The cherry blossoms at Trinity Bellwoods are a bit like Toronto itself--gorgeous, chaotic, and…read moreoverhyped in the best way. The trees line a picturesque stretch of the park, and when they're in full bloom, it feels like the city collectively remembers to stop and breathe for a second. Pink petals, sunshine (if you're lucky), and everyone suddenly becoming a photographer. Of course, you're sharing the moment with about half of Toronto. Between the throngs of selfie-takers, dogs in sweaters, and folks sprawled out pretending it's warmer than it is, there's plenty of entertainment even if the blooms are a bit past their prime. My advice? Don't expect Kyoto-level serenity. But do expect a lively, local take on hanami--Toronto-style. Grab a coffee, people-watch, and enjoy the fleeting beauty before the blossoms (and your patience) are gone for another year.

Not the park to bring your kids. Or so I was told. I mean, sure there were a few baseball games…read moregoing on and a bathroom to bat. Following the path a bit of ways, we were greeted by the loud screams of a woman in a tent alternating between french and english. Obviously upset in whatever she was going on about. Up the hill a little more. I was informed it was ok to crack a beer and smoke a smoke because it's one of the parks where it's ok? I have no idea if this is true for I was naive enough to take the word of my bud, but as I looked around, not a single kid in sight. I'm told they have drum circles here where they put pyramids on their head and play light language... sounds right up my alley, minus any intoxicants in that type of thing. Anyhow, buggest skeeter I ever saw, made me keep moving until I found myself elsewhere in DT.

I live in the east side of downtown (Toronto's Upper East Side, JK), and I used to swim at the…read morefamous and free Pam McConnell and YMCA Cooper Koo. Until one day, while taking a walk, I came across the Jimmie Simpson Center. After checking, I found that it's also a municipal facility and free to use, so today I made sure to finish my errands early to swim 500 meters as part of my afterflu rehab. From now on, I'll probably keep coming here! First, both Jimmie Simpson and Pam McConnell are municipal recreational facilities, so they're free, and both are not far from my place - a 5-10 minute drive or under 20 minutes walking. Secondly, the second reason I prefer Jimmie over Pam is parking! Unlike Pam, which is located on Dundas East, Jimmie is situated in Leslieville on Queen East. After crossing DVP, traffic isn't bad, so parking is much easier. Also, I feel like not many people know about Jimmie, so it's less crowded compared to Pam. The paths are wider, and today I was the only one in the medium-speed lane. If I had to point out a downside, it's that the locker room facilities are much older than Pam and the YMCA, but they're still clean, and I kind of enjoy that nostalgic vibe. The pool water temperature is also really comfortable. Overall, I highly recommend it to anyone who lives in the east side of DT and is looking for a place to swim!

Great facilities. I use it for lane swimming and the pool is a good size and generally not too…read morebusy, except for 15-20 blocks. People I know play basketball or do aqua classes and all are very impressed. I'm hoping to swim today (Dec 31, 2024) so don't all show up at once. I'm a medium lane swimmer but on the slower side and I am self-conscious about holding people up.

I come here on Saturdays to play badminton. It's free admission. The area where the courts are, is…read morepainted bright yellow. It's distracting for me to play, especially when the birdie is yellow. It's hard to see. There is an area where you can play ping pong as well as a pool table to entertain you. What i am critical about is that when i sprained my leg, i went for help, but the people in the office were more interested in gossiping with each other than helping me. When i asked it they can do anything for me, they just said no. What i don't understand is how they treat or address injuries since this place is a sports centre.

This community centre is a busy one! Whenever I've been inside there is always a tangible bustle…read morethat gives great insight into the area and its diversity. I have swam in both the indoor and outdoor pools and they are among my favourites. The indoor one has interesting sight lines with windows on both the Dundas street side and the opposite side with its unique wedge shape. The outdoor pool is one of the old style gigantic ones where you can almost get lost in the middle of it due to the length. The library is a great place to hang out with floor to ceiling windows lining the side that faces Dundas and adjacent to the street market which popped up in the last couple of years. Winter time is fun too with one rink for public skating (no boards) and the other rink has boards and is used for ice hockey in the winter and inline ball hockey in the summer. Ryerson Public School neighbours the community centre and has a large treed field with paved areas near the school useful for playing ball or tennis against the wall. These type of community centers are what help make Toronto a great place to live!

For people living in the Dundas and Bathurst area, I would recommend checking this community centre…read moreout. For a nominal annual membership fee you have access to ESL classes, settlement courses for new Canadians, early morning Tai Chi, computer classes, cooking classes, and loads of fun stuff for kids (science club, youth volleyball, basketball drop-in, ball hockey, creative puppet making). They also offer really important services like "Emergency and Occasional Child Care" which has fees based on a sliding scale depending on family income, a peer nutrition program and parenting support for new parents. For other (still small) additional fees you can use the indoor pool and play other adult sports (badminton, weight training). Oh, and are you feeling hungry but only have $2 on you? The Greenhouse Cafe in the reception area offers a $2 menu everyday (with lots of good healthy stuff to choose from).

With a recent upgrade to the lobby, this longtime favourite rec center is now better than ever…read more It's tucked away at the south end of Grange Park which is right behind the AGO. In operation since 1910 USH has done admirable work in the community. They provide excellent quality swim lessons in the medium sized pool. There is always basketball being played in the sizable indoor court too. There are dance classes and other interesting activities going on. Quality daycare is hidden away to the right as you enter the lobby and also has cool areas for the kids outside under magnificent trees and in a private outdoor shaded area in the middle area of the building. Steps away is the incredibly beautiful Music Gallery. Upstairs you can find music lessons provided by qualified teachers. USH benefits the Queen St. area in an uncharacteristically unpretentious way. Do check it out!

