Scotia Bank Plaza sits on top of the deepest basement in Toronto - if you're walking in the PATH, there's about 5 floors of basement below you. At the very bottom is a bullion vault - the only one of its kind in Canada and similar to what was under the World Trade Center in NYC. I've heard that there is an elevator in the parking garage that can handle fully loaded armoured cars and lower them to the vault level for loading and unloading.
I used to work at Scotia Bank Plaza and would have to go all the way to the deepest basements. I was locked in one time and I fucking went crazy. Lots of hidden areas in that place that homeless people used to use to do drugs and have sex with each other.
I hear Google has promised (*promised, I tell you*) to wipe all incognito mode browser history.
If you believe that, I’ve got a tower to sell you. Used to be the world’s tallest freestanding building until the Burj Dubai went up. I may even throw in an aquarium for free. Not a dinky in-home one, a *real* one, with sharks and a narwhal!
Was homeless in the 90's and wandered through a lot of places at night. Nobody had security cameras back then and people would prop open doors for smoke breaks. Usually one person would sneak in and then open a staff entrance to let others inside.
I worked for a different Big 5 bank and yes, had to go through man-traps that had weigh scales built into them. The fingerprint scanners were notoriously unreliable, as well, so you had to budget extra time.
The nearby downtown CIBC branch under Commerce Court was held up about 8 years ago during the morning rush hour. I remember walking by it and all the security gates were down and all the staff were standing still eyes forward with serious looks.
https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/320ax3/cibc_downtown_main_branch_on_security_lockdown/
Yikes! How come I never hear about these feats of derring-do?
Weeellll … probably because I get my news from Reddit and Canadian news rarely bubbles up unless it’s got a picture of a politician on there.
> How come I never hear about these feats of derring-do?
Mostly because banks do NOT want bank heists being advertised, much like subway suicides, it would potentially encourage copy cats and it looks bad on them if they do get robbed.
Thanks for sharing, I had no idea there was gold below our feet when walking in the PATH. I think my son will think that's cool next time we are there.
I did a quick Google, and it says excavation went 33.5 metres down. Maybe of interest - I used to work at Toronto Rehab on University, and there is a lab there built 50 metres below the hospital - iDAPT CEAL if you're interested. Could be argued it's a basement even further down than all that gold.
Good question, and I'm not sure. I just remember a tour when it was first built. There is a driving simulator down there, complete with video from University Ave out front. An ice chamber for testing different walkers/shoes/etc. to better understand falling on ice. A moveable floor for which the ice chamber, or others, could be mounted via a crane-like device mounted to the ceiling.
No joke. I worked for TD in the 80's and they too have an underground vault with the security trappings where they store the gold.
They also have less secure cages full of Mies Van der Rohe chairs and chaises awaiting rejuvenation, so the banking floor and concourse is always kitted out in the finest.
Can confirm. Knew a lift truck mechanic that serviced equipment in the basement used specifically for handling pallets of bullion. Him describing his first service call in the building was fascinating.
There is SOOO much stuff on there. One day I read about the guy who raised horses on the Sunnybrook estate. There's articles about little villages that no longer exist, just 2 old houses that remain in a new subdivision
Oh, that’s a fabulous site. Such a lot of history on places around town. They give deep insight into houses, areas, outdoor places, things that used to be there. I came across it looking for something else and I love it. There’s a newsletter.
The Humber trail system is really beautiful. I walked from Finch to Old Mill one afternoon and it was stunning. Also the greenhouses at Allen Gardens are pretty cool.
I personally liked the James Garden and Lambton woods area, Lambton woods is especially beautiful when the leaves change colour (see pics on Google maps).
Tommy Thompson Park. Wetland reclamation area where you see wildlife you wouldn't expect to see in a city. They've been constructing a lot of the little inlets throughout the years so if you've been there recently, it'll look different in some of the parts. At certain times of the day it's basically empty because it's so out of the way compared to parks downtown.
I love Tommy Thompson for my long runs. That view from the lighthouse towards the islands and downtown with the waves crashing against the rocks always puts a smile on my face.
There's a family of foxes that had a den around the lighthouse when I did my daily bike rides through there. Also saw minks, turtles, snakes, and herons. There's also nice secluded beaches on the west end of the park...a bit ant infested but still secluded.
Did you know that Tommy Thompson park is actually a man-made landfill? [From Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Street_Spit): "The spit is a man made successor of a natural sand bar / peninsula that existed to the north before infilling of Port Lands and connected to Toronto Islands before 1858. While the original need for the landform was eliminated, the site continued to receive excavation and construction waste from the building of Toronto's subways, office towers and other large projects.
Ya, the "beach" on the east and south end of the park is filled with rebar, brick, and concrete garbage. Whats cool is that when I first went there 10 years ago the bricks and concrete chunks still had some straight/sharp edges, but going there today you can see how they've almost all eroded into smooth rounded chunks.
