Toronto is the cultural and culinary capital of Canada. According to the Global Cities Index published in the Foreign Policy magazine, Toronto ranks as the world’s fourth best city to experience culture, behind only London, Paris and New York. In the immediate vicinity of the conference venue and the Howard Johnson hotel four landmark cultural attractions are located.
Museums and Galleries
The Royal Ontario Museum is among the world’s leading museums of natural history, and of world cultures. The ROM is located at 100 Queen’s Park, but the main entrance is on Bloor Street. It is a short five minute walk to get to the museum from both the conference venue or the hotel. It is located at the Museum subway station, on the University line.
The Bata Shoe Museum is an unusual and unique Toronto attraction: a museum of footwear. Changing exhibitions display shoes from world cultures and fashion history. The museum is located at the corner of Bloor Street and St. George Street, which is again a brief five minute walk from either the conference venue or hotel. It is located at the St. George subway station, on Bloor-Danforth line.
The Art Gallery of Ontario currently has more than 68,000 works in its collection, spanning from 100 AD to the present, reflecting 11,000 years of visual expression and tradition. The AGO is located at 317 Dundas Street West. If travelling by subway exit at St. Patrick Station on the University subway line. Walk one block west along Dundas Street.
The Gardiner Museum offers an intimate look at one of the world’s oldest and most universal forms of art and material culture: ceramics. Located at 111 Queen’s Park, right across the ROM, the Gardiner’s collection exceeds 3,000 historical and contemporary pieces and remains one of Toronto’s finest examples of modernist architecture.
Dining
For the guide on places to eat at the University of Toronto St. George Campus, please click on the interactive map. For the restaurant guide in a nearby, artsy Baldwin Village please click here. Another close by neighborhood is the trendy Yorkville, to review its restaurant list please click here. For a complete conference restaurant guide please click here.
Shopping
‘Mink Mile’–Holt Renfrew Area and Yorkville
Ritzy Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, dubbed the “Mink Mile” — Toronto’s closest equivalent to L.A.’s Rodeo Drive or Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The ultimate fusion of historic charm and modern seduction. A lot of upscale designer shops, such as Gucci, Chanel etc., but also a large number of independent trendy shops. Be sure to check out Canada’s one-and-only luxury department store chain Holt Renfrew and its World Design Lab to find avant-garde local designers. Five minute walk from the conference venue or hotel, the area is located on the Bloor Street west, from Avenue Road to Yonge Street; and first two streets north of Bloor, Cumberland and Yorkville.
Spadina Chinatown
Toronto’s Chinatown is one of the largest in North America. It is centered on the intersection of Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue, and extends outward from this point along both streets. With the population changes of recent decades, it has come to reflect a diverse set of East Asian cultures through its shops and restaurants, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. The major Chinese malls in the area are Dragon City and Chinatown Centre. This area is a twenty minute walk going south on Spadina Avenue, Spadina and Dundas intersection. Alternatively you can take University subway line, south direction, exit at St. Patrick Station and walk west to Spadina.
Queen West
Toronto’s totally hip neighbourhood, much like New York’s Soho. A great place to hang out, people watch or shop. Starting just west of University in the downtown core, it is home to City TV and Much Music, as well as funky boutiques showcasing the latest in urban design and fashion. There are many galleries showing contemporary art, as well as a wealth of trendy bars, cafes, and bistros. Take a cab or a subway for this one; use University line, exit at Osgoode Station and walk five minutes east on the Queen Street.
West Queen West
Eat, drink, and go gallery gaga in West Queen West, Toronto’s Art & Design district. Find a wide array of vintage and antique stores, contemporary galleries, new restaurants and trendy lounges on this ever-evolving strip between Bathurst and Dufferin. Take a cab or the University subway line, exit at Osgoode Station and take the Queen Street streetcar heading west. Exit at any stop past Spadina, before Dufferin.
Nearby Movie Theatres
Cumberland
159 Cumberland Street Toronto M5R 1A2; (416)964-9359
Booked solid with foreign films and Hollywood limited releases, Cumberland’s four Dolby Surround Sound theatres are open for matinees and evenings all week long and one of the host locations for the annual Toronto International Film Festival. Five minute walk from the conference hotel; walk on Bloor Street heading east until Avenue Road, turn north at Cumberland.
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Manulife Varsity Cinemas
55 Bloor Street West Toronto M4W 1A5; (416)961-6304
Located on the second floor of the Manulife Centre, the Varsity Cinemas are centrally located for shopping binges through Yorkville and the surrounding high-end stores. Fitted with Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Surround, the Varsity’s eight wide, curved screens (and its four V.I.P. cinemas) show Hollywood first-run blockbusters and occasional limited-release movies. Five minute walk from the conference hotel; walk on Bloor heading east, Manulife is on the south side of the street.
