Toronto vs Chicago vs (gulp) Montréal.... (living, best, state)
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^^^^ mmmmm makes me hungry. Had them ALL this summer in Chi-Town.
Here is a video over Millennium and Maggie Daley Park. Shows it lighted in the evening with the concert Pavilion and lighted in purple ice skating area in first view of video. Doesn't show enough of the Children's part with slides and attractions. Generally filled with locals and tourist with children and all free including concerts all summer.
Night view lighted up Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park.
First shot is the ICE SKATING Purple lighted area. The Concert Pavilion
of Millennium Park lighted both parks are free.
Youre right. The city is growing.Chicago grew by 82 people last year. lol.
If I recall, there were more people than that killed in August 2016 alone in Chicago, no?
I wonder how the total growth numbers will play out in the next year for the city of Chicago. We will have to wait and see I guess...
You act like Chicago is way ahead of other cities/metros of similar size, but that is not the case anymore. That's what many poster here are pointing out. But when the truth comes out many of your fellow Chi-rag boys start to cry and are in denial. This isn't 1976. We are in 2016.
Times have changed. Toronto has passed Chicago in city population, and Houston is about to do the same thing. Brooklyn too lol.
To portray as if Chicago exceeds everyone else in everything and ignore its problems is kinda sad really. People are leaving the city (and the state) because it aint what it used to be. No one here is saying Chicago is Aleppo. But to act like the city isnt struggling in various areas is just... denial? What comes after denial again? Acceptance?
Don't confuse people and act like it isnt. Everything that glitters ain't gold.
Every city has troubles. But Chicago's are much worse than Toronto. A fact, but when its brought up you accuse people of having a vendetta. You have never heard of constructive criticism? SWOT Analysis? Or do they not teach that in declining enrollment Chicago Publc School System?
Cities like NYC,Paris,London,Hong Kong are not looking at each others junk thinking "wow there is big but mines bigger" ... correct, but they do compete. NYC and London are always competing for unofficial capital of the world and so on. Chicago and Toronto always ruled the Great Lakes, but times are changing. Get with the times lol. Chicago is the past, while Toronto is the future.
I have also discussed Chicago's Public School issues, its credit rating, the pension crisis. Yet you are also focusing on the population decline. Shall I pull up articles on the Justice System investigating the CPD? The closure of public schools. There is a lot that we can discuss.
And there you go blaming Chicago's decline on weather. Yes people are leaving for warmer climates, but other Midwest cities were at least not losing population. Remember that chart with Minneapolis?
You posted a link from an 'activist' from some random website that indicates the TTC is not being invested in.... I replied with a long list of approved and in progress funding by the TTC/Federal government reported by Canada's crown corporation media network.....I asked for something similar for Chicago for comparisons sake....Your reply? My long list is 'ridiculous'.
Mr Burns indicated Toronto gets more international visitors than Chicago. You asked for proof. It was provided. And all of a sudden you say the topic was 'irrelevant'. The constant backtracking is hilarious. lol.
I see you are not backtracking on the almost 700 murders the city has received so far (more than the two largest U.S. cities combined) and nearly 4,000 shootings year to date. But backtrack on other topics that are suddenly 'irrelevant and ridiculous'. Right?
So let be honest instead of disingenuous.
Again WHERE did I EVER ignore or not acknowledge Chicago's WELL KNOWN problems?
NEVER!!
It seems you have a comprehension problem.
Houston and Toronto will pass Chicago because for one Toronto is the only main city in Montreal and Houston is the Sunbelt/
Nothing about Houston is attractive enough for anyone wanting city life over Chicago accept weather and cost of living,
Again if Toronto was in the U.S.,it would be not what it is today.
Weather,like CRIME,Corruption does not make people love a city no doubt.Cities like Minneapolis areon there way up now and has nsomething also to do with Chicago slowing as people have more options within a region.
So what you are saying after several post that you want people to ignore:
Chicago more than double the amount of f500 GLOBAL companies which you tried to downplay as American only.
Companies that are known throughout the world.
What company from Toronto is like Boeing ,known around the world?That employs 159,000 people WORLDWIDE?
*Chicago's 5 Stock Exhanges
*Its storied historical and cultural contributions to the world.
*Rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods
and all the other things mentioned mean nothing to people who make decisions of the world because they are more concerned with the public schools failing,corruption in City hall and crime?
And yes I replied "ridiculous" to you long list that I skimmed through and did not respond in kind because I do have a life and Chicago has ALREADY done most of that stuff!!
Toronto is LATE!!!
And I also did post articles about money that was being spent on public transportation which you also ignored.
