A cultural renaissance has invaded Toronto over the past decade, with new structures like the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts sprouting up and festivals like the Nuit Blanche, Luminato, and the Toronto International Film Festival occurring regularly. This week, it's Art Toronto's turn in the spotlight as the contemporary art fair takes over the Canadian metropolis.

GO

WHAT: ART TORONTO
WHEN: October 28-31
WHERE: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
HIGHLIGHTS: Approximately 110 international galleries are scheduled to show at Art Toronto, including Chicago's Catherine Edelman Gallery, London's Cube Gallery, and the city's own Olga Korper Gallery. Kent Monkman will createa site-specific installation that emulates an art world "funhouse." Sponsor BMWwill display a 1979 car decorated by Andy Warhol. Westmount, Canada's Galeriede Bellefeuille will present a Chuck Close solo show. Panel discussions, video installations, and a new large-scale sculpture display will take place duringthe four-day art fair.
NORTH BUILDING, EXHIBIT HALL A & B
255 FRONT STREET WEST
TORONTO
604-730-2065

STAY
LE GERMAIN
Just a six-minute walk away from Art Toronto, Le Germain offers comfort, style, and sophistication in a relaxed setting. Get some sleep after a long day at the fair underneath the Egyptian cotton sheets and refresh yourself in the morning with Molton Brown toiletries.
30 MERCER
TORONTO
866-345-9501

THE DRAKE
This hotel has become a hot spot for Toronto's creative class, with site-specific contemporary art installations filling every nook and cranny of its space. Stay overnight in one of its 19 rooms or shop in it retail outlet, the General Store, and then have a meal in one of its dining establishments before enjoying a drink on its rooftop bar. The Drake even has a Pleasure Menu featuring sex toys for when you're feeling frisky at night.
1150 QUEEN STREET WEST
TORONTO
416-531-5042

THE HAZELTON HOTEL
It's no wonder celebrities flock to this Yorkville hotel with its luxury accommodations. Yabu Pushelberg designed its plush decor, with rooms featuring LCD TVs embedded in the mirrors and heated bathroom floors.
118 YORKVILLE AVENUE
TORONTO
866-473-6301

EAT
FRANK
Join the art world at this Frank Gehry-designed eatery, located in the Art Gallery of Toronto, where chef Anne Yarymowich offers comfort food dishes like rare roasted magretof duck with beluga lentil ragout and grilled baby leeks served with cloudberry sauce.
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
317 DUNDAS STREET WEST
TORONTO
416-979-6688

PURE SPIRITS HOUSE & GRILL
Enjoy Toronto's best oyster bar, situated in the heart of the city's historic Distillery District. Slurp on its wide selection of oysters before dining on decadent entrees like butter poached whole Canadian lobster served with truffle mashed potatoes and a herbed hollandaise sauce.
55 MILL STREET
TORONTO
416-361-5859

LOUNGE AT THE DRAKE
Local artists and designers come to this restaurant for brunch, where you can indulge in plates like its modern take on chicken and waffles — fried chicken, maple syrup, sweet Niagara cherry jam and an herb waffle topped with a dollop of crème fraîche.
1150 QUEEN STREET WEST
TORONTO
416-531-5042

416 SNACK BAR
Late night food options are few and far in between in this city, but 416 Snack Bar gets it right, offering small plates like the Mini Mac, which evokes memories of theMcDonald's favorite. Head here for a drink and bite with Toronto's artsy crowd.
181 BATHURST STREET
TORONTO
416-364-9320

SEE
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
Catch two memorable exhibitions in one place at this museum, designed by Toronto's native starchitect, Gehry. "Chagall and the Russian Avant-Garde: Masterpieces from the Collection of the Centre Pompidou" runs through January 15, 2012, while "Haute Culture: General Idea," on display through January 1, showcases though-provoking pieces highlighting the AIDS epidemic — which killed two of the collective's three members.
317 DUNDAS STREET WEST
TORONTO
877-225-4246

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
See David Hockney's innovative "Fresh Flowers," — a showcase of the artist's drawings onthe iPad and iPhone, here through January 1, 2012, before checking out the museum's vast collection of native Canadian artifacts and historical objects, including a totem pole that runs through four floors.
100 QUEENS PARK
TORONTO
416-586-8000

BATA SHOE MUSEUM
Specializing in shoes, this museum tells social history through footwear.  On display through June 2012 is "The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits," which resonates with fashion's current era of obsession (Both Gucci and Ralph Lauren's spring/summer 2012 collections were inspired by the '20s).
327 BLOOR STREET WEST
416-968-0010

DANIEL FARIA GALLERY
This gallery's current exhibition, "Saint Helen," on view through November 15, takes inspiration from the saint's "desire to explore and discover something new," featuring abstract paintings by Shannon Bool and Kristine Moran.
188 ST HELENS AVENUE
TORONTO
416-538-1880

SHOP
TNT
Find menswear and womenswear from the likes of Acne, Missoni, Matthew Williamson, and Rag & Bone at this Yorkville shop.
87 AVENUE ROAD
TORONTO
416-975-1810

HOLT RENFREW
This iconic expansive department store carries native Toronto designers like Jeremy Laing, along with classic favorites including Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.
50 BLOOR STREET WEST
TORONTO
416-922-3333

MAGIC PONY SHOP
The owners weren't kidding when they put the word "magic" in the shop's name; discover magical trinkets, toys, and gifts like a colorful seat by FriendsWithYou or "Heroin" and "Cocaine" salt and pepper shakers by artist David Shrigley.
680 QUEEN STREET WEST
TORONTO
416-861-1684

FAWN
Owner Kasha Bilobram combs the globe for cutting-edge womenswear labels like Sweden's Hope and Denmark's Won Hundred, mixing them with Toronto designers like Michelle Rossand Chloé Comme Parris.
967 QUEEN STREET WEST
TORONTO
647-344-4703