U.S. tourist gives Toronto rave review and here are their favourite spots

Although Toronto may be known for its construction headaches and seemingly endless traffic for those of us who live here full-time, every now and then, a fresh perspective reminds us locals why this city is truly something special. 

A recent Reddit post by an American tourist has reignited that appreciation among some locals, and has racked up over 4,000 upvotes and nearly 400 comments in a short amount of time. 

"Holy cow what a city. We had an amazing time. The food was incredible. We enjoyed Harbourfront, Distillery District, the Thomas Fisher Library, and Kensington Market as well as another area with a bunch of shopping," they wrote.

"The bookstore scene is on another level and as an avid home chef I went to Tosho Knife Arts where I got a beautiful new chef's knife. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. I was blown away by the diversity in the city as well. Long story short, thank you Toronto. Thanks for giving us a break from the insanity in the U.S., thank you for the food, thank you for the books, we can't wait to visit again." 

Toronto from an American visitor
byu/nate2188764 intoronto

The post sparked a flurry of responses from both Toronto residents and tourists, with many echoing the positive sentiment. 

"Yeah I was in Toronto for like three weeks or so around Christmas and I had a blast," one user shared.

"There's so much to do in Toronto and the public transportation is light years better (in my opinion) than what I'm used to in the U.S. You can just tap your credit/debit card to pay for any public transportation and any public transportation is free for the next couple of hours… Toronto sort of reminds me of NYC except it's a lot cleaner. It's very diverse, the people are nice." 

The thread also presented an opportunity for us locals, who have become desensitized to the city's charm, to appreciate all of its offerings. 

"Welcome! Glad you enjoyed your visit. Toronto is not perfect but we do have an unbeatable international cuisines scene, literary, theatre and music scene and much more for people who appreciate all of that. Hope your next visit will be as enjoyable," one local added. 

"Thank you for the kind words! It's easy to forget how awesome this city can be. There are issues, but there is a lot we take for granted," another resident chimed in. 

Other recent visitors took the chance to praise Toronto, with one U.S. visitor stating that Toronto was the first major city they could "actually picture" themselves living in. 

One local perhaps captured the spirit of the thread the best. "It's good to hear about the city from an outside perspective," they wrote. "Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees."