13 Things You Miss When You Leave Toronto

Toronto is considered to be one of the world’s greatest cities in which to live. A true melting pot, “the 6ix” is renowned for the very thing that makes it tick, vibrant multiculturalism. Diversity adds flavor and color to every aspect of life here. These are some of the things you will miss most about this one-of-a-kind city when you leave.

Street culture

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.

Foodie haven

Chilling in a metropolis

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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Double-doubles

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.

Proximity to nature

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.

Cookies

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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Brunching hard

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.

Toronto summers

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.

Park life

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.

Festivals

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.

This is how we do it

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.

Late-night eats

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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Toronto vs. Everybody

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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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.