Kingston (Ontario) Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Kingston is a small city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
As the first (very short lived) capital of Canada, Kingston was originally settled in 1673 as Fort Cataraqui. Today, Kingston is one of the most historic cities in Canada with numerous churches, old buildings, pictorial neighborhoods, and 19th century fortifications. The city provide venues for nightlife such as clubbing and pubbing, and provides weekend escapes for people living in the neighboring cities of Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. There are ample historic sites and museums to visit, as well as many lively summer events.
Kingston is the home of two universities, Queen's University and Royal Military College, and one college, Saint Lawrence College. Along with tourism, these educational institutes and the students they attract provide much to the city's local economy. Kingston is also the home to a number of prisons.
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Get in
Kingston is fully accesible by road, air and water.
Driving into Kingston is usually done on the Highway 401. Times from major cities is bellow.
Buses (Coach Canada) will usually take longer from each city but will drop you off on Counter Street at the north side of town.
Kingston is served by Train (Via Rail Canada), also located on Counter Street. The best option for getting downtown from the bus or the train is by taking a taxi, which will run you under $15.
Also available is air service (Air Canada) from Norman Rogers International Airport. This is located west of Portsmouth on Front Road.
The Rideau Canal goes from Kingston to Ottawa. Quite a few people travel it in various pleasure craft.
Get around
The most interesting area in Kingston for out-of-town visitors is near the downtown core of the city, which includes Queen's University and the waterfront. As such, the "best" areas of the city are better seen on foot or by bicycle.
Taxi fare from the Kingston Bus Station and Train Station are approximately $10-15 depending on the number of passengers per car as well as luggage stowage.
Public transport in the form of busses, is reliable and clean. However, it not recommended for visitors since they run at most one bus every half an hour per route.
Should you get a parking ticket during your visit, you are able to get the ticket waivered provided that you provide proof that you are not a Kingston resident.
See
- Fort Henry: Historical military structures. Visit time: 3 hour max.
- Royal Military College: Historical strutures and wide avenues filled with soldiers and students. Visit time: 1 hour max.
- Cataraqui River and LaSalle Causeway Bridge: Water and steel. Visit time: 15 min max.
- Princess St, Waterfront, and Downtown: Shops, food, and various stuffs. Visit time: 5 hours max.
- St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral: Big, very tall Roman Catholic church. The bells in this church ring LOUD. Visit time: 0.5 hours max.
- Murney Tower: A Martello Tower (historic military structure). Visit time: 45 min.
- Queen's University: Many limestone buildings with ivy and students.
- Art Galleries': Queen's has two art galleries: the student run Union Gallery in Stauffer Library, and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.
- Beamish-Munro Hall: For kids who are interested in how buildings are made, the Integrated Learning Centre, or Beamish-Munro Hall may be worth a visit. This building is the new centre of Applied Science (Engineering) at Queens. This 'live building' was designed to allow people to see how the building works and interact with it.
- Miller Museum of Geology: This is a fairly small museum, but is still interesting. Call ahead for tours.
Do
- The Haunted Walk: A good way to see the old residential neighborhoods of Kingston, as well as hear haunted stories and see the haunted houses. Pay and sign up at the counter at the front of the Prince George Hotel on Ontario Street. Available only in the Summer and Fall seasons.
- Thousand Island Cruise: Pay money. Go on a boat. Sail around. Get off the boat. Something to "do" in Kingston.
- Skating:
- Market Square: In 2005 the city built a new outdoor skating rink in Market Square. It's refrigerated, and the surface is conditioned by a Zamboni every couple of hours, so the surface is more regular than other outdoor rinks in the area. Hockey sticks are not allowed on this rink.
- City Park (just west of downtown): Although the surface isn't as regularly conditioned as Market Square, this the place to go if you want to play hockey, since hockey isn't allowed on the Market Square rink.
The city also hosts events in summer and fall such as the Jazz Festival and Blues Festival.
Buy
- Cookes on Brock St. near the intersection of King St. is an "old world" style shop that specialize in fine English and European sweets, sauces, preserves, and cheeses. The store also roast their own coffee on a daily basis, and sells it at around $9 a pound. Premium quality gift baskets are also sold.
- The Farmer's Market on Market Square happens every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday throughout the year. Summer is the peak time for the market, although there are a few devoted folks who will be out through the winter. In the summer, you can buy fresh local produce as well as baked and preserved goods, local art and clothing. Buy your maple syrup here, since it will be much cheaper than at the tourist traps, and you'll get to talk to the person who tapped it.
- The Antique Market (same location as Farmer's Market) happens on Sundays during the summer.
Eat
Kingston has one of the highest restaurants per capita of any city in Canada, with restaurants to fit anyone's budget.
Budget
- Wok In, consistantly rated as one of the top restaurants in Kingston. The place serves Thai and Cambodian food and is located in a tiny store front on Montreal St. just east of Princess St. It is run by a husband a wife and is usually busy. The #1 is a favorite on the menu and a good bet to try
- Famous King Restaurant, on Princess and Chatham street (505 Princess St.), provides Middle Eastern cuisine that is relatively cheap, filling and tasty.
