Summer travel season is upon us! Whether you are hopping on a plane, boarding a train or traveling vicariously through your friends’ Instagram photos, come and get wanderlust with CollegeFashionista! Join us all week as some of our #RAD Style Gurus from around the world give us a tour around the international city they are lucky enough to call home!
Next we head north to Canada to visit Toronto with Ryerson University Style Guru Sam Yohannes. From soaring skyscrapers to abundant green spaces, Toronto is a city that really has it all!
Sam’s three favorite things about Toronto?
1. The cultural diversity is what I love most about this city. There is basically an area for every culture (i.e. Little Italy to Little India). The various neighborhoods are what make this city a cultural mosaic. Every neighborhood possesses its own identity and defining traits, separating each from the rest and all housing intrepidly creative and resolute people.
2. There is a sense of unity in this city. Despite disappointments that Toronto sports fans have faced, they unrelentingly continue to support the teams and come together to show their solidarity. Rain or shine, you’ll see Torontonians gather at the square in front of the Air Canada Centre to watch the Raptors’ and Maple Leafs’ games from a jumbotron as a community. We may live in a city with a population of over 2.6 million, but our communal pride keeps us tight knit.
3. In Toronto, boredom is simply unwarranted. From the myriad of festivals held throughout the year to the many galleries located around town, there are several experiences to look forward to during your time in the city—the Toronto International Film Festival, Nuit Blanche and World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week, just to name a few. You could be aimlessly walking downtown the one minute and find yourself smack dab in the middle of a film set the next. I love how lively my city is.
Toronto’s Fashion Scene
After starting university in the downtown area, my style began to change almost immediately. I was spending more time at school than I was at home and consequently, my style of dress started to mimic the aesthetic of my new dominant environment. I find myself dressing up for school, wearing color-neutral pieces while also factoring in comfort, which is crucial for the daily downtown grind. The current trend making its rounds in the city is athleisure, where athletic wear intersects with dressy street wear. The locals, I included, have developed somewhat of a uniform consisting of athletic footwear and basic staple pieces like the white T-shirt and black jeans, all conforming to a monochromatic palette.
Five things to pack to fit in with the locals
1. Pin-rolled jeans
2. A plain baseball cap
3. A pair of cross-trainers
4. A bike.
5. A tote bag (which is also a perfect place to keep your camera, map and traveler essentials out of sight).
Favorite Toronto fashion blogger/Instagram accounts
There are several Toronto-based bloggers that are doing great work, but there are certainly a few standout Instagram accounts that I am enamored with and regularly use as creative inspiration. All of these accounts focus principally on the grandeur of our cityscape, but every photo posted is entirely unique.
@PeaceCollective
@Shaqvel
@Jayscale
@Visionelie
Favorite Toronto restaurant and dish
La Carnita, located on College near Bathurst, is a Mexican restaurant that has become an instant favourite of mine. What used to be a pop-up taco shop, has now become a restaurant offering street food in a dine-in format. My favourite dish is, without a doubt, the fish taco. The people are nice and the playlist is hip-hop on heavy rotation. With a good group of friends, this spot has the potential to be the best hangout.
The perfect Saturday in Toronto
My perfect Saturday consists of some quality time with friends, meandering around the city. On weekends, I try to start my day early and catch the sunrise. If I am heading downtown, I always bring my camera with me because I love to shoot any chance I get. I’d meet up with my friends for brunch, most likely at Insomnia on Bathurst and Bloor. Next, we’d go to Sonic Boom or Kops Records (local record stores) where I can pick up some of the albums that I have been yearning for. We would complete the music hunt with a dose of gelato. Finally, the ideal evening would consist of catching a film at the Bell Lightbox and concluding the entire day with a visit to an outdoor patio under decorative lights.
Fun and free activities
Allan Gardens Conservatory is open to the public every day of the year and admission is completely free. It’s a 100-year-old garden, including a greenhouse that is both a great photo opp. and home to beautiful tropical and seasonal greenery from around the world.
If you are looking for more free fun, then a trip to Woodbine beach, located in the East end, is perhaps in order. You can soak up the sun and relax lakeside with a picnic on the sandy shore.
Must-see place to visit off the beaten path
In Toronto’s East end, you can get a stunning view of the city’s skyline atop Riverdale Park. It’s definitely a great location to wind down in after a long day and catch the sunset peeking through the downtown core’s skyscrapers.
Go-to place for coffee
Dineen Coffee Co. is a very central location for a coffee date. It’s perfect for avid-instagramers, who are continually searching for interesting #ihavethisthingwithfloors photos, but also want to enjoy a daily caffeine boost in an aesthetically-pleasing environment.
Toronto’s hidden gems
Graffiti Alley, nestled in the fashion district, spans a kilometer and is the only spot in the city where street art is legal. It is essentially an outdoor gallery for urban art by local artists. It’s the perfect location for taking your very alternative vacation pictures. The featured murals are continually changing as artists come through and add their own elements to existing creations, as well as adding completely new pieces.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple located in the north western part of Toronto. It was built from 24,000 hand-carved pieces of Italian marble and took 18 months to complete. This gem is captivating! If you gaze at it long enough, you might forget where in the world you are.
Great place to stay in Toronto
Chain hotels may be a safe choice when traveling to foreign places, but trips are also meant to be a time where people explore the unfamiliar. I encourage visitors to venture into the semi-obscure. The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West is not only an affordable option, but very chic as well. Equipped with a café, lounge, roof patio and underground concert venue, it has all the qualifications for playing the role of a perfect home away from home. It’s situated in the second-hippest district in the world, as dubbed by Vogue Magazine, and in close proximity to Trinity Bellwoods Park, an array of galleries and trendy restaurants.
Advice to someone who is visiting Toronto for the first time
Part of Toronto’s beauty is the people who live here. So try to stray from the rigid tourist itinerary and venture into the watering holes and eateries that locals tend to frequent. When you’re visiting Toronto, spend your days like a local. If full assimilation is what you seek, then I suggest using Toronto’s public transit. The TTC is an affordable alternative to the possible cab route. Our subway is far less daunting than that of other metropolises and therefore, much more tourist-friendly.
