it's the only Starbucks where they consistently ask whether they should leave room in your cup for milk. As someone who takes his coffee black, this really matters! Fill it all the way up, since I'm overpaying anyway.

you never outgrow it. It's so big, and the outdoor spaces are so nice, it's like a walk in the park with an added bonus of all kinds of cool animals.

it has the best view of Toronto, and nobody knows about it.

it's all about the rabbit pie. When you bust open the top crust, the aroma is fantastic. And while almost all the Greek places on Danforth are souvlaki restaurants first and foremost, Avli is actually a real restaurant that cooks things on a stove, not just a grill!

it's such a shock to see women in lingerie waving at you on a Saturday morning from the shop window. Kinda what you expect from Amsterdam, but not Toronto. Everyone pretends not to look at first, but then you just accept the novelty of it, and wave back.

it always gets a reaction. When the box at the top is red, it's forecasting bad weather. Green means good weather to come. (If you can't see it, it means it's foggy -- that one always gets a laugh.) And the rings around the tower itself: if they're moving up, the temperature is rising; moving down, the temperature is dropping; not moving means it's steady.

it's such a great, secret, insider thing to do. Ask for cold tea, and when they're sure you know what you're asking for, and if they know you're not a cop, they'll bring yoou beer, in a teapot.

It's kind of cartoon-y -- a giant thimble stacked on top of giant, colourful buttons, with other massive buttons spilled over around it. It takes a while to realize what you're looking at, but once you do, and clue in to the fact that it's the Fashion District, it's a hoot.

It really is the most beautiful view in town. The panorama is south over the Museum, the trees at Queen's Park, and out to the downtown skyline, with the lake on either side of the buildings and the CN Tower.

There are great, non-traditional and above all FUN baby clothes (like onesies and Ts) at shops like Genesis One (on St. Andrew's Street; with prints that say "Rasta Baby," or "B is for Bob" with a photo of Bob Marley, or "Crawl the Line -- Johnny Cash") and Exile (two locations on Augusta; with prints like "All Mommy Wanted was a Backrub.")