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PATH Underground
Category: Shopping Shopping Centres Shopping Centres [Edit]
King St & Bay StToronto, ON M5A 1S5
Neighbourhoods: Financial District, Downtown Core
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for PATH Underground
14 reviews in English
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Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Despite living in Toronto for over 10 years, I hadn't been to Path until recently. Well, it is very pointless in its concept. It seems like an ill-conceived idea to me. Who is this really for? I have no clue. But it is undeniably cool. The labyrinth (yes... literally a maze of paths) of seemingly never-ending trails isn't something you will find in every city. Lots of food courts and retail stores along the way. Lots of exits that you never know where you're being led to. Once or twice, this can be fun. After that, it gets repetitive. Because there are so many food courts and many similar retail stores, it loses the luster quickly.
This could have been great. I would have loved to see fewer big-name retail stores but more independent businesses. And can somebody explain why there are stores like HMV, underwear store, etc. down there? Do people soil themselves at meetings and need new underwears?
All the negatives aside, PATH is a cool destination if you want to try some new restaurants and bakeries. There is quite a number of them spread out all over the underground network. My client took me to this bakery for a snack, and it was AMAZING. I don't remember what it was called, but I know it's near TD tower. There are some hidden gems like that. So get your backpack ready because you're going on an expedition! Furthermore, there is a couple of shoe shine stands in PATH. I believe there are 3 of them. Trying shoe shine offers a unique experience.
Other than that, PATH is home to many upscale retail stores - shoes, gallery, clothes, etc. If you find shopping malls a bit too mundane, try PATH. They have everything that you would normally find in malls. There are also lots of flower shops as well.
If you work in finance district, this is a good place for lunch, meeting, after-work shopping, immediate shopping for work (papers, flowers, new clothes, etc.) and just taking a walk.
But for me, PATH serves several different purposes:
1. Professional, intelligent and hot ladies. :D
2. Good for walk
3. Provides shelter in winter
4. Provides shelter during rainy weather.
5. Clean bathrooms.
6. Some shopping if I get bored.
7. Shoe shine!
That's about it. Multi-million dollar in urban planning, and that's all PATH is good for. And the most memorable part of PATH is shoe shine. Sad.
You wanna really impress me, Toronto? Connect this to Yonge/Bloor. Only then will I be really impressed. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
3/9/2012
One thing I miss about working downtown in the land of suits and other Corporates, is the PATH. All connected underground, it makes everything so convenient, and the retail down here also has improved quite a bit.
They've also recently opened up the passage way through Bay Adelaide Centre, meaning you can walk from Union to Eaton Centre all underground.
The ONLY thing they are missing are more maps! I always get lost down here if I'm going somewhere new. Just because you say "South to TD Centre" does not mean that I know where I am. At some point it's all gut feel, and I spent a lot of extra time trying to get my bearings.
Today I met a friend for lunch at Commerce Court (King station). The food court here hasn't changed much since 2 years ago. I used to get a yogurt parfait every morning, and lunches at the gourmet do it yourself store was always a treat. There's also a great healthy veggie / falafel option at Fit for Life, which I was surprised I've never been to!.
There's a Great American Backrub and a Smart Set / Reitmans for all your therapies during the work hour if you need it.
After lunch, I walked through TD Centre. I would have to say they have the better food court in the area with a Hero Burger and Freshii custom salads. Take a visit to the Soup Nutsy (but get there earlier). There's a Town Shoes here, and that got me distracted for a while.
Heading in to First Canadian Place, there's lots of higher end food options here in their renovated market place. FCP also is known for their afternoon concerts, so check the listings! I came once to hear Sophie Milman and met her in person!
Stores here include an LCBO, Aldo, HMV, a really large Pharma Plus, Madison and Nine West shoes. There's also a food court upstairs and a chinese restaurant.
From here, I went to Scotia Plaza. There's a Winner's here and a good Japanese restaurant, Ninki. At this junction, is where they opened up the new corridor to the Bay Adelaide Centre.