- Bubba's near the intersection of Princess St. and Division St. as well as a second location on King St. just west of Princess St. Bubba's is most famously known for its poutine's, and is most often busy when the downtown bars begin to close at around 2:00 AM.
Golden Viet Thai, located on Wellington Street between Princess and Queen has an excellent and CHEAP Thai menu. You can easily have a full meal for under 8$ and every entree comes with a free dessert of tapioca pudding. It's an Asian version though so be prepared!
Midrange
- Lone Star Cafe on the waterfront downtown has decent Tex/Mex food.
- Cambodiana on Brock St. right across from Hotel Dieu Hospital. Some of the best Thai/Cambodian food in Southern Ontario. The owner to this establishment had opened many Thai restaurants in Kingston including Phnom Phen and The Wok-In and subsequently sold them to others proprietors. This place well known by many locals. Seating is VERY limited.
- White Mountain Homemade Ice Cream serves quality ice-cream that is a tad pricy, but truly is one of the best home made ice creams you will ever taste. The store provides a large variety of ice cream flavours that are served on store-made waffle cones. Ice cream scoop sizes tend to be smaller in peak tourist seasons.
- Wooden Heads specializes in pizzas made in wood fire brick ovens. The focus of this restaurant are on the waitresses and not the food, though the latter is not too bad. Located on Ontario St.
Higher
- Panchancho near the intersection of Princess and King St. Good for a quick, and pricy bistro style lunch. Sells the best Italian and French style breads in Kingston. The sister store to the lamentable Chez Piggy.
- Le Chien Noir located on Brock Street between King St. and Wellington St. and provides good French cuisine. Reserve since seating is limited.
- Atomica located on Brock Street between King St. and Wellington St. and provides Italian fare. Interesting yuppi-ish decor.
- Chez Piggy is hidden inside the same block as Chien Noir. Although it had gained much reputation in the past for serving good food, Chez Piggy's fare is currently mediocre at best. Like many restaurants, its decor is better than its food. Quality of service is dependent on the extravagance of one's meal, as well as whether wine or water is ordered as one's primary drink.
- Sol Latino is located at Princess and Barrie St. and has good Mexican/Latin American food. The tamales, however can be a bit on the dry side.
Splurge
- Ristorante Luigina locate on King St. on the same block as Le Chien Noir. The dishes are masterfully prepared using high quality (and pricy) ingredients. An average dinner may cost around $ 29 (Rates: $5.95-$26.95 CAD) per person, although the bill can reach higher for a fancy dinner with wine. Service tends to be on the slow side.
Drink
Coffee
- The Sleepless Goat("The Goat") serves coffees and teas. Quite famous for their desserts, and a common hangout for students. This cafe has a very hippie/punk feel. Located on Princess St near the intersection with Wellington St. Customer service can be slow at times, but the staff is amazing. Music and house blend "Dr. Joe" coffee are both very good. The Goat is also popular with the vegetarian crowd as it is almost entirely vegetarian. It's easy to find vegan dishes there as well.
- Coffee and Company sells espresso, coffees, and good teas prepared for loose leaves. A common student study hangout, one in downtown, one near Queen's University.
- Starbucks at Wellington and Princess. A common student study hangout for those not concerned with politics. This Starbucks was vandalized three times (paint is still visible on canopy above the door) before police put cameras on nearby buildings. Service is good. In direct competition with "The Goat" which is a few doors down the street.
- Tim Horton's is another very common student study hangout.
Alcohol
There is a relatively healthy pub scene in Kington with many high quality establishments. All pubs in Kingston are non-smoking.
- Kingston Brewing Company (KBC) is located on Clarence St. near the intersection of Ontario St. As implied by its name, this pub brews its own beer and offers many seasonal beers. Notable brews from KBC include White Tail, Dragon's Breath, and the pub's own apple cider. KBC also offers beers from other companies, including Guinness, and other well known brands. They have a monthly "Brewer's Whim" which is usually a Canadian microbrew.
- Tir Nan'Og and Old Speckled Hen are two joint pubs located in the Prince George Hotel. The pubs' differ in decor and specialize in beers and whiskies from Ireland and Britain, respectively. The Prince George Hotel is currently closed for renovations.
- The Toucan is the finest Irish pub in all of Kingston and probably the universe. There is a vast array of domestic and imported draught to choose from, you will probably want to try them all. The are two different bars, and a nice elevated dining area overlooking the upstairs bar. There is also a great covered patio in a quaint limestone courtyard. The food is awesome and very reasonably priced. The $2.99 breakfast is the best value in Kingston. There is good music with some great local DJ's later at night on the weekend. This pub is not to be missed.
Sleep
Get out
- Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area: This conservation area is north of the 401, so you'll need a car (or bike) to get there from downtown. There is a small fee to enter the park. In the summer, you can go hiking, canoeing or kayaking. In the winter, you can go snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or skate on the pond. They offer rentals and lessons for many of these activities.
- Wolfe Island: Ferries from Kingston to Wolfe island are free and run hourly. Cycling on Wolfe Island is much less hectic than in Kingston proper. George Pyke's Strawberry farm is a good destination (~25km round trip from ferry) in late June, and can easily make for a day long trip. Contra dancing happens regularly throughout the year either at Wolfe Island town hall, or some Kingston location.
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