Toronto tourist attractions that don't suck will help you keep your relatives occupied, and might even be worth checking out on your own. Let's be honest, while the CN Tower is a great compass, it's not exactly a thrill to pay almost $30 to go up and look down. And the obligatory drive to Niagara falls is often too far. Besides, how many awkward pictures standing in front of gushing water do you really need?

Here's a round-up of tourist attractions in Toronto that don't suck.

The Scarborough Bluffs
I lived in this city for years before I discovered the awe-inspiring Scarborough Bluffs which stretch along Lake Ontario from the Eastern Beaches in the west to East Point Park at the eastern edge of the city. You'll be astonished at how wind and water erosion can create such stunning natural sculptures. Bring your camera; better yet, bring a sketchbook.

Evergreen Brick Works and the Rosedale Ravine
You don't need to trek out of the city to find serene hiking trails. The Rosedale Ravine is one amazing example of a trail right in the centre of Toronto. It starts at Heath St. E. near Yonge and St. Clair and takes you to an immersive forest path along the creek to the Brick Works.

The Toronto Islands
If getting lost in the forest with your relatives is a little too Hansel and Gretel - the terrifying Grimm brothers version - you might want to pack a picnic blanket and head to the Toronto Islands. They offer the best view of our cityscape as well as respite from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.

Live Theatre in the Distillery District
Toronto's theatre scene is going strong and any thespian would appreciate a show at Soulpepper. Even if the play doesn't impress, you'll have the architecture of the Distillery District to marvel at, not to mention all the amazing places to eat and drink there. Make sure to garb a souvenir from Soma for artisan chocolates.

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
Even in the off Hot Docs season this theatre is a destination spot for great documentary films. There's always a great flick to catch and you can grab a beer to wash down your popcorn during the show. Bonus: you can to tour the Annex and the cinema is across the street from the iconic Lee's Palace, site of the colourful Al Runt mural.

TIFF Bell Lightbox
The TIFF Lightbox is ground zero for spotting filmmakers and promoters during festival season. This is also a haven for film lovers; the picture and sound quality are state of the art and the building also comes with a gallery space and a few great spots to eat and drink. Make sure to grab a glass of wine before the show at Luma on the second floor.

The St. Lawrence Market
Restaurants can cost an arm and a leg, so why not treat your foodie guests to a tour of the places where the chefs shop. The market is a great one-stop destination for all your grocery needs, and it's strategically located in an architecturally stunning historic neighbourhood populated by buildings like the historic Flatiron. While you're in the area swing by Brookfield Place;, that ceiling is one of my favourite Toronto landmarks.

Philosopher's Walk
I love the crowds and noise in this city, but on a hot summer day it's always nice to get away to a cool oasis. Philosopher's walk nestled between two Toronto landmarks The Royal Conservatory of Music and the ROM has been one of my go-to places. You can often hear the sound of beautiful music streaming from the conservatory.

Ripley's Aquarium
I generally cringe away from cheesy tourist spots but this aquarium is fascinating for both adults and kids. It's also situated at the foot of the CN Tower, steps from the ACC and the Rogers Centre (or the SkyDome as I still like to call it). Basically, you can say you did the tourist thing, all in one shot.

Graffiti Alley
As a fan of graffiti, I always take my out-of-towner friends to see graffiti alley, behind the shops on Queen West between Spadina and Bathurst. The art is stunning and many people have seen shots of the alley in films or TV shows. It's constantly changing, so you're bound to see something new when you visit.

What other Toronto tourist attractions would you recommend? Add them to the comments.

Follow Sima Sahar Zerehi on Twitter @SimaSaharZerehi

Looking for a DJ or live music for your wedding in Toronto? As with any party, music can make or break a reception; you don't want to spend your own celebration manning iTunes, but you also don't want a DJ leaning on the Britney hits of yesteryear (at least, not until after everyone's had a few glasses of wine). Whether you're into pop, soul, oldies, jazz, or all of the above, you won't go wrong with these options.

Here are my picks for the top wedding DJ and live music options in Toronto.

Oldies 990
Though they play plenty of bar shows (and pack the dance floor at each and every one), this band of bowling-shirted fellas will also bring their note-perfect renditions of pre-British Invasion tunes '50s and '60s tunes (think "Let's Twist Again" and "The Book Of Love") to your reception.