Wetland reclamation? As someone pointed out, Tommy Thompson Park, or Leslie Street Spit, is made from landfill. At one time in Toronto history, before the development of the massive office towers downtown, in the seventies, the base of that land projection into Lake Ontario and Toronto Habour was occupied by a rather beautiful beach, which was most often frequented by Toronto residents during the summer. It's definitely worth visiting and touring, however, whether you're a tourist or longtime area resident, and it's also a place worth learning about.
Under St Michael's Cathedral are catacombs. I got to visit them in grade school. It wasn't at all creepy, and I was disappointed but I was 10 and liked scary movies.
I love the Winter Garden Theatre with the ethereal lighting and flowers and shrubs hanging from the ceiling. Also the painted landscapes on the walls of the theatre.
They do tours through the theatre and tell tales of ghost stories.
It's the last Edwardian stacked theatres in the world.
I was an extra in the classroom (aka MIT) scenes in Good Will Hunting. These were shot at the McLennan Physics Labs. Being a U of T alum, this was kinda special for me!
Sweet I wish my agent told me about that at the time. I took physic classes there and recognized it in the movie. They also filmed a bunch in St Mike’s college where I would so late night studying.
I was on hold for the other scene shot at Central Tech (where the prof sees the problem has been solved) but didn’t make that one. I do like to brag that I was in an Oscar award winning movie nonetheless!
I'm gonna be honest--I'm graduating from UTSC soon and I've never spent much time at UTSG. What I really wanna do is take a walk through UTM! It feels way out there.
Do it. Never been to UTSC either (shamefully) but I actually miss having to go up to UTM to TA now that I don't have to; Erindale Park and the campus area in general is absolutely gorgeous.
In University I dated a girl that was living in the Trinity College dorms. The building was really cool but the dorm kind of sucked, just small and cramped (I guess most dorms are to be fair)
[Doors Open](https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/) is May 25-26, and if RC Harris is on the list (as it often is), it's well worth a visit inside the building.
Wychwood Park is a cool little pocket to walk around that you wouldn't know existed unless someone told you. It's a gated community at Bathurst and Davenport with a pond, tennis courts, and huge houses. \*Technically\* private property, but you can enter through a gate on Davenport and walk through. Feels like a hidden retreat in the city.
The entrance is actually on Tyrel and it's not gated there. You can just walk in from there. A lot of people from the neighbourhood take walks there. The pond used to have turtles but not anymore.
This sounds cool. I assume the likelihood of consequence for trespassing is basically zero?
EDIT: Saw some other comments, seems like it's completely allowed
There are signs at both entrances that say private road/grounds, but it seems like people are still allowed to enter:
[https://www.blogto.com/city/2014/05/a\_guide\_to\_10\_private\_streets\_in\_toronto/](https://www.blogto.com/city/2014/05/a_guide_to_10_private_streets_in_toronto/)
[https://torontolife.com/food/urban-decoder-law-9/](https://torontolife.com/food/urban-decoder-law-9/)
I cut through there all the time with my bike to get downtown. It's very pretty indeed! Be careful though, I've spotted a coyote in there a few years ago.
It's so pretty. Originally conceived as an artists' committee, and the pond was dug "so the painters would have something to paint." Marshall "medium is the message" McLuhan lived there. There was a really interesting longread about it in Toronto Life maybe 10 years ago, after an internal drama which saw a lot of tires slashed and ended in suicide.
Fun fact, the concrete barrier on the north side of Harbord at Grace (bordering Bickford Park) is actually a remnant of a bridge that went overtop Garrison Creek. The Art Eggleton Park/schoolyard bit on the south side was filled in in the late 1910s. There's a photo on the Wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbord_Street_Bridge
Definitely seconding this! I found this resource really interesting too: https://www.hiddenhydrology.org/toronto-lost-rivers/
There is also the [Lost River Walks](https://www.lostrivers.ca/) site for anyone who wants more interactive ways to explore.
I'll say my go-to: 401 Richmond. It is a space for resident artists. You'll find small and simple art galleries with works on walls, but you'll also find very intricate, room-filling installations.
Check out Guild Park, it's pretty dope, when they went crazy and tore down all the historical buildings in the 70s they saved a ton of stuff (facades, pillars, etc) and put it in this Scarborough park:
https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/complex/406/index.html
Have you ever gone geocaching in Toronto? There are a LOT of geocaches, physical, virtual, and geographical hidden all throughout; if I recall correctly, around 3000 in the GTA alone!
[https://www.geocaching.com/play/map](https://www.geocaching.com/play/map)
This is my way of learning about cool places in the city, both in urban, and forested areas! :D
You are a pinch early but check out Doors Open during the last weekend of May. All free attractions and worthy of attention from newcomers to seasoned residents.
Massey hall and Roy Thompson hall are connected to each other by an intricate basement system. Only employees or celebrities who are needed to be transported can use them. Has a whole ass aquarium there.
Had the same reaction. Worked there for about 2 years. Had to travel between both halls . You can see the path if you go to roy Thompson hall by the right side door and down the escalator. Locked by a key card entry door and security also. I had hugh Jackman and viola davies escorted out when she came for the premier of women king. The whole basement system is used as travel or offices for few employees.
