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There are not many other cities more cosmopolitan than Montreal and Vancouver, and both are better destinations in general than Toronto IMHO. Been to all three many times and they are all great in their own way.
i just think Toronto is so over-rated, but that's me. The deep, downtown core is cool, but its a small geographic area compared to the rest of the city, which is a western-like sprawl of highway and strip malls. The crime and drug use has grown a great deal over the decades. The in-your-face (um, so to speak) gay culture is a bit much in the Gay Village, although that general area is probably a great urban neighborhood, if you are a city person whose job is close by.
Pittsburgh may have changed by now (i dont go out or party as much...get off my lawn!), but between 2000 and a few years ago, it was a cool, fun city, on par with the more expensive options, T.O. being one. I had heard radio people in Detroit, Toronto, and Baltimore say as such when they would talk about their trips here for sports-related events, or for college visiting with their kids.
I lived in Montreal as a kid for a short while, and regret never having gone back once since then! I just don't think about it...it has lost prestige big time over the last 3 decades to Toronto.
I still love DC (but what a mean town), Philadelphia is OK but I never really immersed myself into it, and I get so much pleasant sentiment about it from its inhabitants, and I like the patchwork of small cities/large towns between Harrisburg and Baltimore, but people there just are not friendly, egads.
can you expand on this a bit? sorry, i do not understand what you are saying. It is 'managed by executive fiat' - OK, so is that good, or bad?
i am just interested, being a first generation American with first cousins the world over. the 'information' they get just astounds me - i think they get it from a biased world media. the US is a hole, teetering on collapse (as its been said since the 1980s). well, nowadays, though....
Oh, sorry. Good or bad depends on how you feel about the occupamt of the White House and their policies at any given time. Since Congress will not legislate changes to immigration law,, presidents have used executive orders (I called it fiat, but maybe that's not the best word) to manage the process based on their political platforms. For example, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was an Obama administration order.
Last edited by Charley Barker; 07-20-2020 at 06:08 PM..
Not true about Canada's immigration laws. They are VERY selective and people sometimes have to wait years to be granted entry. They also have one of the most restrictive visa policies in the world:
The difference is it is a functioning system that has the buy-in of all major parties and most of the public.
The problem with the US system is that in spite of repeated efforts to get Congress to fix it (remember that this was one of the prime pieces of legislation that George W. Bush promised at the outset of his second term; I recall him saying at his first press briefing post-election, "I have political capital and I am going to use it", or some such thing; he was squashed by the right wing of his party even with powerful senators like McCain on his side.), it remains, a system that has necessarily been managed by executive fiat because a polarized Congress won't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Where were you guys a few weeks ago? I know it is hard to get a work visa. The owner for Pittsburgh based Duolingo said moving to Toronto would be better. Thanks for posting on here to correct me and back up my original claim. I couldn’t find this before.
Here was the article and thread. I called BS on the know it all CMU Duolingo guy.
I have never been to London or Frankfurt so I cannot comment. However Toronto is the best example of being cosmopolitan in all of North America. I think people are confusing wealth with being cosmopolitan.
Pittsburgh is definitely not cosmopolitan. I think you and I are in agreement that Pittsburgh is Provincial. It would be a stretch to consider Philadelphia cosmopolitan. I know it is nowhere near the example of Toronto.
Buster mentioned Japan and that country is a great international example of what Provincialism is. They have literally no in migration there and the population is probably 99% Japanese. It’s a developed country with money. People don’t go there to live for a reason.
On the other hand Canada did have the highest in migration rate of any country in the world and Toronto is ground zero for that. Interestingly I think the Canada border could be a threat to national security because of the many groups of people they allow into the country and the ease of crossing the border into the US. Nobody looks at it that way because Canada has money and its residents make money.
One could argue the potential threat is equal to that of the southern border with Mexico where the drug lords do their dealing. Mexico is magnified because it is a poor country. But nobody thinks of Canada.
It’s easier to spin Mexico being a threat because it is poor and they take manufacturing jobs. On the other hand if people knew where in migration to Canada was coming from it would be a whole different story. Nobody talks about it and it is the best kept secret. They will let literally anybody in up there and the US Canada border is easy to cross.[/QUOTE]
Where are you getting your information? It's totally incorrect.
Pittsburghsportsguy420. He knows everything on here. See my thread.
There are not many other cities more cosmopolitan than Montreal and Vancouver, and both are better destinations in general than Toronto IMHO. Been to all three many times and they are all great in their own way.
I’d love to go to Vancouver. Canada cities are cosmopolitan. Classifying Pittsburgh as cosmopolitan is laughable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charley Barker
Oh, sorry. Good or bad depends on how you feel about the occupamt of the White House and their policies at any given time. Since Congress will not legislate changes to immigration law,, presidents have used executive orders (I called it fiat, but maybe that's not the best word) to manage the process based on their political platforms. For example, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was an Obama administration order.
“Pittsburgh is simultaneously one of ‘America’s most livable cities’ and one of the worst cities in America for Black people,” Mohamed said Monday. “There is this narrative of renaissance and revival and another narrative of exclusion and racism.”
To that statement I saw Ouch Dawg. Maybe Pittsburgh is more like Birmingham Alabama than even conservative Cincinnati.
