Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why does it matter how many countries he's visited? How extensive could these 198 jaunts have been anyways? I've visited far less and I still can't even comprehend Toronto's standing in this list.
Toronto is a good place to live, but it is straight up denial to pretend like it has some sort of identity that splits it apart from other major cities. Really all you could say that is unique about it is that it's multicultural. That's literally it. It's never even struck me as a particularly hip place, which seems to be the focal point of his blurb.
How much experience do you have Jesse? There are many who find Toronto hip and interesting and the guy in the blurb isn't the first one.. Perhaps they are wrong or perhaps you may not know enough or have not experienced enough about Toronto to come to as informed a decision as you could. It could simply be that everyone appreciates different things that you can't comprehend or relate to but that they can.. Something to think about but ultimately it is HIS list and he is certainly entitled to it and I can't really fault him for it..
He certainly won me over by including Lisbon and Istanbul in his top 20.. They are amazing cities with so many layers.. Toronto is no exception.. I liked how he said this re Toronto
"And you have to carefully explore, dig, and venture into the unknown to find those hidden treasures"
He's right and perhaps if you do live here you may actually agree instead of just looking at things perhaps superficially.
Quote:
Originally Posted by klmrocks
As a local I would have to agree. If you find something significantly lacking in this city the issue is likely you just do not know where to find it !
Yup and you can either say what Jesse said or you can actually invest in the time to actually get to know the place.. If you choose not to get to know it - well fine opportunity costs are a very individual thing but don't slam those who have and appreciate it!
I'm in Toronto probably a dozen times a year. I know what's there. I didn't just walk around Yonge/Dundas once for two days and leave to never come back. Some of my friends live in the city and I go all the time to see bands I like, or to just drink, hang out, explore, and eat new food. We're all in our twenties and perfectly hip/cool savvy, meaning we aren't clueless about the places we choose to visit. Also, you could apply the thing about having to carefully explore or dig into the 'unknown' to truly understand a place about literally any city on Earth. It's just a cliche of travel writers.
I'm not saying Toronto isn't nice, because it is. I would enjoy living there, but that's not the question. What I'm saying is, it's not really special from a touristic or traveller's point of view. It's a very plain city. There's arts and culture, but it's too much of a scattershoot for Toronto to have a special identity or vibe to it that sets it apart from other major cities. I don't know why people get so upset about this. Obviously it's just the writer's opinion, but this is mine.
If I had to choose something that I think Toronto excels at beyond other places, it's the cheap, completely accessible live music scene. There's a ton of great local and touring bands that pop in and play at The Garrison or Lee's or the Horseshoe for a couple of bucks pretty well any night. Anyone who can play music can start a band and be playing shows all the time in Toronto in no time with very little effort. But still, that doesn't exactly carry a city to number 2 on Earth for me.
Oh, and I don't even think Toronto is lacking in terms of things to do, as is the case with most large cities anyways. It's just not particularly captivating.
Although like Jesse I wouldn't put Toronto at anywhere near the top 10 most interesting cities I have visited, I am glad that someone thinks it is cool and hip.
I hope with the current condo boom, more things will happen in central city, and people will be less -- suburb/trees/house oriented and bring more energy as well as retail and entertainment to the core.
7. Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei boasts one of the highest densities of restaurants in the world and many are themed, so don't be surprised when you pass a Barbie, Hello Kitty, or A380 airplane-themed restaurant on your evening stroll. Or the legendary Modern Toilet eatery, of course. The people of Taipei love to eat out, and they enjoy partying too. Which is why you don't want to miss out on Club 7! That's what they call drinking outside one of the many 7-Elevens, where people buy cheap booze and sausage and set up shop out front. There may not be much dancing, but at least the joint never closes. Finally, the area surrounding the Taiwanese capital offers well-marked hiking routes to a range of peaks with ace views. How about that for the day after a big night of drinking outside a convenience store?
You mean the nightscape? Every city looks cute when you turn off the light. Taipei in reality is one of the ugliest cities in the entire world, if not the ugliest.
You mean the nightscape? Every city looks cute when you turn off the light. Taipei in reality is one of the ugliest cities in the entire world, if not the ugliest.
No the laughing puppet who looks like he's from Les Sentinelles de l'Air.
I'm in Toronto probably a dozen times a year. I know what's there. I didn't just walk around Yonge/Dundas once for two days and leave to never come back. Some of my friends live in the city and I go all the time to see bands I like, or to just drink, hang out, explore, and eat new food. We're all in our twenties and perfectly hip/cool savvy, meaning we aren't clueless about the places we choose to visit. Also, you could apply the thing about having to carefully explore or dig into the 'unknown' to truly understand a place about literally any city on Earth. It's just a cliche of travel writers.
I'm not saying Toronto isn't nice, because it is. I would enjoy living there, but that's not the question. What I'm saying is, it's not really special from a touristic or traveller's point of view. It's a very plain city. There's arts and culture, but it's too much of a scattershoot for Toronto to have a special identity or vibe to it that sets it apart from other major cities. I don't know why people get so upset about this. Obviously it's just the writer's opinion, but this is mine.
If I had to choose something that I think Toronto excels at beyond other places, it's the cheap, completely accessible live music scene. There's a ton of great local and touring bands that pop in and play at The Garrison or Lee's or the Horseshoe for a couple of bucks pretty well any night. Anyone who can play music can start a band and be playing shows all the time in Toronto in no time with very little effort. But still, that doesn't exactly carry a city to number 2 on Earth for me.
Oh, and I don't even think Toronto is lacking in terms of things to do, as is the case with most large cities anyways. It's just not particularly captivating.
This is pretty much how I feel about Toronto. I go there a couple of times a year on average and always have a good time. I am certainly never bored there. Lots of things to do.
. Also, you could apply the thing about having to carefully explore or dig into the 'unknown' to truly understand a place about literally any city on Earth. It's just a cliche of travel writers.
.
Or of people who don't think their city is getting enough love. Or of people who really like a city that most people aren't as excited about.
The thing is, most of the cities that are really ''hot'' or at least renowned do have the excitement jump out and grab you. That's why they are renowned, isn't it?
And as you say, every city in the world has fun or interesting stuff if you dig enough to find it. Over the course of my lifetime I've had an absolute blast on occasion in places that most people wouldn't ever imagine, including Sudbury believe it or not.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
!
