I always find it funny when people are scared of the city (as per the above).
Toronto is a great city and well worth exploring. Definitely not to be avoided and nothing to be afraid of. You will be very safe anywhere in Toronto.
The best way to see Toronto is on foot walking. (Just like any other city.) I would spend part of your time just walking. The first thing to know about Toronto is that Lake Ontario is SOUTH. (Or the CN tower for a landmark I suppose.) Once you know where south is, you can find anything. Torontonians always talk north, south, east and west.
1. Queen Street West. From Rogers Centre, walk north on John to King Street, turn right, or east on King street over to University Avenue, then walk north on University Avenue. Once you hit Queen Street, turn west (or left) and just keep walking. You could walk all the way to Roncessvalles if you want (but that will take a couple of hours). Probably best to turn left or south when you come to Bathurst, head south to King Street, then turn left (or east) and walk King to John Street then home.
2. College Street (or little Italy, though I don't think too many Italians live there anymore as they've all moved up north to Woodbridge and Vaughn). Head north on Bathurst to College. Turn west on College and just keep walking to Ossington Avenue (where you would turn south). College and Ossington are 2 very interesting streets with lots of really good restaurants. I recommend
Bar Isabel or
Bar Raval
3. The Beaches. Hop on the Queen Street Street car going east. Take it to Woodbine where you get off and continue walking east to Kew Gardens. There, you walk through the park and down to the boardwalk on the lake. In the summer, it's an interesting thing to do. Turn left at the boardwalk and just keep walking east along the boardwalk till you either get bored, or come to the water treatment plant. Then head back up to Queen Street and now head west on Queen till you want to catch the street car back westwards.
4.
St. Lawrence Market. Great for a Saturday morning people watch. You could walk it from Rogers. Just keep walking west on Front till you come to the market at Jarvis Street. Stop in at Paddintons on the main level and order a Peameal bacon sandwich. Sit outside and just take it in.
5. Yonge Street strip. Basically Toronto's "main drag" though frankly find the other streets and areas I've listed above more interesting. Still something to see. Just walk east on Front from Rogers Centre and when you come to Yonge, you can just turn left and walk north all the way to Bloor Street. You can check out Yonge Dundas square at Dundas Street, maybe the Eaton Centre if you want to shop mainstream stores (you'll find more interesting shops on Queen West and the Beaches).
6.
Art Gallery of Ontario if you are so inclined.
7.
Royal Ontario Museum if you are so inclined.
8. If you're the nature loving kind of guy, there is always High Park in the West end (kind of like Toronto's Central Park, but it's not central). You would need to take the subway west to High Park. Always interesting.
Even a trip to the CN Tower can be interesting.
You can check out
www.toronto.com for shows and things like that.
or
www.nowtoronto.com for more local independent things to do and see.
Toronto is not New York City. Not even close. (But NYC is not London either.) It's a collection of neighbourhoods and in the summer it's a great place to explore (not so much in the winter!).
Last thing to remember, the second T is silent when you pronounce Toronto. Locals pronounce it Ter-on-oh. Or if you want it a little more hick, then, Terranah will work too. TOE-RON-TOE is a dead giveaway that you aint from around here.