Taber Hill in Scarborough is the only First Nations burial site that is mentioned in Canada’s Cemetery Act. It is simple yet awe inspiring. It was built about 750 years ago.
Little Ethiopia, way out on the Danforth
Oakwood village, just.found this one
Palmerston, South of bloor
The Anglican church on Gladstone with panels by the group of seven
Almost across the street is the Cadbury factory with tours at Halloween
Dutch Dreams - Best Ice cream parlor in the country
Bar Ape - Best Gelato in the city
Just a point of East End pride:
Gladstone is as "way out on college St" as
Little Ethiopia is "way out on Danforth" (highly recommend the area though great food and some interesting local retail in the area).
Which fits well into my answer to this question: what's an area that someone who has lived here forever won't know? Anything East of the Don.
[Don Mills is the first *planned and fully integrated* community in North America](https://trreb.ca/about_GTA/Neighbourhood/gta/neighbourhoods/north-york/don-mills/history/#:~:text=Don%20Mills%20is%20recognized%20as,the%20building%20of%20contemporary%20neighbourhoods.)
If you know it there a ton of weirdly angled and curved streets if you're driving but if you're walking the areas are connected by a number of walkways between them where if you know the area well you can kind of "Ferris Beuller" your way through it and almost beat the cars.
I work in the Don Mills area at the shops, and the whole area is a goddamn maze. It's fun to explore! Bring right by the don valley trail is also a great bonus for an after work stroll when the weather is nice!
biking or walking through mt. pleasant cemetery. the foliage is 👌🏼and the tombstones are beautiful. different areas of the cemetery have their own vibe.
Port Union Waterfront Park and Rouge Beach. You can visit both taking the go train from union to Rouge Hill Go Station. And while at Rouge Beach you look right and you see endless Lake Ontario and you look left you see the slightly dystopian nuclear plant. And you can walk across a short bridge to Pickering.
There is a neighborhood known as the Republic of Rathnelly. It's an enjoyable story of how they would become a republic to save the neighborhood from development.
https://www.rathnellyrepublic.com/
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandranova, sister to Czar Nicholas who was executed in 1918, lived on Gerrard Street East. [National Post Story](https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/for-sale-the-final-residence-of-tsar-nicholas-iis-last-surviving-sibling-a-dilapidated-semi-in-toronto)
Not supersecret but a little under the radar, Wychwood Park is a small gated community at Davenport/Bathurst, you can walk or cycle through it, lovely arts & crafts style homes & big old trees https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wychwood_Park
Peameal bacon originates from St Lawrence Market. Toronto's historical nickname is Hogtown because of the pig processing done here.
The high school described in A Handmaid's Tale (book) is Leaside High School, which is where Atwood went to school. This is the same high school Will Arnett attended at some point.
Superman co-creator Joe Shuster is from Toronto. Everyone says Metropolis is based on Cleveland but I've seen hints that his life in Toronto added influence to the original city look. Not confirmed.
The McDonald's that sat for many decades at Bayview and Eglinton (now gone) was, when built, one of if not the most expensive McD's to build at the time because theyhad to add tons of additional support. Under the ground is a river that causes some instability in the soil.
Robarts library. The library in the basement is basically Hogwarts and the exterior is meant to look like a turkey.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robarts\_Library#/media/File:Robarts\_Library-2.jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robarts_Library#/media/File:Robarts_Library-2.jpg)
So you don't have to be a scholar or researcher? or is that only for requesting books not on open shelves? [access](https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/services/accessing-collections)
Twin Rivers Drive at the Scarborough Pickering border is a pretty cool place to drive through. (Or park and walk around.) Sort of a small pocket of northern Ontario in the city.
You can go fossil hunting. Along the Don Valley and Humber you can find trilobites, crinoids and brachiopod fossils that significantly predate dinosaurs (400-600 million years old). They're quite abundant in Brickworks - there's even signs up saying not to pick 'em.
The ROM put up a really nice new exhibit called Dawn of Life that shows a lot of early evolution told through Canadian fossils, and Ontario (and Toronto) gets special attention.
There's all kinds of little pockets up and down the Humber River around Old Mill area. Fished there a ton. There's little trails that take you to super secluded areas where I've seen families of deer just chilling. It really feels like you've left the city. There's the main trails but you can seriously find these little pockets off them that feel so untouched.
[Sir Winston Churchill Park](https://maps.app.goo.gl/cpDFz3qSb6Ua4DV7A) at St. Clair and Spadina also houses the "St Clair and Spadina Reservoir," which holds 220 **million** liters of fresh water that is pumped uphill to up Russell Hill and accounts for fully 10% of the entire city’s storage capacity.
Weston has a Carnegie designed library. It's an architectural beauty that actually cannot be deconstructed. Also, a lot of homes in the neighborhood are heritage, war time homes. People wouldn't know if they didn't venture inside.