Chicago crime is on National news so its hardly a secret.Its like acknowledging the Sun or the moon.Well DUH!!
Funny how its so bad but YOU GO THERE ONCE A YEAR@!!!LOL!!OMG!!!
The size of Chicago and Toronto are similar but Chicago cast a much bigger shadow.Thats all im saying
Chicago and Toronto being Great Lake cities in close proximity share a lot in terms of architecture and variety, but Chicago was a much larger more developed city in the prettier eras of architecture, so it has many more examples of those types of buildings.
The difference is Toronto boom has been in the last 10 years where as architecture has taken a back seat to practicality. More than half of Toronto's new buildings last year are very similar and have little to no architectural high lights.
Chicago's skyline you see symmetry,height,material difference,mass and density.
Tornto I se condo towers that dont stand out.Much like Miami or cities in South America
^^^^ mmmmm makes me hungry. Had them ALL this summer in Chi-Town.
Here is a video over Millennium and Maggie Daley Park. Shows it lighted in the evening with the concert Pavilion and lighted in purple ice skating area in first view of video. Doesn't show enough of the Children's part with slides and attractions. Generally filled with locals and tourist with children and all free including concerts all summer.
Night view lighted up Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park.
First shot is the ICE SKATING Purple lighted area. The Concert Pavilion
of Millennium Park lighted both parks are free.
Chicago is at a disadvantage compared to Toronto in that Americans continue to flee to the Sun Belt and in Canada there is no option for that so they head to the biggest city and one of the nation's more benign climates. Toronto is a hub of immigration which means a lot in Canada as most of our population growth is due to immigrants having a significantly lower birth rate than the US.
These are things that make Chicago maintaining it's stature certainly difficult but the city has benefits that few others can offer. Great restaurants, shopping, cultural amenities that only NY/SF/Boston/Wash/LA can compare to but unlike all those cities, Chicago is affordable. Chicago should build on these strengths.
There is, however, one thing that makes the city VERY unappealing and only Chicago can take the blame for...........it's frightening crime rate. The city can try to sugar coat it or say "it's better than .............." but that is absolutely no excuse. The crime in the city is nothing short of horrifying. It's racial segregation, socio/economic stratification, and poor public education system are mostly to blame but that's up to the city & state to do something about.
The city will not maintain {little alone increase} it's stature until the issue of crime and race is given 110% attention and not invariably written off as a "black problem." If the city is to raise it's importance to it's glory days then this is an essential step. Chicago is a great city but it's crime levels have given the city a black-eye and done enormous damage to the city's reputation both domestic and foreign.
So let be honest instead of disingenuous.
Again WHERE did I EVER ignore or not acknowledge Chicago's WELL KNOWN problems?
NEVER!!
It seems you have a comprehension problem.
Houston and Toronto will pass Chicago because for one Toronto is the only main city in Montreal and Houston is the Sunbelt/
Nothing about Houston is attractive enough for anyone wanting city life over Chicago accept weather and cost of living,
Again if Toronto was in the U.S.,it would be not what it is today.
Weather,like CRIME,Corruption does not make people love a city no doubt.Cities like Minneapolis areon there way up now and has nsomething also to do with Chicago slowing as people have more options within a region.
Lol Canada has Vancouver, which is #1 rank city in the world for livability, with a mild climate and beautiful ocean and mountain settings. If you don't like snow, you move to Vancouver.
Options in terms of weather and setting are not why Chicago is declining. Chicago has always had cold winters, and it has always been a great lake city. It has not always been in population decline.
Furthermore there are other cities in the US with similar weather and setting to Chicago that have seen population increases. Chicago is the only city in the US top 15 with population decline in 2015. It is NOT the only city in the US top 15 with cold winters or unremarkable setting.
Population decline has happened because the state and city are rife with corruption and are being basically run into the ground. People are leaving because the schools suck, the property taxes are high and keep going up, the politicians are corrupt, and crime is out of control.
They are not leaving because of the weather.
Quote:
So what you are saying after several post that you want people to ignore:
Chicago more than double the amount of f500 GLOBAL companies which you tried to downplay as American only.
Companies that are known throughout the world.
What company from Toronto is like Boeing ,known around the world?That employs 159,000 people WORLDWIDE?
Fortune is an American company and the Fortune 500 is an American concoction.
Boeing has $93 billion in assets. Just one of the 5 banks based in Toronto has over $800 billion in assets to manage.
Quote:
*Chicago's 5 Stock Exhanges
*Its storied historical and cultural contributions to the world.
*Rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods
and all the other things mentioned mean nothing to people who make decisions of the world because they are more concerned with the public schools failing,corruption in City hall and crime?
