Back in 1972, the federal government took over a 96-acre strip of waterfront land to preserve the vista. It wasn't exactly prime real estate at the time, but that has changed in the decades since. The abandoned warehouses and crumbling factories have yielded to a stunning urban playground that now stretches over the old piers. Today, Harbourfront is one of the most popular destinations for locals and visitors alike: a great place to spend a day strolling, picnicking, gallery-hopping, biking, shopping, and sailing.

Queens Quay, at the foot of York Street, is the first stop you'll encounter on the LRT line from Union Station (you can also get there in 5 minutes on foot walking south from Front Street, but that requires walking under the Gardiner Expressway, which I personally hate). From here, boats depart for harbor tours, and ferries leave for the Toronto Islands. In this renovated warehouse you'll find the Premiere Dance Theatre and two floors of shops. To get something to eat, you can stay at Queen's Quay for the casual Boathouse Grill or walk west to York Quay for its new Lakeside Terrace restaurant. York Quay also boasts an art gallery and ever-changing art installations, and an information booth where you can pick up information on Harbourfront events.

Harbourfront has several venues devoted to the arts. There's the Power Plant, a contemporary art gallery, and behind it, the Du Maurier Theatre Centre. At the Craft Studio you can watch artisans blow glass, throw pots, and make silk-screen prints, and you if you've inspired you can buy their works at Bounty Contemporary Canadian Craft Shop. There are the Artists' Gardens, which currently include 23 diverse outdoor gardens created by landscape architects, designers and other artists. In summer, one don't-miss experience is a visit to the Toronto Music Garden, which was created by cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy to invoke Bach's First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello. Does it succeed? That's a matter of opinion, but in mine the series of free musical performances that run from late June to early September make this a heavenly place to visit.

More than 4,000 events take place annually at Harbourfront, including the Harbourfront Reading Series in June and the International Festival of Authors in October. Other happenings include films, dance, theater, music, children's events, multicultural festivals, and marine events. Harbourfront is at its best in the summer, but it is a great destination for the whole family year-round.