HomerJay

My friend and I have booked Porter Air on 7/17 from IAD into Billy Bishop with plans to catch the Blue Jays versus the Rays for a three game series that weekend. We booked the cheapest fare we could find, with a 3p Friday departure arriving Toronto City Airport 425pm. Game time Friday is 707pm.

We didn't pay to confirm seats on Porter. Could that be a problem if the flight is full?

How long should it take to clear customs at 430pm? We hope to be able to check into our hotel (Toronto Hilton) before game time.

The Saturday and Sunday games are 1pm starts, giving us Saturday and Sunday evenings free. Looking for suggestions on places where the locals
love to dine....neighborhood gems, that don't cost a fortune.

Heading back Monday morning on a 7am flight. When should we arrive at dockside to catch the ferry? Or is there any chance the pedestrian tunnel might be open on Monday July 20th?

I am really looking forward to my first visit to Toronto. Everyone says what a wonderful city it is. Can't believe I haven't been there before now. Thank you.

milepig

In my experience you'll clear immigration and customs in about 5 minutes.

gspurr

You will also have post-game Friday (after 10PM or so) free. The city will be much more fun on Friday than Sunday if you have the energy for it.

Toronto has a city with a lot going on but like many big cities is one of "neighbourhoods". Perhaps you might include your ages, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, what food or music you like, etc. to give posters an idea of what you might be into. If you are into the food or culture of a particular ethnic group Toronto probably has an area where you will find a concentration of it--i.e. Chinatown, little Italy, little India, etc. It also has a club district, a gay district, a fairly touristry theatre district.

If I were you I would try to get out of the central area where you are staying. For example, after the game on Saturday I would suggest after stopping off at your hotel to walk up to Queen and turn left (west) and go to Spadina and turn right (north) and walk up through Chinatown, heading through Kensington Market at the top end of Chinatown and head north up to College Street. At College turn left (west) and walk a few blocks until you get into little Italy. There are bars and restaurants there with nice patios. You could eat there or you could stop on the way in Chinatown to eat and drink in Little Italy.

The Pan Am games will be on so the city might be quite hectic but you should have fun.

B1

I've been on Porter flights many times and never have reserved a set - the seats are all about the same. If you're concerned about over-booked flights, I noticed that Porter bumps by fare class, no matter if your seat is reserved or not. If you have the cheapest seat, you get bumped first according to the policy that was explained to me at the time - I hope it's changed. They do look for paid volunteers first. If you're lucky, the tunnel to the airport will be open when you arrive. If not, the ferry could present an unknown time element. It runs every 15 minutes and they can take several hundred people but sometimes you don't get on the first trip. When the tunnel opens, this becomes a nonissue. The Pan Am Games are disrupting highway travel but should have no effect on your plans. Walking, Bikeshare, and TTC transit should get you around the place just fine. Don't miss the Art Gallery of Ontario and Allen Gardens.

eigenvector

You will find the area immediately around your hotel pretty dead on the weekends. However, you will find an abundance of great restaurants further west in the various neighborhoods of Queen and College streets. Maybe tell us a bit about your preferences and price range and we can offer some more specific suggestions. Most restaurants in Financial District are either mediocre, overpriced or both so I recommend getting out of that area.

Roads will be a nightmare due to the Pan Am Games so plan on taking the TTC. It is relatively efficient and reliable within the core areas of Toronto. On weekends, you can purchase a family day pass for $11.50 which will cover unlimited travel for 2 adults (don't need to actually be a family).

Shareholder

Airport shuttle bus will take you to Front & York/University streets and you can walk up to the Hilton from there four blocks, either up University (the wider street that veers to the left) or York (then turn left a half block on Richmond). You should get out of customs in about 15-minutes, have a wait for the ferry, then another wait for the free shuttle (unless you take a cab to the Hilton), so all told about a half-hour process should see you at Front stop by 5p and your hotel 15-minutes later. So lots of time to check in, unpack, and walk back down to the ballpark.