And yes I replied "ridiculous" to you long list that I skimmed through and did not respond in kind because I do have a life and Chicago has ALREADY done most of that stuff!!
Toronto is LATE!!!
And I also did post articles about money that was being spent on public transportation which you also ignored.
Chicago crime is on National news so its hardly a secret.Its like acknowledging the Sun or the moon.Well DUH!!
Funny how its so bad but YOU GO THERE ONCE A YEAR@!!!LOL!!OMG!!!
The size of Chicago and Toronto are similar but Chicago cast a much bigger shadow.Thats all im saying
Almost everything Chicago has that you boast of, from the architecture to the food to the culture etc... are historic.
Chicago today is not responsible for these things, Chicago today is in decline.
But hey,its not decline because the population is BOOMING !!
These are a walk in the park compared to problems US cities face.
Toronto homicides have gone up 200% and everyone is freaking out, but YTD there have been 58 homicides in Toronto. Chicago has had 656 so far.
Our police corruption, homicide rate, police-race relations etc... are all a walk in the park compared to Chicago and American cities. If Chicago matched Toronto in all these areas, it would be the best run city in America, and all your politicians would be high fiving eachother for years to come.
In Toronto I personally hope we strive for ZERO homicides, even in a city of nearly 3 million, so yes 58 is a lot and we freak out over it. But you guys have a looooong way to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Othello Is Here
The difference is Toronto boom has been in the last 10 years where as architecture has taken a back seat to practicality. More than half of Toronto's new buildings last year are very similar and have little to no architectural high lights.
Chicago's skyline you see symmetry,height,material difference,mass and density.
Tornto I se condo towers that dont stand out.Much like Miami or cities in South America
Buildings are designed to fit in with their existing setting and taking some architectural risks.
This is south core by the lake, new construction are mostly glass buildings (something to do with being "one" with the water): http://i.imgur.com/3OGcJNk.jpg
For instance:There is a restirant in Atlanta specialty that serves Southern and Korean fusion.Its very popular.
This is what Tex Mex is.A fusion of American And Mexican
There is no local fusion of foods like this in Canada as far as I know.At least on a popular trendy scale.
Oh wow. Hotdogs. Deep dish. Such a rich and delightful culinary culture. Facepalm.
I wonder why you have to boast two of the most mediocre and fat-inducing dishes in Chicago in order to qualify for a top notch food scene. Toronto like Chicago is an immigrant city and doesn't have much of its own local foods, yes, but its vast array of international cuisine options will keep any foodie busy for months on end. I'll take my spicy Mongolia hotpot, Sichuan Mapo Tofu, Korean bimbimbap bowl, Afghan chicken tikka wrap, Viet pho, German lamb donner anyday over the famous Chicagoan hotdogs. You say all major cities have diverse international food: that is true, but it's all about quality AND quantity. Do you honestly want to compare Chicago's Chinese, Korean, and Indian restaurants with the hundreds of ethnic eateries on Bloor West, Queen West, and Yonge? Or perhaps to Little Korea and Chinese takeouts in NYC Flushing? There's a difference between driving 15 minutes to your favorite Chinese take-out vs. walking 5 min down the street from one's condo immediately with 10 top notch Chinese (with the option of Hunan vs. Sichuan vs. Tianjin vs. Canton vs. Hong Kong vs. Taiwanese), Korean, Indian and Italian places to choose from. Like I can't actually believe you even bothered posting pictures of Chicago's world-famous hotdogs like people are actually begging and craving for them from far and wide. In North America I've only been to two other cities that rival Toronto's international food scene: NYC and LA.
Right.
I wouldn't be so dismissive. Almost all of the world's greatest and finest dishes have modest origins with the "people".
Stuff that has been mentioned as Chicago's signature dishes sometimes gets refined and morphs into something great. The people's food is the launching pad for great stuff. (In most cases, fine original cuisine can't thrive without it.)
This is not to say that it will happen with every dish. But it's difficult for fine, locally-focused cuisine to germinate without a unique local base cuisine.
It's kind of like poutine which is junk food but has led to multiple finer incarnations with fine cheeses, demi-glace and other sauces, expensive and imported meats, etc. It's not the construction worker's poutine anymore.
BTW I do agree about Toronto's international food scene. But 99% of the time that's simply replicating the best Chinese from China, Thai from Thailand, Abyssinian from Abyssinia, etc.
All of which is good and very fun to sample. But some will say it's lacking on the uniqueness side.
Lol Canada has Vancouver, which is #1 rank city in the world for livability, with a mild climate and beautiful ocean and mountain settings. If you don't like snow, you move to Vancouver.
