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Obviously I will be going to Toronto to see the girl I am dating but what were the causative factors for making so many trips? Are there a lot more things that Toronto has that Buffalo doesn't?
Well, it is 6x bigger than Buffalo, along with being the largest and most important city in Canada, the equivalent of Canada's NYC - so I would say yes there is more going on there.
There are also many people that live in one country but cross the border for work or school. There are probably several thousand that do in the Niagara region.
Many Canadians do come to the Buffalo area as tourists and for skiing and shopping, as well as many Buffalonians traveling to the "big city" of Toronto for entertainment.
Last edited by RocketSci; 08-07-2018 at 12:58 PM..
Well, it is 6x bigger than Buffalo, along with being the largest and most important city in Canada, the equivalent of Canada's NYC - so I would say yes.
That said, many Canadians do come to the Buffalo area as tourists and for shopping. As far as big city amenities, TO is bigger and is a rapidly growing world city.
That's what I figured. Seattle and Vancouver are very similar cities to be honest (YVR might be a little more diverse in terms of Asian ethnicities though) but Buffalo and Toronto seem like worlds apart. Buffalo is an old rust belt city and Toronto is a booming metro.
I was just concerned about the commute because Seattle to Vancouver is about a 3 hour drive and it gets old fast. I work in Portland once a month and that can take 4ish hours. Sounds like Toronto will be similar, even though google maps says about 100 min.
The cost of living is way cheaper than the Toronto metro area you can get more bang for your buck house/rental wise. In addition because it is a small city traffic and commute times are a lot shorter.
However--you need a car to get around Buffalo (this is coming from someone who used the NFTA transit system because they do not drive) public transit in the city is god awful and you have to plan at least one sometimes 2 hours ahead to get anywhere via bus. I did use the metro rail as well but it only goes down one street for about 8 miles and it is only beneficial if you live directly on the line and you work downtown or at the University of Buffalo south campus.
There are some walk-able neighborhoods but much of the city is a food desert--north buffalo has a few grocery stores but nothing like QFC or Safeway (they are over priced places like the CO-OP). Tops is unfortunately going bankrupt and generally speaking they are located in large plazas and strip malls, Wegmans is decent but generally not located in desirable locations and usually surrounded by a large parking lot or two--further encouraging you to drive.
Buffalo finally got uber and lyft about a year ago however as someone who has taken them around town while visiting my folks--they are rather scary and way more expensive than anything you'll experience in a major city.
The bars are open until 4 in the morning which is a pro and a con. Generally people start going out around 11 pm and stay out until 4 or past closing. This can create problems--drunk driving is still a major issue you could say the entire city has a drinking problem.
There are a few cultural amenities like the Albright Knox and Burchfield Penny but obviously Toronto has a lot more to offer. The refugees on the east and west sides of the cities I would say is the silver lining on the city and I hope they do stick around (I went to hutch tech high school and many of my friends were the children of Vietnamese and Laotian immigrants--and got very far away from the city once they graduated). There is really great Puerto Rican food, great Burmese food, Jamaican, and Vietnamese within the city limits. However Toronto still has a much more dynamic food scene.
The one thing I do miss the absolute most about the city is the architecture. Seattle loves to knock it's old buildings down Buffalo does do a good job of preserving them. In addition you can live in a beautiful old mansion or brownstone on the west side of the city for way less than a grand--and considering you've lived in Seattle you know what a steal that is. I hope this helps!
That's what I figured. Seattle and Vancouver are very similar cities to be honest (YVR might be a little more diverse in terms of Asian ethnicities though) but Buffalo and Toronto seem like worlds apart. Buffalo is an old rust belt city and Toronto is a booming metro.
I was just concerned about the commute because Seattle to Vancouver is about a 3 hour drive and it gets old fast. I work in Portland once a month and that can take 4ish hours. Sounds like Toronto will be similar, even though google maps says about 100 min.
Both areas are connected and the drive wouldn’t approach the times of those PNW/BC drives that you mentioned.
