- Kensington Market, near Spadina and College is a neat neighbourhood to wander around in. A bit gritty, lots of little cafes, restaurants and shops. Decent cheap eats like empanadas, tacos, burritos, and great coffee at a few places including Moonbean.
- If you come from a place without a Chinatown, definitely check out the strip along Spadina between roughly Queen and College. Lots of places selling Chinese and Vietnamese meats and veg on the street, restaurants, and shops and, uh, unique smells
- The Distillery District on the east end of downtown is a fully restored Victorian distillery complex. It's quite touristy and a bit expensive, but definitely worth checking out for photo opportunities. Lots of galleries and sculptures if you're into art. A few restaurants with nice patios. The Mill St. Brewpub has mediocre food but a great variety of unique beers.
- Leslieville is an up-and-coming neighbourhood along Queen St. starting east of the Don River. It has a neat mix of gentrified galleries and restaurants along with some of the older establishments. Lots of character.
- For about $6 roundtrip you can take a short ferry ride from the foot of Yonge St. across to the Toronto Islands. Centre Island is quite touristy, with an amusement park aimed at small kids, but Ward's Island is an interesting place to walk around. On the western end there is a small neighbourhood of quirky little houses, many owned and decorated by artists. It's like a piece of cottage country in the heart of a big city. Great city skyline views from there, too.