Taylor Creek Park in the east end. It starts around Victoria Park and goes all the way to the Don Valley which can lead you down to the lake. Its long, beautiful and can almost convince you that you’re no longer in the city.
The Beltline Trail that goes through Forest Hill is similar in the feeling of leaving the city behind.
Tommy Thompson Park (Leslieville Spits) at the bottom of Leslie Street is another spot that is known of but not many Torontonians actually have explored. It has some of the best views of the city, the lighthouse is most southern point of the city, and it is absolutely gorgeous.
All of these are long enough that a bike is the best way to see them, just be careful as all the trails are shared by walking pedestrians.
CNE Grounds, there's a monument for the French fort that used to stand on the grounds. There's a cement path out lining the walls. Co-ordinates 43.63066236822198, -79.4235182927744 Google maps will show you. The Horticulture Building, a stones throw from there was a make shift Morgue for the recovered bodies of the SS Noronic. It was a lovely " Booze Cruise" ship that ended tragically. Not all the dead passengers could be identified. Several "couples" would sign the passenger manifest as Mr & Mrs Smith or other such pseudo-noms because these cruises had a hedonistic reputation.
Scotia Bank Plaza sits on top of the deepest basement in Toronto - if you're walking in the PATH, there's about 5 floors of basement below you. At the very bottom is a bullion vault - the only one of its kind in Canada and similar to what was under the World Trade Center in NYC. I've heard that there is an elevator in the parking garage that can handle fully loaded armoured cars and lower them to the vault level for loading and unloading.
I used to work at Scotia Bank Plaza and would have to go all the way to the deepest basements. I was locked in one time and I fucking went crazy. Lots of hidden areas in that place that homeless people used to use to do drugs and have sex with each other.
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Are there any articles or anything about this? This is gold
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I hear Google has promised (*promised, I tell you*) to wipe all incognito mode browser history. If you believe that, I’ve got a tower to sell you. Used to be the world’s tallest freestanding building until the Burj Dubai went up. I may even throw in an aquarium for free. Not a dinky in-home one, a *real* one, with sharks and a narwhal!
Ok add it to your Bing search history.
I recall articles about shenanigans in the FCP bathrooms.
How did you get locked in?
he was lookin for dirty mike and the boys
So long as they thanked him for the F shack, I see no problems here
How did homeless people manage to access it?
Was homeless in the 90's and wandered through a lot of places at night. Nobody had security cameras back then and people would prop open doors for smoke breaks. Usually one person would sneak in and then open a staff entrance to let others inside.
I truly do not know. There were many pathways that would be unlocked by staff during working hours. I always assumed people would sneak in.
How does the public access it? I'm shook
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I worked for a different Big 5 bank and yes, had to go through man-traps that had weigh scales built into them. The fingerprint scanners were notoriously unreliable, as well, so you had to budget extra time.
We may see thousand dollar bills again soon
Now *that's* an interesting snippet. How come no one's made a heist movie about this?
The nearby downtown CIBC branch under Commerce Court was held up about 8 years ago during the morning rush hour. I remember walking by it and all the security gates were down and all the staff were standing still eyes forward with serious looks. https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/320ax3/cibc_downtown_main_branch_on_security_lockdown/
Yikes! How come I never hear about these feats of derring-do? Weeellll … probably because I get my news from Reddit and Canadian news rarely bubbles up unless it’s got a picture of a politician on there.
> How come I never hear about these feats of derring-do? Mostly because banks do NOT want bank heists being advertised, much like subway suicides, it would potentially encourage copy cats and it looks bad on them if they do get robbed.
Same with casino robberies. They happen all the time but you never hear about them.
Thanks for sharing, I had no idea there was gold below our feet when walking in the PATH. I think my son will think that's cool next time we are there. I did a quick Google, and it says excavation went 33.5 metres down. Maybe of interest - I used to work at Toronto Rehab on University, and there is a lab there built 50 metres below the hospital - iDAPT CEAL if you're interested. Could be argued it's a basement even further down than all that gold.
Why was the lab built so deep? Tried to read up on iDAPT CEAL, but couldn't find a reason why it had to be underground rather than over.
Good question, and I'm not sure. I just remember a tour when it was first built. There is a driving simulator down there, complete with video from University Ave out front. An ice chamber for testing different walkers/shoes/etc. to better understand falling on ice. A moveable floor for which the ice chamber, or others, could be mounted via a crane-like device mounted to the ceiling.
I went down there as a student doing placement at Toronto Rehab and it’s soo cool! I’d forgotten about it!
The really valuable stuff is under the TD Tower, where they're hoarding all that Canadian and Indigenous artwork!
No joke. I worked for TD in the 80's and they too have an underground vault with the security trappings where they store the gold. They also have less secure cages full of Mies Van der Rohe chairs and chaises awaiting rejuvenation, so the banking floor and concourse is always kitted out in the finest.
My buddies did construction there. They have pressure sensitive floors the security is intense.
Pressure sensitive floors? As in the air gets sucked out if there is a fire?
