Ulysses Travel Guide Toronto

During the past thirty years, owing to the considerable immigration from Asia and the West Indies, the atmosphere of Canada's largest metropolis and principal financial centre has been dramatically altered.

The third edition of the Ulysses Travel Guide Toronto, edited by Jacqueline Grekin, is a comprehensive guide that reflects the pulse of the "Queen City," as Toronto is often referred to.

The guidebook contains eight sections: portrait, practical information, exploring, outdoors, accommodations, restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and a very extensive index.

Each one of these sections contains brief appetizing information that enhances our curiosity and aids us in planning a rewarding visit to the city. For example, in the subsection entitled "Toronto: City of Neighbourhoods" there is a side box describing Yonge Street that, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the longest street in the world. Apparently it stretches 1,896km from the shores of Lake Ontario to the town of Rainy River, in northwestern Ontario.

The section dealing with restaurants, although brief, is nevertheless very helpful. Unfortunately eating out in Toronto as compared to Montreal can be quite expensive. However, the guidebook facilitates our choice in pointing out to us those restaurants that are inexpensive, moderate and expensive. We are also informed as to their exact location, and telephone number. Another useful feature is Ulysses favourites where we are informed of restaurants that have particular attributes such as innovative cuisine, interesting selection, warm ambiance, terrasse, people-watching and desserts. One deficiency, however, is that this section as well as some of the others omitted to mention if credit cards were accepted and if there was wheel chair accessibility.

Another useful feature of the guidebook is the thirteen walking tours of various sections of Toronto. If you participated in all of these tours you certainly would have an excellent introduction to the city. The tours include the waterfront, the Toronto islands, the theatre and financial districts, Old Town of York, Queen West, Chinatown and Kensington, Queen's Park and the University of Toronto, Bloor and Yorkville, Cabbagetown, the Annex, Rosedale, Forest Hill and the North of Toronto, the beaches, Niagara Falls (although this last tour is not situated within Toronto proper).

The guidebook also contains over 20 useful maps as well as several colour photos. The photos illustrate the cultural and architectural attractions of Toronto and are accompanied by captions providing a variety of useful information.

This compact, comprehensive and attractive guidebook is extremely useful for those who either presently live in Toronto or are contemplating a visit to the Queen City.