Nightlife

Toronto has a vital and varied nightlife scene. Renowned local artists and troupes include the Canadian Stage Company, the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, Soulpepper, the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The city is also a mecca for top-notch theater -- you can sometimes see shows before they reach New York or London (the world premiere of the Lord of the Rings musical opened in Toronto in 2006 before heading to London's West End). Toronto's many dance and music venues also host the crème de la crème of international performers. Some of the best entertainment is in Toronto's comedy clubs, which have served as training grounds for stars such as Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, and John Candy. The nightclub scene moves at a frenetic pace. Martini bars are perennially popular, though lower-key pool bars are in vogue, too.

Making Plans -- For listings of local performances and events, check out Where Toronto (www.where.ca/toronto) and Toronto Life (www.torontolife.com), as well as the Toronto Star (www.thestar.com). For up-to-the-minute lists of hot-ticket events, check out the free weeklies Now and Eye, available around town in newspaper boxes and at bars, cafes, and bookstores. The city website www.toronto.com also boasts lengthy lists of performances. Events of particular interest to the gay and lesbian community are listed in Xtra! (www.xtra.ca), another free weekly available in newspaper boxes and many bookstores. The Torontoist blog (www.torontoist.com) is also a great source for upcoming performances.

Getting Tickets -- For almost any theater, music, or dance event, you can buy tickets from Ticketmaster (tel. 416/870-8000; www.ticketmaster.ca). To avoid the service charge on each ticket (not just every order) sold over the phone, head to a ticket center. They're scattered throughout the city; call the information line for the lengthy list of locations.

Literary Types

One of the most reliably interesting reading series in Toronto is organized by Pages Books & Magazines. Called This Is Not a Reading Series (or TINARS, for short), it runs from September through May and bills itself simply as a series that presents artists and writers who have new books. It is incredibly eclectic: The TINARS Manifesto states "This is writers talking about anything and everything: late night fiction, early morning hangovers, the politics of pot, octopuses on hockey rinks, the future of poetry, the history of cyborgs, the location of the mind, the cultural significance of the comma . . ." TINARS does host events around the city, but its home base is at the Gladstone Hotel at 1214 Queen St. West. Check out www.pagesbooks.ca for a schedule (events are also listed in NOW Magazine, a partner in the reading series). Readings normally take place at 7:30pm, and they are free.

Cinemas & Movie Houses

Check Now, Eye, www.toronto.com, or one of the daily newspapers for listings.

Coffeehouses

While Starbucks has certainly staked out territory in Toronto, the Canadian chain, the Second Cup, is holding its ground. It offers a full range of flavored coffees and espresso varieties, plus cakes, muffins, croissants, and gift items. Another chain, Timothy's, invites you to pour your own selection from about 10 varieties. My favorite coffeehouses are all independents, though.