One of my children and their spouse recently bought a house here. I did not know anything about…read moreOakville walking around the neighborhood. I am stunned by the amazing houses the trees, the beauty, the restaurants, just the total peaceful vibe.. What an amazing place what a diverse place with homes from 30,000 ft.² to 2000 ft.²

I love our town; it has so many wonderful things to offer; from arts, architecture, nature,…read moreculinary options and beautiful parks and trails by Lake Ontario or Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Amazing and very friendly people live here and we have great events during summertime, winter, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc. We also have festivals for all family members, farmers markets on summer weekends and of course Kerr Village festival.

Cheering on our ALDS champs in Game 2 World Series! Good…read morecrowd & Mayor Chow is here! Let's Go Blue Jays!

I'm surprised that I never wrote a review about the Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square. Well,…read morethe time is now! I will admit that I am late to such trends. The first such sign that I discovered and took my first photo of was the Ottawa sign several years ago while I was at ByWard Market. As a tourist, I love such touristy attractions. They are fun and memorable. My first time seeing this Toronto sign in person was during the pandemic. It was nice to be outdoors, not wearing a mask, taking photos of the sign with Toronto reflected on the water on a warm, summery day. This sign changes colour depending on whatever event is happening. If it's Canada Day, you'll see the letters in red and white. When the Toronto Maple Leafs were making a playoff run, the letters were blue and white. I remember heading to my car after a Jann Arden concert at Massey Hall. It was a special evening for me. The letters were in white. The maple leaf next to it was red. It was a beautiful evening out. It's simply a cheerful sign at any time. It's a nice addition to the downtown core. Whenever I'm in the area, I try my best to visit and enjoy it. It's great, whether you are a local or a tourist. (95)

The Short Version: Markham is a suburb of Toronto, but it's…read moreno sleepy suburb, it has lots of great restaurants and fun places to shop. The Long Version: I'm thrilled that Markham has its own Yelp listing. Markham is about 30 km northeast of Toronto, and it has seen significant growth in the last few decades. When I was living in Toronto, I rarely ever went to Markham (except to go to Pacific Mall, more on that later) but after I left Toronto I discovered Markham more. This is mostly because when my parents and I would return to visit Toronto, we would stay in Markham as accommodations were more affordable there, and traffic was less congested than in Toronto. Also, my dad loves Chinese Food, and since there is a large Chinese population in Markham, he's in foodie paradise there. Haha. I soon discovered that Markham had plenty of restaurants and shops that I like. My first time to Markham was to visit Pacific Mall. When it opened in 1996 it was the cat's meow. I remember my parents taking my brother and I there and I was fascinated by all the Asian shops. I was interested in the hair accessories and my brother was interested in the videogames and figurines. And we were both interested in the food court, lol. These days Pacific Mall is no longer novel and it has lost its former glory. Now there are many shops that sell the same thing and they are items that you can get elsewhere. The food court is still cool though. Once upon a time they even had a Beard Papa's franchise at Pacific Mall, but alas it closed. Although these days, my favourite food court in Markham is at First Markham Place. It's fairly large with lots of vendors and prices are very reasonable. Most vendors are small independent businesses with only one location. I also like the Oomomo at First Markham Place. I also love J-Town, which is in Markham. You'll find all things Japanese here. Sasaki Fine Pastry has amazing daifuku! Kuo Hua Trading Co Ltd is also another favourite place of mine in Markham. They sell imported items from Taiwan. CF Markville is a great mainstream mall in Markham. And it has my favourites stores, Marshalls and Winners! Markham also has several restaurants that specialize in huge wonton soups, which I love, such as Big Trio Wonton Noodles and Wonton Hut. The wontons are the size of golf balls, lol. Markham also has lots of bubble tea shops and I love my boba. Haha. I'm a fan of Markham, although I feel like you need a car to get around. It's not all that walkable, everything is fairly spaced out, but this is expected since it's a suburb. Review #26 (2026)

