Toronto: 'New York Times Journeys' Afternoon Arts Walking Tour with Food and Drink

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Pass By: Ontario College of Art and Design, 100 McCaul St, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W1 Canada

Your tour begins with a stroll past the Ontario College of Art and Design towards Queen Street West, the epicenter of youth culture in Canada in the 1980s. MuchMusic, Canada’s answer to MTV, opened here in the early part of the decade, quickly making the surrounding neighborhood a magnet for young people who wanted to see and meet their favorite bands.

Pass By: Spacing, 401 Richmond St W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 Canada

For the best souvenirs and gifts in town, Spacing Store is where you want to be. Located at the 401 Richmond Building in a former industrial space turned into art galleries, this is the unofficial gift shop of Toronto, filled with products that were made in the city and/or feature local imagery and inside jokes.

Pass By: Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2A2 Canada

Time for a beer at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern. We will sit close to the stage that has hosted acts like Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Nickelback, The Strokes, The Police and Barenaked Ladies, since the tavern opened in 1947. Oh boy do the bartenders here have stories!

Pass By: Graffiti Alley, Toronto, Ontario Canada

In many cities around the world, graffiti inspires controversy but in Toronto it’s become part of the landscape and an accepted way of expressing yourself. Graffiti Alley is our next destination, where we will admire some of the best and most varied street art in the city. If we’re lucky we will see one of the street artists at work. Grab some non-toxic chalk spray and leave your own (temporary) mark on this famous walkway.

Pass By: West Queen West, Toronto, Ontario Canada

Trendy Queen Street West is not just a shopping paradise but it also happens to be the world’s first Business Improvement Area (BIA). Founded in Toronto way back in 1970, these public/private partnership models have been copied by cities all around the world.

Pass By: Trinity Bellwoods Park, 790 Queen St W, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2 Canada

If the weather is good, we’ll stroll through Trinity Bellwoods Park, a popular hangout during the warmer months. Keep an eye out for the legendary white squirrels that live here; spotting one is supposed to be good luck!

Pass By: Sweaty Betty's, 13 Ossington Ave, Toronto, Ontario M6J 2Y8 Canada

What is Canadian food? Stop by Montgomery House Restaurant to chat with the chef, Guy Rawlings, about what constitutes Canadian cuisine and taste some of his seasonal specialties.

Toronto’s upcoming hippest neighborhood (you heard it here first!) is next. Ossington Avenue is full of vintage shops, ice cream parlors and restaurants galore, plus plenty more graffiti-filled alleys.

After an afternoon of exploring, we’ll make our final stop at Sweaty Betty’s for a relaxing drink. We recommend that you try one of the off-menu drinks that you have to know about to order


Stop At: Toronto Urban Adventures, 25 Cole St Unit 615, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4M3 Canada

After the tour, you may want to check out some places for dinner, including the new restaurants that have popped up nearby on trendy Ossington Avenue, or neighborhood favorites like the Golden Turtle. Another memorable option is the historic Lakeview Restaurant, whose 1950s retro style has featured in many movies and TV shows, including the 2017 Academy Award-winning film 'The Shape of Water.'

Duration: 4 hours