What's the weather like in Toronto?

Toronto has hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters with odd fluctuations in between the two.

NOTE: It has been raining continuously for the past week, hopefully that means things will clear up over the next week. Also note that the temperature has been slowly creeping up and will average around between 16-25C in the upcoming week.


Here's an idea of what the forecast is from the 20th of May:
Saturday, May 20:  High of 22C -- Mainly Sunny
Sunday, May 21:  High of 23C -- Light Rain
Monday, May 22:  High of 22C -- Chance of thundershowers
Tuesday, May 23:  High of 17C -- Cloudy periods

What does that mean exactly? 
A high of 23C with humidity could actually feel like 29C in Toronto.
A high of 23C also means that the low may be around 13-17 C. 

What should you pack?
Sunglasses
Layers are key
Light spring attire
A spring coat and/or jumper(s)
You might consider something fit for rain just in case.

Another thing to keep in mind is that mornings and evenings tend to be chilly.

Toronto Architecture

The places below are grouped from the newest bunch to the oldest bunch of architecture, not by actual dates.


Check out Doors Open (May 28/29) if you're interested in architecture. www.toronto.ca/doorsopen
150 buildings of architectural, historic, cultural and/or social significance open their doors to the public. Admission is free.

AGO (Architect: Frank Gehry)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ago

ROM (Architect: Daniel Libeskind)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ontario_Museum

Sharp Centre for Design, OCAD University (Architect: Wil Alsop)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCAD_University

Gardiner Museum (Architects: KPMB Architects)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardiner_Museum

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Architect: Diamond + Schmitt)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Seasons_Centre

Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research (Architects: Behnisch Architects with architectsAlliance)
www.galinsky.com/buildings/ccbr/index.htm

Graduate House (Architect: Thom Mayne, Morphosis with Teeple Architects)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Toronto_Graduate_House

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Architect: Norman Foster)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Dan_Faculty_of_Pharmacy

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (elaborate Hindu temple) 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_Toronto

Roy Thomson Hall (Architects: Arthur Erickson and Mathers and Haldenby)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Thomson_Hall

Cinesphere IMAX (the world's first)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinesphere

Rogers Centre (the world's first fully retractable roof stadium)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Centre

Brookfield Place aka BCE Place (Architect: Santiago Calatrava)
www.galinsky.com/buildings/bce/index.htm

Toronto Eaton Centre (Architect: Eberhard Heinrich Zeidler)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre

Toronto Dominion Centre (Architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)
www.galinsky.com/buildings/tdcentre/index.htm

Canadian Bank of Imperial Commerce (Architect: I.M. Pei)
www.galinsky.com/buildings/cibc/index.htm

CN Tower (Architects: John Andrews Architects, Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housden Architects) world's tallest free-standing structure until 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower

Toronto City Hall (Architect: Viljo Revell)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_City_Hall

Toronto Old City Hall (Architect: E.J. Lennox)
www.toronto.ca/old_cityhall/old_cityhall_tour.htm

Gooderham Flatiron Building (Architect: David Roberts Jr) - oldest in the world
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooderham_Building

Union Station (Architects: G.A. Ross and R.H. Macdonald, Hugh Jones of the CPR and John M. Lyle)
www.toronto.ca/union_station/history.htm

Casa Loma (Architects: E.J. Lennox)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Loma

Gooderham and Worts Distillery District
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillery_District

Toronto, so many things to do, so little time.

So you want to play tourist but you're not sure what to do or see?

Below are some suggestions of things to do and places to see. I'll update the blog with restaurants and bars later in the week.


Festivals in May (FREE)
Contact www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com (photography exhibihit at various galleries around town) 
Doors Open www.toronto.ca/doorsopen (May 28/29 ONLY, architectural views of 150 buildings around town)


Comedy: www.secondcity.com
You may not know it, but Canada is home to a lot of great Comedians such as Mike Myers, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Leslie Nielsen, Phil Hartman, Eugene Levy, Jim Carrey, Dan Akryod, Seth Rogen, Russell Peters, Lorne Michaels (not a comedian but founder and producer of SNL) and more.