A high school friend recently returned to the greater Toronto area (GTA). We met for dim sum in…read moreMarkham and she brought her childhood friend. We had this conversation just before we got the bill: Friend: What is Markham known for? Me: Horrible drivers in BMWs. I curse more at drivers here and their poor driving than any other place. We all laughed. It is also true. There are plenty of incompetent drivers in this city that I call home. Markham is north of Toronto. It's considered a suburb and is a part of the GTA. I've actually had two stints in Markham. My parents and I moved from the Beaches to Markham after I had graduated from high school. Back then, Markham was a town. I moved away for nine years. I returned to Markham and it has been my home ever since. I saw the population boom. Markham has been deemed a city since 2012. I have seen a lot of change in Markham over the years. Retail and urban areas used to be between Steeles Avenue East and Major Mackenzie Drive back in the day. Farmland dominated Markham above Major Mackenzie. Urban sprawl happened when housing became ridiculously expensive in Toronto. More folks wanted to live in Markham because housing used to be cheaper and affordable. More development happened here, which has caused a lot of farmland transformed into neighbourhoods and shopping centres. Case in point: downtown Markham. It used to be nothing but vacant, vast plots of land. It's now home to condominiums, retail stores and services, and a lot more. The city does have many high tech companies and is considered Canada's high tech capital. IBM, AMD, and General Motors are some of the bigger technology players. It's cool that York University is creating a Markham campus in the downtown core. I wish that it were there when I was an undergraduate student! I like living in Markham. There are a ton of good restaurants. It has everything that I need. There are pockets of this city that still feel like a town. Every time I visit my local post office to pick up a package or parcel, everyone there knows me. When I visit my go-to pharmacy, the pharmacist knows me. It's cool and nice. I will highlight the Markham Theatre. It's a lovely place to take in a concert or musical. It's affordable in a classy venue. I have seen Jann Arden there. It was also a nice venue for a Yelp event a few years back. Mary from Markham. I love the alliteration. It's also a cool city in which to live. (137)

Tip: If you work or live in Mississauga, you can get a Mississauga library card for free. You have…read moreto present proof that you're a resident or work in the city. I'm Mary. I live in Markham. I work in Mississauga. I've been working in Mississauga since 2010. For the first five years being employed by my current employer, I was never fully comfortable saying that I knew the city well until I joined Yelp. Yelp experiences and events got me out and about. These days, I can say with a lot more confidence that I know the city a lot better. It has grown over the decades. As a kid, my parents would take me to the Chinatown in Mississauga. We'd take photos and get some buns at the local bakery. These days, there are a couple of Chinatown locations, with a lot of businesses and selection of goods. I remember applying for a job as an undergraduate, which led me to the Future Shop (this franchise ceased operations years ago) headquarters in Mississauga. I took public transit to get there. I recall the blocks being so far apart compared to living in the Beaches. Sadly, I didn't get the job. I did get an introduction to the Mississauga transit system and how deadly getting off a block early was. That walk took forever! When I first think of Mississauga, it's the airport. Many airports in Canada are not where you think they are. Toronto Pearson International Airport is is Mississauga. Vancouver International Airport is in Richmond, BC. Some airports actually do make sense, though. Winnipeg Richardson International Airport is indeed in Winnipeg, for instance. I probably know Pearson better than any place in Mississauga. I have travelled a lot, departing from and returning to Terminals 1 and 3. My employer's first location was across from the airport. The office moved to another side of the airport, so I still see planes taking off and touching down whenever I'm heading or leaving work. I've grown to love this airport. It's not the greatest when there's a strike. Baggage dropoff continues to be a pain. It's clean and it gets me to my destinations in one piece. I also love The Hearth in Terminal 1 - US departures. The food is yummy and it kills time having a casual meal before catching a flight out. Square One is the city's largest mall. It has expanded quite a bit over the years. I like the food court and the Food District. I'm always getting patties from Patties Express when I'm in the Food District. I like discovering new stores and businesses every time I'm there. Bingz and Sansotei Ramen are the latest food additions. They are excellent. Speaking of ramen, there are a ton of good ramen joints in this city. Sansotei Ramen. Kinton Ramen. Kamen (formerly Kenzo Ramen). Yum! I have many favourite restaurants that are in Mississauga: - Pho Ngoc Yen - Gyubee Japanese Grill - Arigato - Gladiator Burger and Steaks - Bombay Bhel - Bao Bar - Rick's Good Eats - Sikgaek - Spoon and Fork - Chilli Chicken House - Door FiftyFive - The Maharaja - Myungdong Noodle Shabushabu - Buka Maranga - Bravo Bistro - Kish's Roti and Doubles - The Burger Alley - Pitas and Grill - Royal Jasmine - Vamos Por Tacos - KK Sushi - Lily's Cafe (formerly Treats) - Ande Ka Funda There's definitely more. There's a ton of good eats in this city. It's nice that I can rattle off such a nice list of eateries that are worth visiting. The best perk working in Mississauga is that I can get a free library card. I don't have a Toronto one because I neither work nor live there. I can get a Mississauga card for free when I bring proof (a paystub) that I work or live in the city. I love it! Although my commute between the two M cities can be long, especially when the weather is horrible or there's an accident on a major 400-series highway, I'm used to it. Mississauga is a decent city in which to work. The food scene is great. It has been great discovering the city and what it has to offer. (298)

