Never mind that the great explorer Ferdinand Magellan met a bloody end here in 1521(something to do with a trade war between rival rajahs), today's shores are highly hospitable to business and leisure travelers.
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photopilot
03/12/11
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ldahlin
03/18/11
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jraymond
03/07/11
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eyemagination
03/10/11
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kate kremer
04/10/11
February 11, 2009
I've whiled many an hour beneath the bustling streets of Toronto, not sitting in a subway but patrolling on foot, exploring the underground shops beneath the city center or conveying myself in a leisurely way and in temperate comfort.
February's average temperature in Toronto is 17 degrees Fahrenheit and don't forget the wind chill off the lake.
More than 50" of snow has fallen so far this winter. But the PATH is a great way to go. This system of underground walkways links 16 miles of shopping, services and entertainment.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the PATH it is the world's largest underground shopping complex with more than 4 million square feet of retail space.
The first underground path originated in 1900 when the T. Eaton Company connected its main store to its bargain annex. Seventeen years later, there were five pedestrian tunnels. And today more than 50 office towers and buildings are connected through the system.
With 60 decision points at which a pedestrian has to decide between turning left, right or continuing straight on, it's fortunate that the signage is clear.
I like a city that plans for contingencies, especially the expected ones. So, no matter what Mother Nature serves up, I know I can walk from my hotel to the Air Canada Centre and catch the Maple Leafs, and from there go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner.
Know of any other good urban walkways?
still thinking about today...
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serenabeeks
03/12/11
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jordanawright
03/16/11
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03/13/11
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03/20/11
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Fehlen88
03/19/11
It wasn't so much underground, but Lincoln Nebraska used to have several stores connected by walkways. They're still there, but the buildings are now offices instead of department stores. We had so much fun, my sister and I, as kids when we got to walk over traffic. A trip to Lincoln wasn't complete without a hot beef sandwich at the restaurant in (I think) the Montgomery Ward store and a walk through the skyway over to the multi-level parking garage. Coming from a village of 400 at the time, that was what we thought a big city was like.
But then the malls were built, the department stores died, and you can't get an open-faced hot-beef sandwich like that anywhere.
Any major city that laughs when another major city shuts down because of 4" of snow, should have underground or overpass covered walkways. Wish mine did.
Coyotemike, I mourn the lost of old fashioned department stores with their mens section, ladies section, toy section, appliance section, furniture section, book section, candy counter, lunchenettes, and restaurants. There was one in Utah called ZCMI, but they were bought out by Dillard's parent corporation years ago.
They had left the flagship store as a "ZCMI" and left it as is...until last year when they tour it down to make room for an outdoor shopping "experience"...it snows from November to March (sometimes later) here...outdoor shopping "experiences" aren't a good idea!!! Anyway, in the flagship store there was this great old restaurant called The Tiffen Room. it had an oval dining room with 2 levels and a beautiful stained glass skylight. There was a grand piano in the center of the room and there was always someone playing it. They also had an old-fashioned soda counter that we always stopped at for dessert.
Maybe I'm a nostalgic biddy, but newer and bigger rarely mean better. If it was good enough for 100 years, its good enough for me.
Man - the path, it's something that I think most of us here in Toronto visit the path. It just seems like the same five stores over and over again.
Still - it's a nice way to get around every now and then. I've used it maybe five times?