Musicals: 
Billy Elliot: www.billyelliotintoronto.com
Lion King: www.mirvish.com/shows/thelionking

Operas: 
La Cenerentola: www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/1011Season/LaCenerentola.aspx
Orfeo ed Euridice: www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/1011Season/OrfeoEdEuridice.aspx 

Symphony: 
Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra: www.roythomson.com/eventdetail?eventId=654

Dance:
La La La Human Steps: www.canadianstage.com/lalalahumansteps
Alic's Adventures in Wonderland: http://national.ballet.ca/performances/season1011/Alice_s_Adventures_in_Wonderland (but this doesn't start until the beginning of June)

Plays:
Fronteras Americanas: www.soulpepper.ca/performances/11_season/fronteras_americanas.aspx
The Aleph: www.soulpepper.ca/performances/11_season/the_aleph.aspx
Zadie's Shoes: www.factorytheatre.ca/zadieshoes.htm
The Cosmonaut's Last Message: www.canadianstage.com/cosmonaut

Points of interest:
CN Tower: www.cntower.ca/Intro.html
ROM (Royal Ontario Museum): www.rom.on.ca
AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario): www.ago.net
Power Plant Gallery: www.thepowerplant.org/AboutUs/History.aspx
Distillery District: www.thedistillerydistrict.com
St Lawrence Market: www.stlawrencemarket.com
Harbourfront Centre: www.harbourfrontcentre.com
Centre Island: http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadiancities1/tp/centre_island.htm
Toronto Eaton Centre: www.torontoeatoncentre.com/EN/centreinfo/Pages/default.aspx
Hockey Hall of Fame: www.hhof.com 
BMO Field (Soccer: 2 home games the week of the 23rd - www.torontofc.ca) 
Rogers Centre (Baseball: Jays vs White Sox - Week of May 23rd, 4 home games - www.rogerscentre.com)

Neighbourhoods (maps: www.seetorontonow.com/Visitor/Explore/City-Neighbourhoods.aspx)
Queen West/Ossington (local designers, artists and trendy restaurants and bars)
Chinatown/Kensington Market
Little Italy
The Danforth (Greek town)
The Beaches
The Annex
Bloor-Yorkville
The Entertainment District
The Theatre District

Some Niagara Day Tours from Toronto:
www.niagaratorontotours.com
www.niagarafallsbustours.ca/tourinfo.html
www.niagarafallstourstoronto.com
www.torontotours.ca/tours/framesniagaratours.htm?gclid=CMukuPGA2KgCFcod4QodjxDIAg
www.niagaratours.ca/details

Most of the tours above are similar with a stop in Niagara Falls, a tour on maid of the midst (a ferry that takes you close to the falls) and the city of Niagara. It also includes a stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake and a winery, and a few small stops along the way with pick up at your hotel or somewhere central downtown in Toronto.


For a quick overview of the city, take a look at Trip Advisor's Best Places to Eat, Sleep and Play Guide:
TA Toronto Guide

Nyood: Location and Parking Details

Nyood

1096 Queen Street West
www.nyood.ca

Please click on the maps below to view the full size image.


Nyood Area Map

Nyood in relation to the downtown center



Nyood Street Level Map

Nyood Street View

Nyood is the Black building with no name and/or street number displayed, next to poppies.



Parking

To find the closest parking spots to the venue:

- Go to http://parking.greenp.com/find-parking/ and

- Type "1096 Queen Street West" and hit enter or click on "go"

- A list and map will appear displaying "Green P" parking spots and parking lots

- Click on each invidividual Green P icon for exact locations, cost and hours of availability.

For further information about on-street parking:

http://parking.greenp.com/parking-info/on-street-parking.html

Map of Green P spots close to Nyood

Thompson Hotel - Wedding Rate

After much discussion with the Director of Sales at the Thompson Hotel, we have a wedding rate! Please note that this is on a first come, first served basis, dependent on availability and is only available for booking between 9 March until 28 April 2011.

To make a reservation, email the Thompson Hotel at exectoronto@thompsonhotels.com

and let them know you are booking a room under "Flora Tan’s wedding party" to be eligble for the group rate.

Here are the rates:

1. Superior King $225 (regular $265)

2. King Deluxe and Double Deluxe $245 (regular King Deluxe $285; Double Deluxe regular $315)

Some of the King Deluxe and Double Deluxe rooms have two double beds that are available upon request.

The Thompson Hotel room size ranges from 320 sq feet and up, maximum occupancy per room is two adults and two children under the age of 13. Unfortunately there are no cots nor cribs available at the hotel.

http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/toronto/thompson-toronto%20

Wedding Gifts

We of course request your presence and not your presents but for those of you who are planning a gift....

As we will be flying back to the UK after the celebration, we kindly ask that guests do not bring boxed gifts as they will be difficult for us to ship back. As we will soon have a new house to fill (yay!) we have set up a gift list at John Lewis (we have made the choice easy by asking that you simply select gift certificates so we can decide what we need at a later time). 

The Gift List Number is 456477. The list is open for 8 weeks from 16 April 2011 and the website is www.johnlewisgiftlist.com/giftint/JSPs/GiftList/BuyGifts/GuestFindAList.jsp

Flight Update: Short-Haul Sale at Porter

 

Are you flying to Toronto from New York, Montreal or somewhere else close to Toronto? 

 

Try using Porter: www.flyporter.com

 

Save 30% when booking flights online using the promo code SKY30.