Chicago vs Mexico City vs Toronto (living, state, better, compared)

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Toronto is looking like a couple of other Canadian cities, namely Vancouver. The modern residential skyscrapers are nice, but it's also a little bland architecturally. I think Chicago and MC have a much more diverse architectural landscape.

Most of Old Toronto's architecture is not highrise actually. The most common building form is Victorian Bay and Gable, Victorian industrial, Georgian, Neo-gothic and Edwardian with quite a bit of splattering of Romanesque and Art Deco. The DT core is mostly highrises and skyscrapers but the DT core isn't all of Old Toronto either - its only a relatively small but dense part of it. The best part of Toronto is the Old Toronto nabe's and BK actually posted pics of that stuff - those colourful homes you see in one of his pics are Victorian bay and Gable for example. The major arterials have mostly Edwardian mid-rise development. That development as a whole - Victorian/Edwardian is the 'bones' of Old Toronto not highrises even if they are most prominent in pics. Is it as grand as M.C - well no, Toronto isn't over 500 years old but the city is certainly not just highrises and skyscrapers. Also, the DT CBD actually has a lot of prominence in terms of architecture - perhaps Van Der Rohe's finest work in the TD Centre, Calavatra is there, Edward Durell Stone, I.M Pei, Libeskind, Gehry, Foster etc. I wouldn't put T.O skyscraper architecture near Chicago's level in terms of quality but Toronto wasn't as important as Chicago when Chicago was really building and the city is no architectural pushover. Few cities actually have the highrise architectural cred of Toronto since the 1960's and the names above aren't represented in such breadth in most of the worlds cities.

All said, Toronto is entering a new phase in skyscraper construction. A 1 billion dollar supertall has just been approved and will be on sale as of September. They are building the sales office now and is designed by Sir Norman Foster. The latest crop of buildings in the core are far superior to the stuff that was built even 5 years ago.

Anyway, here is a good link to some info on what is most common in Old Toronto in terms of architecture. These nabe's are the heart and soul of the city imo and have much more interesting character than its highrises even though I don't mind big and tall things in the DT core and CBD

http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2014/12...ictorians.html
http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2015/01...ng-styles.html

[Mr. Burns]

Originally Posted by fusion2

Most of Old Toronto's architecture is not highrise actually. The most common building form is Victorian Bay and Gable, Victorian industrial, Georgian, Neo-gothic and Edwardian with quite a bit of splattering of Romanesque and Art Deco. The DT core is mostly highrises and skyscrapers but the DT core isn't all of Old Toronto either - its only a relatively small but dense part of it. The best part of Toronto is the Old Toronto nabe's and BK actually posted pics of that. That development is the 'bones' of Old Toronto not highrises even if they are most prominent in pics.

All said, Toronto is entering a new phase in skyscraper construction. A 1 billion dollar supertall has just been approved and will be on sale as of September. They are building the sales office now and is designed by Sir Norman Foster. The latest crop of buildings in the core are far superior to the stuff that was built even 5 years ago.

3000 people signed up for a chance to buy 400 suites.

I'm also looking forward to the 141 Bay St twin towers.

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

3000 people signed up for a chance to buy 400 suites.

I'm also looking forward to the 141 Bay St twin towers.

A lot more to come.... The boom hasn't produced any Supertalls until now and from what I see the next crop will have quite a few. Toronto's skyscrapers have been getting higher and higher and the supertall is but the next level. It'll be as common for it to belt out supertalls as it is now to belt out a 200 m building which in Toronto is met with a yawn these days.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by drro

Hey Dave buddy, those are some really nice pictures of downtown you posted there. But there are many parts of Chicago that are not so nice like Englewood here. Actually, I found most of Chicago outside of downtown to be pretty rough looking.

Why oh why call me buddy .... did you actually look at the block? Yes its sure Englewood one of the highest crime rates in the city.

COMPARE TO A TRUE SLUM. It looks like paradise.
- single homes
- on tree-lined streets
- green-frontage also
- Power-lines run down the back alleys as not to blemish fronts.