Options in terms of weather and setting are not why Chicago is declining. Chicago has always had cold winters, and it has always been a great lake city. It has not always been in population decline.
Furthermore there are other cities in the US with similar weather and setting to Chicago that have seen population increases. Chicago is the only city in the US top 15 with population decline in 2015. It is NOT the only city in the US top 15 with cold winters or unremarkable setting.
Population decline has happened because the state and city are rife with corruption and are being basically run into the ground. People are leaving because the schools suck, the property taxes are high and keep going up, the politicians are corrupt, and crime is out of control.
They are not leaving because of the weather.
Fortune is an American company and the Fortune 500 is an American concoction.
Boeing has $93 billion in assets. Just one of the 5 banks based in Toronto has over $800 billion in assets to manage.
Almost everything Chicago has that you boast of, from the architecture to the food to the culture etc... are historic.
Chicago today is not responsible for these things, Chicago today is in decline.
These are a walk in the park compared to problems US cities face.
Toronto homicides have gone up 200% and everyone is freaking out, but YTD there have been 58 homicides in Toronto. Chicago has had 656 so far.
Our police corruption, homicide rate, police-race relations etc... are all a walk in the park compared to Chicago and American cities. If Chicago matched Toronto in all these areas, it would be the best run city in America, and all your politicians would be high fiving eachother for years to come.
In Toronto I personally hope we strive for ZERO homicides, even in a city of nearly 3 million, so yes 58 is a lot and we freak out over it. But you guys have a looooong way to go.
...
Toronto builds a lot of buildings, you can't have every one of them be architecturally unique. That will make for a very ugly city, like Melbourne:
melbourne ^
Toronto ^
Note how much more cohesive Toronto is.
Buildings are designed to fit in with their existing setting and taking some architectural risks.
This is south core by the lake, new construction are mostly glass buildings (something to do with being "one" with the water):
This is the back side of that same view:
Note the under construction building is not all glass. This is so it fits within the existing architectural environment.
Again Vancouver is not Miami.Houston,Atlanta or LA.Vancouver weather is better than Toronto or Montreal but hardly where people would flock to for moderate to great weather.
Also never demised Vancouver livability or for that matter any of Canada's city.
In fact would take Montreal any day over most American cities.
Oh and from what I understand after just leaving my friend in Toronto who was just beaten to a bloody pulp so bad that his eye lid was detached from his face and has several surgeries to go Toronto aint the Utopia you think it is.Most Canadians are delusional. CTV Toronto: Man survives brutal attack | CTV Toronto News
There was 2 other bashing that same week apparently around Gay Pride time.
In case you did not know,we have MANY cities in America with comparable crime and growth of Toronto.Seattle,Minneapolis,Portland,Denver are just a few major cities that have low crime and are booming.
Even our cities with high crime like Miami,Atlanta,Houston,Dallas etc are still very nice cities that people love.In fact each one of them probably have more Canadians that live in them than Americans that live in Toronto ,Montreal or vancouver,
You can insult the U.S. all day long but doesnt change the fact that there is simply more things to do,history,culture and diversity ALL over the U.S. than just in 2 cities.
I say two because Vancouver is not diverse with virtually no Hispanics and Afro-Canadians
yes F500 GLOBAL is an American company that people around the world take note of.
So you mean 5 banks (1 of which I know has headquartered in Montreal and Toronto)but you ignore the clout of Chicago having several stock exchanges of which are not duplicated anywhere else in the world?
Or that Boeing which is an international company has more employees than those 5 banks combined?
RBC is by far the largest and only has revenues of $34 b to Boeings $98b
Toronto's Global companies in the 500 have a combined revenue of around $170b.Chicago has about $240b.This is just the Global list
LOL you sound silly.
Toronto is a nice city thats above average with a booming economy and will continue to grow its prestige and recognition but theres not that much unique about it at all
Quote:
Chicago today is not responsible for these things, Chicago today is in decline.
Umm...You know the Skycraper was invented IN Chicago right?
The pictures al confirm what I mean.Compared to Chicago,your architecture is drab.Chicago hass more neoclassical to modern and contemporary than Toronto and its easy to see why architecturally its always mentioned.
toronto will never make a list like this anytime soon or in our lifetime building the stff they are building now. http://www.travelchannel.com/interes...e-rocks/page/2
And here is another list with Chicago at 3
Toronto is not in one single list of world greatest archetectual cities
this one Chicago is number ONE
I know.I said earlier Montreal has its on local flavor so it can but Toronto food is nothing inique to Toronto.There is no "Toronto Style Pizza" "Toronto Dog"
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Had them ALL this summer in Chi-Town. 