Liberal CNN bashing this city. Quite ironic indeed. Can’t say I disagree either tho. Where is Bill Peduto? Pittsburghsportsguy420?
“Pittsburgh is simultaneously one of ‘America’s most livable cities’ and one of the worst cities in America for Black people,” Mohamed said Monday. “There is this narrative of renaissance and revival and another narrative of exclusion and racism.”
To that statement I saw Ouch Dawg. Maybe Pittsburgh is more like Birmingham Alabama than even conservative Cincinnati.
Liberal CNN bashing this city. Quite ironic indeed. Can’t say I disagree either tho. Where is Bill Peduto? Pittsburghsportsguy420?
Critical examination isn't 'bashing.' Pittsburgh has done better in the twenty-first century, but Pittsburgh can do much better.
The United Shades of America episode and Anthony Bourdain's episode on Pittsburgh's issues, especially the segment where Sala Udin goes into how the construction of the Civic Arena completely destroyed the Upper Hill are both necessary viewing on how Pittsburgh needs to move forward. Sometimes you've got to tear the scab off.
Critical examination isn't 'bashing.' Pittsburgh has done better in the twenty-first century, but Pittsburgh can do much better.
The United Shades of America episode and Anthony Bourdain's episode on Pittsburgh's issues, especially the segment where Sala Udin goes into how the construction of the Civic Arena completely destroyed the Upper Hill are both necessary viewing on how Pittsburgh needs to move forward. Sometimes you've got to tear the scab off.
this comes up every few years in this forum. and it cannot be more false. "destroyed", yes, but in what context? it was a decayed, old, run down area. people voluntarily sold out their properties. it was not "negro removal", the term that had taken root.
and, the Arena was a huge success, and a beautiful building.
this comes up every few years in this forum. and it cannot be more false. "destroyed", yes, but in what context? it was a decayed, old, run down area. people voluntarily sold out their properties. it was not "negro removal", the term that had taken root.
and, the Arena was a huge success, and a beautiful building.
I suspect the people whose families had roots in that area would disagree with your assessment.
See also the neighborhoods that were bifurcated by the parkway East.
“They were old neighborhoods and I really like the building that replaced it” isn’t exactly putting yourself in the shoes of people like Mr. Udin.
I suspect the people whose families had roots in that area would disagree with your assessment.
See also the neighborhoods that were bifurcated by the parkway East.
“They were old neighborhoods and I really like the building that replaced it” isn’t exactly putting yourself in the shoes of people like Mr. Udin.
you 'suspect' but that does not make it accurate. does it fit a convenient narrative: government = oppressors of the poor?
the Arena was for the city of pittsburgh and its taxpayers. anyone could use it, and few argue it being a white elephant. unlike a lot of government local spending, the return was 100 fold...not to mention the sports legacy born there...
should there be no parkways? i hate them, too....but its just an unfortunate reality - modern life NEEDS highways. its too bad that once tidy corner of Greenfield/Squirrel Hill is so less 'nice' because of the thru traffic to use the parkway - and the speeding is ridiculous.
you 'suspect' but that does not make it accurate. does it fit a convenient narrative: government = oppressors of the poor?
the Arena was for the city of pittsburgh and its taxpayers. anyone could use it, and few argue it being a white elephant. unlike a lot of government local spending, the return was 100 fold...not to mention the sports legacy born there...
should there be no parkways? i hate them, too....but its just an unfortunate reality - modern life NEEDS highways. its too bad that once tidy corner of Greenfield/Squirrel Hill is so less 'nice' because of the thru traffic to use the parkway - and the speeding is ridiculous.
Modern city planning has determined that cities should NOT be bifurcated by freeways, and that freeways should run BY a city rather than THROUGH it, so yes, there probably should be no parkways as we have them in the city.
When choices were made about what neighborhoods to destroy to create these freeways, or other public projects, city planners deliberately did not choose the Shadysides of the world. They deliberately chose to destroy the neighborhoods of the poor and politically powerless.
Once again, put on Mr. Udin's shoes and try to see things from his point of view.
Last edited by PghSportsGuy420; 07-21-2020 at 08:53 AM..
Modern city planning has determined that cities should NOT be bifurcated by freeways, and that freeways should run BY a city rather than THROUGH it, so yes, there probably should be no parkways as we have them in the city.
When choices were made about what neighborhoods to destroy to create these freeways, or other public projects, city planners deliberately did not choose the Shadysides of the world. They deliberately chose to destroy the neighborhoods of the poor and politically powerless.
Once again, put on Mr. Udin's shoes and try to see things from his point of view.
I will look at the link later - thanks for providing it. I am an engineer and it would be an interesting read.
I believe they choose the optimal areas. The parkway east does not cut through a historically impoverished area. The parkway north uses the best alignment possible, based on topography.
I will not put myself in Udin's shoes, because his view is myopic, as is that of most people anymore.
hat is not to make light of the plight of the disenfranchised, or those who have suffered advancement because of racism, but after decades now, and seeing immigrants take 2 generations to go from poor to middle class leaves the sails of his crusades without wind.
I think the problem in this area is because there is not a flexible, wide-ranging economy, and probably hasn't been one in 60 years. Because of that, the most poor cant easily land in a well-paying job that does not require specialized skills. Jobs liek that DO exist, but far from the city. And so, they miss those opportunities.
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