13 Things You Miss When You Leave Toronto

The thing that everyone loves most about Toronto is how vibrant the street culture is. There are so many different neighborhoods with so much variety when it comes to arts, food, style, and music. While each area is its own unique pocket of culture, it is part of something bigger. Toronto’s microcosms are brought together by the creative force that drives this city, diversity.

So many cuisines, so little time. One of the things to relish about Toronto and yearn for long after you have gone is the unlimited number of excellent food choices. As the city is such a melting pot, one lifetime is too short to try out all the amazing cuisines on offer here, but there’s absolutely no harm in trying!

The great thing about Toronto is that despite being a big city, things are very easygoing here. It’s fun to live in, and more and more people are making Toronto their home. It’s one of the biggest cities in North America, but unlike other metropolises, the vibe is very chill. Even the bustling downtown comes with peace of mind and quality of life.

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It may not be a coffee capital, but like many cosmopolitan cities, the independent coffee culture in Toronto is huge. There’s a cute café on almost every street brewing up some seriously good cups of joe. Despite the popping coffee scene, everyone living in the city loves the option of being able to pop into their local Tim Hortons for a double-double (two creams and two sugars) and some Timbits. While going to “Timmies” maybe more of a Canadian thing than a Toronto thing, it’s no doubt something you miss.

Sometimes living in the city can get too hectic, but if you drive a couple of hours or so away from Toronto in any direction, you will find yourself in nature. Not every city can boast being close to many provincial parks, lakes, beaches, trails, valleys, and even wildlife; however, it’s not just nature. There are also wineries, cute towns, historic areas, and cozy cottages, which makes spontaneous day trips and weekend getaways easy.

The chocolate chip cookies at Le Gourmand are delicious. They are the kind of cookies that dreams are made of—soft, buttery, chewy and loaded with oozing chocolate chips. No other cookie will ever live up to expectations once you have had a bite. Your taste buds will be haunted by the memory of them forever.

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Torontonians work hard and play hard, but the main reason they look forward to the weekend? That would be hitting up their favorite brunch place. On any given Sunday, the queues for the city’s hottest brunch spots go past the door and spill out onto the streets as people line up for buttermilk pancakes and poached eggs. When you leave a city that is actually having a love affair with brunch, the heartbreak is real. No other place understands your need for a hollandaise sauce fix quite like Toronto.

While the city is waiting for summer after a long winter, a week will come out of nowhere, and the weather is suddenly warm. People shed their boots and puffy jackets, and for the first time in months, they have the option of sitting on a patio. While it barely lasts a few days—the seasons are only teasing—it’s a promise of what’s to come. Summers in Toronto are glorious; the city is alive. Cherry blossoms in High Park, hankering after tables on a patio, late-night ice creams outside Summer’s and wandering around the city just because—there is something special about it.

All the different parks is another highlight of living in Toronto. Some have blades of grass, while others have bluffs overlooking the lake or sandy beaches by the waterfront. It’s one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day in the city.

Toronto has numerous festivals. No matter what you are into, there’s a festival for just about everything—music, film, food, art, and so on. Even within these niches, there is so much variety that there’s something for everyone.

The local goods on offer in Toronto are incredible. The city has some of the best brands that aren’t easily found elsewhere. Whether it’s craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, sourdough bread, beauty products, jewelry or clothes, Toronto knows its stuff.

The last call may be at 2 am, but there’s no shortage of delicious local after-hours eats. Margherita pizza from King Slice on Queen West, late-night dim sum, 24/7 breakfast, and some pretty decent shawarma shops are just a few of the options.

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Other places, no matter how lovely they are, can’t always replicate the culture of this city. What really stands out about Toronto is the diversity and openness of the people here. It’s one of the few places where no matter what your race, nationality, religion or ethnicity is, you can call it home.

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