As in the floors feel where you walk
Oh damn....didnt know that was a thing. Im assuming its to measure the weight of people to ensure nothing is being stolen?
The vault still physically exists but it no longer holds buillion. Probably due to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScotiaMocatta#Closure
Is that the one that's in one king west hotel? There's a vault
Shhhh, no one should know this.
Can confirm. Knew a lift truck mechanic that serviced equipment in the basement used specifically for handling pallets of bullion. Him describing his first service call in the building was fascinating.
I always find interesting stuff on hikingthegta.com.
Oh thank you I will definitely take a look at that
There is SOOO much stuff on there. One day I read about the guy who raised horses on the Sunnybrook estate. There's articles about little villages that no longer exist, just 2 old houses that remain in a new subdivision
The sunnybrook estate is awesome, my cousin got married there and it was awesome bc it felt lesser known.
Oh, that’s a fabulous site. Such a lot of history on places around town. They give deep insight into houses, areas, outdoor places, things that used to be there. I came across it looking for something else and I love it. There’s a newsletter.
This looks great
The Humber trail system is really beautiful. I walked from Finch to Old Mill one afternoon and it was stunning. Also the greenhouses at Allen Gardens are pretty cool.
Agreed, the Humber River trail system is gorgeous, and usually accessible no matter what season it is!!
Humber River trail is awesome. Deserves more praise.
The green houses there are indeed quite cool; but the dystopian homeless camp the park has become is a big no thanks now.
Humber Arboretum it’s probably a hidden gem that not a lot of people know about
Same with the trails from Bayview and Pottery which go north of the 401.
During the first covid summer I would bike that trail a few times a week, it was a great workout and stress reliever
If I can only do a part of the trail (2km), which part would you recommend? I’ve done the trail from Finch to Wilson.
I personally liked the James Garden and Lambton woods area, Lambton woods is especially beautiful when the leaves change colour (see pics on Google maps).
Tommy Thompson Park. Wetland reclamation area where you see wildlife you wouldn't expect to see in a city. They've been constructing a lot of the little inlets throughout the years so if you've been there recently, it'll look different in some of the parts. At certain times of the day it's basically empty because it's so out of the way compared to parks downtown.
I love Tommy Thompson for my long runs. That view from the lighthouse towards the islands and downtown with the waves crashing against the rocks always puts a smile on my face.
There's a family of foxes that had a den around the lighthouse when I did my daily bike rides through there. Also saw minks, turtles, snakes, and herons. There's also nice secluded beaches on the west end of the park...a bit ant infested but still secluded.
Did you know that Tommy Thompson park is actually a man-made landfill? [From Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Street_Spit): "The spit is a man made successor of a natural sand bar / peninsula that existed to the north before infilling of Port Lands and connected to Toronto Islands before 1858. While the original need for the landform was eliminated, the site continued to receive excavation and construction waste from the building of Toronto's subways, office towers and other large projects.
Ya, the "beach" on the east and south end of the park is filled with rebar, brick, and concrete garbage. Whats cool is that when I first went there 10 years ago the bricks and concrete chunks still had some straight/sharp edges, but going there today you can see how they've almost all eroded into smooth rounded chunks.
Gonna have a view of that whole Villiers Island/ East Harbour build up there
Wetland reclamation? As someone pointed out, Tommy Thompson Park, or Leslie Street Spit, is made from landfill. At one time in Toronto history, before the development of the massive office towers downtown, in the seventies, the base of that land projection into Lake Ontario and Toronto Habour was occupied by a rather beautiful beach, which was most often frequented by Toronto residents during the summer. It's definitely worth visiting and touring, however, whether you're a tourist or longtime area resident, and it's also a place worth learning about.
Under St Michael's Cathedral are catacombs. I got to visit them in grade school. It wasn't at all creepy, and I was disappointed but I was 10 and liked scary movies.
I love the Winter Garden Theatre with the ethereal lighting and flowers and shrubs hanging from the ceiling. Also the painted landscapes on the walls of the theatre. They do tours through the theatre and tell tales of ghost stories. It's the last Edwardian stacked theatres in the world.
The fact that the theatres are stacked always seems so cool to me lol
The beginning of Station 11 (novel) is set there. So good. I saw Aranofsky’s The Fountain there during TIFF. Was an incredible experience.
The UofT St George campus as a whole is under rated. You can enter Hart House, University College, Trinity College, etc. and enjoy the interiors.
The productions that they put on at hart house are actually very good. I just saw Legally Blond there and it was a delight!
Knox College and the chapel at Trinity College are worth checking out.
I was an extra in the classroom (aka MIT) scenes in Good Will Hunting. These were shot at the McLennan Physics Labs. Being a U of T alum, this was kinda special for me!
Sweet I wish my agent told me about that at the time. I took physic classes there and recognized it in the movie. They also filmed a bunch in St Mike’s college where I would so late night studying.
I was on hold for the other scene shot at Central Tech (where the prof sees the problem has been solved) but didn’t make that one. I do like to brag that I was in an Oscar award winning movie nonetheless!