Dougie Boom
Over his 15-year DJ career, Dougie Boom's played club gigs with the likes of Mark Ronson and Chromeo, and spun at private parties for everyone from TIFF to Levi's and Jack Daniels. He counts weddings among his private DJing gigs, with a 50,000-song library at his disposal.

The Intentions
While they've got their own catalog of funk and soul tunes, this 11-piece band moonlights as a wedding band specializing in Motown classics. The full ensemble is also often called upon to split up and perform as classical trios and duos, vocal trios, jazz quartets, and even DJs - between all of them, they'll have your musical needs covered.

The St. Royals
If you're really looking to make a major splash with guests, this mega-band bills themselves as "Toronto's undisputed kings of Motown and soul", bringing an extensive repertoire of classic hits that extends all the way to pop, funk and R&B. Hire them as a seven-piece, nine-piece, or the "superband"; their banner also includes jazz and string ensembles, soloists and DJs.

Bounce Productions
When he's not hosting some of Toronto's top karaoke nights, Rolland puts his signature sense of fun into his Bounce Productions imprint, which hires out wedding DJs (all of whom can double as MCs). One major selling point: Their "walk around request system", which stops at every table and asks what folks are looking do dance to.

Maximum DJ
This fleet of Etobicoke-based DJs prides themselves on "playing the music you want to hear" from their library of tens of thousands of tunes (including selections from around the world). They'll choose the perfect person to play your party based on the ceremony you've got in mind, and their DJs are also equipped to handle MC duties.

Indie Wedding DJ
DJ Justin Jacques promises a fromage-free musical experience for your wedding. However, lest you're picturing a lot of acoustic songs with "hey!" hollered in the background, his playlists hop between genres and decades seamlessly - perfect if your own record collection includes oldies, '90s rap and modern pop.

The Sound Parade
This five-piece band can do Top 40, funk, rock, R&B, and everything in between - and they've got 1200 shows under their belts to prove it. The band is a five-piece at its core, but can go down to a three-piece jazz combo or a 10-member band with horns depending on your needs. (You can also book a photographer and DJ as a package.)

Lady Be Good
Led by singer Kat Langdon, this quartet balances old and new, flipping between classic jazz, modern pop, and a little R&B thrown in. They can also perform as a duo (vocals/keyboard), trio (vocals/keyboard/bass) or larger ensemble (with guitar, horns, sax, extra singers - you name it).

Sidecar
Think of these guys as the young Toronto urbanite's jazz combo of choice - the "indie jazz trio" boasts a repertoire that features Feist covers right alongside genre classics. (More proof: They just played indie wedding tradeshow Rebash.) Their focus is on creating a customized feel for each event, rolling ably with the vibe in the room to score your celebration perfectly.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for the best wedding music, band and DJ options in Toronto in the comments.

Photo via St. Royal Entertainment.

This well established barber shop has recently expanded from very tight digs to a new comfortable space just down the street from its original location. Here you'll find reasonably priced shaves and cuts, as well as a whole lot of taxidermy and vintage relics. Despite the name, no bandages required.

Read my review of Blood and Bandages in the fashion section.

Jurassic Park, the name of the Fan Zone outside the ACC, is once again ground zero for Raptors Fans looking to cheer on the team during their playoff run. Aside from more than 3,000 screaming fans and choice profanity from the Raptors GM, there's a handful of things you can bet will shape the experience.

Scroll through our photo gallery for 10 things to know about the Raptors party at the ACC.

Photo by Phil Marion in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto it's that magic number: if combustibles are your thing and arson seems like a bummer, the 420 rally will go down as usual at Yonge & Dundas. For the munchies there's The 10th annual Washoku Matsuri Japanese Food Festival organized by the Japanese Restaurant Association of Canada, including signature dishes Cafe Michi, Sushi Kaji and Hiro Sushi.

