11/05/24
February 19, 2005
Ask SpoFi: Planning a Toronto road trip...
posted by goddam to navel gazing at 03:15 PM - 27 comments
(hope this is an appropriate post for the locker room. if not feel free to delete)
posted by goddam at 03:16 PM on February 19, 2005
goddam: I had some friends who were in from out of town stay at the Bond Place Hotel. I know they were on a budget and were pleased with the place. What amazes me about their rates is that you are literally at the heart of downtown Toronto, Yonge and Dundas, which is what the city is trying to turn into Canada's version of Times Square. Plus, you are a 25 minute walk to the Skydome, 30 secs. to the subway, and they just opened an Olympic Spirit entertainment complex next door. Something to have a look at....if I can suggest anything else, let me know.
posted by smithers at 07:48 AM on February 21, 2005
thanks smithers. i'll check it out.
posted by goddam at 11:42 AM on February 21, 2005
Talk at us closer to the month and we'll totally get together - I think there are a good four or five T.O Spofites. Bond is a good place - for closeness, the Holiday Inn on King St. is right up the street from the Dome (cough, Rogers Centre, cough), and there are plenty of bars and restaurants all over that area. I'm not entirely sure how cheap the hotel is and it depends on when in September, since the beginning of the month is the film festival - if its not in this time then I think the hotel rates are reasonable.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:10 AM on February 22, 2005
When I was wooing my then-girlfriend, I used to travel to the Toronto area once a month at least. I just used to nail Hotwire and Priceline for my rooms and always found decent places for $50-70US per night, and sometimes cheaper. I prefer Hotwire because you can see the rates first, but I sometimes then go to Priceline and try and undercut Hotwire by $10-15 a night, and it often works. I'm down to hook up if you are -- hell, I want the Toronto SpoFis to get together for Opening Day! On preview: I just did a Hotwire search and the best price downtown was $77US for a three-star hotel, which is pretty good. There are a couple three stars a little farther out by the airport and in Richmond Hill for $45-50US, and I think I've styed in both and they were fine.
posted by wfrazerjr at 10:41 PM on February 28, 2005
thanks wfrazerjr. we got rooms at the radisson admiral just so we have something booked. but we're going to try hotwire and/or priceline a little closer to the date we're leaving to see if anything better pops up. as it gets closer to september we can talk about getting a meetup going. (geez, i can't believe i'm talking about september already. april 3 can't come soon enough). and if you guys up north do get together for opening day, don't forget about the spofi photo pool.
posted by goddam at 11:02 PM on February 28, 2005
Yeah, I'm sorry that some of us ToroSpoFites haven't been more helpful—I haven't stayed in a downtown hotel for years. I can tell you that there are quite a few hotels within walking distance of the SkyDome, so the laws of probability suggest that you should be able to find a decently-priced one. Most of the sport-bar-places I frequent are up in the Bloor area, but I'll certainly let you know if I stumble into anyplace more downtown.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 05:54 PM on March 01, 2005
Since we're talking about Toronto, are any SpoFiers going to go to the Toronto Sportcard & Memorabilia Expo from April 29 to May 1? It's at the International Centre in Missassauga. I'll be set up there with my gameworn jersey collection and there will be about 300-400 dealers on hand with all kinds of cool stuff for sale. I'll post the autograph guest list when it's finished.
posted by wfrazerjr at 07:46 AM on March 02, 2005
If I still lived in Toronto, I'd be chiming in here about this sort of thing. Unfortunately, I haven't been in the city for 7 days or more in a row in almost 10 years. I would, however, like to try and get tickets to that Yankees/Jays game you are going to. One of the last times I was in SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) was for a Yankees/Jays tilt back in September 2002. It was during the local airshow, and when one of the planes from the show did a fly-by near the CN Tower, all of the (understandably jittery) NY fans gasped.
posted by grum@work at 11:14 AM on March 02, 2005
wfrazerjr, do available booths for that go very quickly? I am thinking about having buying booth next year.
posted by jasonspaceman at 11:22 AM on March 02, 2005
i got tickets to the saturday, september 17th game. you guys have the nicest people answering the phones (or maybe it was just the accent that got me).
posted by goddam at 11:26 AM on March 02, 2005
goddam, its the bacon.
posted by garfield at 11:36 AM on March 02, 2005
goddam, it's the lack of NHL...no pent-up Maple Leaf frustrations.
posted by grum@work at 01:24 PM on March 02, 2005
all of the (understandably jittery) NY fans gasped. Heh... the last Yankee fan I saw around here was walking up Yonge next to the Brass Rail, wearing a Yankees away jersey over a "DELGADO SUCKS" t-shirt, smirking like he'd just knocked over a Tim Horton's. Anything but jittery.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 03:36 PM on March 02, 2005
mmm...bacon and canadian accents.
posted by goddam at 04:20 PM on March 02, 2005
I have no idea how to respond to goddam's post, except to note that it was at 4:20 pm ...
posted by smithers at 04:44 PM on March 02, 2005
Brilliant! *fires up*
posted by dusted at 05:23 PM on March 02, 2005
i was just expressing my fondness for bacon (in response to garfield) and canadian accents.
posted by goddam at 06:07 PM on March 02, 2005
bacon has an accent?
posted by wfrazerjr at 07:23 PM on March 02, 2005
Jason, the booths don't always go quickly, but the good space does. I'm right up by the Upper Deck and In The Game spaces, which means possible free goodies and hobnobbing with the hockey elite. The fellow who runs the show is a friend of mine, so if you need space, let me know, and btw ... the show is twice a year. The next one is in October, I think.
posted by wfrazerjr at 07:24 PM on March 02, 2005
no decadent cravings?
posted by smithers at 08:03 AM on March 03, 2005
The Bond Place hotel is kind of seedy, isn't it? In any case, don't walk too far East if you're staying there... The Intercontinental is seconds away from Skydome Roger's Centre. It's about $140 CDN/night if you can get a corporate rate. And it's nice.
posted by fabulon7 at 09:29 AM on March 03, 2005
ya, and be careful at ATMs. I've heard some nasty stories about ATMs being targets for robbery in certain areas. I'm sure residents could steer you clear of these less-tourist-friendly areas.
posted by garfield at 09:48 AM on March 03, 2005
Nowhere you'll be is un-tourist-friendly. You'd be safe waving money around.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:02 PM on March 03, 2005
Roger's Centre Best. Apostrophe misplacement. Ever.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 02:12 PM on March 03, 2005
I'd like to say I misplaced it on purpose. Ted's Centre?
posted by fabulon7 at 03:12 PM on March 07, 2005
so we're planning on taking a road trip to see a yankee game in toronto in september. can anyone recommend a decent, reasonably priced hotel? something within a reasonable distance to the stadium (walking distance would be great). but maybe also close to good sports bars/restaurants where i can catch the games that we're not going to (and that a woman can go to alone if need be). if not a specific hotel, what are the good areas in town and are there places i should stay away from? i also wouldn't be opposed to meeting up with fellow spofites in the area. (yeah, i know it's early to be thinking about this but we'd like to get hotel reservations now since a lot of places are already booked for that weekend. any and all help is greatly appreciated.)