"Toronto the Good" is now poised to be "Toronto the Great"—with an edge. The major museums have all been renovated and fancied up by world renown architects; there's a new opera house, several new five star hotels either just opened or about to roll out, and edgy clubs where wild behavior is part of the fun. With five million inhabitants from around the globe, Toronto is a world within a city. Yet the streets are safe to walk at all hours and—despite the construction dust of new condos going up at almost every corner—they are still all-but clean enough to sleep on. But don't be fooled. The city has donned its killer heels and is flaunting its assets with a come hither appeal.

Yearly events like September's Toronto Film Festival, the largest public film festival in the world, draw discerning international audiences. Tarted-up industrial wastelands and cool new cultural venues—such as the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts—and Daniel Liebeskind's Crystal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, have added a notable vibrancy to the city. Plus, the Art Gallery of Ontario—completely transformed by Frank Gehry—reopens in November 2008 with thousands of artworks newly displayed in 110 galleries. Even the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art has a completely new look, as does the National Ballet School of Canada and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

The Hazelton Hotel, an ultra-deluxe Yabu Pushelberg-designed property that includes the restaurant One by renowned local chef Mark McEwan opened in 2008. Three new hotels are due to open in the downtown hotel scene by 2009: the Trump International, a Ritz-Carlton and a second Four Seasons.

This fifth largest city on the continent is also one of the planet's most multicultural. With 79 ethnic publications, 34 faith groups and over 100 languages and dialects spoken, it's an inspiringly diverse enclave. Neighborhoods such as Corso Italia, Greektown, Little Poland, Via Azores and Gerrard India Bazaar reflect the origin of the locals with their bilingual signs, ethnic restaurants and foods imported from the different home countries.

The Westin Harbour Castle

Where you stay depends on your tastes and budgets. If you'd like to be in the heart of the action in a hip boutique hotel, Hotel Le Germain and the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel in the entertainment district offer stylish luxury at the throbbing center of club land. By contrast, the Westin Harbour Castle on Lake Ontario is peacefully situated five minutes from the action on Toronto's waterfront. The Hilton Toronto has the advantage of being right across from the new opera house and just steps from the financial and entertainment districts, while the tony Four Seasons Hotel, The Hazelton Hoteland The Park Hyatt are centered in fashionable Yorkville near the Mink Mile of shopping, while historic elegance and comfort can be found in the financial district's Royal York Hotel and King Edward Hotel.

If you're part of the artsy crowd, you'll no doubt love the urbane Gladstone with its 37 unique, artist-designed rooms in the funky Queen West area or the nearby Drake hotel—though be prepared for noise from trams, trains and the bar.

DAY 1

You're a savvy traveler with just a few days to see the many sides of Toronto, so let's start with the edgy and artsy. If you're staying at the Gladstone or Drake, you're ready to go. If not, grab a cab—Toronto's taxis are relatively cheap, though often scruffy—to the Queen West Art & Design District. When phone company utility boxes were defiled by ugly graffiti in this chichi neighborhood, the solution was better graffiti. With the city's blessing, young artists from the collective Style in Progress (SIP) transformed more than twenty of the brown box eyesores into artistically progressive statements.

Start your tour at the century-old Drake Hotel (the next block from the Gladstone), which has been refurbished in a nouveau-Bohemian style. Quirky, with cheekily mismatched furniture, its hip ethos is part of the pulse of the new, cool Toronto. Have breakfast at its Corner Café or at the funky Gladstone and then head east along this gritty part of Queen Street to enjoy the city's greatest concentration of contemporary art galleries, totally mod boutiques and chic furniture shops. See photos of cultural detritus captured at the Stephen Bulger Gallery, contemporary commercial art at the Engine Gallery or spiritual and social commentary depicted by the artists at Loop. Abstacto, owned by sculptor Kate Eisen, showcases mid-century modern furniture, vintage woods and Lucite accessories. Fluf offers handmade cushions in hundreds of styles. Quasi Modo Modern Furniture features three levels of furniture by international heavy-hitters such as Vitra, Herman Miller and Santa & Cole.

The Henry Moore Sculptural Centre

If you're a good walker, keep trekking until you hit Spadina Road and then head north through Chinatown. Stop for a quick lunch at one of the many Asian restaurants: Happy Seven, Swatow at Dundas and Lee Garden at Baldwin are popular with locals. If you dig dim sum and want to experience what's likely the best in North America, take a two-minute taxi ride to the Metropolitan Hotel on Chestnut Street in “old Chinatown." Here, on the second floor, you'll find the elegant and exquisite Lai Wah Heen. If you've stayed near Spadina Road, meander a block west to the lively Kensington Market to view vintage clothing shops and storefronts of all ethnic persuasions. Either way, you're near the Art Gallery of Ontario on Dundas Street. It has undergone a major $254 million redesign and expansion, just completed in November of 2008 under the guidance of renowned architect Frank Gehry. The Henry Moore Sculptural Centre boasts the world's largest collection of Moore's sculptures, and there are many great works by Canadian and international artists in the gallery's extensive collection.

For more culture, head a little north to Yorkville. On the west side of Avenue at Bloor, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has undergone an ambitious redevelopment, one of the world's largest museum restoration and expansion projects. The original heritage architecture was restored; a new landmark building was designed by Daniel Libeskind; and, inside, elegant new exhibit designs were created by Haley Sharpe. Libeskind's crystal design for six new galleries hangs dramatically over Bloor Street captivating passersby. Look up from the sidewalk and you'll see stalking dinosaurs through the glass. The new Galleries of the Age of Mammals were the first permanent exhibits to open inside the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Other Lee-Chin Crystal galleries opened in 2008 are the Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery, the Wirth Gallery of the Middle East, the Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, Americas and Asia-Pacific and the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costume. To celebrate Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation, an exhibit which runs until June 2009, an exquisite "Afternoon Tea" is offered at C5 Restaurant in the ROM. Finger sandwiches, delicate sweets and scones are served on 2008 Wedgwood design Thursday to Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Toronto's a great shopping city, and this area is home to high-end retail with seasonal bargain-hunters' sales. Begin at the posh Hazelton Lanes, where you can explore two levels of shopping offering top brands such as Manolo Blahnik, Valentino and Ferragamo. And Marc Laurent is stocked with exquisite Kiton and Etro fashions, among other top brands. Intrepid shoppers will enjoy a visit to Holt Renfrew, the department store for Toronto's upper crust, enjoying three floors of luxury labels. At Holt's Café, you can get an open-face sandwich and a jolt of revitalizing java. For a more relaxed lunch, if you haven't already opted for Chinese, stop in at the Studio Café in the Four Seasons. The fare is always excellent, as is the potential for celebrity and fashionista spotting.

Splendido

Yorkville is full of good restaurants, cafés and bars with outdoor patios. At dinnertime, especially in warm weather, you might want to grab a seat outdoors and people-watch, especially at One where the large comfortable patio wraps around the fancy Hazelton Hotel. For indoor dining, Pangaea offers refined fresh market cuisine; Joso is famous for its fresh, grilled whole fish; and Sotto Sotto is a celeb hangout. If you really want to rest your feet and pamper yourself, take a five-minute taxi ride to one of the city's best restaurants. The service at Splendido is ultra-smooth, and the cuisine—which features many seasonal Canadian specialties—is as refined as the wine list is long and deep. Be prepared to shell out, but know that it will be worth it.

At the end of the night check out the views from the tony Roof Lounge at the Park Hyatt or celebrity spot at Sassafraz or the Four Seasons Avenue Bar—all in Yorkville.

Continue to Day 2