Where should I stay in Toronto?

March 12, 2015 2:47 PM

I'll be going to a conference in Toronto the first week in June. The conference will be at the convention center. Find me a great place to stay!

I'll be traveling alone, and not reliably with someone, so I'll need to be able to comfortably get back on my own at night. I won't have a car. There's something to be said for being close to the conference, so I can run back in the middle of the day if need be. But then again there's also something to be said for being near where people will be going for dinner.

Cost is absolutely an issue. Do you know of a well-kept secret? A fun little hole in the wall? Or just a boring old hotel that's somehow better than the other boring old hotels around?

For bonus points, tell me where I should go have dinner and/or what I should do for fun in the evening. Thanks!

posted by telepanda to Travel & Transportation around Toronto, ON (15 answers total)

Oh, man - couchsurfing! Toronto was the first place that I couchsurfed, and I really enjoyed the experience (though, obviously, that's much more dependent on your hosts than the city necessarily).. Right on the lake, and it was also during the summer, during the late-night-daylight. I don't know how you feel about couchsurfing, but that's usually the first thing that comes to mind when I think of low-cost traveling. I can send you the account link for my hosts in mefi mail, if you'd like.
posted by mrmanvir at 2:58 PM on March 12, 2015

There are a crap ton of AirBNB rentals available in the condo towers near the Convention Center (assuming you mean Metro Toronto CC) -- they're likely your best bet for reasonable cool, reasonably nearby and reasonably inexpensive. There's not really anywhere near the convention center that you should feel uncomfortable alone in at night -- Toronto's pretty safe in general.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:00 PM on March 12, 2015 [4 favorites]

Which convention centre? There are several. The Metro one is downtown and connects to transit. There's one out by the airport which is near little of note, and has very poor methods of getting away from it.
posted by scruss at 3:00 PM on March 12, 2015

The Canadiana Backpacker's Inn is fantastic. It's a centrally located hostel in the Entertainment District so there's lots to do, and they have options for private rooms. Cheap, good, and free breakfast last time I was there. It's also been voted the best hostel in North America. If you have time, they also run tour packages.
posted by Gneisskate at 3:04 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Which convention center will make a big difference to what you best options are. But, if you are talking about downtown somewhere, look into University Residences some of which do single night or a few night stays in the summer. Toronto has decent, safe transit and nearly everywhere downtown is safe enough with a basic awareness of city safety, so you have lots of options for entertainment and dining. If you want a neat experience, get up super early and catch the very early morningcity run ferry to the Islands and back to watch the sun coming up over the city-cheap and great photo ops.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 3:08 PM on March 12, 2015

If you're at the Metro Convention Centre, Ryerson University is only a few blocks away and offers pretty cheap accommodation.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:15 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Metro Toronto Convention center, on the waterfront.

Also, how are cabs (availability/pricing)?

Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming!
posted by telepanda at 3:34 PM on March 12, 2015

Book early. I got to Toronto in the middle of a long road trip once and found the whole place was booked out for a psychiatrist conference. I eventually persuaded a hotel to give me the secret room they save for emergencies, but I was lucky.
posted by w0mbat at 3:43 PM on March 12, 2015

Taxi's are easy but my suggestion is a week long transit pass, $40, so easy, such good service in Toronto, I just got back from a week there and was zipping around busses and streetcars and subways all day and night.
posted by Cosine at 3:43 PM on March 12, 2015

Cabs are widely available on the street; my favourite cab company is Beck, 416.751.5555

From the Ryerson residence to MTCC would probably be about $10-11, incl tip (fares are inclusive of taxes; cabs take cash/debit/credit; will give you a receipt for cash if asked).
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:44 PM on March 12, 2015

How about the Super 8 in Chinatown?
It's about a 20-minute walk to the MTCC or you can take the streetcar.
You can find good eats in both Chinatown and the nearby Kensington Market.
As an added bonus, you can go to Dark Horse Espresso on Spadina for coffee and a bite on your way to the conference.
posted by Snazzy67 at 6:52 PM on March 12, 2015

Safety: Toronto is safe. Really safe. Especially as stated above - anywhere 15 - 20 minute walk of the convention centre, even later in the evening - completely safe. Be smart etc. and you'll be fine. Subways go to 1am, and there are buses/streetcars that run all night.

Fun stuff: June is the beginning of the weekend festival in Toronto. *Every weekend from then on until fall has some big street party!* Cursory google reveals the raw/vegan festival on June 6/7th! There also might be another cultural festival somewhere that weekend too, a little further out from the downtown core.

Shopping: Both the Distillery District and Queen St. West in walking distance

Food: All sorts, cheap eats, gourmet, etc. Different cultural pockets of the city specialize. Gerrard/India Bazaar by transit. Multiple Chinatowns - downtown one walkable as noted above! Greektown by transit. Little Italy. Walkable/transit. There are many more cultures represented but a bit further out from the downtown.

Nighttime fun: Meetup obviously!

Theatre: LOTS LOTS LOTS Here is an innovative theatre creator I like a lot. Walkable from the Convention Centre on the Harbourfront.

The weather will be lovely.
posted by typewriter at 9:26 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have never stayed there, but I walk past this place all the time, and it looks really cute. Don't know if it fits into your price range, but it's location is great - very close to the AGO, queen st, chinatown, no too long of a walk to the convention centre, and it's on a side street full of nice little restaurants.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:01 PM on March 12, 2015

In 2007 I stayed at Kate's Downtown for a meeting at the convention center. It was about a 10-15 minute walk through an unpopulated, grey, concrete area that made me a little nervous but nothing the least bad happened. The street that the bnb was on was like an oasis, one block with trees that arched over the street and lovely Victorian houses, in the midst of all of the greyness of downtown. Also the best breakfasts ever and I paid significantly less than the conference hotel. I'm not sure if she is still running the b&b, but here is a link with a phone number.

For the convention center itself, bring comfortable shoes! I felt like I was walking half a mile between sessions.
posted by SandiBeech at 11:36 AM on March 13, 2015

My parents have stayed both at the Baldwin Inn that 5_13 mentions and at the Ryerson residences. The residences are cheap and functional, the Baldwin Inn is cute and nice and closer and it's in Baldwin Village which is cute and nice and full of tasty food.

Take a look on AirB&B too, there are tons of places to choose from. I live near the Art Gallery of Ontario, just a short walk north of the convention centre, and once you get north of King you're out of tourist/convention land and into the nice walkable downtown.

If you stay near me, don't bother with a taxi unless it's pouring rain or something. It's a short, safe, interesting walk. Walk to Kensington Market, walk through Chinatown, go to the AGO, stare at the weird OCAD building on stilts, explore Queen West and King West, it's all a very short jaunt from the convention centre by foot.
posted by heatherann at 4:33 AM on March 21, 2015