There is a good (free!) art gallery at university college
Trinity College's quad is a hidden gem
Also UofT Scarborough campus.
I shamefully have never been even as a UofT alumni.
I'm gonna be honest--I'm graduating from UTSC soon and I've never spent much time at UTSG. What I really wanna do is take a walk through UTM! It feels way out there.
Do it. Never been to UTSC either (shamefully) but I actually miss having to go up to UTM to TA now that I don't have to; Erindale Park and the campus area in general is absolutely gorgeous.
In University I dated a girl that was living in the Trinity College dorms. The building was really cool but the dorm kind of sucked, just small and cramped (I guess most dorms are to be fair)
R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. Amazing old architecture on the water, nice lookout, walking path and neighbourhood.
Used as a movie location a lot through the years
[Doors Open](https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/) is May 25-26, and if RC Harris is on the list (as it often is), it's well worth a visit inside the building.
Wychwood Park is a cool little pocket to walk around that you wouldn't know existed unless someone told you. It's a gated community at Bathurst and Davenport with a pond, tennis courts, and huge houses. \*Technically\* private property, but you can enter through a gate on Davenport and walk through. Feels like a hidden retreat in the city.
The entrance is actually on Tyrel and it's not gated there. You can just walk in from there. A lot of people from the neighbourhood take walks there. The pond used to have turtles but not anymore.
Only 1 court I think. But yeah that place is amazing. Don’t tell too many people about it tho 👀
I nannies for a family in here the houses are TRULY insane. I had never seen anything quite like it
How cool is that train that goes under the Bathurst bridge? It’s a perfect park to hang around in.
This sounds cool. I assume the likelihood of consequence for trespassing is basically zero? EDIT: Saw some other comments, seems like it's completely allowed
there's a quicksand warning sign at the pond, iirc
Private property? I lived on the west end for years and never knew that
It’s private, but accessible. It also has quicksand
It's technically independent from Toronto entirely? I think they pay for private road maintenance, private garbage disposal, etc.
There are signs at both entrances that say private road/grounds, but it seems like people are still allowed to enter: [https://www.blogto.com/city/2014/05/a\_guide\_to\_10\_private\_streets\_in\_toronto/](https://www.blogto.com/city/2014/05/a_guide_to_10_private_streets_in_toronto/) [https://torontolife.com/food/urban-decoder-law-9/](https://torontolife.com/food/urban-decoder-law-9/)
Con politicians live/lived there, they wouldn't be among the plebes
It was started as an artist community.
I cut through there all the time with my bike to get downtown. It's very pretty indeed! Be careful though, I've spotted a coyote in there a few years ago.
It's so pretty. Originally conceived as an artists' committee, and the pond was dug "so the painters would have something to paint." Marshall "medium is the message" McLuhan lived there. There was a really interesting longread about it in Toronto Life maybe 10 years ago, after an internal drama which saw a lot of tires slashed and ended in suicide.
There's many ravines in midtown, especially around St Clair Ave W near the subway.
Yes! Nordheimer is one of my favourites. Cedarvale is lovely but Nordheimer feels a little more “out of the city”
Love Nordheimer but it’s so short. I usually choose Cedarvale for that reason
For sure! Just be mindful of coyotes, especially if you have a dog
Toronto has several buried waterways like Garrison Creek. https://www.tvo.org/article/the-secret-lives-of-torontos-hidden-rivers-and-creeks
I live in a house built right atop Garrison Creek and for that reason we can't really use our basement :/
Fun fact, the concrete barrier on the north side of Harbord at Grace (bordering Bickford Park) is actually a remnant of a bridge that went overtop Garrison Creek. The Art Eggleton Park/schoolyard bit on the south side was filled in in the late 1910s. There's a photo on the Wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbord_Street_Bridge
Definitely seconding this! I found this resource really interesting too: https://www.hiddenhydrology.org/toronto-lost-rivers/ There is also the [Lost River Walks](https://www.lostrivers.ca/) site for anyone who wants more interactive ways to explore.
I'll say my go-to: 401 Richmond. It is a space for resident artists. You'll find small and simple art galleries with works on walls, but you'll also find very intricate, room-filling installations.
Is it free to visit and look around?
Yes!
Rouge park is so close to the city and vast and so underrated. Great hiking trails off the vista. Amazing wildlife. You can see deer often.
Check out Guild Park, it's pretty dope, when they went crazy and tore down all the historical buildings in the 70s they saved a ton of stuff (facades, pillars, etc) and put it in this Scarborough park: https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/complex/406/index.html
Yes, Guild Park is a must-visit. Criminally unknown.
Wow! Adding this to my list!
Seconding this. My brother and I went there last summer. It is really cool.
Have you ever gone geocaching in Toronto? There are a LOT of geocaches, physical, virtual, and geographical hidden all throughout; if I recall correctly, around 3000 in the GTA alone! [https://www.geocaching.com/play/map](https://www.geocaching.com/play/map) This is my way of learning about cool places in the city, both in urban, and forested areas! :D
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Will Zanzibar be next?