Everything in there was shiny and new, but not as much shopping. Here you can pass through to the Bay (Now you're at Queen street) and into Eaton Centre.
So convenient!
With all these food options, there's no need to bring your lunch to work! I miss it! -
Review from Evelyn W.
1/25/2012
I understand the draw in the cold Toronto winters... but due to Global Warming this cluster is best avoided. Yes there is food and shopping down there... but it just makes me feel like a worker bee or ant.
Half of the folks are zooming around - they have figured out this underground maze, they know how to get from the subway to their office to their lunch spot and back again. The rest of us are walking slowly, desperately trying to find a sign that means something to us.
The city should really hire an urban planner and a graphic designer and map this place out with nice signage. Then it could be awesome.
Anyway, I'm giving it more than 1 star because... well... sometimes it does rain or get really cold... and we all like to be comfortable. -
Review from Vivek S.
11/25/2011 1 photo
Toronto's PATH network is the world's largest underground commercial shopping centre. Located underneath the major office towers in the Financial District, the PATH is over four million square feet of retail space. This subterrean labyrinth connects over 50 buildings including six subway stops. It will take you from Union Station all the way to City Hall. It's big enough for you, fella.
Most Torontonians know the PATH from their daily commute as it connects to the train station and most of the major bank towers. Retail-wise there isn't a lot of creativity down here. A friend once jokingly asked me to meet him at the Jugo Juice in the PATH. That's like saying meet me at the fire hydrant in Toronto. Though it's not the best for shopping, there are a myriad of food courts, which are usually packed at lunch time. These consist of mostly chain restaurants and franchises, but you can find a few standouts:
DeKefir http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Ninki Sushi http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Soup Nutsy http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Four http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Szechuan Szechuan http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
In spite of 100,000 people visiting the PATH daily, I can't say there is much to draw a local here (besides work, I mean). It looks like any other mall, except it goes on forever and it impossible to navigate. It is however, the warmest way around the financial district on cold winter days. For that I am indeed grateful.
Obligatory Title Pun: This IS the beaten PATH.
Menu Readability: PATH isn't even an acronym. Why is it all magiscule?
Need to mention: Red for south, Orange for west, Blue for north, Yellow for east. You will never use this information.
What this place teaches me about myself: I don't miss the rat race. Not one bit.Listed in: Tips for Tourists to Toronto
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Review from Anni L.
11/26/2011
Its great for winters......you can make your way from one end of town to the other without surfacing.
My fav food places are:
First Canadian Place
- Pumperknickles - make your own salad and add chicken breas or salmon
- Bourbon Chicken - two veggies items with one meat item
- Schezuan Express - Thin rice noodle soup with Shrimp dumplings, chicken, or beef
TD Tower
- Thai Island - Pad Thai, Rice noodle soup, or pineapple fried rice with spicy beef or green curry basil chickent
HSBC building
- There is a make your own pasta place accross Teriaki Express in the food court where there is a Wendy's. It has the best shrim and clam pasta - i always ask for blush sauce and spaghetti -
Review from Thomas H.
11/20/2011
Just think about how cold you would be if you had to walk outside in the middle of winter!!! It makes it easy to get lunch or a coffee without dressing for the outdoors.
You can definitely get lost down there. They need better maps. I'd recommend "street signs" so you can get an idea of where you are.
Anyway, even if it's a labrynth it's MUCH better than freezing. -
Review from Ranell B.
2/22/2012
First off, the entrance to this undergrouond shopping/eating place was veryy hard to find! Then there's the issue of only street parking being available. When we went everything was closed. Even if everything was opened, based on the window view, nothing really looked like it was worth going into. Some of the labeled exits and directions were also wrong. I could see how one could get lost. I guess this place would be convenient for workers in the area. For anyone else, don't waste your time or money.
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
2/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like the idea of walking underground when outside is freaking freezing!! But the PATH is really confusing!!
