Local information for visitors to DI

Our Location

The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics is located in the 3-story building at 50 St. George Street on the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus (St. George St and Russell St) (http://map.utoronto.ca/building/36).
You can enter from either St. George side or Russell side.
The main office is located in AB101 up one flight of stairs.

Hotel Accommodation

We usually arrange our visitors to stay with Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville. The hotel is located at 280 Bloor Street West, Toronto, which is a 10-minute walk from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Building

Holiday Inn Toronto, Bloor-Yorkville
280 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V8
Tel: 416-968-0010 -or- 1-877-660-8550
Email: cn312res@whg.com
http://www.hitorontoblooryorkville.ca/toronto-hotels/

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM HOLIDAY INN

(1) From Toronto City Centre Airport - Billy Bishop (YTZ)
Distance: 1.86 MI/3.0 KM SOUTH WEST to Hotel
North on Bathurst to Bloor, right turn to hotel.

(2) Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
Distance: 21.75 MI/35.0 KM SOUTH EAST to Hotel
Hwy-427 S to Gardiner East. Gardiner to Spadina, exit Spadina North to Bloor, right on Bloor, hotel on left after first set of lights.

(3) Train
Station Name: Union Station
Distance: 1.55 MI/2.5 KM NORTH to Hotel
Taxi Charge (one way): $  12.00 CAD
East on Front St. W toward Bay St. U-turn at Bay St. on Front St. W Turn right onto University Ave. Follow Provincial Route 11A N Turn right on Hoskin Ave.Turn right on Devonshire Pl.Turn left onto Bloor St W / Provincial Route 5. End at 280 Bloor St.

(4) Subway
Subway Station Name: St. George Station
Distance: 0.03 MI/0.05 KM EAST to Hotel

View Larger Map

Arriving From Out of Town

(1) Arriving by air


If you are arriving by plane, you can take a car, a taxi or public transit from Pearson International Airport or the Toronto Island Airport. 


There are shuttle buses from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Downtown Toronto
Tel: 1-800-387-6787
http://www.torontoairportexpress.com/

If you are taking public transit from Pearson International Airport, you have a choice of four TTC bus routes: 


192 Airport Rocket — this bus takes you to Kipling subway station. From Kipling, take the subway eastbound to St. George subway station.

58A Malton — this bus takes you to Lawrence West subway station. From Lawrence West, travel southbound to St. George subway station. 

If you are arriving in the middle of the night or very early in the morning, public transit access is limited because the subway doesn’t run between 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. To get to downtown Toronto during these times, you can take the 300A Bloor-Danforth bus from the airport, which provides overnight service along Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue. We suggest taking the bus to Bloor and Yonge (which is minutes away from campus) and catching a taxi from there to your final destination. To reach mid-town Toronto, take the 307 Eglinton West bus, which provides overnight service to Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. From this intersection, you will be able to catch a taxi to your final destination.

If you decide to rent a car at Pearson International Airport and drive to campus:
  • Follow the airport signs that direct you to highway 401.
  • Take highway 401 east to the Yonge Street south exit.
  • Go south on Yonge Street for 10.4 km to College Street.
  • Turn right onto College Street and then turn right onto St. George Street. Feel free to stop at the Centre for International Experience located at 33 St. George Street to pick up useful orientation information, find temporary housing or store your luggage.

If you are flying Porter Airlines and decide to take public transit from the Toronto Island Airport: 

Catch the Porter shuttle, which will drop you off at to the north-east corner of Front Street and York Street. 
Cross to the south side of Front Street and enter Union subway station. 
Take the University-Spadina line subway northbound to St. George subway station. 


(2) Arriving by bus


If you are arriving by bus, you can either take a taxi or the subway from the Toronto Coach Terminal or the GO Transit station at Union Station. 


To get to campus by subway from the Toronto Coach Terminal, walk three blocks west along Dundas Street to St. Patrick subway station (at University Avenue and Dundas Street) and go north to Queen’s Park, Museum, or St. George subway station (depending on your destination.) You can alternatively walk east along Dundas Street to Dundas subway station (at Yonge Street and Dundas Street). Take the subway northbound to Bloor-Yonge station. Then transfer westbound and go to St. George subway station.

To get to campus by subway from the GO Transit station at Union Station, you can enter Union subway station and catch the University-Spadina line subway northbound to Queen’s Park, Museum or St. George subway station (depending on your destination.) 


(3) Arriving by train

All trains arrive at Union Station located at the foot of the city.
You can either take a taxi to our downtown campus or travel by subway:
  • Enter Union subway station.
  • Catch the University-Spadina line subway northbound to Queen’s Park, Museum, or St. George subway station (depending on your destination.)

Navigating the City of Toronto


(1) Getting to Us by Public Transit

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) weaves extensively throughout Toronto, including the downtown areas of U of T. You can get detailed directions on how to get to U of T (or anywhere in the city) by calling 416-393-4636.

Transit fares

A one-way adult single fare on the TTC is $3.00
Tokens are 5 for $12.5 and 10 for $25.00.
Single Day Pass (unlimited for one person, one day): $10.00
Weekly Pass (unlimited for one person, one week): $36.00

Getting to campus by subway
There are four subway stations near the St. George campus:

  • St. George (at Bloor Street and St. George Street)
  • Spadina (at Bloor Street and Spadina Road)
  • Queen’s Park (at College Street and University Avenue)
  • Museum (at Bloor Street and Queen’s Park Crescent)

See TTC downtown routes map

Getting to campus by streetcar
There are two streetcar routes that pass by campus:

  • The 510 Spadina streetcar runs along Spadina Avenue from Spadina subway station, along the western edge of the campus.
  • The 506 Carleton streetcar  runs along College Street, along the southern part of the campus. You can catch the 506 from College station and Queen’s Park station on the north-south Yonge-University-Spadina line.


