Toronto not a must see: report in Canadian Chat http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20458520 en Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:03:15 EDT Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:03:15 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466652 Snickerdo :
said by kim See Profile :

I believe at one point by YYZ it's 18 lanes across. That's kinda cool!
It'll be 20 once the HOV lanes go in that area - and those are just through lanes, we're not including the additional auxiliary lanes you get around the 427, 403/410 and The Tunnel. I like to take American friends for a drive on the 401. They are always stunned by its size, the amount of traffic, and the fact that everyone still manages to go 130KM/h with only a few feet between each car.
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I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466652 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:15:03 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466638 Snickerdo :
said by Wolfie00 See Profile :

There, how's that? :D
Bingo. I think you got it there, except Toronto is a card-carrying member of the Liberal Party, even though he is part of the socially/economically conservative wing of the party.
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I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466638 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:12:46 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466637 kim : What we don't have in T.O. is the history that Montreal does. They're celebrating a big birthday this year. European cities have even more history, culture and ambiance. How can we compete with that?

I don't mind TO but I tend to stay on the west side of Winston Churchill Blvd. Everything east of that I consider Toronto ;)

said by wikipedia :
..and one of the widest and busiest highways in the world


»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_401_(Ontario)

I believe at one point by YYZ it's 18 lanes across. That's kinda cool!
--
Choose heaven for climate, hell for society.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466637 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:12:36 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466632 Wolfie00 :
said by Snickerdo See Profile :

I suppose Toronto is the big brother who got a good job and decided to live a responsible life making shitloads of cash, while Montreal is the younger brother who still hasn't grown up and wakes up hung over every morning ;)
That's pretty true, and a very intriguing analogy, so I'll try to take another stab at it with a bit more historical accuracy, since Montreal is actually the older brother ... at the time Toronto was founded in 1793, Montreal was already a thriving city with a population of about 18,000 which was more than half the population of New York at the time.

So I'd say Montreal is the older brother who drifted his way into becoming a rather accomplished artist, although he never made much money at it. He's poor, but he has class, manages to dine luxuriously on his meagre income, lives in a classy artist's loft where he takes the occasional hit of a recreational drug, and dresses in the most stylish sportswear -- when it comes to fashion he doesn't follow trends, he sets them. He speaks three languages and spends a lot of time in Europe by finagling various art grants, because God knows he has little money of his own.

Toronto is the dead-serious younger brother who went to business school and is now a successful vice-president of a concrete and asphalt company. He is a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party and occasional fundraiser; he wears a nondescript gray suit that he paid too much for, and lives in a gray box somewhere on the harbourfront that he also paid too much for, but where he can sit on the balcony -- sipping the single-malt scotch that is the strongest thing he ever takes -- and watch the city lights and imagine himself King of the World.

There, how's that? :D
--
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace" -- Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466632 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:09:07 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466627 Wolfie00 : Actually, Toronto is remarkably clean and remarkably low in crime for a city its size. You'll get rodents anywhere but they're no more an issue in Toronto than anywhere else, and it's probably far far worse anywhere out in the country. I've been to Manhattan a lot and I've seen the odd mouse scampering around in front of posh Fifth Avenue condos. Once I was looking in the window of a big midtown store after hours; it was just before Halloween and it was elaborately decorated for the occasion. Sitting in the middle of this costly upscale display, enjoying the Halloween chocolates, was one very lucky mouse! :D
--
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace" -- Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466627 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:08:02 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466626 AR : I dunno about the rats but that's what i was alluding to - high taxes and poor infrastructure. That might not inconvenience the tourists as much who leave in 5 days but the locals, ones with options wouldn't like to live in Toronto.

I have personally 2 folks in the family who were raised and educated in Canada but decided to move to California.

Hey, didn't Ian See Profile too?! :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466626 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:07:59 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466526 AkFubar : I live just south of the Annex. The rats are so plentiful you see them running across the street in the middle of the day. The taxes keep going up but nothing gets better. I guess a tourist is going to have to wake up with a rat in their hotel room before the city starts to crack down. One thing is for sure as soon as Miller and his cronies get wind that tourists or the US movie industry are slamming the city something will get done damn quick. :huh:
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"No matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20466526 Sun, 11 May 2008 18:35:23 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20464023 SK :
said by TI POIL See Profile :

Plus you can't compare those 2 cities they are totally the opposite all across the board.
??? Opposite = basis for comparison!

OT, but, I really don't understand that sentiment because the more things are different, the easier they are to compare! ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20464023 Sun, 11 May 2008 01:39:11 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20463636 TI POIL :
said by Snickerdo See Profile :

said by TI POIL See Profile :

I've been here for over 12 years now I was born and raised in Quebec City, quite the extreme I know. Toronto is good for business and that's it. I saw like 3 buses of tourists a few days ago and I can't imagine what's to see here, besides the CN tower there is absolutely nothing. It stinks, people are like robots and the woman are lame ;) This town has no cachet or charisma.
... but you just said what Toronto is good for, and that's business. It's the business capital of Canada and has the third largest stock exchange in North America. That right there is something Toronto can boast about that Montreal cannot.