The Don Valley park system, trails, and surrounding pockets of nature might be one of my top 5…read moreplaces in Toronto. Within a few minutes of downtown, in the middle of Canada's largest city you can literally find yourself deep inside of a real forest setting. The trail system is very well maintained and used for a variety of purposes from dog walking, hiking, mountain biking, etc. It's been estimated that there are nearly 100km of trail system within the Don Valley if you include all of the trails that connect in the surrounding area. To start exploring most people will begin at The Brickworks, the Pottery Road trailhead, or the large parking lot at Taylor Creek. You can explore the Don year round. Fall is probably the best time, but you do need to be careful if it's the rainy season as the clay based trails get very muddy and very sticky. Enjoy real nature in your urban backyard.

This walk of fame area in the entertainment district of Toronto Ontario Canada displays maple leaf…read moreshaped sidewalk stars embedded into the pavement to honor famous Canadian's including celebrities, movie stars, actors, arts, sports, science, business and charity. Founded in 1998, it spans 13 blocks mainly around Roy Thomson Hall, Princess Wales Theatre and the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

I recently attended a musical at the Princess of Wales Theatre. After it was over, I walked out of…read morethe theatre and looked down. I normally don't look down at the sidewalk, but I did for some reason. I noticed inductee names and stars. I was walking on Canada's Walk of Fame. So cool! Since 1998, a number of Canadians who have excelled in various fields are inducted in Canada's Walk of Fame. The fields are diverse, from science and philanthropy, to athletics and music. Inductee stars are present along King Street West, between John Street and Simcoe Street. They are also on Simcoe Street, between King Street West and Wellington Street, in downtown Toronto. I was at King and John, so I'm at the beginning or end of the walk of fame, depending on the direction that you're going. I like that if you're looking for a specific inductee, you can do a search on Canada's Walk of Fame site. It'll save you a bit of time if you just want to see specific inductee stars without walking the whole thing. The link is here: https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/the-walk-of-fame/find-a-star I enjoyed taking a bit of time looking at the inductees before I headed home. I took a few photos of these notable folks: - Monty Hall, host of Let's Make a Deal (Winnipegger) - Wayne Gretzky, the Great One of hockey - Guy Lombardo (I grew up listening to his Christmas album with His Royal Canadians) - Timothy Findley (author best known for The Wars) I would love to return to check out all the stars. I like being a tourist in my hometown and learning from self-discovery activities, especially when they are free. (328)

Tip: Parking in downtown Oakville requires shelling out during regular business hours. However,…read moreI've been there after 6 pm on weekdays and street parking is free. I have visited downtown Oakville a handful of times. I like it. It reminds me of being in the Beaches where I grew up. You get a nice view of Lake Ontario. There are parks that overlook the lake. There are also stores that you can peruse. The downside to any downtown location is trying to find parking. It's such a vibrant location that it can be tough to find parking. Everyone seems to be there! Street parking often means shelling out to pay for it. However, it depends on where and when you are downtown. I was recently at Shanghai Alley Gourmet. I had arrived after work on a Wednesday at roughly 5 pm. I had to pay for an hour of parking on Thomas Street. Parking was then free after that. When I visited Chocolato with Tommy Cafe, I found free parking for twenty minutes on Robinson and Dunn Streets. It was perfect because I was grabbing a couple of amazing hot chocolates to go. I need to go back there. I do miss Joy FreshTea in this area. It had excellent bubble tea and snacks. I was sad to learn that it had closed. Then again, many businesses in the Lakeshore Road West and Bronte Road area have come and gone. I don't know if it's the location itself that doesn't drive business or if leasing a store in this plaza is too expensive. I need to spend more time in this area. I liked seeing Roots and COBS Bread as I walked over to Shanghai Alley Gourmet. There was also a butcher shop that gave you a comfortable neighbourhood vibe. I have a friend who lives in Oakville. It's a good reason for me to drop by, see her, and discover the downtown area with her. Downtown Oakville is cool. I'll be back soon! (312)