Or (fierce munchies), The Underground Chef Cartel are hosting their third battle with Chef Alex Molitz (Geraldine) vs. Chef Hayden Johnston (Richmond Station). Bloorcourt gallery Mercer Union's biannual fundraiser features an amazing list of artists including Abbas Akhavan, Suzy Lake, Micah Lexier, Ulysses Castellanos, Vanessa Maltese, VSVSVS, and more. The auction is May 13. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Organics: 420 (Yonge-Dundas Square)
• Art: Stellar Living 2015 (Mercer Union)
• Food: Washoku Matsuri (Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre)
• Food: The Underground Chef Cartel (Origin Restaurant & Bar)
• Film: Early Monthly Segments (Gladstone)
• Music: Grandpa Night Vol. 1: Doug Hoyer Renders (151 Sterling)
• Freshness: More Fresh Prince Marathon (Smiling Buddha)
• Three's Company: Toronto Roommate Mixer (Madison Avenue Pub)
• Performance: Doored 420 (Double Double Land)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Contributions by Liora Ipsum

Photo by Christian Bobak

If you grew up in Georgetown, the most common question you're probably asked is, "where's that?" Despite being only 30 minutes outside of the city, somehow the town gets lost amongst the popularity of the other places Toronto borders like Milton, Brampton, and Mississauga.

Here are 10 signs you grew up in Georgetown.

1. You consider Shoeless Joe's and Boston Pizza to be bars, not chain restaurants.

2. You had at least one of your birthday parties at the original McDonald's Play Place with the caboose.

3. You have an innate dislike toward people from Acton. You can't help it.

4. You've danced to a live band at The Gib.

5. You're either from the South, the Glen, or in-town. There's no in-between.

6. You've been to/fled the scene of a bush party or two.

7. You consider the Chicken Man both a local celebrity and a friend.

8. You've had a hangover breakfast at The Georgeview.

9. You've come to terms with the fact Nashville North is the only option for a 'big night out.'

10. You know to beep your horn going through the one-way bridge off of Mill Street.

What signs did I miss? Add your suggestions to the comments.

Writing by Claire Owens.

Photo by Brian G. Kennedy

This new bike store on Eglinton West is the culmination of owner Linus Kwak's dream to open a service-oriented shop that puts to use his years of skill building wheels and designing parts. It's a small space with only a handful of new bikes on offer, but the mechanic services are top notch.

Read my review of Dream Cyclery in the services section.

First Muji, then Uniqlo, then Reiss - Toronto is quickly becoming home to a who's who of some of the world's coolest retailers. Lovers of the avant-garde, this new one is for you: COS, an upscale sister line to H&M, has announced it's finally opening locations in Canada, a year after it first announced it was heading to the U.S.

The Toronto location is set to take over the former Tiffany store at 85 Bloor St. West this fall, promising three floors of retail boasting 6738 square feet of retail area. The new shop joins another location in Montreal, as well as shops in New York and L.A. and a fleet of locations across Europe.

As far as the clothing itself: COS designs are typically ultra-minimal, ranging from demure and work-appropriate to sculptural and severe (with a few punches of colour and print to brighten things up - this spring, they're all about a kelly green). Basically, if you lust fruitlessly after Marni or Celine, you'll be able to ease the pain here.

We haven't dropped a festival announcement in almost three days, but you can now unclench your impatient jaw. WayHome, the huge new almost-in-Toronto Bonnaroo offshoot festival featuring Kendrick Lamar, Sam Smith, Alt-J, Modest Mouse, Hozier, and St. Vincent, has announced that Neil Young will also headline the festival on Burl's Creek Event Grounds.

They announced it on 420, because this festival is all about marketing savvy.

Will a Canadian icon like Young soften local residents, who've waged an audible war against hosting the event on the grounds, to the new festival? The Tragically Hip aren't getting much love out there, so we'll have to wait and see.

Addition: a fresh wave of artists have also been added to the lineup today, including: Brandon Flowers, Theophilus London, Manchester Orchestra, The Lone Bellow, Django Django, The Growlers, Rhiannon Giddens, Dwyane Gretzky, Tobias Jesso Jr, Chad VanGaalen, Broncho, Slow Magic, Highs, Brave Shores, Kevin Garrett, Weaves, Ascot Royals, The Beaches, Tomi Swick, Zorch, Amos the Transparent, Teen Violence, The Huaraches, and Cross Dog.

WayHome runs July 24 - 26 at Burl's Creek Event Grounds.

Photo by Kris Krug

TURF is coming back for year three, and they're playing it a little different this year, probably in light of all the festival madness. The Toronto Urban Roots Fest will be held over three days at the very end of summer, September 18-20. That means you have plenty of time to recuperate post Neil Young - smart.

On the lineup so far are Wilco, Neko Case, Deerhunter, Built to Spill, Cake, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men, Cold Specks, Elliot Brood, Will Butler, The Sadies, and um, Desaparecidos, among more.