After the game, head up Blue Jays Way (you'll exit into it from the Rogers Centre at Front street) and you'll find lots of night spots along it, and branching out from there on Adelaide and Queen. From wherever you end up, it's a short walk back to the Hilton.

ghYHZ

We were in Toronto last weekend for 3 Jays Games (& three wins ) Returning to Halifax Sunday evening on Porter after the game.....we just picked up our carry-ons from the hotel (the Intercontinental) and instead of waiting for the Porter Shuttle, we just walked to the airport. Took about 20 mins with about a 5 min wait for the ferry.

And for walking around in the evening t0 the restaurants and bars downtown....Toronto is a very safe city.

Yoshi212

My first experience with PD was a few summers ago when I won a free return ticket via their continuous raffle (worth signing up for) and they've won me over. I like their little lounge and internet service at EWR and their lounge at YTZ makes spending time before your flight very calming.

YTZ is a great airport. If you can avoid checking luggage do so, as immigration is so quick you'll be waiting 10 minutes for your bags when you could be out the door and onto the ferry. The complimentary shuttle service is easy and the driver was nice enough to talk me through directions to my hotel. Saved me money on a cab.

Toronto is a fun city. Besides the bars closing early, compared to NYC, the variety of food and drink is great. Enjoy the city.

HomerJay

Thank you all.

One more question: For a 7am Monday morning departure from Billy Bishop - assuming the pedestrian tunnel hasn't opened yet - what would be a good time to catch a cab from the Toronto Hilton to get down to the dock?

B1

15 minutes to the dock - then the ferry - allow 20 minutes just in case. Then it's up to you.

mkjr

as another notes, post some more details and we can give you some restaurant advice.

PsiFighter37

From my trip to Toronto a few years ago, I would recommend:

1) Black Hoof - amazing gastropub, although if you are sensitive about a place that serves items like horse tartare, it may not be for you (BTW the tartare was delicious )

2) Fresco's Fish and Chips - the best version of fish and chips I've had anywhere. So good!

Would also recommend going by St. Lawrence Market and sampling a ton of stuff. There's this one mustard shop that has amazing varieties of mustard.

HomerJay

We're just a couple of baseball fans (one young, one old ) with champagne tastes and the proverbial beer budget. We live in DC's Dupont and Foggy Bottom neighborhoods, so our taste in food is wide-ranging. We're also far from xenophobic or homophobic or anything like that.

I guess the best way to describe what we're looking for is the kind of place where a kid coming home from the service would want to go with his family - or the kind of place you'd go to if Toronto had been your home town and you moved away and were returning for a visit. Nothing fancy, but great, honest food that's special to your home town.

Here in DC, it might be Ben's Chili Bowl. In my old hometown of Pittsburgh, it would be the "Dirty O" (the fabulous but dingy Original Hot Dog Shoppe), the Pleasure Bar (homestyle Italian food), or even a chain called Eat 'n Park that has awesome pot roast and perfect strawberry pie.

I don't want to be impressed with fancy stuff and fancy prices. Been there. Done that here in DC for decades.

What I want is good food, served and consumed by honest working people without attitude. And if it's a fun place in a lively neighborhood, that's a bonus!

Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful answers - for the ones already received, and for the others in advance.

milesmuncher

I think you'll be right across the street from the massive mega momofuku. Multiple floors, multiple restaurants. Some are pretty fancy (which I know you're not looking for), but the noodle bar on the ground floor is more low-key and my wife and I really enjoyed it when we spent a day downtown before heading out to the burbs to see my family.

mkjr

Porchetta and Co
The Stockyards
TLP Sandwich Co.
Kinton on Baldwin for ramen, some have other preferences. Sunday to Th, go to Raijin Ramen instead as they also have 9.99 pitchers of Sapporo during the summer.
Greenwood Smokehouse, a little out of downton,
Hanmoto
avenue open kitchen

Check these out and see if I am on the right track.