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Notable Torontonians On What They Love About Their City

And little-known facts few others know

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Toronto celebrities discuss their favorite parts of the city and share a few insider tips.

surangaw / Getty Images
Toronto celebrities discuss their favorite parts of the city and share a few insider tips.
surangaw / Getty Images

We asked Torontonians to tell us what they love (OK, and sometimes hate) about their city. From actors to artists and businesspeople, it turns out everyone loves neighborhood hopping, the walkability of the city and the (multi-cultural) food, too.

Here’s what those in-the-know know about their native—or in some cases, chosen—city.

More:Toronto Home Prices Surge in January

Dan Levy

Photo: Vanessa Fein

Daniel Levy is co-creator, showrunner and writer of "Schitt’s Creek" (season three premiered on POP TV last month). Mr. Levy was born in Toronto in 1983 and is the son of Deborah Divine and Canadian actor/comedian Eugene Levy. He shoots the show in Toronto.

What he loves:

I get to spend my weekends walking around and exploring. That’s my favorite thing to do. In fact, I never take public transit. I rarely take cabs. You can walk from one end of Toronto to the other in 45 minutes.

The amazing thing about Toronto is that it is a world-class city that doesn’t feel big. It’s a manageable town—there’s a very intimate feeling in Toronto. It’s very unpretentious and it has the gloss and polish of a huge cosmopolitan city.

The food in Toronto has really been put on the map. Since it’s an incredibly international city, there are amazing communities of people who have made it their home. As a result, you have the best of everything, from Italian to Chinese, Japanese and Ethiopian food. It really is this great hub of international culture.

Insider’s tips:

One restaurant in particular is called Terroni and it has become this Toronto export. They’ve opened two restaurants in L.A. It’s a great totally bankable restaurant that started in Toronto.

The Art Gallery of Ontario is quite exceptional and Frank Gehry did an addition to it. They have incredible exhibits. That’s where I like to visit once a season and walk around and soak it all in.

For comedy, there’s a place called Comedy Bar and I’ve seem great sketch there. The Second City continues to be a great go-to spot for those interested in comedy.

Kristine Stewart

Photo: Getty Images

Kirstine Stewart is the Chief Strategy Officer for Diply, a content platform with over 1 billion monthly views. Until fall 2016, Kirstine she was the vice president of media at Twitter, overseeing North American media partnerships across all verticals, including television, sports, gaming, news and music. She was recently named to Maclean’s list of the most powerful Canadians (just two places behind prime minister Justin Trudeau).

What she loves:

The best kept secret of Toronto is its diverse neighborhoods. You could eat an Ethiopian breakfast in the morning, visit French masters in our museums in the afternoon, dine in a bustling Portuguese neighborhood and party into the late night in the downtown district. The city really has so much to offer it can be something different every day.

It’s an amalgamation of all sorts of cultures and perspectives— it really cements Toronto as a truly world-class metropolitan city.

When the NBA came to Toronto for the NBA All Star Game—despite incredibly unseasonably cold temperatures—the city really rose to the occasion. It showed all our U.S. visitors an amazing time with our very own Drake as a major ambassador.

Insider’s tip:

I love being right in the heart of the downtown entertainment district. A quick walk and you can get to great clubs, shopping and restaurants of Queen West—and for fun there's sports and concerts at the ACC and Rogers Centre.

Preet Banerjee

Originally trained as a neuroscientist followed by a brief foray as an aspiring racecar driver, Preet Banerjee is now a consultant to the wealth management industry. He won the "Ultimate W Network Expert Search," a reality show competition in 2009 and as a result, was named the host of "Million Dollar Neighbourhood" on The Oprah Winfrey Network. He has been a financial panelist on CBC’s "The National with Peter Mansbridg"e since 2011, and appears every Monday morning on "The Morning Show" on Global Television. He is also a regular contributor to CBC’s "On The Money" with Peter Armstrong."

What he loves:

I live in the Distillery District, which is a big tourist stop that ensures there is no shortage of festivals and fairs on many weekends of the year, but walking just a few minutes in any direction offers lots of other great options. St. Lawrence Market is world famous and a great place for locals to pick up high quality food to prepare at home, and visitors have no shortage of great food to eat on site. To the east, Leslieville is quickly becoming a new hot spot for eating out.

Insider’s tip:

It's no secret, but taking a ferry to one of the islands in the Toronto Harbour is a great way to take in a sunset over the cityscape. Another option, which may be a secret to many people because I only found out about it myself when I moved into the neighborhood, is that the foot of Leslie Street extends into what's now called the Leslie Spit, which is a 5 kilometer man-made peninsula that you can only access on weekends during the day. It’s great for a nice long walk.

