Hidden gem in the City!…read more Grounds are absolutely STUNNING during the warmer months. Great place for a quiet picnic, sitting on a bench with a coffee, or just catching up with a friend! There's also a somewhat hidden Pet Cemetery from the Adamson family. Apparently this place is haunted. Can't do 5*s because the property is under-utilized. Interior of property isn't accessible to the public. Not sure what goes on inside &/or who currently owns it. Would be lovely as a wedding venue!

Visited Osgoode Hall while exploring downtown Toronto. The…read morehistoric building is impressive, and the architecture is beautiful. It's easy to walk around and take in the details, with plenty of spots for photos. The guided areas are informative, though some parts are crowded during peak hours. The surrounding courtyard is peaceful and perfect for a short break. Staff are helpful and polite when approached for information. Overall, a must-visit for history and architecture enthusiasts, with a calm, relaxed atmosphere.

Stepping into Black Creek Pioneer Village feels like a warm hug from the past It's one of my…read moreabsolute favorite escapes from the city's hustle and bustle. As an educator, I'm always enchanted by how they bring history to life - the historic gardens are meticulously kept, and the artisans in the workshops are so passionate about their heritage crafts. I spent my last visit sitting near the old mill with my sketchbook, enjoying the peace and the smell of fresh woodsmoke. It's such a grounding experience, whether you're here for a quiet stroll or a family day trip. If you appreciate the simpler things in life and want to see a different side of Ontario's history, please visit! It's a true neighborhood treasure

Last Saturday for the 2nd year in a row I attended PoutineFest (aka Smoke-A-Palooza) at Dundas…read moreSquare. I first started attending Events at the Square in 2008, when I came with a social Group for the opening night of Luminato, an annual Event in Toronto. I attended opening night for the same Event the following two years, and all 3 featured great live entertainment (including Randy Bachman and Sass Jordan) which was very enjoyable to watch and listen to. Some other Events I've attended there were a flash mob Event in 2011 and the launch of a new beer in 2013. The Square has hosted a quite wide variety of Events over the years since it opened; obviously the location couldn't be better as it's so centrally located Downtown with a subway station literally underneath.

I went here after dinner around 8:53pm on a Tuesday and it was so lively! I also visited this place…read moreduring the day too and it seems like it's a popular place. There's also a lot of businesses around this area too. This area is always so lively, but it seemed even more lively when I went there at night! I'm not really sure if it was lively because there was probably an event happening at night that day (they were putting up fences) OR because it's always lively at night. Anyways, when I went here during both day and night, there was always a lot of people. To me, it looked like what I think would be a mini Times Square, but the Canadian version of it. Another cool thing about this place is how they have water that randomly shoots out from the ground where the holes are at. Ok enough about how cool I think this place is, I also think it seems more dangerous at night. Reason why is because I saw a random group street fight break out that day, so I ended up leaving/ran away to avoid that area. I'd still recommend this place! Even though a random fight happened when I went there at night, it's still a fun place. I ended up finding other cool businesses nearby when I left the main part of the square. I was only at the square for 10 minutes before things happened, but I also visited this place during the daytime on a Saturday around 12:18pm and it was still just as lively.

Am posting a review on this past weekend's Carabram Festival…read more There were several locations throughout the City of Brampton, celebrating vibrancy, inclusion and diversity. Attended all three pavilions, traveled to Africa, South Asia, watched a Chinese dance group, had fresh king coconut at the Sri Lankan pavilion as well as purchasing fresh mangosteen, and was thrilled to find REAL shea butter from a vendor selling products from Ghana at the African pavilion. Great fun, well organized event. Kudos are due to the organizers of this event. We traveled from Toronto and were glad we attended. Well done!

It's a fine building, but it's not a speck on Mississauga City Hall…read more (I know what you're thinking - stop pelting me with tomatoes!) Look, I like Brampton City Hall. I really do. It's a nice building in the downtown core and it's close to all the action, but considering what I was building this place up as in my mind, I've been disappointed by my visits there. It doesn't have anything to do with the refreshments or food that are offered during events - those have been uniformly fantastic on the four occasions I've visited. No, I'm disappointed by the atrium, which looks positively bland compared to the Civic Centre in Mississauga. You can't go from marbled columns and spacious, beautiful green-and-beige colors to a venue where the whole color scheme is just gray, gray and some more gray for good measure. This is an underwhelming site that doesn't befit a building of this nature, and frankly, the city should pony up the dough to revamp the place. (You'd think they'd be doing this already, considering they sprung for upgrades to the West Tower Conservatory next door and other community sites throughout the city.) I recently came here for a New Year's Levee, and while I was impressed by Mayor Patrick Brown's speech and the photo/networking opportunities it presented, I found some part of the experience lacking. There was little of the pomp and circumstance seen at the Mississauga New Year's Levee held a day later, and the whole thing just kind of ended with Brown taking the spotlight while the rest of the councillors awkwardly milled around and passed out marketing materials. And where were all the MPPs? The NDP Brampton-Centre rep, Sara Singh, made the time to show up, but no one else apparently bothered. I soon found myself wishing to leave, and quickly made a beeline for the nearest bus so I could get back to familiar ground. Even Council Chambers are lacking. You mean to tell me the lazy square seats and smallish room where the seat of power is located is meant to be impressive? Brampton City Hall seriously needs a makeover. There's some good stuff to be found here (mostly in the hospitality aspect), but the site itself is lacking in several ways.

