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Old 07-28-2017, 01:19 AM
 
615 posts, read 594,151 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Graystorm331 View Post
I happen to live in philly and just got done a week vacation to toronto. Phillidelphia has a alot more peopel in the streets. Toronto really has no really awesome things except the tower. We have many historical places and a very artistic atmosphere. Chigago is also a nice clean city but has alot of traffic.
Quote:
I live in Philadelphia and I just came back from Toronto. This will be my second year visiting in the summer, and it has become one of my favorite places in the world.

Now, I don't know what it's like in the winter, so keep that in mind. Yes, I realize it is rough. However, I really have a hard time understanding some of these criticisms. It makes me wonder if the haters have ever lived in another city in the world or have even been out of Canada. I'm not sure what magic place they are comparing it to...I'd like to visit wherever that is.

Toronto is clean. Remember, I'm from the Northeast US (Philly, Baltimore, Boston, NYC). I rarely saw trash on the streets, buildings were kept in good conditions, and people seem to have an overall respect for property. Even the "bad" areas looked clean to me. I live in a city where some parts look like Aleppo.
Toronto is diverse. So many different types of people who seem to all mingle together. This is a far cry from echos of segregation and immigrant ghettos you will see in the Northeast. I've never seen so many Asians other than in California. This lends well to the food scene as well.

The food is awesome and the variety of restaurants is overwhelming. I've yet to have a bad meal (I also use Yelp like a normal person. Some people are crazy and don't, I've realized). The cuisine scene is trendy and very contemporary, I was very impressed.

The people are very friendly. Now seriously, when I saw that some were complaining about rudeness...I don't even know what to say. Philly people and generally Northeast US people can be hard as nails and being impersonal is the norm here. I found nothing but friendly, warm and happy people in TO. I'm saying this in the best way possible, but Torontonians are soft as Downy cotton (looking at you, Drake). Another note on the people: I found most people really well dressed and in good physical shape. There's a lot of fit and sexy bodies walking around.

Parks everywhere. The city is green and full of well kept, green parks with activity.
Expensive? Yes, I did come with American dollars so it does help a bit. But it is not any more expensive than Philly. Way cheaper than New York, San Francisco, LA or London. Again, what is the comparison here. Cheaper than your podunk town?

I felt extremely safe. There was never a time I felt worried about being mugged or killed. The homeless population is pretty minimal and they aren't aggressive.

So obviously I like Toronto. If I had some more flexibility I'd love to spend my summers in the city. I hope this helps anyone planning to visit, especially from the US. Curious to hear some resident's opinions!
https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/com..._philadelphia/
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Old 07-29-2017, 03:35 AM
 
23,690 posts, read 9,256,561 times
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I prefer Chicago
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Old 07-29-2017, 11:28 AM
BMI
 
Location: Ontario
7,455 posts, read 7,215,496 times
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Chicago downtown area is impressive.

Over all I choose Toronto.

Chicago has some bad sections that are hard to ignore, ditto for Philly.
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Old 07-29-2017, 01:20 PM
 
2,556 posts, read 3,598,669 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMI View Post
Chicago downtown area is impressive.

Over all I choose Toronto.

Chicago has some bad sections that are hard to ignore, ditto for Philly.


And what sections would those be? Did you happen to confront them firsthand on your visits? When you visited Chicago, were you in North Lawndale, Austin or Englewood? If not, what sections of Chicago are you referring to?
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Old 07-29-2017, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Manhattan!
2,272 posts, read 2,196,865 times
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I think I'll side with Chicago as I think it gives the best urban experience and nightlife. If I had to live in either of these though I'd probably pick Philly for location being determining factor. But also given the political ****show the US is in right now it would be nice to escape to Toronto.....
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Old 07-29-2017, 05:55 PM
BMI
 
Location: Ontario
7,455 posts, read 7,215,496 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigLake View Post
And what sections would those be? Did you happen to confront them firsthand on your visits? When you visited Chicago, were you in North Lawndale, Austin or Englewood? If not, what sections of Chicago are you referring to?
Souths side of Chicago, like in the lyrics of "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by the late great Jim Croce
That song is from back in 1973 and unfortunately it has only gotten worse.
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Old 07-31-2017, 10:09 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 6,832,953 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigLake View Post
And what sections would those be? Did you happen to confront them firsthand on your visits? When you visited Chicago, were you in North Lawndale, Austin or Englewood? If not, what sections of Chicago are you referring to?
I don't know. I get that you won't deal with it unless you go there, but these bad hoods are not walled off. Dangerous people get on trains/buses and walk to safer neighborhoods. And it's disconcerting to know how bad crime and poverty are in your own city. At least I think it is.

IMO, there's something to be said for the overall health of a city. Although, housing is soooo expensive in Toronto, which is a major problem.
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Old 08-03-2017, 12:11 AM
 
Location: Nashville, TN
9,614 posts, read 9,222,848 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMI View Post
Souths side of Chicago, like in the lyrics of "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by the late great Jim Croce
That song is from back in 1973 and unfortunately it has only gotten worse.
Why do you believe the crime has gotten worse? Where are areas of the city that are crime-ridden?
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Old 08-03-2017, 11:01 AM
 
4,087 posts, read 3,204,659 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shakeesha View Post
Why do you believe the crime has gotten worse? Where are areas of the city that are crime-ridden?
It's best not to go further on crime or gangland crime areas. Will lead to accusing. They know few tourist and business travelers? Rarely will see these 4-5 neighborhoods these gangland needless shootings occur. Some believe Chicago removing ALL its notorious failed Housing Projects? Played a big roll in gang-crime spreading as rival gangs and loss of leadership created packs of thugs too.

Stats still show if White in a city like Chicago. You are very safe. Some things stats say something that can't be denied.

This link shows by stats alone ..... the worst to best neighborhoods in the city in crime and QOL.

https://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are...neighborhoods/

The top 20 worst? Are not even near downtown. The Englewood's are like 10-12 miles away. If tourist visit they won't walk into these worst neighborhoods. They just wouldn't want to go too far west of the Southside's Museum of Science and industry by the University of Chicago or White Sox ballpark. Going west from the United center arena also can get more unsafe.

Many of these bad areas don't look too bad. Still get city services and street-sweeping and the city did remove the worst blight over the decades. So I believe its hoods look better then some other cities too.

But to discuss as individuals on opinions or why and causes? Is not the threads real topic. Usually when the crime card is pulled? Some are running out of boasting for their city. So going lower comes in. Canadians surely boast their cities have much less of this racial card and this mention of it earlier by a poster.... infers that the Canadian city in the end wins because of safety.

End of thread.
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Old 08-28-2017, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Toronto
2,802 posts, read 3,836,766 times
Reputation: 3153
Got about half-way through this thread and realized that the original topic has been mostly overshadowed by comparisons of other American cities. I'm not sure how LA and NYC became so prominent in a thread about Toronto, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Someone mentioned that Drake raps with a Southern accent. I don't listen to Drake, but he has a pretty conspicuous Toronto/Scaborough accent. In fact, he got a lot of flack for that here because he grew up in one of Toronto's wealthiest hoods, so people were annoyed that he was affecting a Scarborough accent.
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