It is OK if you are in no hurry and it can be fun to be lost... but if you are in a rush and you not familiar with the PATH, I would suggest just walk on street level.
And it is really strange when some of the buildings are connected through some backstairs... which further confused me and makes me more disoriented!
And also I felt like I walked through dozens of food courts, all the food calling my names... and all the stores I walked by are a little boring...zzzzzzzzz -
Review from Joyees Y.
Scarborough, ON
2/24/2010
Pretty interesting and useful idea but could be executed better.
I've tried walking from Union to Dundas today and it was impossible. The map is practically cryptic. And the signs aren't particularly helpful It doesn't tell you where you are and I think some building aren't even listed. So I spent thirty minutes...to find King Station. Which is not even that big of an accomplishment since I found it easily and just walked a big circle...to get back to King Station.
There also weren't a lot of interesting things but it's mainly office workers walking to stations or eating so I guess not really neccessary.
But if you're bored you can always walk around there, it's very big and warm. -
Review from Sandi S.
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not easy to navigate at all!! Could not easily find an entrance anywhere...then ended up in a department store that we couldn't find a way out of!! Nice try, but not very tourist friendly...
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Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2008
The PATH is a series of underground hallways that all connect to some major buildings in the downtown core. It is a great idea that has ended up being completely confusing and has probably been the source of stress for many tourists and locals alike.
It is not unique to Toronto -- in particular, Montreal has a similar system that works MUCH more effectively. They may not have as many stores but you can get across huge portions of the city while keeping warm and walking fast, and their signage is clear and concise so less people get lost and confused.
If you are a GO train commuter, you love it because it takes you from Union Station to the Eaton Centre in the cold winters when the last thing you want to be doing is treading through snow to get to work.
But if you're a tourist, it's a strange novelty. While there are shops, food and services along the PATH, the PATH itself is so terribly and haphazardly planned that it is almost impossible to get anywhere decent while using it. It's definitely worth checking out once while you're here (look for the PATH signs with arrows pointing in random directions), but it's important to keep in mind that it only covers about 10 city blocks in a very limited area of the downtown core. -
Review from Liz K.
9/16/2008
The section I walked on Saturday afternoon was empty and wandering through corridors, and corridors, and more corridors of closed off, darkened stores was quite the existential experience.
I think you could run a marathon down here, but there are probably fire code regulations against such things. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2008
The PATH is a feature that as far as I can tell is completely unique to Toronto and before you start getting smug about it there is a reason. Only in Toronto could something as simple as an underground mall be convoluted into the maze that is the PATH. The PATH covers pretty much the entire downtown core in a square that starts at Yonge and Dundas goes south to Union and then comes back up University to Dundas again. After having worked in the area for almost two years and walked the PATH on almost a daily basis I can usually find my way around. I do remember my first day getting horribly lost on my lunch and being forced to surface only to discover that I had been about 75 feet from where I wanted to be but I had no idea. The one good thing about the PATH is that in the winter it makes it much easier to get to Union Station. I don't recommend the PATH for tourists looking for a short cut, if you have three or four hours in which you don't mind getting lost then by all means go for it, but (and this is for pretty much everyone) unless you have the time to devote or you have a compass I wouldn't recommend the PATH because it's just impossible to get around in.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Diana E.
11/29/2010
the concept of having stores and paths underground is pretty useful, but the city should definitely invest more money to make it more userfriendly!!! perhaps some lines on the floor telling us which paths keep us on 'the path'... or better maps, more maps, free maps?
i took my parents there while visiting toronto, just to show them what people do in the cold. we got lost MULTIPLE times. for a system that's supposed to keep you underground and warm, we had to exit out to the streets a few times just because the 'path' signs were misleading and led us to dead ends. i thought the point was to stay warm and dry underground!!?!
i think with some work, there could be some potential. maybe if you're a resident downtown and you use the path often, you don't need the maps.. but as a tourist, i definitely don't need to go through the path ever again