Between the Buffalo metro and the Golden Horseshoe across the Niagara River, you are looking at over 10 million people combined.
No way. Seattle has 600,000 people toronto has 4 million...I've lived in both cities you're way off base there buddy.
(Of course today GTA is 6M and Sea-Tac is 4M.)
I was using Buffalo-Toronto as loosely analagous to Portland-Seattle. Much of Portland is very reminiscent of Buffalo and WNY (sections of NW Portland could pass for a neighborhood on Buffalo's West Side). Seattle and Toronto are the "big city" neighbors.
The cost of living is way cheaper than the Toronto metro area you can get more bang for your buck house/rental wise. In addition because it is a small city traffic and commute times are a lot shorter.
However--you need a car to get around Buffalo (this is coming from someone who used the NFTA transit system because they do not drive) public transit in the city is god awful and you have to plan at least one sometimes 2 hours ahead to get anywhere via bus. I did use the metro rail as well but it only goes down one street for about 8 miles and it is only beneficial if you live directly on the line and you work downtown or at the University of Buffalo south campus.
There are some walk-able neighborhoods but much of the city is a food desert--north buffalo has a few grocery stores but nothing like QFC or Safeway (they are over priced places like the CO-OP). Tops is unfortunately going bankrupt and generally speaking they are located in large plazas and strip malls, Wegmans is decent but generally not located in desirable locations and usually surrounded by a large parking lot or two--further encouraging you to drive.
Buffalo finally got uber and lyft about a year ago however as someone who has taken them around town while visiting my folks--they are rather scary and way more expensive than anything you'll experience in a major city.
The bars are open until 4 in the morning which is a pro and a con. Generally people start going out around 11 pm and stay out until 4 or past closing. This can create problems--drunk driving is still a major issue you could say the entire city has a drinking problem.
There are a few cultural amenities like the Albright Knox and Burchfield Penny but obviously Toronto has a lot more to offer. The refugees on the east and west sides of the cities I would say is the silver lining on the city and I hope they do stick around (I went to hutch tech high school and many of my friends were the children of Vietnamese and Laotian immigrants--and got very far away from the city once they graduated). There is really great Puerto Rican food, great Burmese food, Jamaican, and Vietnamese within the city limits. However Toronto still has a much more dynamic food scene.
The one thing I do miss the absolute most about the city is the architecture. Seattle loves to knock it's old buildings down Buffalo does do a good job of preserving them. In addition you can live in a beautiful old mansion or brownstone on the west side of the city for way less than a grand--and considering you've lived in Seattle you know what a steal that is. I hope this helps!
Thanks for the perspective! I have a car in Seattle but heavily rely on Uber/Lyft. As you know, the parking is near impossible. I live in Capitol Hill and pay almost 2k total for rent utilities/internet. Sounds like Buffalo has some interesting cultural diversity but Toronto will really be the epicenter for getting out. As with most people, my day to day is work/gym/sleep/errands so I don't need to be constantly stimulated with things to do 24/7.
I am going to miss QFC. Are there any Whole Foods?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RocketSci
(Of course today GTA is 6M and Sea-Tac is 4M.)
I was using Buffalo-Toronto as loosely analagous to Portland-Seattle. Much of Portland is very reminiscent of Buffalo and WNY (sections of NW Portland could pass for a neighborhood on Buffalo's West Side). Seattle and Toronto are the "big city" neighbors.
Interesting, Portland definitely has a distinct layout. Much different than Seattle (Personally I prefer Seattle a lot more. As a pejorative I refer to Portland as a "lesser Seattle". Don't get me wrong, Portland has its perks but Seattle has a more international/metro vibe that I like. Buffalo may take some getting used to but I am open to something different.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Both areas are connected and the drive wouldn’t approach the times of those PNW/BC drives that you mentioned.
Between the Buffalo metro and the Golden Horseshoe across the Niagara River, you are looking at over 10 million people combined.
Wow, I didn't realize the combined metro area was that big
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Buffalo versus Toronto
