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...I think we're alone now--there doesn't seem to be anyone arouuuund
Yes, that's right and the film festival we're referring to is a week long screening of all of Tiffany's biggest music videos on loop in every major motion picture theatre in the heart of Toronto. It is far larger than any Tiffany music video screening festival in Chicago, but it's not THE Tiffany festival that happens in Cannes every year--that one I'm not describing because everyone knows it.
They are both great cities. I know Chicago better, having lived there for 4 years, but have visited Toronto at least a dozen times over the last 5 years or so. Chicago is both worse and better than Toronto. There are bombed out neighborhoods in Chicago's south and west sides that have no equivalent in Toronto, but what Chicago does well, it does better than Toronto. It makes much better use of its waterfront than Toronto. There is nothing like Millennium or Lincoln park in Toronto. The horrible Gardiner expressway in Toronto cuts much of the city off from its waterfront and really should be demolished. Lakeshore drive in Chicago, in contrast, can make a good argument for being one of the most beautiful urban drives in North America.
Chicago is an architecturally magnificent city. Toronto has thrown up many cheap and nasty glass towers in the last decade that have increased its density, but none of them are of any architectural significance. There are many more vibrant, walkable urban neighborhoods in Chicago. Once you leave old Toronto, Toronto gets suburban fast. The city first booms in the 1980s due to the flight of Anglo capital from Montreal. It is not pretty. The great Chicago cultural institutions, and they are better than Toronto's from the Museum of Science and Industry all the way up to the Art Institute are all on the lake. In my experience Chicago is much more visitor friendly than Chicago.
It also has significantly better universities, better museums. Toronto has better Chinese food, especially in Markham and better Caribbean food, for everything else Chicago. Toronto also has stupid liquor laws, the subway shuts early. Toronto feels a little sleepy compared to Chicago.While Queen Street west can be fun, Chicago has more nightlife districts and quite a bit more glitz. What would be Toronto's equivalent to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Bloor? Chicago has pretty great urban beaches in the heart of the city. You have to go to Toronto island (which is lovely) or head quite far east or west to find equivalent beaches in Toronto.
If it wasn't for the vile winters - I hate the cold, I could happily live in either city. I like Toronto a lot, but I like Chicago more, and think it offers visitors more...
While I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, I do think yours is nothing more than preference. (which again is fine).
I do think its quite fair for one to think, that Torontos' clusters of newly built residential high rises, given a vibrant feel throughout the city. I think those clusters of high rises does make Toronto feel a little more urban throughout, even if you do have typical suburban streets very close by. Conversely, the "bombed out" south and west side neighborhoods of Chicago are at suburban density without the suburban beauty. The worst of both worlds. Even once you get beyond Lincoln Square or Logan Square it seems even the north side, has had little built in years.
One can see Toronto Island and some of the ravines close to the city center as being just as unique of an amenity as Chicagos accessible beaches, and something that Chicago has no equivalent of.
Yes, Chicagos museums are beautifully set along the lakefront, and even though LSD may be prettier, the museums are still a little more cutoff than Torontos equivalent. (The art institute being the major exception). I like how Torontos major universities and museums are right in downtown. (IE: university of Toronto with its historic architecture). Contrast that with the University of Chicago which is remote from the action and in a beautiful but cutoff neighborhood surrounded by blighted and burnout neighborhood. I like cities, where the major universities are integrated into the cities core area.
Some people may find bars open late, easy liquor licenses may make a city have a more vibrant nightlife, but it can also make it more rowdy and immature. Tame nightlife is simply more like "mature nightlife for me. I prefer neighborhoods with people one represented from as many different countries as possible. I think outside of River North/Mag Mile/Gold Coast, I have a very hard time believing that Chicago has any more "glitz" than Toronto.
But seriously, Toronto is the post child of world class cities when it comes to successful diversity, and is praised for this throughout the world, Chicago, not so much. Toronto's core is filled with many different visible minorities, and feels extremely international, whereas Chicago's core is mainly filled with white, black and Hispanic people and feels very American. Honestly though, Toronto and Chicago are two of my absolute favourite cities, they just have different histories and futures!
In other words, Chicago has every ethnic group in abundance except for Asians. Therefore it is less diverse than Toronto whose minorities are mostly Asian. How does that make Toronto more diverse again? Diversity is not having more Asians. Sorry.