Unlike new festivals like UK import Bestival and Bonnaroo offshoot WayHome, TURF also incorporates off-site venue gigs and is a locally run operation, so it's worth showing them the love. Plus, what better way to soak up the last of the summer sun?

The 2015 Toronto Urban Roots Fest is September 18-20 at Fort York Garrison Common. Earlybird passes will go on sale Thursday, April 23 at noon. Single-day lineup announcements and tickets will follow in early June.

After making a name for itself peddling (and pedalling) lunch boxes and cold-pressed juices to downtown office workers from a bike cart, this healthy fast-food company now has a storefront of their own. Their daily menu, naturally, has octupled in size - they've got a selection of soups, salads, boxes, smoothies, and even raw vegan treats for Liberty Village diners to enjoy.

Read my profile of Oats & Ivy in the restaurants section.

Boxcar Social is set to bring its cafe-bar hybrid concept to Queen Street. Already a neighbourhood fixture in Summerhill, the new outpost in Riverside will feature the same mix of coffee, wine, craft beer and whisky, but in more spacious digs.

The new location is set to open in about a month at 4 Boulton Avenue (at Queen). With the larger space comes two additions to Boxcar's menu - beer taps are being installed and the food offerings will be bulked up as well.

The main attraction, however, will remain the perfectionist's take on coffee and booze that's made the first location popular. That's something I suspect will get east-siders rather excited. Check out Boxcar's Facebook page for updates on the opening date.

Photo by Jesse Milns

Fans of heavy machinery and transit nerds got a treat this weekend as Metrolinx extracted and re-installed its two massive tunnel boring machines, Dennis and Lea. The operation brought out over a hundred people (many of them photographers) curious to see what these technological beasts look like in person.

The process was a slow one (what do you expect with 400 tonne objects?), but was ultimately a success as both tunnel boring machines were reinserted into the earth just to the east of Allen Road, where they will now continue to lay the groundwork for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

An opening date for the new LRT line is still years away, but this weekend was a reminder (over and above traffic delays on Eglinton) that the project is coming along. Check out photos of the big move below.

Photos by Christian Bobak

Meeting for a business breakfast in Toronto? Your morning rendez-vous need not be relegated to coffee houses. Sometimes a little bacon and eggs can make even the diciest business proposition seem a bit more palatable.

Here are my picks for the top restaurants for a business breakfast in Toronto.

The Gabardine
The menu at this Financial District favourite features foods that are easy to eat while pouring over papers: think oatmeal bowls ($8), house made granola ($8), and sandwiches like the scrambled egg with aged cheddar and onion jam on a toasted English muffin ($9.50). Open from 8am.

Thompson Diner
The upmarket diner in the Thompson Hotel is open 24/7, meaning no matter how early your workday starts, breakfast is served. Dine on fruits ($9-$11), cereals ($4-$6), pancakes ($12) and big egg breakfasts ($12-$12.50).

Terroni Bar Centrale
Open from 8am, this Summerhill spot is an ideal meeting place to conduct business over coffee and biscotti, yogurt granola and fruit parfaits, and brioche toast with butter and jam.

Flo's Diner
Slide into a deep booth and conduct business over bacon and eggs at this Yorkville diner from 7:30am onwards. Breakfast is served all day offering steel cut oats ($4-$6), omelettes ($10-$12) and steak and eggs ($16).

Bar Raval
This fanciful Spanish-style restaurant on College Street opens daily at 8am and is an inspiring spot for quick, stand-up brainstorming sessions fueled by strong coffee and an array of small plates like quail egg over morcilla on baguette ($3.75).

The Beverley Hotel
The breakfast menu offered weekdays from 7am at this Queen West boutique hotel features good ol' breakfasts ($8), buttermilk blueberry pancakes ($13), and omelettes ($11-$12) that are sure to motivate teams and sweeten client negotiations.

Le Gourmand
This cafe at Spadina and Richmond serves casual breakfasts from 7am during the workweek offering a complete lineup of espresso-based beverages and a menu featuring fruit and granola bowls, omelettes, breakfast burritos and croissan'wiches.

School Bakery and Cafe
Open at 9am, this Liberty Village brunch spot is an ideal destination for late-starters brainstorming over breakfast dishes like fluffy pancakes, eggs purgatory and Belgian waffles.