I visited in 2025 with family during Doors Open TO. We parked in a parking lot near/under the…read morecurrent City Hall. We were there in the morning. A lot of people were already in line to go in but I think there might be a lot more people. The tour was pretty much a self guided tour. The architecture and interior design are stunning and gorgeous. It is nice to see what a courtroom looks like outside of jury duty. There are volunteers who will help you if you have any questions. They have a survey/feedback to get ideas for improvements and what to do with Old City Hall since it's sitting mostly empty. A Slight Ceveat: It is an older building that accessed mainly by stairs so it's pretty limited accessibility.

Toronto Review 3/Many: Designed by E. J. Lennox, this is a nice old Romanesque building which, as…read morethe name suggests, used to be the city hall. Apparently, they give tours of the inside courthouses occasionally, but we were not around to partake in those tours. The building has a couple of fun extra details that aren't apparent at first glance, which I discovered during our Toonie Tours guide. The first is that there are several faces near the entrance, with one of them looking like the architect with his trademark handlebar 'stache. The other thing is that the architect was able to put the words "EJ Lennox Architect AD 1898" into the stone, which apparently wasn't noticed for a very long time. Nice little building

This is a neat and hip little hangout spot located in central downtown Toronto. There is metered…read morestreet parking within a reasonable walking distance, but the easiest parking location is the commercial garage located right under the square. That is what I did. The Square also has a few bus stops as well, if you wish to take public transit. It is named after Nathan Philipps, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962 and dates back to 1965. There have been many modifications and upgrades since then. The Square is a decent size, spanning 12 acres and is located in the shadow of Toronto's city Hall. It is a symbol of peace and remembrance. The Square features the world-famous LED multi-color changing Toronto sign. It is definitely worth checking out. The sign serves as the backdrop to the Square's water features that is a reflecting pool in the warmer months and a full-fledged skating rink in the winter. I visited in the winter, so the skating rink was in full effect. In addition to the sign, the Square has a peace garden, which was created as a memorial to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a stage and several pieces of public art that include the Three Way Piece No.2: Archer The Square offers skate rentals, but a lot of people had their own. It is Canada. The Square also has a snack bar and usually has a food truck or two about on high traffic days. You will find a few cement benches to sit on while you are here and stairwells throughout the park that lead down to the underground parking garage. This spot is used to host some of the city's special events including the Cavalcade of Lights, New Year's Celebrations, Remembrance Day Celebrations, concerts, festivals and rallies. The Square is a popular spot among locals and tourist alike. The place was packed when I was there with skaters and visitors, but it was New years Eve. They did shot the skating off at 10PM that night. I really enjoyed hanging out at the Square. There is not a lot to do, outside of ice skating, but there is so much to see. Be sure to get a picture in front of the Toronto sign while you are there. It was a bit busy, but nothing too unbearable. The line for the skate rental was ridiculous, but I stayed away from it. Anyway, this is a must see while you are in Toronto and I highly recommend checking it out.

Nathan Phillips Square is one of Toronto's best-known public spaces and an easy stop while…read moreexploring downtown. We walked into a lively plaza that's home to the iconic TORONTO sign, surrounded by the curved towers of City Hall, and regularly hosts festivals, concerts, seasonal events, and community gatherings throughout the year. Whether visiting during the day or at night, there is usually something happening that keeps the square active and engaging. The TORONTO sign is the main attraction and one of the city's most recognizable photo spots. We spent some time taking photos and watching people interact with the installation, and in the evening, the illuminated letters and surrounding lights made it even more impressive. The architecture of City Hall creates a great backdrop, and the modern, sweeping lines of the building contrast nicely with the open plaza. During the winter, the reflecting pool transforms into a skating rink that becomes one of the busiest outdoor skating spots in the city. In the warmer months, the open plaza is often filled with food vendors, cultural festivals, and live entertainment, and the energy of the space shifts depending on the season and the event taking place. The square is centrally located within walking distance of many of Toronto's major attractions, making it easy to include in a day of sightseeing. Since events are held here throughout the year, checking the schedule before visiting is worth doing, because you may end up experiencing a festival or performance during your trip. It can get crowded during weekends and special events, but the open layout still makes it easy to walk around and take in the surroundings without feeling trapped by the crowds. Nathan Phillips Square is one of those places that is worth visiting even if you are only spending a short time in Toronto. Between the famous sign, seasonal activities, and constant lineup of events, it is a landmark that gives you a good sense of the city's atmosphere, offering a space that feels both civic and welcoming, and a snapshot of Toronto's energy that changes with the season and the time of day.