I hate to say this, but Downtown Oakville is nicer than my City's equivalent, Port Credit…read more Why? Overall, it looks better maintained (wider, newly paved sidewalks, landscaping), a bit more mix commercialized stores (lululemon, kit & ace, Anthropologie), and just nicer, newer looking storefronts. The whole strip looks uniform. Whereas Port Credit is older, more narrow walkways, mainly all mom 'n pop stores with some chain eateries, not as nice storefronts. Off-strip, some streets look a bit sketch. It doesn't look as though the City has put as much money into maintaining this area as Oakville does their downtown. BOTH areas front Lake Ontario with parks overlooking the water. Although both areas have some vacancies, the overall impression of Downtown Oakville is great - especially during the warmer months on non-peak times!

Recently, a few of my friends and I were reminiscing about Ontario Place. I have spent so much time…read morehere growing up. I always liked that when you purchased admission to The Ex, you got to visit Ontario Place. My parents and I went here often. It was great watching the air show from Ontario Place. I have fond memories of all of us sitting on a boulder and taking in the show. It was fun doing pedal boat rides in swans and the bumper boats. I have photos of waving like a crazy kid in them. As a teenager, I spent so much time visiting Cinesphere to take in a movie when I had enough money. It was cool back in the day. Oh, let's not forget about The Forum. It was a nice venue to take in live performances. I didn't get into seeing huge concerts here (I was 18 years old when I officially saw my first concert), but I did see whatever acts were on with my parents. Perhaps over a decade ago, I dropped by to take in the Toronto Chinese Lantern Festival. It was magical seeing all these displays at night. I took so many photos and I like looking at how spectacular the displays were. I miss it. The closest that I get is seeing concerts at Ontario Place is at Budweiser Stage. It's a nice venue when you have Lake Ontario as a backdrop. It's lovely to spot when you are doing a boat tour (I was fortunate to do one a few years ago). You can't miss it. The marina is alive and kicking. I always admired when folks were there taking in the music and view. Here's hoping that whatever restoration plans are in store for Ontario Place are realized. It's such a lovely area. It's a shame that it's not used as much as it should be these days. (455)

Okay, imagine going back in time to be a kid again! That's Ontario Place…read more Ontario Place was the theme park that was affordable in the GTA with a sunshine guarantee (so if you went during the rain you got a free second visit). Fast forward to present it is an abandoned place for events. I've visited this place a few times, for the BBQ Fest in 2018, the Asian BBQ fest. Oh yea I remember in 2018 getting a bottle of ketchup with me on it! I also remember spending 30$ for a set of tickets to visit different venues-no direct money payment. In 2018 I've also gone to Winterfest that has light art and an artificial skating rink made of plexiglass; not sure if it damaged my skate blades because I didnt drag my skates out. Reason I visited is for Snow Magic, I had a Yelp endorsed ticket - usually $80 with ticket vender during peak time. The Snow Magic was a feature of artist work; Ontario Place has a nice way to showcase community artists as other events in the Winter have featured lots of art work stationary and moving with lots of artistic optic plays with mirrors. I did capture many photos of the events, feel free to check out then out when they're posted @foodrebelivana for events from this event. This event is truly family friendly; not enough seats in your 6 seater van, take a Mercedes and make it a party as they charge one fixed rate irrespective of the number of people in the vehicle (safely travelling of course). :) Overall Ontario Place has turned into a money pit venue, pretty much every venue I've been to has asked for some sort of compensation up front or didnt bother because its ridiculously cold.