It doesn’t take long when I’m somewhere else, to start comparing ‘there’ to ‘here’, and after a few days TORONTO nearly always comes out the winner. On a recent trip, I made a list of 20 things about this city that cost us nothing or maybe just a little.

1) Fifty ice rinks, city-run

2) Single-screen neighbourhood cinemas

3) Riverdale Farm

4) Multiple street festivals

5) One-of-a-kind bookshops – TORONTO still has them

6) University of Toronto’s St. George downtown condo-blocking campus

7) A night-landing at Pearson International

8) Laneway surprises

9) Philosopher’s Walk in all seasons

10) Eccentric streetscapes – plenty of those

11) Ten lines of streetcars

12) The SPIT & Lake Ontario

13) Ever-changing development

14) Original juxta positioning

15) Street artists and muralists

16) Food, antique, night, paper, vintage clothing & farmer’s markets, indoor & outdoor

17) The ravine network

18) Our outstanding public libraries

19) Bird songs, even on frigid winter days.  Sparrows never give up.
20) Four distinct seasons

#21) FOR GOOD MEASURE – raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, skunks & foxes

AND so much more . . .