I visited in 2025 with family during Doors Open TO. We parked in a parking lot near/under the…read morecurrent City Hall. There was a pretty long line ups to go in and to use the elevators. Both line ups go by pretty fast. There was also a line up to see the mayor's office. I think you might be there a bit longer than when initially entering City Hall and using the elevators. It is pretty cool to see parts of City Hall that was accessable to the public during Doors Open. Tours were pretty much a self guided ones. Space might be a little crowded at times.

Toronto City Hall has a full-on World Cup glow-up for 2026…read more Nathan Phillips Square is the central hub of the city and right now it feels completely different in anticipation of FIFA World Cup on June 12, 2026. The pool rink is now covered with a bright green soccer turf and soon people can actually go out there to play in the middle of downtown. It's another city spirit display similar to fireworks and winter skating that takes place here. The TORONTO sign remains central to this square but now the main building is decked out with FIFA branding. You can tell there's a buzz in this air for this international fan event. There's also relatively affordable Green P city parking in the underground especially on weekends. The one drawback to City Hall is the homeless and folks with mental health who roam around especially in the southwest corner. Skip it or hit it? It's a great photo spot and also where you can take in the heartbeat of this vibrant city.

Much better than it has a right to be, but a few technical problems keep it from being up to snuff…read morewith other meeting halls in the area. There's no doubt that everyone in Port Credit knows about Clarke Hall - it's the default site for most community meetings, many events and open houses and (as of this writing) the home of the P.C. BIA, along with a number of other smaller businesses. As a historical site, it's a perfectly beautiful building, but I find myself wishing they would do some work on it to bring it up to modern standards. The hall itself is big enough to hold a good 300-400 people (but don't tell the fire department), and it does come stocked with an associated kitchen and a massive area for coat checks. As of late, I've been here for a comedy festival, a tribute event for our local councillor (shout-out to Kris U, who also made it down for this) and a BIA open house, and I've found the experience to be consistently good each time. That said, there's more that needs to be done in the place. The washrooms definitely look like they were built at least 70 years ago, and there's a strong cold draft in the place that it can't seem to shake. As mentioned by others, parking is a nightmare, and with the closure of the Esso next door (to eventually be redeveloped as part of the Texaco Lands/Inspiration P.C. project), there are very few spots to park beyond standard curbside places. One thing you might also not know is that (contrary to beief), there is a wheelchair access elevator, but the process for actually using it (and getting a City official to operate it) is so obtuse that it might not as well exist. This is a solid, spacious hall that works extremely well for most types of events, but they really need to modernize it in some way or form. Well worth a look, though, if you want to hold an event.

My opinion differs slightly from both of the other yelpers who've previously reviewed Clarke…read moreMemorial Hall in Port Credit. From the outside it's a gorgeous old building, rich in history - in fact here is a brief historical excerpt taken from the City of Mississauga's website: "Erected by Mary Louise Clarke in 1922 as a memorial to her husband, Alfred Russel Clarke. He had died of pneumonia contracted as a result of the sinking in 1915 of the Lusitania, on which he was a passenger. The Hall was donated to the United Church and used as a Sunday School. During the Depression it was handed over to the Village of Port Credit and used as a Community Hall. It was the site of the Port Credit Municipal Offices from 1941 to 1974. It is now used for meetings, auctions, etc. and as a theatre. The Hall is built in Spanish Colonial Revival style. Designated under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act." While the exterior is historical, the interior is as Allison described, a large space that could be used for basically anything and everything - the perfect multifunction space. Whether it be physical fitness, a town hall meeting, a comedy festival, dinner, dance, etc. The high ceilings, convenient access to street, the multiple bathrooms and basement facilities make this THE perfect spot for most events. Loses a point in my books for parking as others have said, there is a lot around back shared with the fire department but it's tiny and hard to access. For parking (if you don't mind the walk) park at the Library (it's free) and walk the 2.5 blocks over to Clarke!