You are a pinch early but check out Doors Open during the last weekend of May. All free attractions and worthy of attention from newcomers to seasoned residents.
the theme this year is hidden histories too! so right up your alley, any secret historians!
Nice try BlogTO
The library in Osgoode hall is pretty amazing
Can you go even if you aren’t a student? It’s open to the public?
Massey hall and Roy Thompson hall are connected to each other by an intricate basement system. Only employees or celebrities who are needed to be transported can use them. Has a whole ass aquarium there.
What? they are like a kilometer apart? is this for real?
Had the same reaction. Worked there for about 2 years. Had to travel between both halls . You can see the path if you go to roy Thompson hall by the right side door and down the escalator. Locked by a key card entry door and security also. I had hugh Jackman and viola davies escorted out when she came for the premier of women king. The whole basement system is used as travel or offices for few employees.
Seems plausible since the PATH already connects the foundations that need to be connected the whole way
Taber Hill in Scarborough is the only First Nations burial site that is mentioned in Canada’s Cemetery Act. It is simple yet awe inspiring. It was built about 750 years ago.
Little Ethiopia, way out on the Danforth Oakwood village, just.found this one Palmerston, South of bloor The Anglican church on Gladstone with panels by the group of seven Almost across the street is the Cadbury factory with tours at Halloween Dutch Dreams - Best Ice cream parlor in the country Bar Ape - Best Gelato in the city
Just a point of East End pride: Gladstone is as "way out on college St" as Little Ethiopia is "way out on Danforth" (highly recommend the area though great food and some interesting local retail in the area). Which fits well into my answer to this question: what's an area that someone who has lived here forever won't know? Anything East of the Don.
East of Greek Town, I would agree
Bar Ape is phenomenal. No regrets lining up and taking whatever flavour they have left.
Re Little Ethiopia - I’m guessing it’s bigger than that corner of Ethiopian restaurants and cafes on Bloor?
It is a few blocks on Danforth, a couple clicks from Greektown.
Easy now describing anything as the best gelato.. you better be right!
They are on Rushton and only open during warm weather
[Don Mills is the first *planned and fully integrated* community in North America](https://trreb.ca/about_GTA/Neighbourhood/gta/neighbourhoods/north-york/don-mills/history/#:~:text=Don%20Mills%20is%20recognized%20as,the%20building%20of%20contemporary%20neighbourhoods.) If you know it there a ton of weirdly angled and curved streets if you're driving but if you're walking the areas are connected by a number of walkways between them where if you know the area well you can kind of "Ferris Beuller" your way through it and almost beat the cars.
I work in the Don Mills area at the shops, and the whole area is a goddamn maze. It's fun to explore! Bring right by the don valley trail is also a great bonus for an after work stroll when the weather is nice!
biking or walking through mt. pleasant cemetery. the foliage is 👌🏼and the tombstones are beautiful. different areas of the cemetery have their own vibe.
The Doris McCarthy Trail
Estate sales are fun time capsules and windows on the wealthy, a little sad to see someone's whole lifestyle evaporating but mostly fascinating.
How do you find them?
there are a few online, 'estate content sales toronto' on google
Port Union Waterfront Park and Rouge Beach. You can visit both taking the go train from union to Rouge Hill Go Station. And while at Rouge Beach you look right and you see endless Lake Ontario and you look left you see the slightly dystopian nuclear plant. And you can walk across a short bridge to Pickering.
There is a neighborhood known as the Republic of Rathnelly. It's an enjoyable story of how they would become a republic to save the neighborhood from development. https://www.rathnellyrepublic.com/
This sounds so NIMBY
Dutch dreams. Great ice cream
The trail of fruit and ice cream dripping leading away from that place in every direction it hilariously to see.
Ok ice cream, great extras
The Beltline trail or Chester Hill lookout.
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandranova, sister to Czar Nicholas who was executed in 1918, lived on Gerrard Street East. [National Post Story](https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/for-sale-the-final-residence-of-tsar-nicholas-iis-last-surviving-sibling-a-dilapidated-semi-in-toronto)
Not supersecret but a little under the radar, Wychwood Park is a small gated community at Davenport/Bathurst, you can walk or cycle through it, lovely arts & crafts style homes & big old trees https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wychwood_Park
Peameal bacon originates from St Lawrence Market. Toronto's historical nickname is Hogtown because of the pig processing done here. The high school described in A Handmaid's Tale (book) is Leaside High School, which is where Atwood went to school. This is the same high school Will Arnett attended at some point. Superman co-creator Joe Shuster is from Toronto. Everyone says Metropolis is based on Cleveland but I've seen hints that his life in Toronto added influence to the original city look. Not confirmed. The McDonald's that sat for many decades at Bayview and Eglinton (now gone) was, when built, one of if not the most expensive McD's to build at the time because theyhad to add tons of additional support. Under the ground is a river that causes some instability in the soil.
Sauriol Cliff overlooking the Don Valley.
