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I think sightseeing/tourism/recreation are being vastly ignored on this thread. Urbanity is not based on the number of cookie-cutter condos or kebab shops in a city, regardless of what some may say. Urbanity is the confluence of many, many people which creates talent-based economies of scale and allows for creating truly unique attractions and urban landscapes. Having tons of people is nice, sure. But Chongqing, China has tons of people too. I've been there. The entire cityscape is hills full of 60-story residentials. The city is massive. It's surely urban based on density. But it's lacking everything that a city should thrive on: arts, retail, museums, nightlife. What's the point of having 10 million people if it doesn't translate to a vibrant, unique, and interesting city?
Here are the number of popular sights in the urban core of each city. Popular is defined as having 1,000 or more TripAdvisor reviews. Urban core is defined as being within 5 miles of the city's downtown.
WASHINGTON (42)
#1 Sight: Lincoln Memorial 22,875 reviews
American Art Museum
Arlington National Cemetery
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Capitol Hill
Ford's Theatre
Georgetown
International Spy Museum
Jefferson Memorial
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
King Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Library of Congress
Lincoln Memorial
National Air and Space Museum
National Archives Museum
National Gallery of Art
National Mall
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of American History
National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of Natural History
National Portrait Gallery
National World War II Memorial
National Zoological Park
Nationals Park
Newseum
Pentagon Memorial
The Phillips Collection
Roosevelt Memorial
Smithsonian Castle
Tidal Basin
Tomb of the Unknowns
Union Station
United States Botanic Garden
United States Capitol Building
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Marine Corps War Memorial
United States Supreme Court Building
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington Monument
Washington National Cathedral
The White House
SAN FRANCISCO (34)
#1 Sight: Alcatraz Island 41,248 reviews
Alamo Square
Alcatraz Island
Aquarium of the Bay
Asian Art Museum
AT&T Park
Cable Cars
Cable Car Museum
California Academy of Sciences
Chinatown
Coit Tower
Crissy Field
de Young Museum
Exploratorium
Ferry Building Marketplace
Fisherman's Wharf
Ghirardelli Square
Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Park
Haight-Ashbury
Japanese Tea Garden
Lands End
Legion of Honor
Lombard Street
Musee Mecanique
Painted Ladies
Palace of Fine Arts
Pier 39
Presidio of San Francisco
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay Bridge
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Twin Peaks
Union Square
Walt Disney Family Museum
BOSTON (27)
#1 Sight: Freedom Trail 12,575 reviews
Beacon Hill
Boston Common
Boston Public Garden
Boston Public Library
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Bunker Hill Monument
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Fenway Park
Freedom Trail
Granary Burying Ground
Harvard Square
Harvard University
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Kennedy Presidential Museum & Library
Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Science
New England Aquarium
New England Holocaust Memorial
Newbury Street
North End
Old North Church
Prudential Center
Quincy Market
Samuel Adams Brewery
USS Constitution
USS Constitution Museum
Waterfront
TORONTO (20)
#1 Sight: CN Tower 17,066 reviews
Air Canada Centre
Aquarium Of Canada
Art Gallery of Ontario
Casa Loma
Centre Island
CN Tower
Distillery Historic District
Eaton Centre
High Park
Hockey Hall of Fame
Kensington Market and Spadina Avenue
Ontario Science Centre
Rogers Centre
Royal Ontario Museum
Saint Lawrence Market
Steam Whistle Brewery
Toronto Islands
Toronto Zoo
University of Toronto
Yonge-Dundas Square
MINNEAPOLIS (5)
#1 Sight: Target Field 2,355 reviews
Mill City Museum
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Minnehaha Park
Target Field
Not the way I'd judge urbanity. Even if it were a true measure, using TripAdvisor is pretty unscientific. The list for Toronto is missing a lot of attractions. Where's Cabbage Town? Chinatown, was included in SF why not Toronto? Why not the Bata Shoe Museum ( a world's first and fascinating ) and very popular.
Those are great pics of DC and Boston, but Toronto also has loads of historic buildings and charming vistas of 19th century streetscapes quite similar in appearance to many of those you posted. You act as if Toronto has nothing of the sort and is just modern condos everywhere you look, which couldn't be further from the truth.
Exactly.
Toronto has a unique combination of Historic Buildings/Streets and Modern/Futuristic Architecture.
Toronto has both the historic buildings of DC and Boston, and the modern soaring skyscrapers that DC and Boston don't have.
Toronto doesn't have any historic districts that are to the scale and beauty of those in the U.S. What is Toronto's Georgetown? What is Toronto's North End? What is Toronto's Back Bay? What is Toronto's Old Town? Toronto doesn't even have the Gothic and Art Deco stunners that Chicago and New York have.
There are a few gems (Royal York, Ontario Legislative Building, Osgoode Hall, etc.), but they can't compare to what most Northeastern U.S. cities offer.
And we all know Toronto's modern architecture is underwhelming, to say the least.
Last edited by JMT; 07-12-2017 at 07:01 AM..
Reason: violation of rules for posting images
Not the way I'd judge urbanity. Even if it were a true measure, using TripAdvisor is pretty unscientific. The list for Toronto is missing a lot of attractions. Where's Cabbage Town? Chinatown, was included in SF why not Toronto? Why not the Bata Shoe Museum ( a world's first and fascinating ) and very popular.