There is part of a neighborhood near Casa Loma, which is basically a small castle in midtown Toronto, which declared itself an independent republic back in the late 1960s. Legend has it that they anointed a queen, which is odd given they identify as a republic, but that speaks to the humorous nature of this neighborhood. This small nook of the city is called the Republic of Rathnelly. I don't think there is a tourist office, so you might just want to visit Casa Loma if you're in the neighborhood.

One "con": the city is bursting at the seams during rush hour. Toronto has its issues when it comes to transit and transportation.

Caitlin Cronenberg

Caitlin Cronenberg is a director and renowned celebrity and fashion photographer, born and raised in Toronto. In 2016, she shot the cover and album art for Drake’s certified four-time platinum, Grammy Award nominated, "Views" record, cementing her as one of the most- sought- after shooters in Canada and abroad. Her first book of photography, "Poser," was published and 2010 and she is working on her second, "The Endings."

What she loves:

I love that the city embraces the parks and public areas, especially in the summer. Every park is full of kids using splash pads and playing all day until the sun sets. The bigger parks are full of families and people having picnics and playing sports. It's a real scene. (Can you tell I miss summer?)

The city is great because it has world-class culture, theater, arts, restaurants, industry, and shopping, but there are still areas that feel like quiet neighborhoods where you can relax. We still have tree-lined streets and parks of all sizes that feel like you are far away from the city, sometimes only a block away from major intersections. I like being able to retreat into the quiet areas when I need a break, but still being part of the action.

Insider’s tips:

My favorite place to hang out is the dog park at Trinity Bellwoods Park. The off-leash area is sunken in and referred to as the "dog bowl." I don't have a dog of my own so I go with my God dog Quincy. He gets me in. This summer I got to take my son to the dog park and introduced him to the amazing dogs. It's a very tight community of dog owners and some amazing dogs. When you go often enough you get to know the regulars.

There is a random Japanese restaurant at Bloor and Church. It is totally unassuming and you'd easily walk right past it. On Tuesday nights they make homemade soba, and it's real soba. The most delicious you've ever had. They don't even advertise it, you have to go in and ask for it. It's called Ichiriki. Amazing. A true hidden gem.

Susur Lee

Chef Susur Lee runs five restaurants in Toronto—Lee, Bent, Luckee, Lee Kitchen and Fring’s—and following appearances on "Iron Chef America," he became a media sensation on "Top Chef Masters." Lee is currently a judge on Food Network Canada’s "Chopped Canada" and recently joined the three-judge panel on Lifetime’s new series Masterchef Asia.

What he loves:

I love downtown. It’s a hub for all kind of entertainment. There are restaurants, theaters, places to shop, museums and galleries. It’s energetic, vibrant and where I live and work. The spirit is always high and it’s a great place to interact with all kinds of people. The multicultural nature of this world-class city is inspiring!

Insider’s tips:

There is always something good at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum). It has something for everyone and it’s also educational! One of my favorite permanent galleries is the Gallery of Chinese Architecture. I also always have to make a visit to the bat cave!

My family and I love to go to Korean Village, King’s Noodles and Taste of China. These are all really great authentic spots that are casual and accessible and the food is amazing.

Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt is a serial entrepreneur who built two successful technology firms. As one of Canada’s top entrepreneurs, he was a celebrated "Dragon" on CBC’s "Dragons' Den - Next Gen Den," and is a weekly business commentator on CBC's "The Exchange," "On the Money" and "The Business Panel." Mr. Hyatt is also a founding partner at the Rotman School of Business Creative Destruction Lab. He chairs his family's charitable foundation, is an active investor and speaker.

What he loves:

If you came to Toronto 10 years ago and then visited today you wouldn't recognize the city, as we've gone through such tremendous growth. We've had a massive boom in both residential and commercial real estate, having close to 50,000 new people to the city per year. Toronto has a diversified economy that shows no sign of slowing down.

Unlike many other major North American cities you can buy a family home very close to the downtown core. While they have gotten quite expensive over the past few years, you could leave your home and be downtown by car or subway in 15-20 minutes.

We are a very open, accepting and diverse city—having over 140 spoken languages and dialects. Moreover, when you compare us to most other large cities we have a very low crime rate. Lastly we have an island airport close to the downtown core and a high speed train to our larger airport.

Insider’s tips:

I live in the Yorkville area, which is where many of the higher-end shopping and restaurants are. I think my favorite areas are Yorkville—very upscale and busy. The St. Lawrence Market is an amazing Sunday market, and the Kensington Market area is where you have a ton of electric fun shops; lastly the Distillery District where you can shop and grab a fun dinner out.

The Distillery District has the best "Christmas Market" in the city. The area transforms itself into a giant celebration with many new vendors and really fun time for the entire family.

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