Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[Montrose1100]

What do you think of Toronto? I'm curious as to everyone's opion.

[Talbot]

I've never been there, but it looks like a pretty cool city and I wouldn't mind visiting.

[dalparadise]

I like Toronto, but it is almost antiseptically void of character. They really take "clean" to a level you can't imagine. It is a business city, mostly, that clears out at night. Still, it's very beautiful and well kept.

One thing I found strange was the number of people out on the street at night, when not much was open. Apparently, window shopping is big there.

I guess my take on Toronto is, if you miss it in your travels, you'll be okay. But, if you get a chance to see it, it's worth it. It's probably the closest thing to a Utopian "Kuala Lampur-type" city as you'll find in North America. I wonder if the inhabitants are actually androids, sometimes.

If you want to see Canadian cities with real character and urban interest, Montreal and Vancouver are a better choice than Toronto, IMO.

[editor]

I haven't been there in a while, but the last time (1996 or so) I found it pretty sterile, and not very pedestrian friendly. Hopefully it's changed over the last decade.

[dbigtex56]

Twenty-five years ago I used visit Toronto fairly frequently (I lived in Rochester, and it was the closest big city.) I agree with most of the above comments, except I thought that it was quite pedestrian friendly. They had great public transportation (conventional buses, electric buses powered by overhead lines, heavy rail/subway, trolleys), and heated indoor waiting areas at transit centers. And cars had to stop to allow pedestrians to cross streets.

The people seemed both cold and extremely polite -civil and formal. It's the sort of city where one doesn't strike up a conversation - you wait until you've been introduced. They're fanatically clean - like Disneyworld without a theme.

There's a story about how Toronto rid itself from slums back in the 70s. An ordinance was passed that owners had to bring their houses into compliance with city ordinances within thirty days of reported violations, or they would be demolished. And they were. People would get a knock on their door, and were told "You gotta leave now. We're tearing the place down, eh."

Until the early 70s there was virtually no nightlife in Toronto - it was known as "The Sleeping Giant", and people would drive to Buffalo(!) to have a good time. They had weird drinking laws, too. In some bars, it was illegal to stand up while holding a beer. If you wanted to join friends at another table, the waiter would have to move the beer for you.

Toronto and Houston are approximately the same size, but in nearly every other respect they couldn't be more different.

[TJones]

I hear it is nice, but it is fast becoming a headquarters for the Nigerian 419 scammers.

[skwatra]

i visited Toronto last fall and loved it. it has all the energy and diversity of NYC, but more laid back with friendlier people.

i found it pedestrian friendly, we walked all around downtown with ease, and there were tons of people out everywhere we went.

[UrbaNerd]

Nice, but kinda boring.

[Dominax]

They have interesting pictures.

[ssullivan]

I'm going to Toronto and Montreal at the end of March. I'll post my opinions and maybe some pictures of both after I return. I must say, though, I'm really looking forward to Montreal more. It just seems to have a much more unique character from what I've read so far.

[Jeebus]

Which Canadian city is becoming the hotbed for new movie projects?

[nmainguy]

If you want to see Canadian cities with real character and urban interest, Montreal and Vancouver are a better choice than Toronto, IMO.

...what dal said^^^

I wouldn't recommend not going...there's some interesting architecture but for my money, Montreal and even Quebec City-if you like North American history-are a better buy...Vancover as well.

[zaphod]

I got to go there when i was little. i only remember a bit about it, and what i do remember wasnt anything spectacular. Just sort of a plain city. Subway was nice and clean...

[ssullivan]

Having spent several days in Toronto almost a month ago, I can agree with most of the comments here. The city is incredibly clean. You won't find any trash on the streets anywhere. We saw maybe 5 homeless people begging on the streets in three days. There were no odd smells on the sidewalks or in the subways, although we did go in one subway station that had a problem with mice. I wouldn't call the city devoid of character. There are some interesting areas that have a lot of character, like the Kensington St. Market, Chinatown (although not very different from any other Chinatown), Church St., and Greektown. Downtown is rather dull, with the exception of the CN Tower, and after 5:00 PM there is nothing open there. I did enjoy walking through Eaton Centre, but it's basically their version of the Galleria. There's also nice, upscale shopping along Bloor St.; it feels very much like New York's 5th Avenue, only much cleaner.

As for the city's pedestrian-friendliness, I walked all over it for three days. I found it very walkable. Public transit is pretty good, although the subway coverage isn't as extensive as other cities. However, the streetcar system can get you around to a lot of places, and there are buses to compliment it and the subway.

I really enjoyed Toronto and would definitely go back. But on the same trip I also spent a weekend in Montr

[Highrise Tower]

Toronto's high-rise building scene is one of the best in the world. I prefer their designs and developments over NYC and Chicago.  Kinda reminds me of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane skylines.

Maldive over at SSP keeps the native Toronto Highrise Development thread very active. The buildings proposed and under construction are stunning.  Wish Houston (Uptown/TMC) would build like this.

 

[kennyc05]

42 minutes ago, Highrise Tower said:

Toronto's high-rise building scene is one of the best in the world. I prefer their designs and developments over NYC and Chicago.  Kinda reminds me of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane skylines.

Maldive over at SSP keeps the native Toronto Highrise Development thread very active. The buildings proposed and under construction are stunning.  Wish Houston (Uptown/TMC) would build like this.

 

Hopefully eventually one day!

[Highrise Tower]

I really like what Toronto is putting out these days. The architecture is similar to Melbourne and Sydney Australia.