I suppose Toronto is the big brother who got a good job and decided to live a responsible life making shitloads of cash, while Montreal is the younger brother who still hasn't grown up and wakes up hung over every morning ;)
True but money is not everything Plus you can't compare those 2 cities they are totally the opposite all across the board. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20463636 Sat, 10 May 2008 23:31:44 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20463191 AR :
I love Toronto - all my family who has visited has loved it till they saw how expensive it is.

I hate the tax system though so I'd have to return to the US in the long term - I'd put my money to the fact that if Canada's personal tax system was reformed, you'd see a lot of Americans who'd want to live here....maybe not something you'd want though. ;)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20463191 Sat, 10 May 2008 21:36:45 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462859 Snickerdo :
said by TI POIL See Profile :

I've been here for over 12 years now I was born and raised in Quebec City, quite the extreme I know. Toronto is good for business and that's it. I saw like 3 buses of tourists a few days ago and I can't imagine what's to see here, besides the CN tower there is absolutely nothing. It stinks, people are like robots and the woman are lame ;) This town has no cachet or charisma.
... but you just said what Toronto is good for, and that's business. It's the business capital of Canada and has the third largest stock exchange in North America. That right there is something Toronto can boast about that Montreal cannot.

I suppose Toronto is the big brother who got a good job and decided to live a responsible life making shitloads of cash, while Montreal is the younger brother who still hasn't grown up and wakes up hung over every morning ;)
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462859 Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:28 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462788 TI POIL : I've been here for over 12 years now I was born and raised in Quebec City, quite the extreme I know. Toronto is good for business and that's it. I saw like 3 buses of tourists a few days ago and I can't imagine what's to see here, besides the CN tower there is absolutely nothing. It stinks, people are like robots and the woman are lame ;) This town has no cachet or charisma.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462788 Sat, 10 May 2008 19:34:40 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462045 WNGFAN 1 :
said by SK See Profile :

said by WNGFAN 1 See Profile :

We visit "The Big Smoke" three times a year for 3-4 days at a time. By then were ready to come home though to a slower pace of life.
What do you do here?
I hit ballgames and the Wife shops and sometimes takes in a theatre production.
P.S. and We eat wa too much(lol)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20462045 Sat, 10 May 2008 15:50:23 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20461900 SK :
said by WNGFAN 1 See Profile :

We visit "The Big Smoke" three times a year for 3-4 days at a time. By then were ready to come home though to a slower pace of life.
What do you do here?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20461900 Sat, 10 May 2008 15:03:04 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20461782 Wolfie00 :
said by DKS See Profile :

OK, so Toronto beats up on itself again. :uhh:
...and we haven't even started discussing Toronto's magnificent home-town hockey team yet! :D]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20461782 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:29:28 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460551 DKS : OK, so Toronto beats up on itself again. :uhh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460551 Sat, 10 May 2008 07:43:51 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460540 horsemouth : Myself I love to visit TO But never want to live in it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460540 Sat, 10 May 2008 07:38:12 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460351 WNGFAN 1 : We visit "The Big Smoke" three times a year for 3-4 days at a time. By then were ready to come home though to a slower pace of life.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460351 Sat, 10 May 2008 03:46:54 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460090 Griz_ : I live 100 miles from Toronto and the only time I've been near it in the past 30 years is between 2 and 4 AM on my to somewhere else, or (during the day) to get to Pearson which is always a horrible experience.

Even "back in the day" when I traveled there a couple times a year, I really didn't care for the place. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460090 Sat, 10 May 2008 01:09:03 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460061 decx : Yes, Toronto's highway system leaves something to be desired (the Spadina Expressway would've helped spread traffic off of the DVP). But it certainly beats some other cities with a non-existent highway system which includes one of Canada's apparently popular tourist city.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460061 Sat, 10 May 2008 00:58:33 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460052 Mashiki : Bad highway system, easy to get lost, crowded downtown core with excessive lights. Hard to find attractions? Yep. I'd agree. *cough* I'm not a fan of Chicago or driving through it, I used to hate driving in Toronto but after doing it for nearly a year you get used to it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460052 Sat, 10 May 2008 00:54:36 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460009 Snickerdo :
said by vue666 See Profile :

How does Toronto compare to other major cities in North America.... Montreal, Vancouver, LA, NYC, Chicago, Miami?
How does TO compare to cities in Europe... London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Venice?
Toronto is pretty much a clone of Chicago. I don't think you can find two metropolitan areas in North America that are more alike.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20460009 Sat, 10 May 2008 00:37:58 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459979 alg : As a potential tourist I've never really considered visiting Toronto. Any future trips to Canada would likely be to Montreal.
--
Put an end to apostrophe abuse.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459979 Sat, 10 May 2008 00:24:19 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459631 decx : I found the part about how other Canadians not finding Toronto to be hospitable while everywhere in the world found the opposite particularly amusing... :uhh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459631 Fri, 09 May 2008 22:51:03 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459563 vue666 : How does Toronto compare to other major cities in North America.... Montreal, Vancouver, LA, NYC, Chicago, Miami?