Though that is a Autumn street-view most leaves are still on the trees to check out the street. Let's do that. TURN THE STREETVIEW TO VIEW DOWN THE STREET AND ACROSS even stroll forward.

street is paved in good shape
Paved with curbing and full sidewalks along it
street is CLEAN and FREE of DEBRIS and TRASH

Here SAME street-view TURNED TO THE YARD ACROSS AND INTERSECTION ON RIGHT.

https://www.google.nl/maps/@41.77416...7i13312!8i6656

YARD is CLEAN and GRASS CUT NICELY
sidewalk is in good shape and street CLEAN
INTERSECTION VERY CLEAN ALSO

* How about SAME streetview across the street looking down it. WHT DO YOU SEE.

a quaint looking VILLAGE LOOK OF LATE 19th or VERY EARLY 20th century CHICAGO TYPICAL ONCE ETHNIC EUROPEAN WORKER'S COTTAGE HOMES. Many probably have a garage in back.

https://www.google.nl/maps/@41.77427...7i13312!8i6656

These homes look like a QUAINT Countryside European VILLAGE.

Yes, Sad homes you show ABANDONED and probably boarded up by the city. Hopefully they ill gain a new owner and saved com neglect.

THIS IS NOT 3rd WORLD SLUMS. They have central heating, power, sewer and water. Gas lines run through the whole city for heat and stoves.

I know you have a American fetish and are NOT KIND TO THE US PERIOD and have a thing for Ghetto areas. European cities have their ghetto areas. Many tines outside the big cities. In the US most ARE in the big city.

A little further down the block. More Worker Cottage homes. IN GOOD SHAPE JUST SIMPLE DESIGNS THT AGED WELL. THE CITY uses street-sweepers and REBUILDS SIDEWALKS AND CURBING.

https://www.google.nl/maps/@41.77473...7i13312!8i6656

Heck, there are 1950s neighborhoods still middle-class and white with streets not with newer paving and sidewalks.

Next block VERY QUINT HOMES PEOPLE OUTSIDE HERE NOT IN SQUALLER BY FAR.... even power-lines are not in fonts to blemish. A Chicago trait.

https://www.google.nl/maps/@41.77431...7i13312!8i6656

** SPARE ME FOLLOWUP IN THE THREAD on ghettos.

~ I will let the thread get back to TORONTO BOASTING.~

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by DavePa

~ I will let the thread get back to TORONTO BOASTING.~

Yeah yeah blah blah blah - you just don't like any information about the city other than it SUCKS. That is what you're a cheerleader for - the Toronto sucks brigade. Anyone provides any sort of meaningful or accurate information about the city and you just become unhinged.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by fusion2

Yeah yeah blah blah blah - you just don't like any information about the city other than it SUCKS. That is what you're a cheerleader for - the Toronto sucks brigade. Anyone provides any sort of meaningful or accurate information about the city and you just become unhinged.

Ok Ok .... You Win. No boasting is going on.... geeeeesh
I gave my opinions on the post. Thank You. As clear as I could. No calling it baiting even....

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by DavePa

Ok Ok .... You Win. No boasting is going on.... geeeeesh
I gave my opinions on the post. Thank You. As clear as I could. No calling it baiting even....

My post provided NOTHING inaccurate about the city. I shared information on the prominent architectural styles of Old Toronto and provided insight into some of the impressive architectural cred in the highrise/skyscraper development in the CBD. If you actually read my post I said, Toronto's highrise/skyscraper quality doesn't match Chicago but few cities in the world actually have the breadth of leading highrise/skyscraper architects since the 1960's onwards. Sure there is a lot of crap too but things are improving in that realm even in terms of condo development (which Toronto's highrise form is dominated by but is always of lesser quality generally speaking than Commercial highrise dev).

So again, nothing I've said is inaccurate - you going on about boasting constantly and your hijacking threads with useless tangents and claims of homerism and boosterism is NOT productive to any thread. Neither is your 50Billion pics of Chicago even in threads that DON'T have CHICAGO in them as a vs

Everyone in this forum with half a brain would be able to figure out almost every post you make is some sort of slight against Toronto and it is quite pathetic actually! Get over it.

[Enean]

This is why I don't like Toronto to be compared to US cities...this always happens.

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by Enean

This is why I don't like Toronto to be compared to US cities...this always happens.

Seriously though, who hijacked the thread here with ridiculous claims recently. Doesn't take a genius to figure who that was and if it is claimed that it was me than I would welcome anyone to read again. I was providing pretty spot on info about the city I happen to know a bit about it. I certainly wasn't slighting ANY city like the hijacker always does re Toronto!

[Mr. Burns]

Originally Posted by Enean

This is why I don't like Toronto to be compared to US cities...this always happens.

This is not inherent in Toronto being Canadian, just that it's booming. You don't want to compare booming cities to those that aren't is a more accurate statement.