Boom Breakfast & Co.
Get a jump start at the Yonge and Eglinton location of this local breakfast chain. Expect to find a full range of morning fare including power breakfasts ($9), waffles ($7-$11) and hearty omelettes ($9.50-$10.60).

Bar Buca
Concentrate at the task at hand at this this popular Italian restaurant on Portland off of King West. Open at 7am each morning, you'll find espresso and assorted Italian pastries available at the counter and a more complete menu featuring sandwiches and eggs as the morning wears on.

What did I miss? Leave your suggestions in the comments. Photo via Bar Buca on Facebook.

Toronto is the second unhappiest city in Canada according to a new Statistics Canada report on relative life satisfaction in urban centres across the country. Apparently our mopeyness is surpassed only by Vancouver, which ranked at 7.808 out of 10 compared to Toronto 7.818.

The main study question was straightforward. Researches asked respondents to rank their "life satisfaction" on a scale of 0 to 10, where the former indicated "very dissatisfied" and the latter marked "very satisfied." By way of context, the happiest city in the country is Saguenay, which averaged out at 8.245 out of 10.

That doesn't sound like a huge difference, but a more nuanced examination of the numbers reveals that Toronto also has a high percentage of individuals who ranked their life satisfaction at a 6 or less (17.1 per cent), whereas more happy cities come in at 8.6 to 12 per cent.

What do you think? Aren't we supposed to be the best city in the world? Would you rather live in Winnipeg (7.894 on the happiness index)? Or perhaps St. Johns (8.174)? Weigh in -- if you can fight back the tears.

Photo by Taku in the blogTO Flickr pool

Photo by Lori Whelan in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto it's the opening of FAT (Toronto Arts & Fashion Week), the studded-leather jacket wearing French bulldog to Toronto Fashion Week's coiffed poodle. FAT's catwalks and photo ops aim to walk the cutting edge of fashion and art.

Before the Eifman St. Petersburg Ballet's Anna Karenina gets here on Thursday (eee), ballet fans can check out Swan Lake on screen, as performed earlier this year at the Royal Opera House. And, of course, fans can show support for the Raptors by partying it up at Maple Leaf Square prior to game two in their first round playoff series.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Fashion: FAT (April 21-25, Daniels Spectrum)
• Dance: Swan Lake (Bloor Hot Docs)
• Sports: Toronto Raptors Party in the Square
• Lit: Launch Party for Confidence by Russell Smith (Garrison)
• Music: Whitney Rose CD Release Show (Horseshoe)
• Music: Somewhere There Presents (Musideum)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Image via FAT

This week on DineSafe the streak of no closures continues. Downtown establishments like Utopia and Papa Ceo only narrowly escaped a red card, however, racking up six and seven infractions respectively.

Here are the rest of this week's results on DineSafe.

Utopia (586 College St.)
Inspected on: April 13, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Papa Ceo (654 Spadina Ave.)
Inspected on: April 13, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Mariko Japanese Restaurant (551 Bloor St. W.)
Inspected on: April 13, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Zyng (730 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 14, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

FV Foods (757 Warden Ave.)
Inspected on: April 14, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Falafel House (760 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 15, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Camros Organic Foods (25 Hayden St.)
Inspected on: April 15, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Asian Legend (5188 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 17, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

Giant bubbles are no longer for the pariahs and giant hamsters of society - they're now for athletes too (or "athletes," if you wish). Bubble ball is experiencing a rise in popularity, and apparently leagues exist not only in Toronto and Vancouver but in places like Denver, San Diego, and Hong Kong.

If you haven't joined up with a Toronto league yet, you can get a chance to play Victoria Day Weekend at Toronto Bubble Ball Fest 2015, a charitable event that non-profit sperro.org are bringing to town.

The tournament will break players into teams of four, playing three fifteen minute games. The full list of rules can be found on Sperro's website. You must be between the ages of 18-35 to play - sorry, potential 36 year old bubble people, looks like you're going to need a fake ID.

To keep players' and spectators' energy up, there will be barbecue, refreshments, and tacos on site. Friendly reminder - you are not currently reading our April Fools post. Joining up is $20, or it's $5 to watch the fun from the sidelines.

Will you wear your Peter Pan costume to play soccer in a giant bubble? Let us know in the comments.

Toronto Bubble Ball Fest 2015 is May 18, rain or shine, at Crawford Academy Field. Proceeds will go to Build for Belize 2015.