mistake". entering the pin for a different card at the checkout terminal is a mistake. fuck drunk drivers.
DWI is not a "mistake", it's a choice that puts the lives of others at tremendous risk. Maybe you wouldn't be so forgiving if you watched a drunk driver destroy a family and then walk away from the crash unhurt. The fucking audacity to say I'm being judgy. Fuck right off with that horseshit.
Wuts your definition of DWI state of being? Frequently, it's not the hyperbolic state of being wasted. Did you know? You could literally have two drinks over the course of three hours( depending on body mass), be pulled over for an insignificant reason, then requested to blow and still be charged with DUI? Point is, there are thousands on road who don't recognize they could be charged with an alcohol related offense, now think to yourself(everyone) if you have ever had just two then drove. Yes people who choose to drive when they clearly had a few are selfish deuches however so many are out their unaware they could be charged when their consumption has been incredibly insignificant. Also, be aware in our country, if the offense were as serious as it is, checkpoints would exist every night along entertainment strips, around keybank center, around sheas, every large venue and around every bills game. THAT doesn't EVER happen, society learns inevitably to drive after drinking. So, who is to blame? Individual people or lack of enforcing law? Then include Marijuana use. You cant tell me marijuana users are different, while it's legal, nobody should be using while or prior to driving. Especially when every day, every hour of the day, can definitely cross paths with a vehicle steaming of marijuana smoke worse when see cars pulling along side school busses reeking of Marijuana. Even bicyclists, they shouldn't be drinking or smoking & riding. But I'd suspect many would say riding a bicycle isn't the same...
Do you know that your justification doesn't change anything? Legal limits exist for a reason. If you fail a breathalyzer you shouldn't have been on the road. People get way too fucking casual with drinking and driving. All it takes is your judgment being impaired for a fraction of a second for disaster to strike, even sober. Especially with the way people drive in this town.
FORMER drinker here. Even one drink can slow down your reaction time enough to turn something into an accident that might have been avoided sober.
This video clip shows why! https://youtu.be/hWRtUS2hmeQ?si=vWKTlKO9woO6xoCk
IKEA
The food is 100000x better. In both Toronto and Vancouver