How does TO compare to cities in Europe... London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Venice?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459563 Fri, 09 May 2008 22:38:11 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459519 Warez_Zealot : Vancouver and Montreal are the only 2 cities I would go and see as a tourist if I was going to visit Canada. Toronto is cool, but nothing really mind blowing. Unless you want to go to the AGO, ROM, CN Tower or a sporting event.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459519 Fri, 09 May 2008 22:28:54 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459264 anon : I've lived 40 years in Montreal and 12 years now in Mississauga.

I totally agree that Toronto has almost nothing to offer to attract tourists.

Montreal over the years has offered the World's Fair, the Olympics, countless internationally recognized festivals such as Jazz and Comedy and a clean, safe and modern subway system that will take you virtually anywhere a tourist would like to see.

Compare that to Toronto with it's 60 year old subway, CNE farm show, Casa Loma and Carribana and Gay pride Parade and Toronto comes across second rate in effort and execution every time.

The CN Tower was Toronto's single claim to fame for 40 years and now even that distinction has been lost to Dubai.

Face it folks. While at least it's a lot easier to earn a living in the big smoke, culturally it has about as much excitement to offer as Cleveland on a Sunday night... :D :D :D

And the only real reason Montreal is economically disadvantaged is because of the reality of political will in Quebec and their insane hatred of English Culture in all it's forms...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20459264 Fri, 09 May 2008 21:25:52 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458954 SK : I love Toronto - I think it's a great city to live in, but I don't see it as a tourist attraction. However, people from elsewhere that I come across (read German exchange students, you won't believe how many there are at any given point in time) can't stop raving about it. Confuddled, I always ask them what they like about it, they list a couple of things that make me go "oh yeah," but then I forget. My conclusion is that the city doesn't have any big-name tourist attractions, but it has a large number of small ones, and that gestalt (:hmm:) is what people like. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458954 Fri, 09 May 2008 20:13:44 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458937 Wolfie00 :
said by Exit See Profile :

Toronto has nothing to draw in tourists. I lived in Europe for over 4 years and comparing any large city in the EU to Toronto is like night and day. Toronto has no culture, no sites to see and a crappy vibe in general.
Well I know that many would disagree with that, but I'll say this much: when it comes to culture, architecture, atmosphere, and great food, Montreal has it all over Toronto, despite Montreal having been economically disadvantaged for so long. If Montreal was on a level playing field with Toronto, wow, what a city that would be!! For instance, where in Toronto can you find something like Old Montreal, with gaslit cobblestone streets and quaint French restaurants with the best food in North America? Toronto is all about "biggest, tallest, richest" but somewhere along the line, "interesting", "attractive", and "entertaining" got all forgotten about. Still, as I've said before, it can be a wonderful city to live in, in many ways, and has some of the most unique neighbourhoods of any major city in the nation. I won't be sticking my microphone out the window for any more bird recordings like I did before, but later on I will be strolling out to the park across the street with my dog, a cigar, and a glass of wine. :)
--
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace" -- Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458937 Fri, 09 May 2008 20:11:10 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458732 Exit : Toronto has nothing to draw in tourists. I lived in Europe for over 4 years and comparing any large city in the EU to Toronto is like night and day. Toronto has no culture, no sites to see and a crappy vibe in general. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458732 Fri, 09 May 2008 19:16:52 EDT Re: Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458602 Snickerdo : I dunno, I love Toronto, but probably because I come from this side of the lake and don't see it all too often.

I wouldn't bitch about the lack of tourists. We have more of them here than anywhere else in this country, and they are a living hell to deal with. Navigating Niagara Falls in the summer is extremely difficult, because you never know if someone in a rental car or a moron with US plates is going to slam on the breaks and pull a U-turn on a major road. Don't even get me started on them stopping on the QEW and BACKING UP because they missed their exit. I have seen that happen more times than I should have had to see in my entire life.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458602 Fri, 09 May 2008 18:43:19 EDT Toronto not a must see: report http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458520 donoreo : Yeah, no kidding. Toronto city councillors like to call Toronto a "world class city" but what do they base that on? The only thing many people know about is the CN Tower. A report confirms it: Toronto is not must be for tourists.

This does not surprise me. I live here, but do not like it. The "leaders", and I use that term loosely, of this city have been making poor decisions for decades. They have turned the city from one with potential to a not even in the running one.

»www.citynews.ca/news/news_22551.aspx

The actual report: »www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008···2816.pdf
--
The irony of common sense, it is not that common
I judge you when you use poor grammar
I cannot deny anything I did not say]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20458520 Fri, 09 May 2008 18:26:00 EDT