Visiting a new city can be daunting if you’re looking to break out of the traditional hop-on, hop-off guided tour routine and explore on a more intimate level. What do these Torontonians DO on weekends? On weeknights? Where do they find out about events? So many questions.

I can’t give you all the details of our informant networks, because then I would have to… never mind – but I will highly recommend picking up a copy of NOW Toronto, a (free!) alternative weekly newspaper. You can grab a copy from a NOW newspaper box, which are scattered across the city on most major streets downtown, or from local shops, which often carry a stack. It will give you the low-down on events taking place throughout the week, ranging from concerts, theatre and ballet, to workshops, lectures and other miscellaneous community gatherings. The food and drink section is also great for reading about new spots worth checking out (or avoiding). And then there’s “Savage Love” at the back of the paper, for your general personal edification… you’ll see what I mean.

While you’re at it, you can also learn about political hot topics in Toronto, Ontario and the rest of Canada, and impress locals you meet with your awareness of current events.

If you prefer to get your updates online, you can do so – see the link to NOW’s website.