so how similar is toronto really to a generic US city? (neighborhoods, subdivisions)

[tarp]

Originally Posted by architext

Toronto is very different from American cities:

-Toronto has way worse traffic congestion than any American city I've been to, including NYC and Chicago
-Toronto has a lot less highways and there are too many narrow roads with too many traffic lights.
-Toronto has higher prices on just about anything
-Toronto has a very small amount of blacks and mexicans compared to US cities
-Toronto is very compact and has virtually no even sprawl unlike many of US cities

That's a lot of differences!

I guess you've never been to Los Angeles or Washington D.C. - traffic congestion is worse in those two cities than in Toronto.

Also, Toronto has a massive amount of sprawl going in all directions except the lake. You can go north all the way to Aurora and Newmarket, west to Burlington, and east to Oshawa and most of that encompasses Toronto's sprawl.

[a_jordania]

"Toronto has a very small amount of blacks and mexicans compared to US cities"

-Technically yes, but Toronto still has a very large, celebrated, caribbean/west indian presence.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by architext

Toronto is very different from American cities:

-Toronto has way worse traffic congestion than any American city I've been to, including NYC and Chicago
-Toronto has a lot less highways and there are too many narrow roads with too many traffic lights.
-Toronto has higher prices on just about anything
-Toronto has a very small amount of blacks and mexicans compared to US cities
-Toronto is very compact and has virtually no even sprawl unlike many of US cities

That's a lot of differences!

I'll give you the bad traffic, not so sure about the multicultural aspect though, Phoenix AZ is a big city and I'd say TO is way more multicultural!

[ajl22586]

As discussed in many other threads, Toronto is also surprisingly gritty when you get out of the downtown area (west of Spadina, east of Jarvis). The best way I can explain it is that home and business-owners seem strangely reluctant to renovate the outside of their homes/businesses, so a lot of places look like they're stuck in a bygone era.

These areas would be considered pretty "sketchy" if found in an American city - at least one of comparable size - yet here they're considered very standard, typical middle-class areas. Personally I find it a bit puzzling.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by architext

Toronto is very different from American cities:

-Toronto has way worse traffic congestion than any American city I've been to, including NYC and Chicago
-Toronto has a lot less highways and there are too many narrow roads with too many traffic lights.
-Toronto has higher prices on just about anything
-Toronto has a very small amount of blacks and mexicans compared to US cities
-Toronto is very compact and has virtually no even sprawl unlike many of US cities

That's a lot of differences!

The U.S. has many large cities and they are all different. Pretty much all of these can said of at least a certain number of them.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The U.S. has many large cities and they are all different. Pretty much all of these can said of at least a certain number of them.

Absolutely!

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by Atticman

^ Canada's population is around 35 million now. Not that it makes much difference.

So who's counting !

[architext]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The U.S. has many large cities and they are all different. Pretty much all of these can said of at least a certain number of them.

Maybe so, but with the exception of last one, every city in America has a lot more sprawl than Toronto, You will never hit farmland in a typical American city like you will crossing over to Milton or going to the end of hwy 427 which is a mere 20 km / 13 miles north of the shore of Lake Ontario.

Sure that area will get developed, but still.

[Trimac20]

Toronto is denser and more compact than most American cities. It has a better public transport system/better usage than almost all American cities. It still has problems with sprawl, however, but does a much better job than cities in the same geographical region such as Detroit or Buffalo.

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Toronto is denser and more compact than most American cities. It has a better public transport system/better usage than almost all American cities. It still has problems with sprawl, however, but does a much better job than cities in the same geographical region such as Detroit or Buffalo.

Toronto and Chicago seem like close siblings to me.