Downtown Markham has become one of my favourite places to hangout. There are lots of activities…read morehappening throughout the summer like Saturday music nights and even weekend food festivals. Families with kids also love the Pride of Canada carousel. There are also ample parking in large lots and at the condos. The Cineplex Markham here always has the most up to date Asian movies. There are so many amazing restaurant, cafes and shops; just saw that The Leo Steakhouse is going to opens soon (taking over Terre Rouge). So sad that Kiu Restaurant closed down, but we got the new brunch spot, 15th Avenue, that lives up to the good vibes :) Also, shoutout to my favourite drinks spot, True Boss, with the healthy enzyme/fruit vinegar drinks :)

Every time I say that I'm heading over to or hitting downtown Markham, it still sounds weird to me…read more I will admit that it is growing on me after a few years. Like downtown Mississauga, downtown Markham is fairly new. The notion was to create condos and have locals walk to businesses. Enterprise Boulevard is a pleasure to drive along to head there. Stores, condos, and new developments continue to be built, including York University's new Markham Center Campus in Fall 2023. Currently, York U. has YSpace Markham, which supports folks who are innovators in technology, and food, and beverage sectors. Before the pandemic, I rarely hit the downtown core. I only visited Chatime, ME-VA-ME, and Cineplex VIP. During this pandemic, I have been able to discover cool new places. Copper Branch. Comebuy. Poke Guys. South St. Burger. I love how cool the Marriott hotel looks here. One of these days, I'll need to book some time here and check it out, along with its fabulous restaurant. I am a regular bubble tea customer at Comebuy and Chatime. Who knew? I have been supporting both regularly for the past 1.5 years and have established a nice rapport with staff. There is only one Comebuy in the GTA. If I'm away for a rare couple of weeks, staff are literally concerned. One made sure before Christmas 2020 to let me know what their hours of operation were, so I wouldn't be disappointed not getting any bubble tea! There is plenty of parking. There are lots that are primarily free. I have yet to be asked to pay for parking. In front of Comebuy and Poke Guys, even where street parking isn't exactly available, parking briefly to fetch takeout is okay. I have yet to see any parking police come over and I am rarely parked longer than five minutes. There is an indoor merry-go-round at the northwest corner of Birchmount and Enterprise. I admire it from afar these days. It has been closed since the pandemic, but looked magical and festive around the Christmas holidays. Back in the summer of 2017, I came here for the Markham ribfest. It moved from Warden and highway 7 over here. I had an excellent time, despite getting caught in the rain and getting soaked trying to get to my car from the venue. I do miss seeing events downtown and hope that they return when it's safe. I like it here. It's constantly growing and changing. It's nice to briefly admire the lights in the wintertime and people-watch in the summer. (263)

Staff at the Bonvoy Lounge they are awesome. Pay a little extra to gain access to the Loungeread more

We stayed here again during a recent roadtrip. This Marriott was exactly what I wanted in Marriott…read morehotel. The only thing that could've made our stay better was if they were able to upgrade my wife and I to a better room. Unfortunately, we showed up during the week of Candian Thanksgiving when they were busy. Despite the lack of upgrades, the front desk was nice to me. They still gave us a nice room with a king bed as we reserved. My wife and I had no complaints about the room. They also greeted me every time I passed by. This hotel has a M Club Lounge for Marriott Platinum and above memebers. Breakfast and evening appetizers are served daily. Harold, the manager, does a wonderful job running the club. The foods served in the M Club is very good, not "Bonvoyed" down. During the evenings, we noticed that they served quite a few Asian dishes. Harold took the time to speak to me and other guests. The gym is one of the best gyms in in America. It has both cardio and anaerobic equipment. The equipment is well maintained. It was almost like my home gym while traveling. This is a nice hotel for my wife and I. We like it and plan on coming back.

Stayed here for 6 nights and the location was so convenient! Bahvneet checked me in and was very…read morefriendly and helpful. The outside looks modern and they have a large parking lot. While the check in area is small, they have a bar and restaurant area that offers plenty of seating in a bright, airy atmosphere. We booked a 1 bedroom with double beds, 1 ba, sleeper sofa, dining table, and kitchen room. While the room provided a little more space, the bathroom was a tad dated and cramped. The door from our bedroom that led into the bathroom could almost touch the toilet.The towel bar was literally wiggling and was not very sturdy. Would be nice to have 2 queen beds in these rooms vs the double beds. The fridge was not full size but larger than a mini fridge and this was helpful for keeping our fruits and drinks cold. We arrived during a heat wave and the ability to have cold drinks was very helpful. While we did not use the stove, the microwave came in handy. This location was perfect for us! We were visiting relatives in the area and were close to many stores and restaurants. Next to us was a strip mall with many restaurants and shops and across the street diagonally was another shopping center. Additional malls were within a 7-15 min driving radius. Housekeeping was wonderful! They stopped by daily and were great! They don't have a gym. The gym in the building is run by the Unionville Athletic Club. While you can use the facilities daily, you have to sign a waiver daily and they are not open 24/7, which is a drawback.