All cities are missing major attractions. It purposefully omits places with less than 1,000 reviews in all cities. Bata Shoe is at 900 or so reviews, so should pass the 1,000 mark in the next few months.
In terms of tourist attractions though, I think the order is very representative of the number of sights to see.
Those are great pics of DC and Boston, but Toronto also has loads of historic buildings and charming vistas of 19th century streetscapes quite similar in appearance to many of those you posted. You act as if Toronto has nothing of the sort and is just modern condos everywhere you look, which couldn't be further from the truth.
I noticed you used the words 'vistas' and 'buildings.' This was a very cautious wording because Toronto lacks what Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco and a whole host of other major American cities have: cohesive historic districts where you can go back in time.
Toronto's heritage buildings today are increasingly isolated from each other and often peppered between modern-style condos and parking lots.
There are no places like North End or Georgetown or Old Town where you can feel as if you've stepped back in time. Those places don't exist in Toronto. You can't experience a slice of Montreal or Quebec City in Toronto. The history's not there and the architecture's not there. And those very small pieces that remain are being torn down for more cookie cutter condos. It's quite sad.
I noticed you used the words 'vistas' and 'buildings.' This was a very cautious wording because Toronto lacks what Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco and a whole host of other major American cities have: cohesive historic districts where you can go back in time.
Toronto's heritage buildings today are increasingly isolated from each other and often peppered between modern-style condos and parking lots.
There are no places like North End or Georgetown or Old Town where you can feel as if you've stepped back in time. Those places don't exist in Toronto. You can't experience a slice of Montreal or Quebec City in Toronto. The history's not there and the architecture's not there. And those very small pieces that remain are being torn down for more cookie cutter condos. It's quite sad.
I guess you've never heard of Cabbagetown, the Distillery District, St. Lawrence, the Annex or Old Town?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillery_District
"The 13 acres (5.3 ha) district comprises more than forty heritage buildings and ten streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America."
Toronto doesn't have any historic districts that are to the scale and beauty of those in the U.S. What is Toronto's Georgetown? What is Toronto's North End? What is Toronto's Back Bay? What is Toronto's Old Town? Toronto doesn't even have the Gothic and Art Deco stunners that Chicago and New York have.
There are a few gems (Royal York, Ontario Legislative Building, Osgoode Hall, etc.), but they can't compare to what most Northeastern U.S. cities offer.
And we all know Toronto's modern architecture is underwhelming, to say the least.
You can talk negative about Toronto's architecture but it's urban core blows DC's away. And when you look at DC's urban core post modern architecture, it is hardly anything to write home about. Probably the worst of this group. Boxy, flat tops, low and stuck together. Even the convention center was so horrible, it was torn down after only twenty years in existence. And as far as urban cores I can't think of one category where the DC core outshines Toronto's. Its urban core residential population alone is a third of the entire population of the entire DC. Shopping, dining, international dining, nightlife, coffee houses, markets, corner stores, flower stands, bookstores, theaters, international feel, Toronto wins this.
You can talk negative about Toronto's architecture but it's urban core blows DC's away. And when you look at DC's urban core post modern architecture, it is hardly anything to write home about. Probably the worst of this group. Boxy, flat tops, low and stuck together. Even the convention center was so horrible, it was torn down after only twenty years in existence. And as far as urban cores I can't think of one category where the DC core outshines Toronto's. Its urban core residential population alone is a third of the entire population of the entire DC. Shopping, dining, international dining, nightlife, coffee houses, markets, corner stores, flower stands, bookstores, theaters, international feel, Toronto wins this.
Washington is the most powerful in the world and has an aesthetic befitting of such stature. Have you been to the Library of Congress or the Capitol Building? How many world-class buildings does Toronto have that rival the ubiquity and fame of the White House, the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial, Mount Vernon, etc.
60% of the Top 5 are in Washington
60% of the Top 10 are in Washington
60% of the Top 15 are in Washington
DC has monuments that Toronto could never dream of. It also has a history far more glorious than that of Toronto. You walk around Washington and you feel like you are in a powerful city.
Get over your B-list city Princess. Toronto does win on ugly cookie cutter condos and 1 star kebab shops. I'll give you that. You also win on credit card debt, low wages and unsustainable housing bubbles too. Congratulations.
And lol on Toronto's food scene. Someone's clearly delirious. Call me when Toronto gets a Michelin guide (like DC already has).
Cityplace (your picture) is one development by one developer, intended as a planned urban community. It is not purely representative of Toronto's modern architecture.
These are Toronto's best?
The first has white paint on the balconies
The second doesn't exist
The third is a design that's been done in every city
The fourth doesn't exist (and is immensely ugly)
The firth doesn't exist
The sixth is a bridge with stripes
Thank God Washington was built when beauty and grandeur were still valued. Now all you have is glass squares with stripes and we're told that's 'cutting edge'
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Washington is the most powerful in the world and has an aesthetic befitting of such stature. Have you been to the Library of Congress or the Capitol Building? How many world-class buildings does Toronto have that rival the ubiquity and fame of the White House, the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial, Mount Vernon, etc.
