From Wikitravel

Burlington is a city in Ontario, Canada. It lies across Burlington Bay from Hamilton. Being a developing city there are many attractions still being built and the population is booming. It is listed among the best cities to live in Canada. Visitors will see great attractions when they visit this growing city. By the lake, downtown, you will see many homes owned by middle to upper-class families, as well as many expensive homes from millionaires living in Burlington.

[edit] Get in

• The Hamilton International Airport [1] is the local airport which is just 30 minutes from Burlington.
• Burlington is easily accessible by the 403, 407, and QEW expressways.
• GO Transit [2]operates hourly train service to Toronto.

[edit] Get around

The best way to get around Burlington is by car. Arterial roads are spaced about 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) apart, and generally run on a 45 degree angle to the compass points. Main roads running northeast to southwest are (from southernmost to northernmost) Lakeshore Road (former Highway 2), New Street, Plains Road/Fairview Street, the Queen Elizabeth Way/Highway 403 (a controlled-access highway), Upper Middle Road, and Dundas Street (former Highway 5). Main roads running northwest to southeast are (from easternmost to westernmost) Burloak Drive, Appleby Line, Walkers Line, Guelph Line, Brant Street, King Road, and Waterdown Road.

Burlington is a pedestrian- and cycling-friendly city, although the distance between Point A and Point B may make walking or cycling impractical. There are several long-distance walking and cycling trails in Burlington, including the Waterfront Trail, a 23-kilometre-long paved trail that offers beautiful views of Burlington's waterfront. In Burlington, you may ride your bicycle on sidewalks, except in the downtown core.

Burlington Transit is the transit authority for the city of Burlington. Bus service is reasonable for a city of Burlington's size, although not as good as other neighbouring GTA municipalities due to lower population density and higher levels of car ownership. Most buses run on a 30-minute schedule, although some routes run more frequently during rush hour and/or less frequently on weekends or evenings. Cash fares are $2.50. A variety of discount tickets and passes are available.

[edit][add listing] See

• Burlington Art Centre [3] is located downtown. Courses for pottery, photography and more are offered there.

• Joseph Brant Museum [4] is a historical museum located downtown. It is a reconstruction of the house originally built by Joseph Brant around 1800.

• Ireland House [5] is another historical museum. It was the home of Joseph Ireland, one of Burlington's first settlers.

[edit] Parks

There are 75 parks and 325 ha (800 acres) of parkland within the city.

• Spencer Smith Park [6] is the largest in Burlington and is located downtown. Discovery Landing and Spencer's on the Waterfront are both located at the park.

[edit][add listing] Do

The best times to visit Burlington are in the summer, when the festivals are held. The city created the "Waterfront Project" which aims at gaining more tourism to the city, and it has been done very successfully.

• Discovery Landing [7] is a 14,200 square foot landmark building that faces out to the lake and offers prime storm and weather watching views. Designed by Baird Sampson Nuert it has given residents and visitors a unique place to discover, celebrate, play, and relax by our lake. Discovery Landing is open all day, everyday and features The Observatory, Spencer's on the Waterfront, the Bite Café, and an information area to provide information on the park. Surrounding features include the Joseph Brant Museum, the Ireland House the Burlington Art Centre, and Tourism Burlington. Discovery Landing overlooks the Rotary Centennial Pond, a 10,000 square-foot year-round water feature. In the spring, summer and fall it is a reflective pool ideal for model sail boating and in winter it will have free ice-skating on an artificial ice surface.
• Hike the Bruce Trail, [8]. A portion of the Bruce Trail, the hiking trail that runs along the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory runs through Burlington. The Burlington portion of the trail starts near the intersection of Highway 6 and Mountain Brow Rd., skirts the escarpment before reaching Snake Rd., and then takes a winding path that isn't always easy to follow (if you find yourself in a cemetery near a convent, you've gone the wrong way), but leads to a few beautiful waterfalls just before entering Waterdown. East of Waterdown, the trail then runs through Kerncliff Park, crosses Dundas St., then runs for several miles through rural Burlington before entering Milton.  edit

[edit] Festivals

• Canada's Largest Ribfest [9] is an annual festival which has attracted more than 131,000 people to the city and is certainly a festival to attend. It runs for four days during the Labour Day weekend.

• Sound of Music Festival [10] is an annual festival which features local music to international stars. It is held in mid-June and is a cross-genre festival that spreads along the city's lakefront Spencer Smith Park and into the downtown core.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Many stores and malls are located in the city. Of them Mapleview Centre, [11], at 900 Maple Avenue, has a lot to offer. There is more than 150 shopping stores and many people from nearby Hamilton come there to shop. You can also shop at the Burlington Mall [12], at 777 Guelph Line.

• If you are interested in small shops, then the downtown core, on Brant Street, is the right place for you. Stores are in an old town setting with many restaurants, cafés, and boutiques nearby.

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are many places to eat and drink in Burlington. The restaurants below are easy to get to, and very convenient for travelers.

• Spencer's on the Waterfront, 1340 Lakeshore Road., (905) 633-7494, [13], Gourmet food, very expensive, downtown.
• 2020 Lakeside Ristorante & Bar, 2020 Lakeshore Road., (905) 632-2687, [14], Italian food, live music, downtown.
• Mandarin, 1235 Fairview St., (905) 632-6000, [15], American-Chinese food, buffet style.
• Kelsey's Restaurant, 777 Guelph Line., (905) 633-9323. Decent food, beside the Burlington Mall.
• East Side Marios, 900 Maple Avenue., (905) 681-8888, [16], American-Italian food, in the Mapleview Centre.
• Easterbrooks, 694 Spring Gardens Rd. (near Royal Botanical Gardens), ☎ 905-527-9679. 10 AM–10 PM (Summer), 10 AM–8 PM (winter). Well-known for its footlong hotdogs (note that a "regular" hotdog here is a footlong) its ice cream and milkshakes are also good. The restaurant has been located at this location since 1930 and features a retro atmosphere. A hotdog and a soft drink should set you back about $5.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Please note that not all hotels are listed.

• Travelodge, Burlington on the Lake, 2020 Lakeshore Road., (905) 681-0762, [17], right beside the beautiful Spencer Smith Park.
• Hilton Garden Inn, 985 Syscon Road East., (905) 631-7000, [18].
• Holiday Inn, 3063 South Service Road., (905) 639-4443, [19].
• Best Western, 2412 Queensway Drive., (905) 639-2700, [20], convenient location, right beside Hamilton, Niagara, and Toronto highways.
• Esquire Motel, 1110 Plains Rd. W., ☎ 905-529-3915.  edit

[edit] Get out

Located on the border between Burlington and Hamilton is the Royal Botanical Gardens [21], Canada's largest botanical garden. It is a large multi-site facility spread out over 900 hectares, comprised of several gardens and natural areas, accessible by foot, car, and the facility's special shuttle bus.

Being located in the Greater Toronto Area, Burlington is near several cities, including Toronto (approximately 50 kilometres to the east) and Hamilton.

Routes through Burlington

Niagara Falls ← Hamilton ←

W  E

→ Oakville → Toronto

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!