Overall a very nice stay and I highly recommend. They must have rennovated since some of the…read morenegative reviews. Hotel was very clean and rooms were nice. I am a hotel snob so this says a lot. I know most people would be pleased with their stay. We thought the lunch in the hotel restaurant was very good...glad we split the French dip sandwich because it was huge and delicious. Soup needed to be re-heated as it was served luke warm. There is also a bar and coffee bar in the lobby. Coffee was really good. Check in was slow and disorganized. We were offered an upgraded room if we waited until the room was cleaned. That was a mistake. We ended up waiting in the lobby for 3 1/2 hrs and our room was the same as others in our party. I am not deducting a star for that bc everything else was excellent. There are a few local Asian type restaurants in a short walking distance. Hotel lobby is quite high energy, lots of people coming and going, others enjoying the bar area, and I like the open area. Parking is plentiful. Overall we were very pleased with our stay.

Who would have thought possibly the best steak I have ever had is at the dinner from a golf course?…read more I didn't even think of dining in a golf course restaurant. It ended up being a great meal, the view, the service, the vibe, everything great. The pizza (very fresh shrimp), fish & chips (that's the biggest "fish" I have ever seen, maybe it was salmon?) were also pretty good.

Met up with some friends for breakfast. Large parking area with a short walk to the clubhouse…read more Golf clubhouse setting, beautiful scenery, too bad it was raining so patio seating was out of the question. Ordered Western omelette and the breakfast burrito. If this is what the golfers eat on a daily basis then sign me up. Complimentary ramekins of fruit before the main dishes arrived. Omelette was stuffed with fresh ingredients, fluffy and moist. Perfect ratio of onions, peppers, ham, etc. Potatos were crispy and fluffy with a side of whole grain toast. Breakfast burrito was grilled, stuffed with egg, avocado and bacon with crispy potatoes on the side Fireplace burning in the background, attentive staff, surrounded by 2 eighteen home golf courses, did I die and go to heaven. Maybe a little pricy for breakfast but I think my golf game may have improved just by the surroundings, well worth it.

If this venue had my wedding date available, I would have gone here in a heartbeat. The Markham…read moreEvent Centre opened about three years ago so it is relatively new. The space is beautiful & I absolutely love the high ceilings with chandeliers. The capacity varies but it can accommodate up to 700 (rounds of 10 & with dance floor). They can split the hall into 2 to fit a smaller party (minimum 140). Food - I can only write about the Chinese food as I read this in the Chinese bride section of the Frugal Bride Forum & also asked a friend who'd gone there once. The Chinese food at MEC was better than other banquet halls & the temperature & portion was decent sized as well. I dealt with Christina, who was very pleasant, accommodating and patient (especially with my future MIL). I really liked her and felt if I had my wedding here she would've taken care of a lot of things. If you plan to check this place out, talk to her! What I also love about this venue is they threw in a lot of 'freebies'. The backdrop (your choice of colour), registration table (your colour), standard 6 hour bar, wedding cake, money box, dessert table was included in the package. This is perfect for busy brides! The only bad thing? I didn't really notice it but my fiancé did not like the carpet. If you plan to keep your wedding neutral I think it will look very elegant here. Love it just too bad they did not have our date.

I actually came here when I was researching for a venue for my wedding. I was VERY close in booking…read morethis venue, until I read some reviews that the alcohol was really watered down. To me, open bar was very important to me, I have a lot of guests that love a good drink. Overall, the place is very grand, they have a high ceiling. But I do hate their carpet, they really need to do something about that. It's like green/orange color. They look like fall leaves, but in rainbow color. Everything seems to be all packaged, your cake (fake), backdrop with your names on the backboard, table clothes, and chair covers, they even come with center pieces - which is the 3 jars with floating candles. The price is decent, if you pay cash, they usually give you a discount. If you are one of those brides that can't be bothered with little details that this venue is for you. Everything is very simple, you pick the menu, pick your decor/color and you are pretty much set! I'm still unsure how I think about the manager, he seems - nice, but I just can't quite put my finger on him... The food. I had a wedding here just last weekend, and I must say... the food I have to give it a........ 2 out of 5. I really wasn't full after that meal, and the quality is pretty bad. Noise level: if you have another wedding next to your wedding - you will hear EVERYTHING they are doing. Their music, their speeches.... Service: is pretty good, overall the staff is very tentative. Open Bar: Because the bar is outside - it actually takes the attention away from the groom/bride and the party dancing inside the event. Everyone was pretty much hovering the open bar outside AND the dessert table outside. It really makes a pretty empty dance floor. I don't think I would recommend this venue to the future bride/groom. The place is decent with decent priced. But there's a few flaws about this place which is quite important to me!

