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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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In the US city vs city forum from an American perspective, which one of Canada's three largest cities/metros do you prefer the most? Here is some criteria...
- Interesting Attractions - Montreal
- Architecture - Montreal
- Urban layout - Montreal
- Diversity - Toronto
- Food - Montreal
- People - Montreal
- Scenery - Montreal (Both mountain, river and lake)
- Nightlife - Montreal
- Infrastructure/freeways/mass transit - Montreal and Toronto
Montreal is the most interesting, unique and beautiful. Mix of North American and European culture and architecture with the French language charm.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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- Interesting Attractions: All do pretty well, I choose Toronto here for its diversity of ethnic neighborhoods, city markets, and impressive endowments of museums
- Architecture: Montreal. A treasure trove of old world architecture, the cobbled lanes of Old Montreal, beautiful churches, and unique style of rowhouses/townhouses.
- Urban layout: Montreal for its compact and cohesiveness, mostly walkable neighborhoods, and the impressive green space of Mount Royal Park in the center of the city.
- Diversity: Toronto is spades, though Vancouver and Montreal do well here too.
- Food: I'm going to say Vancouver here for its access to fresh seafood, BC/PNW produce, Asian fusions style of cooking
- People: I really enjoy meeting the Quebecois, conversing with them, practicing a little French, and learning about their traditions and customs in which they are eager to share, so I say Montreal here. They seem very live and let live, cut loose, and they always enjoy a good party or festival.
- Scenery: Vancouver in spades. Pretty hard to compete with the ocean/mountain backdrop and the post modern city of glass that occupies the peninsula. Montreal's is impressive too with its bug river/lakes and Mont Royal backdrop, and Toronto's very large skyline on its lakefront, but Vancouver wins here with good reason for having a reputation for being one of the worlds most beautiful cities. Stanley Park is outstanding with its thick evergreen forest adjacent to the urban bustle of Vancouver, and waterfront views of the seas and mountains just seemingly a stones throw away.
- Nightlife: Montreal nightlife can be a bit seedy, though no city knows how to party like Montreal can. Vancouver is a bit sleepy on the nightlife scene.
- Infrastructure/freeways/mass transit: Toronto has huge freeways (like LA/Houston size freeways), Montreal has some older freeways and bridges though a good network including one freeway tunneled under downtown, and Vancouver hardly has any freeways at all and they seem to like it that way (Will Vancouver ever have freeways?). All three cities do very well with mass transit with good subway/rail coverage all over the cities and metros. I really like Montreal subways the most, they have cool subways stations and the trains run on rubber tires along the rails so they are a bit quieter. Overall I say Montreal.
My overall favorite city in Canada is Montreal.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 08-02-2013 at 08:58 AM..
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,747 posts, read 23,809,943 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly
Montreal as it is almost like going to Europe without leaving N America
Agreed, especially in Old Montreal, though I felt that European ambiance even moreso in Quebec City. Vancouver feels totally Pacific Rim. Toronto, though cleaner than most large American cities and is fun and stimulating, doesn't feel much like a foreign city to me.
Agreed, especially in Old Montreal, though I felt that European ambiance even moreso in Quebec City. Vancouver feels totally Pacific Rim. Toronto, though cleaner than most large American cities and is fun and stimulating, doesn't feel much like a foreign city to me.
Agree on QC but it wasnt a choice - I almost mentioned that in my post actually
These two should probably be on more people's lists of great places to visit in N America (To me NOLA, Montreal/QC are probably the most unique cities in N America (Potentially either Mexico City or Guadaluhara (sp?) as well though I dont really know them well enough to fully comment)
But on this thread to me Montreal distinguishes itself the most
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,747 posts, read 23,809,943 times
Reputation: 14660
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly
Agree on QC but it wasnt a choice - I almost mentioned that in my post actually
These two should probably be on more people's lists of great places to visit in N America (To me NOLA, Montreal/QC are probably the most unique cities in N America (Potentially either Mexico City or Guadaluhara (sp?) as well though I dont really know them well enough to fully comment)
But on this thread to me Montreal distinguishes itself the most
Montreal pairs well with Quebec City on a trip up there. Many visitors to Toronto also include Niagara Falls, and visitors to Vancouver also pair it up with Victoria, BC which is very chamring and a bit British in feeling and atmosphere. I'm not too much of a stickler, as Quebec City is certainly an appropriate conversation paired up with Montreal.
Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia are all in their own element and quite different form one another though within Canada. I definitely agree, Montreal is one of the most distinguished cities in North America. Out of the three on the poll, it's the one city that makes me truely feel I've left the US.
- Interesting Attractions: Montreal and Toronto tied
- Architecture: Montreal
- Urban layout: Montreal
- Diversity: Toronto
- Food: Montreal for originality and uniqueness, Toronto for diversity
- People: hard to say really - about as personal as it gets
- Scenery: Vancouver
- Nightlife: Montreal
- Infrastructure/freeways/mass transit: Toronto
Montreal will win.
Vancouver will come in second because of the mountains and the PNW vibe.
Toronto will lose because it's not francophone and doesn't have mountains.
All three of them are majorly kick-ass cities, though. Toronto is my personal favorite, but I would happily live in or visit any of them any day of the year.
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