I was born and raised in Guelph, ON, Canada, an hour away from Toronto, but I moved to Ithaca, New York four years ago. I have traveled many places around the world but Toronto is my favorite city.

Toronto is an amazing city with unlimited activities! There is a new Ripley's Aquarium which has overhead tunnel and fish will swim over you. This is a highlight! Right next door is the landmark CN Tower. If you are looking for a thrill, you can take part in the CN Tower Edge Walk where you can walk around the circumference of the roof the CN Tower from outside! You can also see the Toronto Blue Jays compete against your favorite team. Even if you are not a huge baseball fan, I highly recommend seeing a game because it is an incredible atmosphere. Another fun activity which I did with my family was a Mystery Room. There are a few in Downtown Toronto. The concept is that you are locked in room for an hour and as team you must find clues to escape the room. This is a really fun and competitive activity that is hard to complete. A ten minute walk from all this action, you can find Graffiti Alley. There are many little roads and alleys (don't worry they are not sketchy like in New York City) for the perfect photo shoot!

Toronto has a great transportation system which includes the subway, streetcars, buses, taxis and even Uber to make your travels easy! DO NOT RENT A CAR. Everything is accessible by public transportation and it will save you more time. Be sure not to miss the Museum subway station. There are recreated totem poles in the subway station. This is also the station where you can get off to visit the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). When I was a kid I obsessed with seeing the Mummies. Two other great museums are the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and the Bata Shoe Museum. The AGO has incredible art from around the world and the Bata Shoe Museum showcases shoes from famous Hollywood actors and countries around the world.

So maybe you are not into museums, that's okay! There is great nightlife for those over 19 and entertainment for all. Toronto is a major pit stop on tours for famous performers. There are two stadiums; the Rogers Center which seats 50,000 people and the Air Canada Center which seats around 20,000 people. Performers such as Drake, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Adele, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes and The Weeknd have all played multiple night sold out shows in Toronto. Also throughout the year Mirvish Theaters shows plays and musicals that are previewing before going on Broadway or are touring from Broadway. Some shows I have seen in Toronto include Legally Blonde (my favorite musical), Sister Act, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, The Illusionists, Wicked and Come From Away (which will be on Broadway in February, 2017). If the shows are previewing in Toronto, it will be the same actors who will be performing it in New York City. If you are on a budget and want to see a performance, I suggest subscribing to the Mirvish emailing list to get notifications about sales.

I was once asked, "What is Canada's national food?" Then I thought to myself, what are we known for? Well there's poutine... but this is Toronto where you will not find as much of a French influence in the community. Toronto is very multi-cultural and the restaurants prove it. Sure, you can get poutine but you can also find any type of meal you are looking for. I highly suggest eating downtown around King St. W. and Chinatown. Chinatown has delicious authentic Asian restaurants. A great place for brunch on a Saturday is the St. Lawrence Market. It is a two building market where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses and bread. Or you can order a to-go lunch such as perogies or Canadian Bacon (aka Peameal Bacon). Buying a peameal bacon sandwich at the St Lawrence Market is a right of passage.

If you are looking for expensive shopping, hit up Bloor St. W. where you can find all your favorite designers. If you're looking for a big mall then shop at the Eaton Center. Looking for privately owned, one-off quirky boutiques? Visit Queen St. West.

Canada is very accepting and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and Toronto hosts a Pride month every year in June. Toronto has even held the World Pride Parade and I walked in it as an ally. My friends and I took a road trip to Toronto this past summer to celebrate Canada Day and the Pride Parade weekend. The Church St. area is known for being the LGBTQ+ community and has rainbow painted crosswalks. No matter how you identify, Pride Parade weekend is a blast with roads closed off for pedestrians only. Imagine one big street party all day and night long with free stickers, accessories and photo-ops, such as the one below:

When I have told people around the world that I am from near Toronto, ON, I have received the same response every time. They say " Toronto is so clean" and it's true! We have one of the cleanest cities. It is only another positive attribute to add to the long list.

Toronto is a very special place. Depending on your age you can party and still have wholesome fun. Something special is happening every weekend in Toronto. There are endless opportunities and unique neighborhoods in which you can fun.

If you can only visit one city in Canada and are looking for nonstop fun, Toronto is the place to go!