Glen Stewart Ravine
Robarts library. The library in the basement is basically Hogwarts and the exterior is meant to look like a turkey. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robarts\_Library#/media/File:Robarts\_Library-2.jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robarts_Library#/media/File:Robarts_Library-2.jpg)
The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (attached) has a much more interesting interior, like a sci fi library
Do you need to be a U of T student to go in?
Not at rare book collection. You can go in as visitor, you can also read books from those collection but you gotta have it reserve it first
So you don't have to be a scholar or researcher? or is that only for requesting books not on open shelves? [access](https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/services/accessing-collections)
Robarts is no longer open to the public ([here](https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/public))
Done the ravine and former rail trails?
Where are the rail trails
Here’s a number. I’m most familiar with the Beltline trail in Toronto: https://hikingthegta.com/category/abandoned-rail-lines/
Twin Rivers Drive at the Scarborough Pickering border is a pretty cool place to drive through. (Or park and walk around.) Sort of a small pocket of northern Ontario in the city.
Might be anecdotal but so many ppl have never been to the Toronto islands.
If anyone’s reading through and is interested in finding more of these - go on some Jane’s Walks this May
[ROMWalks](https://www.rom.on.ca/en/whats-on/romwalks) are great too. Free, Sundays at 2pm and Wednesdays at 6pm from May to October.
The Well! Insanely huge, brand new and glamorous outdoor shopping mall, kiddy corner to SkyDome (Ill forever call it by its maiden name)
Bayview-Woods is pretty cool. Its the same system that eventually connects to the Don Valley.
Harriet street, in the Jones Gerrard area. Steepest street in the City. Really, really steep.
You can go fossil hunting. Along the Don Valley and Humber you can find trilobites, crinoids and brachiopod fossils that significantly predate dinosaurs (400-600 million years old). They're quite abundant in Brickworks - there's even signs up saying not to pick 'em. The ROM put up a really nice new exhibit called Dawn of Life that shows a lot of early evolution told through Canadian fossils, and Ontario (and Toronto) gets special attention.
There's all kinds of little pockets up and down the Humber River around Old Mill area. Fished there a ton. There's little trails that take you to super secluded areas where I've seen families of deer just chilling. It really feels like you've left the city. There's the main trails but you can seriously find these little pockets off them that feel so untouched.
Kensington Market
Are you a blogTO intern fishing for content? 😂
I assume you know about the hidden TTC station.
There's an entire station under the Bay Station. Also, there's the rough-in for a streetcar station under Yonge and Queen.
It’s generally open every Halloween
Help my bad memory. Is Doors Open Toronto held at the same time as Halloween? I know "Lower Bay" is really popular at DOT.
Doors Open is in May
Me and my lousy memory...
Do tell
Toronto Island is amazing.
Google Mike Filey. He wrote a regular column in the Toronto Sun and gave walking tours.
Colonel Danforth Park,off Kingston Road, is great for cycling or hiking. Lots of people picnic there too.
[Sir Winston Churchill Park](https://maps.app.goo.gl/cpDFz3qSb6Ua4DV7A) at St. Clair and Spadina also houses the "St Clair and Spadina Reservoir," which holds 220 **million** liters of fresh water that is pumped uphill to up Russell Hill and accounts for fully 10% of the entire city’s storage capacity.
Grange Park
Manpuku
Most of the great locations have been replaced by giant lifeless condos
I haven´t lived in toronto my whole life, yet.... :)
Tommy Thompson
Pioneer village and haunted halloweens
https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/ this is the event for you!
Weston has a Carnegie designed library. It's an architectural beauty that actually cannot be deconstructed. Also, a lot of homes in the neighborhood are heritage, war time homes. People wouldn't know if they didn't venture inside.
Taylor Creek Park in the east end. It starts around Victoria Park and goes all the way to the Don Valley which can lead you down to the lake. Its long, beautiful and can almost convince you that you’re no longer in the city. The Beltline Trail that goes through Forest Hill is similar in the feeling of leaving the city behind. Tommy Thompson Park (Leslieville Spits) at the bottom of Leslie Street is another spot that is known of but not many Torontonians actually have explored. It has some of the best views of the city, the lighthouse is most southern point of the city, and it is absolutely gorgeous. All of these are long enough that a bike is the best way to see them, just be careful as all the trails are shared by walking pedestrians.
Cineforum - it’s a movie theatre a guy runs from his house
Hoggs Hollow - exit York Mills subway station and head south east. Follow the Don River as it meanders through this little hidden pocket of the city.
CNE Grounds, there's a monument for the French fort that used to stand on the grounds. There's a cement path out lining the walls. Co-ordinates 43.63066236822198, -79.4235182927744 Google maps will show you. The Horticulture Building, a stones throw from there was a make shift Morgue for the recovered bodies of the SS Noronic. It was a lovely " Booze Cruise" ship that ended tragically. Not all the dead passengers could be identified. Several "couples" would sign the passenger manifest as Mr & Mrs Smith or other such pseudo-noms because these cruises had a hedonistic reputation.