Oh i'm more than aware Chicago has a large and actually great pride.. I really enjoyed it when I was there no doubt. Toronto's is consistently larger however and in 2014 was the first city in the western hemisphere to host world pride. What I also prefer about Toronto's gay scene is that is a part of the DT core fabric - this makes its all the more accessible and in the heart of things.
Northalsted market days looks interesting.. i'd certainly enjoy it though i'm not really linking it up with being a few blocks from 30 miles of beaches tbh.. Gays in Toronto go to the islands in the summer and specifically Hanlan's which is nude. Its not linked to a festival though i'm not sure it needs to be
As for diminishing Chicago - how the heck am I doing that - because I prefer certain elements of Toronto over Chicago.. Would it only make you happy if one were to say everything about Chicago is better than Toronto - i'm beginning to think so.. I've countless times made the case for where I think Chicago has Toronto beat but yes - shoot me there are things about Toronto imo that are most certainly more world class and premier than Chicago not all but yes there are quite a few things.
On the other hand - all you have to say about T.O is negative and making a charge that only foreigners are buying condo's or renting condo's (wrong!).. There are a lot and that isn't a bad thing either - its actually good when people from outside come in but yes there are still oodles of locals in Toronto and migrants within Canada moving into T.O's DT core. Anyway you'll see if you read all my posts good things I've noted about Chicago - honestly I have yet to find one thing positive not even one that you've said about Toronto yet I am the unbalanced bad guy here - suuuuurre.
WorldPride is not the largest international LGBT event. The largest international LGBT event is the Gay Games. Now, allow me to post North American hosts of the Gay Games:
1982: San Francisco
1986: San Francisco
1990: Vancouver
1994: New York 2006: Chicago 2014: Cleveland
Skyscraper architecture and business are big strengths for Chicago but among top 10 cultural cities globally - like seriously.. I don't think Toronto or Chicago are close to being top 10 culturally in the world.. Heck Djemaa El Fna Square in Marrakech has oodles more culture than Toronto/Chicago combined lol.. There are 10 cities in China that have more culture than ours.. Canamerican cities are pretty dead when it comes to culture!
Djemaa el Fna is a dump. It's literally the most culturally devoid part of Marrakech. Why do people still elevate that square? It's all aggressive businessmen, touts and expensive peanut stands.
You really don't think the same could be done for Toronto in terms of festivals lol... Someone from Chicago telling someone from Toronto to come to Chicago for warm weather festivals... Ok I can see YOUR favourite festival is the one involving wine
Chicago film festival vs TIFF... Chicago would need 20 film festivals to match the prominence of TIFF haha.
There's Cannes and there is TIFF in terms of globally important film festivals..
The Big Three film festivals are Berlin, Cannes and Venice. Toronto is not #2 in the world. You really love making stuff up, no? In North America, I would put Toronto behind Sundance even. And in terms of the film industry of course the most important city is Los Angeles, considering those film festivals only serve to build buzz for the Academy Awards, which is the most important film event. Heck, Toronto isn't even the most important film city in Canada! Vancouver is much more important as a filming location and Montreal churns out better indies.
The Big Three film festivals are Berlin, Cannes and Venice. Toronto is not #2 in the world. You really love making stuff up, no? In North America, I would put Toronto behind Sundance even. And in terms of the film industry of course the most important city is Los Angeles, considering those film festivals only serve to build buzz for the Academy Awards, which is the most important film event. Heck, Toronto isn't even the most important film city in Canada! Vancouver is much more important as a filming location and Montreal churns out better indies.
He's not making stuff up. It's just that... well, he is from Toronto. It's natural for people to elevate things from their hometown beyond their actual real world prominence. Almost everyone does it. For example, when I lived in Cleveland I remember everyone saying, as if it was a well-known fact, that the Cleveland Orchestra was the best in the world. It is of course a premier symphony orchestra and a member of America's "big 5" but best in the world? No way. Clevelanders are the only people to think that. Same here. I am not an expert on film festivals but I am pretty sure that in the US at least Sundance has a higher profile than TIFF. Maybe Tribeca too (of course I'd say that! ) I wouldn't be shocked if TIFF surpassed them by some objective metrics, but to pretend that it's the undisputed #2 in the world is a bit homerrific.
Last edited by Fitzrovian; 11-26-2015 at 11:33 AM..
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