Ontario’s third-most populous city (after the GTA and Ottawa), midway between Toronto and Detroit, is London, aka the ‘forest city.’ It bears little resemblance to its English namesake, short of its substantial collection of fine Victorian homes, River Thames and a plethora of leafy parks and gardens. Aside from a smattering of beautiful art-deco buildings, London’s downtown core is predictably turn-of-the-millennium, if not a little bit 1970s.
London is home to the University of Western Ontario in the city’s north, favored by wealthy Toronto families as the spot to send their kids. The student population ensures a young, upbeat vibe.
There’s plenty of accommodations in town, some good student-priced eateries and a handful of interesting tourist attractions: it’s a great place to visit in the warmer months (it gets heavy snows in the winter) and a wonderful place to live. As Toronto continues to expand, eyes will be more focused on London in years to come.
