BEST
Dupont
Opened in 1978, Dupont is a perennial favourite of TTC riders for its mosaic tiles, dome entrances, and built-in benches. The attention to detail here is far greater than at the vast majority of stations on the line, for which kudos should go to Dunlop-Farrow Architects.
Rosedale
Stop and consider how well Rosedale Station is integrated with the natural landscape in which it sits the next time you pass through. Its rounded entrance has an understated mid-century elegance, which was even more apparent with its original Vitrolite tiles.
Old Mill
Many would argue that Old Mill is the fairest TTC subway station of them all on account of its predominantly glass walls that look out over the Humber Valley. Unlike Rosedale, there's some protection from the elements at platform level, but you still feel outdoors.
Downsview
The nicest of the new(er) TTC stations, Downsview was designed by Adamson Associates Architects and Stevens Group Architects and opened in 1996. Many have noted it has an airport-like feel, though I've always loved the way that that ceiling is rounded at platform level before opening into a multi-storey atrium on the way to the bus bays.
Eglinton West
I've heard this station derided for its ugly concrete, but it's hard to argue against its modernist aesthetic when driving south on Allen Rd. Built into the mound that takes drivers off the freeway and onto Eglinton Ave., this Arthur Erickson design is in fact a lovely bit of architecture, including the original platform-level windows and the green roof added in 2009.
Queen's Park
The closest you'll get to riding the London Tube in Toronto is Queen's Park and its sister station St. Patrick, both of which were hollowed out using a tunnel boring machine so as to lessen the impact of construction on the nearby hospitals. Which station one prefers is usally a matter of colour preference, though the newer second entrance at Queen's Park edges it for me.
Museum
Oh, Museum. Sure to be the most divisive entry on this list, some love the quirky themed design while others lament the loss of a near perfectly preserved 1960s subway station. For my part, I think the novelty of the design is worth kudos even if the budget never allowed for the work to seem entirely finished.