Good place to eat and stay Nice rooms and great staff…read more Clean room, significantly updated The pantry room had great options

This is a gorgeous hotel with beautiful lobby, modern room and elegant bathroom. The room had the…read moreincredibly comfortable Marriott mattresses bed. Bathroom had all the toiletries and a powerful shower. They have a 24/7 pantry on second floor that snacks, fruits, hot/cold drinks, soda, ice cream and bakery goods available at all times for certain guests. Check-in and checkout process were fast and easy. I had a lovely night stay at this place.

This is a huge local community centre in heart of Markham East with swimming pools, public library,…read morea gym with a running track and courts to play sports, an indoor and outside playground for kids, and multi-purpose rooms. The staff at the info desk was friendly and helpful. You can pay and get your activity passes here (per day or per month options available) to enjoy the facility. There are lots of programs available for kids, adults and seniors. There were Flow EV charging stations outside and ample parking space.

For under 3$ we were able to enjoy this indoor playground in the Aanin Community Centre. We didnt…read morereserve ahead of time, came in a group of 8 and yet they were able to accomodate us right away. Some bench seating for parents along the walls, large play structure and some ride on cars. Definately worth a visit. Plenty of parking and kids can spend another hour in the outdoor playground just outside or in the library which has its own set of unique features ( review to follow).

My review is based on the visit of Coffee Now @Kaleido. Kaleido is a new event space at 16th Ave /…read moreLeslie Ave in Richmond Hill. There is a coffee bar inside the premise. Coffee Now is having their pop up shop at Kaleido to offer specialty coffee every weekend (Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm). Coffee Now is well-known for organizing specialty coffee events, workshops and training. They roast their own coffee beans and I have visited their pop-up shop in North York. Of course I am thrilled to know their pop up shop is closer in my neighborhood. During their soft-opening, I have tried their signature Koji Latte which is very interesting which bring out the "sake" like flavour yet without alcohol. I, of course, tried their pour over coffee. Owner, Day is a well trained barista to make very good pour over coffee. I could taste multi-layers of taste notes in different temperatures which is the beauty of specialty coffee. They also have collaboration with a local patisserie maker, Once Patisserie to offer some desserts to pair with the coffee. Purin, Japanese pudding which is hard to find in Toronto. Brûlée basque cheesecake tastes very light that fits Asian's taste bud. During their soft opening, the service was friendly although they may not have cover for their hot drink for take out, but I got my drink and food with reasonable wait time. I will definitely go back as it is very close to me. The space is very comfortable to spend time to enjoy coffee on my own or as a group.

Was here for an event, a very nice and newly opened event place in town…read more There is also a coffee bar within the place as well. The event space is spacious and seems to be able to accommodate different event needs.

Love the concept of having art work scattered around the whole premises both outdoor and indoor…read more The "art" is all really colourful and lively, and some quite unique. Worth checking them out when you are either dining, having a walk or catching a movie in the premises. A smart and beautiful way to brighten and liven up public spaces!

This is definitely NOT your typical art museum. Instead of housing all the artwork in one building,…read morethe Remington art collection is spread out. There are some at the 169 Enterprise building (where you'll find the Cineplex movie theatre and restaurants like Me Ne Va) the adjoining 179 Enterprise building (wall murals and outdoor sculptures), the underground parking structure which houses photographer Hank O'Neal's work and the Pride of Canada Carousel which is catty corner to both buildings at 8080 Birchmount Rd. The cool thing is that the works of art are available for viewing 24/7 because the 169 building and parking garage houses a Goodlife Fitness which is open 24/7. This also means there are security guards stationed inside to keep an eye on the patrons' safety. Be careful in the parking garage and watch out for cars when looking at the artwork. Make sure to visit the cool touch screen directory in the parking garage near the entrance to the building where the stairs and escalator are. You can find information on the artists and their work here. Also look for the informational signs near each piece. A 3 star experience that can easily be bumped up to 4 stars if you include a meal at one if the restaurants; include a movie and you have yourself a 5 star experience.