Become a tourist in our own neighbourhoods, city urges

You may not be able to make that trip to Paris or Rome you’ve always dreamed of. In this era of pandemic you can’t travel to New York or tour the eastern seaboard. Even travelling across Canada is problematic.

But, hey, you can always safely explore the wonders of Greenwood-Coxwell in Toronto’s east end.

Or take in the sites of Mount Pleasant East in midtown. Or of Chinatown and Kensington.

Or tour any other neighbourhoods in our 25 wards, with self-guided tours outlined by the city in its StrollTO program.

The city announced the plan today as part of its overall ShowLoveTO initiative to encourage residents to “actively discover shops, stops, places and spaces on their local main streets,” according to a news release.

“Initiatives like StrollTO give people a way to get outside and safely enjoy our city while supporting local businesses and neighbourhoods,” Toronto mayor Joh Tory said. “I encourage residents to go outside, keep their distance, wear a mask and discover new parts of the city.”

Local strolls

Using maps and itineraries online on the See Toronto Now site, residents can stroll through Toronto’s neighbourhoods, noting the points of interest that are culturally and historically significant.

Here are some of the neighbourhood strolls presented in wards covered by Streeter:

Beaches-East York — The Beaches

Don Valley West — Mount Pleasant East

Don Valley East — Banbury-Don Mills

Eglinton-Lawrence — Lawrence Park South

Toronto Centre — Church-Yonge Corridor

Toronto-Danforth — Greenwood-Coxwell

Toronto-St. Paul’s — Casa Loma

University-Rosedale — Kensington-Chinatown

But there’s no need to stick to your own neighbourhood. The strolls are open to anyone across Toronto.

See the full map of tours across Toronto online.