Great. They have pretty cool programs, nice and cool teachers, nice playground, and yeah it's good…read more I remember one time in hands on science (a program about science) we talked about the "science" behind bottle flips and we actually got to flip bottles. This place is awesome.

This is the best investment I made in developing my kid's swimming skills! Niko is accommodating,…read moreflexible and easy to work with. Joanne is an amazing instructor!!! She is kind, patient and great with kids! She cares about their development and ensured that they were learning good swimming techniques. Joanne had them swimming the entire session and I cannot get over how much my girls swimming skills developed after only a few sessions with Joanne. This was the best money I spent this summer and can't wait to rebook again for next summer!

From the owner: With swimming lessons being our foundation, we exercise our core values by focusing on private and…read moresemi-private lessons, along with small group lessons, which have proven to be the most effective class structures to accelerate learning. We've found that hosting lessons in our clients' pools provides an added bonus – swimmers feel more comfortable in a familiar setting, often leading to better engagement and willingness to learn. We believe in creating a positive and inclusive learning environment where every student feels comfortable and motivated to excel. Above all, safety comes first. As such, our Team plays a crucial role in not only teaching swimming techniques but also instilling water safety skills in our swimmers. Our Team of Nationally certified instructors is trained to cater to all ages, skill levels, schedules, and pool spacing, offering 1-on-1, semi-private, or group lessons. To further ensure we achieve the highest service standard, Niko’s Mobile Swim School is the only swim school to require all our instructors to be certified in the Principles of Healthy Child Development through Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) and become Registered Athletes with the Lifesaving Society.

Taking advantage of the free swims during Summer, my family and I decided to try this place out…read morehaving not been before, and I can say it soon became our go to place for a cool down! Whilst there is no onsite parking, there is a parking lot just a 5 minute walk away which is fairly cheap and definitely worth it for a trip here. There's a huge park outside and area to walk around in where the centre is, as well as plenty of eateries if you get hungry after a swim sesh! The swimming pool is fantastic. There's a diving board, slide, swing rope and a hot tub as well as plenty of floaties and balls to play with. It's super fun with family or friends and even though it can get a little crowded, it's really well managed and has loads of space. The slide only runs at certain times so do watch out for that one! The changing rooms are also really nice and clean with plenty of lockers and private spaces. They are mixed. Overall a really great place for a fun day out!

Staff were not courteous on the phone. The showers are…read moregenderless with no option for privacy whatsoever.

Great martial arts community for adults that allows all levels to meet and improve. Head coach…read moreBobby Currie is a Judo, JiuJitsu champion and a kickboxing, Muay Thai expert. His knowledge and experience really make a difference and one's level increases weekly. kids program is exceptional, with my boys going to competitions and doing extremely well. I strongly recommend this gym.

I started working out here after bidding on a three month membership at a local school fundraising…read moreevent. Although I wasn't interested in the judo and jujitsu they are primarily known for, Bobby, the owner, accommodated my interest in getting fit and I ended up taking Dana's Strength and Conditioning classes and got hooked. I renewed my membership and then continued with private training sessions. I am the strongest I have ever been and feel and look pretty great (never thought I'd feel like this as a woman in my 40s with three kids). Dana is motivating and a fantastic teacher and trainer - she fine tunes and gives great prompts to assist with form and make sure the exercises are done properly and safely. In addition, my kids have trialed the jujitsu and gymnastics classes and loved them but couldn't continue due to their other activities, but from what I observed, Bobby is a knowledgeable, patient, and fun teacher. I highly recommend you or your kids try this dojo out for three months. Would be surprised if you or they aren't hooked like I was. elenaele

Too many kids. OMG! I wish i could get my money back. Its too bad we are forced to pay for the gym…read morethorough tuition. Utterly useless. The kids want to socialize, have no concept of working out. I will never use this gym again. Some are outright aggressive, use foul language, and ruin the atmosphere. Some act like they never seen a gym, its probably because they haven't. I also hate that low rider gym attire. It makes it look like they are there to fulfill their back-room fantasies.

Ooh, an FTR…read more Literally buried beneath the Ryerson quadrangle bounded by Gerrard and Gould streets, the Ryerson Athletic Centre is reminiscent of a time when Ryerson didn't have quite the financial warchest to throw around as it does now - rather than annex properties around the downtown core, it dug down. To wit: don't confuse the RAC with the shiny new Mattamy Athletic Centre in the former Maple Leaf Gardens. The entrance to the RAC is demarked by the façade of the former Toronto Normal School - you can't miss it. Descend the steps into the depths of this concrete jungle gym. I only use the squash courts here, which are open to the public. It's tough to find courts available to civilians without gym memberships, especially in the core. $9 per non-member is the price of admission - cheaper than $15 at a Goodlife - and again, neither player need subscribe to a membership. There are four international squash courts here (three glass-backed), with a viewing gallery at the top. Courts can be reserved in one-hour increments in advance via telephonic communication. I've found (at least during the summer) that courts weren't busy, and we weren't ever kicked off past our time slot. Likely to be busier during the school year. Unfortunately, during the summer this hermetic pit was hotter than a stinky, sweaty hell. Seriously, it was like playing in Dante's sauna. Not great. Also, the main gym thoroughfare transects the back glass-wall of the squash courts, so all the foot traffic can be distracting to your game. That said it also means a lot of university hotties passing by, which is definitely distracting to your game. Turn up the A/C in this AC. 15/30