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Yeah, the Boston stock exchange financial powerhouse, uh-huh
The usual posters too, Edwardpuzzyhands
hates TO and can't get enough of Baaston, keep hammering it home
Acajack, loves Montreal and anything to do with Kebec,
anything to do with Toronto must be very bad
And Toronto is so small too, must be about the size of Omaha
You guys are taking this post the wrong. Getting overly sensitive about Toronto and missing the point. I'm also sure you have never lived anywhere else and have very limited perspective about the world. I'm a Torontonian and was tired of other cities like Montreal, Vancouver, and even Calgary hating on Toronto when they clearly know nothing about the city and stereotype it in so many twisted ways. Personally, i think Toronton is the best city in Canada when you count having a career as a serious criterion. My point is that Torontonians also harbour stereotypes about Toronto and other cities that just aren't true. And one of them is treating Toronto like its the best thing since sliced bread and im just saying that is not true. Toronto is bigger than Boston population wise. About 5m vs 4m people but did you know Boston produces a GDP of around 360b whereas Toronto produces around 260b and that's with a 1m extra people! I can feel the difference living in a much more productive and wealthier city and can see why Toronto has never made the leap from good to great. Look it up. By making blind statements about stock exchanges, you exactly represent the ignorant Torontonian attitude I'm tired of dealing with. I know I came on strong with my post but I want to drive home a point to people like you.
I've lived in Toronto for 28 years and Boston for the last 2 and the only thing that could ever pull me back to Toronto is family at this point. I still come back home quite regularly and people ask "How's Boston or the States?" almost like they are awaiting horror stories about how terrible it is and how superior life is in Toronto. I'm sorry, I'm having a blast and my quality of life overall is so much higher. When I go back to Toronto for a visit, I hate to say it, but the people, atmosphere, buzz, opportunities, architecture, history, streets, etc... just feel subpar. Even the so-called fancy areas don't look that impressive. It also doesn't feel very international as it should. Yes, we have a huge immigrant population but we don't seem to get the best of the best and the city is run by an establishment that is mediocre and lazy at best. I find the US more inclusive and willing to provide opportunities to those who work hard. Plus I have to deal with the local attitude of being a "traitor" or the puzzled looks when I don't say Toronto is best place on earth. Anybody have to deal with this crap as well? Grow up people!!! I'm tired of it. Toronto is a good city and can provide a good quality of life (and it's my home and always will be) but it's not GREAT, it's GOOD.
Man, if you only knew how much I love Toronto. And I can't live there because they won't let me work there. I'm not mad at you cause you don't love it though. This is a public forum, love whatever you wanna love.
All I'm saying is if there was SOME WAY that I could legally live and work in Toronto, I would've moved there 2 years ago.
Toronto reminds me of NYC except it's cleaner. And that's a plus. I loved seeing all the different races and nationalities. Many of them interracial couples, and that's something that people make waaay to big a deal of in the States. I guess because at one point it was actually against the law to date/marry someone outside your race. No lie, google it.
It hurt my heart to leave that city. I don't know, maybe I'm just infatuated with it cause I never had the opportunity to live there. But I think some places just resonate with you.
I would take Toronto over Boston any day for one single, solitary reason alone:
Torontonians don't sound funny when they talk.
Seriously - I don't want to "paaak my caaah."
It's amusing to visit, but not to live there. I would never want my kids picking up that accent from growing up there.
Plus, Boston is in the U.S., which has a really messed up legal system and is also quite backwards in most of its other institutions as well. The government in the U.S. is quite fascist.
Personally, as I grow older, I prefer smaller centres over big cities like Boston or Toronto anyway. It's nice to have a profession where work can be found even in smaller centres.
Man, if you only knew how much I love Toronto. And I can't live there because they won't let me work there. I'm not mad at you cause you don't love it though. This is a public forum, love whatever you wanna love.
All I'm saying is if there was SOME WAY that I could legally live and work in Toronto, I would've moved there 2 years ago.
Toronto reminds me of NYC except it's cleaner. And that's a plus. I loved seeing all the different races and nationalities. Many of them interracial couples, and that's something that people make waaay to big a deal of in the States. I guess because at one point it was actually against the law to date/marry someone outside your race. No lie, google it.
It hurt my heart to leave that city. I don't know, maybe I'm just infatuated with it cause I never had the opportunity to live there. But I think some places just resonate with you.
I can understand your love for Toronto. I loved it as well when I first started visiting it as well, since it was so different and unique, and basically a mini NYC (or so I thought since this is what many people say).
The truth is though, once you live here you will understand why it truly is a frustrating place to live. It's not that it's a bad city, it's just that beyond a few awesome parts of the city, Toronto is kind of.. blah. Outside the downtown and a few other areas it just looks tired and dated, and generally just uninteresting. You're also a bit restricted in terms of what you can do since your dollar really doesn't get you nearly as much as what an American dollar can get you in an American city, and unlike many of those places everything here seems to cost something.
Then you've got the issue of Torontonians themselves. In general, people are rather civil and polite but they are also EXTREMELY stand-offish and cold; they basically put Bostonians to shame in that regard (and I'm from NH so my experience with the latter is extensive). The best way I can put it is that you will start to miss the casual friendliness you would find in most American cities (Boston included), since many people you interact with on a daily basis really will want nothing to do with you, and they make it a bit too obvious.
A few things you mentioned that I want to touch on:
1.) Multiculturalism: yes, TO is very diverse and that's all well and good, but to be honest with you the immigrants I meet in the States seem somehow better adjusted and more open and friendly. I should be careful how I tread here, but there's something that rubs me the wrong way about meeting people who have been here 20+ years and don't speak English, and additionally don't abide by basic societal norms. We've all seen what I'm talking about, no details needed.
2.) Toronto cleaner than NYC: in my opinion, this is false, at least when comparing TO to Manhattan.
Lastly, I did want to end with something positive about Toronto. During my time here not once have I encountered the anti-Americanism that some claim to have experienced; in fact, most people that I interact with are very pro-American and love going south of the border.
Additionally, I don't agree with people who say Torontonians constantly have to puff their chests out and try to make their city out to be the "best thing since sliced bread." I've spoken to many people of my reservations about this place and every time I have they never said anything along the lines of "Well if you don't like it go home you damn Yank." In contrast, they have always been open to criticism.
I'm not speaking from movies, I'm speaking from having lived there very recently.
I've personally witnessed someone chase someone down the street and hit him over the head with baseball bat for taking his parking space, leaving him lying unconscious in the street, head bleeding; some Townie kids break a bottle and twist it into a "yuppie" 's face, kids smash a window in a Saab on Monument and toss a firebomb into it, setting the car on fire. I've had to duck gunfire in Dorchester, and drive on the sidewalk to outrun in my car a gang that was trying to surround me in East Boston.
A few "houses with nice architecture" with some kind of wall covering or another do not a good neighborhood make.
Hmmmm...I don't want to call you a liar, but I will say that I've never heard of anyone with such a collection of experiences in Boston. And that's coming from someone who lived around Boston most of their life. Either you're making this up or you must have the worst luck of anyone, ever...or you're a drug dealer since you're apparently ducking gunfire and getting chased by street gangs.
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financial powerhouse, uh-huh