Getting to campus by bus
There is one bus that runs through campus:

  • Catch the 94 Wellesley bus from Castle Frank subway station (Bloor-Danforth line), Wellesley subway station (at Wellesley Street and Yonge Street on the Yonge-University line), or Ossington station (Bloor-Danforth line.)


Getting to campus if you have special needs

If you are in a wheelchair or have special mobility needs, the TTC offers two options for getting around Toronto and to U of T:



(2) Getting to Us by Car

Driving directions


Our St. George campus is located in downtown Toronto. It spans several city blocks, stretching approximately north from College Street, east from Spadina Avenue, south from Bloor Street and west from Bay Street. Call TripInfo to get information about scheduled Toronto road closures. Be aware that traffic in downtown Toronto can be quite congested, particularly during “rush hours” – about 8 am – 9am and 4 pm – 6 pm weekdays. 


The campus is accessible via the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway, which connect Toronto with Ontario’s 400-series highways.

  • If you are travelling eastbound on the Gardiner Expressway, you can choose any one of three exit ramps located at Spadina Avenue, York Street and Bay Street.
  • If you are travelling southbound on the Don Valley Parkway, take the Bloor/Bayview exit ramp (use the Bloor Street lane).


Parking 


Students who drive regularly to campus can buy monthly parking permits. For more information about schedules, parking locations and prices, visit Parking Services.
 

Students can also pay to park daily at a price of $3.00/30 minutes to a maximum of $10.00 or $15.00/day. A flat rate of $6.00 to $8.00 is available on weekday evenings after 5:00 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays. Daily passes can be bought from ticket dispensers on campus.


(3) Getting to Us by Bike

The many bike paths and racks on campus make cycling a cheap, convenient and environmentally friendly mode of transportation — check out the City of Toronto’s cycling map to chart your best cycling route to us. However, be aware that more than 100 bicycles are reported stolen each year, so make sure you lock your bike properly and register it with Campus Police to deter theft.


(4) Getting to Us on Foot

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, our campus is easy to access on foot.
See a map of the local St. George campus area to chart your best walking route to us.

Taxi Reservation

If you have to get to the airport in a hurry, you can call a taxi or a limousine.  They take reservations and the cost is about $40 plus tip.  The best place to meet the taxi is “on the north side of Russell Street, halfway between St. George and Huron”

Beck Taxi
Tel: 416-751-5555
http://www.becktaxi.com

Co-op Cabs
Tel: 416-504-2667
http://www.co-opcabs.com

Diamond Taxicab
Tel: 416-366-6868
http://www.diamondtaxi.ca

Toronto Airport Limousine Taxi
Tel: 647-893-7786
http://www.1torontoairportlimo.com
 Royal Taxi
Tel: 416-777-9222
http://www.royaltaxi.ca

City Taxi
Tel: 416-740-2222
http://www.citytaxitoronto.com


Crown Taxi
Tel: 416-750-7878
http://www.crowntaxi.com


Internet Access

It is best to bring a laptop with you.  If you can’t, please let your host know so that s/he may reserve one for you.  Your laptop must be registered in our local network before it can be used.  To register it, please send the computer’s MAC address and operating system in advance to Alice Chow, our Assistant to the Director and Office Administrator (di.admin@di.utoronto.ca) in advance.

Weather

Environment Canada has forecasts for the Toronto area, which should be consulted if you're unsure whether you need to bundle up or wear shorts.

Food and Drink

Toronto is one of the largest cities in North America, and has over 8,000 restaurants.
Toronto offers restaurants and foods from all over the world.


For a complete listing of restaurants visit:
http://www.dine.to/toronto_restaurants.php
For listing of all entertainment and nightlife in Toronto visit:
http://www.seetorontonow.com/Visitor/Experience/Entertainment-and-Nightlife.aspx

Attractions


Recreation, Markets, Museums and Galleries:
Toronto's waterfront - one of North America's largest recreational waterfronts - provides a scenic backdrop for many popular and entertaining attractions including Harbourfront, Ontario Place,
Rogers Centre, the CN Tower, St. Lawrence Market and the Toronto Islands. Downtown Toronto offers museums and art galleries galore including The Bata Shoe Museum, The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) , Canada's largest museum and one of the top 10 in the world; the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Canada's oldest art gallery and home to more than 15,000 paintings;
and the Ontario Science Centre, which entertains and educates 800,000 visitors a year.

For a complete list of Toronto attractions visit:
http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/attraction_highlights.htm
http://www.toronto.ca/
Toronto Tourism
416-203-2600 or toll-free 1-800-499-2514
toronto@torcvb.com

Money Matters


Sales Tax
Ontario Harmonized Sales Tax is 13%


Nearby Banks in Toronto:

CIBC
595 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1M6

Bank of Montreal
763 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2R3

Scotiabank
79 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1R8

TD Canada Trust
21 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1L3

RBC
MaRS Discovery Centre, 130-101 College Street Toronto, ON M5G 1L7

Emergencies

Hospitals & Nearby Medical Care Facilities:

Mount Sinai Hospital
600 University Avenue, B 119, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5

St. Michael’s Hospital
30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8

Toronto General Hospital
200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4

Maps

U of T Map:
http://map.utoronto.ca
Toronto Map:
http://www.toronto.ca/torontomaps/index.htm



Contact Information

Alice Chow
Assistant to the Director and Office Administrator
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics
50 St. George St., Rm 101
Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
Email: di.admin@di.utoronto.ca
Phone: 416-978-3356
Fax: 416-946-7287