Why I Love Toronto
I love Toronto. There, I said it.
I’m originally from Ottawa, Ontario, which is about a five-hour drive from Toronto, but I have to say that Toronto is probably my favorite city. Sorry Ottawa!
Our university is located in the middle of downtown Toronto, and its location was one of the main reasons why I chose to go here. Being located in downtown Toronto gives our university a huge advantage when it comes to things to do around campus and other opportunities. Being able to live in the city since I started in 2019 has given me the opportunity to fall in love with it. So, here is why I love Toronto!
It has everything.
When I say that Toronto has everything, I’m not kidding. There is all kinds of shopping, a restaurant for every cuisine you could imagine and endless entertainment. The best part is that all of these things are located within a close proximity to our campus. The Eaton Centre (external link, opens in new window) is a huge mall just across the street and it has just about every store you could ever need. There are also countless restaurants around campus for snacks or meals that can suit whatever your tastebuds are craving. When I was in first year, I lived in residence on campus, and it really allowed me to get to know the city and everything it has to offer.
Yonge-Dundas Square is one of Canada’s busiest intersections and resembles New York City’s Times Square. It’s also just steps away from our university!
What do you like to do in your free time? You can do it here.
Do you like to watch sports? Toronto has a sports team in almost every professional league. You can see the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays play just a few subway stops away from campus.
If sports aren’t really your thing, don’t worry. I LOVE concerts and luckily for me, Toronto seems to be one of the only Canadian stops on a lot of tours for artists I love. I’ve seen a lot of concerts since I started at our university (including the Jonas Brothers!) and hope to attend many more in the future. The best part is, all of Toronto’s best music venues are easily accessible on public transportation.
If you like movies, the Toronto International Film Festival (external link, opens in new window) happens every year in downtown Toronto. In the past, we’ve had red carpet premieres on our campus. Seeing celebrities on my way to class? Yes please!
There are also a ton of museums around campus to visit whether you want to see some art at the Art Gallery of Ontario (external link, opens in new window) (visitors under 25 get in free!) or learn about history and culture at the Royal Ontario Museum (external link, opens in new window) (post-secondary students get in free on Wednesdays). I could go on and on, but basically there’s something for everyone in Toronto.
The unique opportunities.
Many of our university’s programs offer co-ops, internships or experiential learning opportunities to help students gain work experience before they graduate. My program, Creative Industries, has a mandatory internship, and I’m so glad I get the opportunity to do it in Toronto. Toronto is the hub for a lot of industries such as music, filmmaking, publishing and business. Our business school, the Ted Rogers School of Management, is on Bay Street, which is basically Canada’s version of Wall Street. I personally would like to do my internship at a book publishing company, and there are so many located in downtown Toronto. Our university’s location and connections offer a unique opportunity for students to get work placements in the fields that interest them.
Is it obvious that I love Toronto and everything it has to offer? If you’re looking for the experience of living in the city and having everything at your fingertips, our university’s location will let you have that. Being in the heart of Toronto has its advantages for school, work opportunities and most importantly—fun!
Until next time,
Jenna