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| - Toronto through the eyes of a Southern Californian...
My first experience in a downtown metropolitan city was the "City of Angels": Los Angeles, California. Tall skyscrapers stood next to each other blocking the light and air with no trees in sight; garbage and homeless people on the corners and smog blanketing the city. Downtown was not a place I would willingly want to go to. You need a car to traverse the city but if you get caught in rush hour, be prepared to sit still in traffic for hours; don't you dare honk your horn, lest you experience a physical altercation due to road rage.
Four decades later, here I am in Toronto. I marvel at all the exquisite glass high-rises that reflect the beautifully landscaped surroundings, expansive blue sky, and billowy white clouds. The stunning vistas from these towers are breathtaking; one side you can see all the way to the next city while the other side is a view of serene Lake Ontario.
There are restaurants everywhere in every nook and cranny: from two story trattorias with charming patios to tiny shipping container eateries. So many foodie choices from cuisines all around the world. I'm so very thankful that Toronto is a walking city; we all need it to stay thin and healthy after indulging in food and drink.
People watching is so fascinating here: a mix of cultures, each one keeping to their own traditions in fashion, hair style and mannerism. A multiplicity of cultural enclaves comprise the downtown area. Charming neighborhoods with their own personalities: Kensington Market with it's vintage clothing stores and food stalls, Cabbagetown and it's restored Victorian homes, St. Lawerence Market which is the largest indoor market in the city, the Harbourfront with it's Summer festivals by the lakeshore, and many others.
Hop on a bus, subway, trolley to explore this wonderfully complex and beautiful city.
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