Ryerson Uni, Toronto Canada top 10 by Veryminky

1. Central location of the campus
Ain't much more central than having your campus in the Toronto equivalent of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. Ryerson's smack dab in the middle local means that you’re no more than five minutes away from a dazzling array of junk food eateries, huge record stores, hookers and the formidable and massive shopping mall, the Eaton Centre.

2. Varying location of city
On any given day you could leave campus to find that downtown T.O. has been hijacked by one of a thousand American film companies filming in the city’s core. If you need to hail a New York taxi cab or contact the Chicago police, this is the place.

3. Gigs
Keen music fans who read the British press are often treated to shows by bands considered ‘big’ by UK standards but who haven’t cracked the North American market and so play sweaty, shoebox-sized clubs. Can you imagine seeing Oasis, Travis, Blur or the Manics in venues that hold no more than 300? I can because I did. Also great if you’re a groupie, too, as the backstage areas are usually so claustrophic and skanky that they cause most musicians to flee and come hang out with regular punters.

4. Friendliness
From shopkeepers to bar staff, this is a city that likes to chat.

5. Ciao Edie’s bad apple martini
A tiny, retro, 70s style cocktail bar with brilliant staff – one of whom spent a summer creating ginormous buckets of joy, filled with fresh fruit, chocolates, cherries, umbrellas and sparklers for me, which we named after songs from the 80s. It attracts a cool and sexy crowd and the bad and sour apple martinis’ll make you pucker up.

7. The Toronto Maple Leafs
This is an ice hockey town; we eat, breathe and sleep the Leafs, even though they haven’t won a Cup since 1967. Hell, even buses put good luck messages on their displays if we even get within a whiff of the finals. Learn the phrase “We’re gonna do it this year! All the way, eh!!”

8. Burgers and hot dogs
Forget the skanky metal grease pits with hotdogs drowning in sliced onions and salmonella. The best vendors in T.O. have mobile homes for their ‘dogs and offer up to 6 different types, including bratwurst and veggie. They also risk ridicule for having less than 12 different toppings. An ESSENTIAL stop after a night on the piss. This goes double for the burgers at Lick's...big as your head and made fresh to order, a Lick's "Homeburger" or "Chick n'Lickin" will fill you up for DAYS.

9. Mike Myers
From Toronto, Austin Power and Wayne's World creator. And it’s not unusal to see the man or his similarly good-humoured brother Paul about town. In fact, I clocked him once strolling by Ciao Edie one warm summer’s night…

10. The Toronto Islands
An eight minute ferry ride away from the centre of town, this collection of small islands house some great beaches, beautiful parks, fab bike trails and a tiny but thriving residential community of creative types. Centre Island has a fairground for the nippers, but the rest of it is a no-car, no-shop peaceful and idyllic retreat. Like having the Lake District at your doorstep.