Shopping
Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, with safe streets that are ideal for leisurely strolling and shopping. If you're new to the city, you'll enjoy busy Yonge Street, which is lined with shops and restaurants, especially in the area between King and Bloor Streets. Subway stations pop up every few blocks, so you can always make quick getaway to another part of town. Between Queen and Dundas Streets you'll find the Toronto Eaton Centre, the biggest downtown mall. At street level in the same neighbourhood you can check out the three competing music giants: Sam the Record Man (347 Yonge); HMV (334 Yonge) and Tower Records, occupying the northwest corner of Queen and Yonge. Don't overlook Sunrise Records inside the Eaton Centre or Play De Record (357A Yonge), a small store that specializes in hip hop and also carries soca, calypso and reggae. Also worth checking out is the oh-so-Canadian Roots (210 Yonge), famous for its own label of sports and leisure wear, including the official Canadian Olympic line.
A completely different atmosphere prevails in Kensington Market, south of College Street and west of Spadina. Home to successive waves of new immigrants, Kensington preserves the relaxed pace and eclectic street ambience of an outdoor village marketplace. Sample foods of the world while reggae and soca blare from shops, and then drop in at the South African Centre (276 Augusta, 416-966-4059). You can purchase crafts works there, as well as African musical instruments. You'll also find coras, djembes and belafons at the nearby African Drums and Art Crafts (55 Kensington, 416-597-0175). It's run by a friendly and talented drummer/drum-maker who takes in drums for repair, expertly re-skinning and shaving the new skin by hand. It's a treat to watch him at work and to see the amazement of drum owners who barely recognized their own instruments after he's fixed them up. While you're in the neighbourhood, you may spot 355 College (now a health centre) which was founded in 1919 under the leadership of Marcus Garvey as the Universal Negro Improvement Association Building. It was for many years a home-away-from home for touring black musicians in the days when Toronto's hotels were not so welcoming to African American visitors as they are today.
A bit further north, at Bathurst and Bloor, you may be beguiled by the famous gaudy light show outside Honest Ed's gigantic, frenetic discount emporium. It's owned by Ed Mirvish, the entrepreneur who also runs most of the big theatres in town. A quieter, more cultural experience is to be found just south of Honest Ed's at A Different Booklist (746 Bathurst, 416-538-0889), which carries Afrocentric fiction and non-fiction for adults and colourful picture books for young readers. (Next door you'll find some of the best roti in town.) Just around the corner, the décor-conscious will take to the Afrocentric chic of the Ashanti Room (28 Lennox Street, 416-588-3934), which stocks home accessories, cards and music, and makes its own line of funky home furnishings and fashion items out of exquisite mud cloth, Nigerian textiles and South African prints.
Queen Street West from University Avenue westward is a bohemian paradise of cafés, fashion (in the shops and on the sidewalks), art and music. At night, clubs like the BamBoo (312 Queen West, 416-593-5771) offer up local and international musical entertainment. Try to make it as far west as World Art and Décor (803 Queen West, 416-504-6340), where you'll find African art, crafts, music and a sensational array of African and Caribbean fabrics: indigo, mud cloth, embroidery and more, tucked into stacked boxes at the rear of the shop.
North of the downtown core, the neighbourhoods on both St. Clair Avenue and Eglinton Avenue at Dufferin are hubs of Jamaican culture where you'll find hot cuisine and cool vibes. A recommended stop-off is Burke's at 873 St. Clair Avenue West (416-656-5366), which offers books, art prints, gifts and picture frames. For each of these suggestions, though there are dozens of other good places to wander and explore, so pick up a map and go!
Skin Deep
Cosmetology services specializing in African hair and skin can be found all over the city, so you can look your very best on the road. Each specializes in certain services and treatments, so it's best to call ahead. Jazma, 136 Yorkville (416-928-1888), specializes in hair care and relaxation. Buster, a first-class stylist at the Amorphous Hair Group, 1696 Eglinton Avenue West (416-782-2135), will recommend healthy options for your hair instead of stressing it to suit the look of the moment. Nappy's Hair Shoppe, 2921 Lawrence Avenue East (416-264-6356) and 7381 Kennedy Road in Markham (905-948-0884) also offers manicures and pedicures. As the name suggests, The Hair Dome, 3241 Kennedy Road (416-754-3241) concentrates on your locks. For those who miss the old-style hole-in-the-wall barbershops, check out Conrad's Barber Shop at 3601 Lawrence Avenue East (416-431-9192). Jean Pierre Aesthetics & Spa at 530 Yonge Street, 2nd floor (416-964-2505) and in North York Sheridan Mall at Jane and Wilson (416-249-6772) offers a full range of spa/salon services. The place to go for problem skin, Jean Pierre also offers her extensive Obsidian line of cosmetics: created for the full spectrum of skin colour.
Getting Around
Planning to take some side trips in and around Toronto? To find out about everything from the Underground Railroad heritage sites west of the city to the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Raptors, visit Ontario Tourism's information booth at the Eaton Centre, Level 1 or www.ontariotravel.net. Tourism Toronto operates a walk-in information booth at Nathan Phillips Square. Toronto Tours runs information booths at Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West (main floor), For more information about their services, call 416-869-1372.
The city is laid out on a simple grid pattern serviced by efficient and affordable public transit. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the most economical means of getting around. Route maps are available at all subway stations and are also printed at the front of the Toronto Yellow Pages. Adult fare is $2.25 exact cash fare (no change or ticket are available on buses). Tickets and tokens are not sold in bulk: ten for $18. Children (2-12) and seniors with photo ID (65+) enjoy special discounts. Day passes allowing unlimited travel for one day can also be purchased for $7.50 Depending on the day of the week, they may allow families of up to two adults and four children to ride on the same pass. TTC information is available at 416-393-INFO (4636) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at www.ttc.ca.
Toronto's downtown commuter and inter-city train station, Union Station, is easily accessible by subway. Pearson International Airport is serviced by TTC Bus 58A (Malton) at Terminal 2 on the Arrivals Level, which stops at Lawrence West subway station. As well, there is the 24-hour Pacific Western Airport Express, which shuttles between the Arrivals Level of all terminals and downtown Toronto hotels such as the Royal York, Delta Chelsea Inn, the Crown Plaza Hotel, Holiday Inn on King and the Sheraton Centre. Additional stops are made at Islington, Yorkdale and York Mills subway stations. Buses leave every twenty minutes during peak periods. Cost $12.50. For information, call 1-800-368-6787, 905-564-6333 or visit www.torontoairportexpress.com. For ultimate luxury, airport limousines will shuttle you to the airport for approximately $35, while taxis will charge about 10% less.
Cash in Hand
Now you need to make sure that you have enough spending money. Any chartered bank or reputable money changers such as the Money Mart chain will be happy to convert your bills into Canadian dollars. The current exchange rate is hovering about CND$1.50 to US$1. If you have an account at a major U.S. bank, you will also be able to withdraw Canadian funds directly from automated tellers operating under shared banking systems as indicated on the back of your bank cards, like PLUS. Most merchants will also accept U.S. dollars at an exchange rate set by them. Before paying, you should check that you agree to their rates.
