1. How to jay walk. These people wait for no man or car and I am on board with this way of living. Have you ever stood at a completely deserted street waiting for the walk symbol shivering in the freezing cold? Definitely, and I never thought anything of it before! Go on, live on the wild side.

2. How to hail a cab. So I get there thinking “Pfft, no biggie. I’ve definitely got tons of experience with this one.” I stepped out of Penn station and couldn’t get a cab to save my life! So I took the opportunity to interview my cab driver (once I finally got one) on some tips. First of all, unlike Toronto if the big triangle light is on it doesn’t mean the cab is in service, it’s just an ad. If the cab number is lite up in the top centre of the sign then it’s in service, and there are two small lights on either side of the number that say “off duty” and those are pretty self explanatory. But if you don’t know what to be looking for, it’s hard to tell what lights mean what from a distance.

The next step to hailing a cab is confidence. None of this raising your arm halfheartedly and then lowering it once you think a cab is stopping, or any limp-wrist action. You gotta step out into the street and stick your arm out like you mean it.

Also, know where you’re going — mid-town, uptown, downtown, address and closest intersection. Cause they’ll grumble at you the whole way there if you don’t know where you’re going.

And lastly, wear your seat belt. Yeah yeah, I know it’s not cool but cabbies in New York have some serious chutzpah behind the wheel. I personally loved their style of driving as opposed to the Toronto cabbies who slow down at even the hint of a yellow light, NYC cabbies will blaze right through a solid red.

All in all, it’s definitely my kind of town.

Ok, if you’re not following me on Twitter you better get on that because I’ll be tweeting from Fashion Week in New York City this weekend. Now, this was a last minute decision so I may not be able to get into any fashion shows but I can darn well try! No matter, I’ll be in the city that never sleeps so I’m sure I’ll come across something interesting to tell you guys about, such as moments like this one:

Harbour House

This was a gorgeous hotel near the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. Although it’s a modern building, it fits in well with  it’s Eastern Seaboard-style charm and cozy interior. I particularly enjoyed the whirlpool bathtub overlooking the main room.

Strewn Winery Tour & Cooking class

As Canada’s first winery cooking school, Strewn winery lived up to its glowing reputation. I highly recommend cooking classes with Elaine Duffy, who genuinely loves to share her expertise with others and has unending patience for us non-chefs.

Laura Secord Homestead

Visiting the home of Laura Secord brought me back to my school days of educational field trips. I think it’s the normal people being forced to wear old-timey outfits and the smell of musty furniture that really brings me back…ahh, the smell of childhood. However this time around I found a tour of this nature really interesting and our tour guide could tell you the origins of any object in the house, he really knew his stuff.

Interesting fact: Laura Secord probably never ate chocolate in her life! Check out this link for more info.

Niagara helicopter tour

This was an unforgettable experience and a great opportunity to snap a new Facebook profile photo. Even if you’re afraid of flying (like me), it’s a much smoother ride than I had anticipated and the pilots know the region really well so they can point out a lot of interesting landmarks along the way.

Like most people who live in a city their whole lives, I rarely take the time to visit with Toronto and actually see the sights. Sure, I’ve seen them but I usually don’t look at them or appreciate the city the way tourists do. I’ve put together this road trip guide of Toronto based on some of the activities from the Volkswagon Lifestyle event, as well as a few of my favourite places in Toronto.

Cosmopolitan hotel

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This hotel is in a great location for anyone who wants to park the car and visit the city on-foot. I recommend walking over to the St. Lawrence Market for shopping and authentic Montreal-style bagels at St. Urbain Bagel. Plus, you’re right on the edge of the Entertainment District if you’re in the mood for dancing the night away. And conveniently, the perfect place to spend the next morning’s hangover is at the Shizen Spa inside the hotel (photo 2 of 3). I suggest getting a massage from the lovely Belinda Torchia or any of their registered massage therapists at the spa.

Second City

If you prefer improv over musicals than Second City is the place to catch a show in the theatre section of the Entertainment District. Every night there’s a free improv show after the main event (anyone can attend) where the actors practice their improv chops and sometimes invite different actors to join them.

Segway tour of the Distillery District

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A few days before I did the segway tour of the Distillery District I caught a mild cold, and unfortunately the day of the tour it was rainy and cold. So like most people, I hate being wet, cold and sick and this should have affected my enjoyment of the segways. It did not, because segways are just that much fun. Plus the guys at Segway Ontario had great attitudes the whole time, and still delivered an interesting tour of the area. I’m definitely going back again on a nice day.

The following neighbourhoods, activities and restaurants are some of my favourites in the city so I couldn’t write a road trip guide of Toronto without including these (and as you can tell, I really love eating).

Kensington Market/Chinatown

Shop for cheese at Mendels Creamery N’appetizer in Kensington Market. I could spend all day chatting with the knowledgeable staff and sampling different cheeses. Heavenly.

The Beaches

The perfect beacher day starts with breakfast at Sunset Grill or The Beacher Cafe, followed by a walk along the boardwalk, and then a leisurely gawking tour of the beautiful real estate (check out these streets: Munro Park, Glen Manor, Pine Cres.)

360 Restaurant at the Tower (CN Tower restaurant)

Sure, it’s touristy but the food is great and it’s a unique view of the city you can’t find anywhere else.

Little Italy

So here’s your meal plan for Little Italy: breakfast at Aunties and Uncles (anticipate waiting in line but the food is worth it!), nachos at Sneaky Dees, gelato at Dolce Gelato. And then find a patio for some good quality people watching.

Toronto Island

Rent bikes and head over on the ferry. If you’re feeling adventurous go for a naked walk at Hanlan’s Point Beach (Toronto’s only nude beach, but don’t worry there usually isn’t very many people there).

Little India

Eat at Lahore Tikka House. I’m eating leftover butter chicken as I write this. This restaurant has been under construction for the last few years so the setting isn’t fancy (they serve the food on paper plates) but the butter chicken and kebabs are the best I’ve found in Toronto. If you’re visiting in the summer they convert their parking lot into a tented patio made of colourful fabric and the staff are always hospitable and pleasant.

Did I miss something? Share your favourite Toronto hot spot in the comments section below.