[ghporter]

Eug, that particular spot-right in front of Eaton Centre-is what I think of when I think of "downtown" Toronto. It's amazing to me that something like that would not get the mall's security folks worked up enough to call the police.

And Toronto always felt to me like a "town." One that took up a particularly large amount of real estate, but a town nonetheless.

[Monique]

It depends what you called a city of 3 million people maybe in the U.S. it is a town but I thought at the 3 million level it becomes a city.

[Shaddim]

I thought 250,000 was considered a "city".

[Eug Wanker]

Hmmm... I'm not sure what is meant by the town comment. It's certainly not as busy as say New York as LA, but I find Toronto much more metropolitan than say Washington DC.

BTW, here is some Toronto trivia:

Toronto, with a population of 2.48 million people ( 5 million in the GTA - Greater Toronto Area ) is heralded as one of the most multicultural cities in the world and is ranked as the safest large metropolitan area in North America by Places Rated Almanac. Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken here, and over one third of Toronto residents speak a language other than English at home.

43 per cent of Toronto's population (1,051,125 people) reported themselves as being part of a visible minority, up from 37 per cent (882,330) in 1996.

the top four visible minority groups in Toronto were:
Chinese at 259,710 or 10.6 per cent of our population
South Asian at 253,920 or 10.3 per cent
Black at 204,075 or 8.3 per cent
Filipino at 86,460 or 3.5 per cent

49 per cent of Toronto's population was born outside of Canada, up from 48 per cent in 1996
new immigrants to Toronto since 1991 number 516,635, representing 21 per cent of our population.

fully one in five Toronto residents arrived in this country during the 1990s

one in four children between 5 and 16 in the City of Toronto are new immigrants having arrived between 1991 and 2001

while the City of Toronto had 48.7 per cent of the GTA's population in 2001, we were home to:
57.8 per cent of all GTA immigrants (1,214,625)
64.4 per cent of all new immigrants that arrived in the GTA during the 1990s (516,635)
60.4 per cent of all GTA residents identified as belonging to a visible minority (1,051,125)

Toronto has 79 ethnic publications

[ghporter]

It's the "feel" of the place. It was a combination of not frantically rushed and harried, not terribly crowded, even during the middle of the day or even during rush hour, and the way the people acted toward me, whether they were shopkeepers, vendors, or just people on the street. It felt like a very large place populated by people who were not as isolated and uptight as those in a city-like San Antonio.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by ghporter

It's the "feel" of the place. It was a combination of not frantically rushed and harried, not terribly crowded, even during the middle of the day or even during rush hour, and the way the people acted toward me, whether they were shopkeepers, vendors, or just people on the street. It felt like a very large place populated by people who were not as isolated and uptight as those in a city-like San Antonio.

Heh. People from Vancouver complain Toronto is too uptight.

If you really want a "town in a city" feeling then, go visit Vancouver.

[olePigeon]

Maybe they were arguing over how nice the gun is?

[bboisvert]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

thats cuz its canada. I had my credit card number stolen the first day I was in toronto. In fact every time I've been anywhere in canada I've had stuff stolen on a daily bases. Im just not used to having to watch all my stuff so closely living here in the US.

oh give me a break

[James L]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Heh. People from Vancouver complain Toronto is too uptight.

If you really want a "town in a city" feeling then, go visit Vancouver.

Voted best place in the world to live several times.

Eug, you are welcome anytime! Brew on me (well, the first round anyway).

[Mastrap]

Yes, but nothing ever happens in Vancouver. Apart from rain.

[OB1]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

Parts of the Toronto young black community, especially of Jamaican background, have been drifting into gang violence recently. It's likely that this has been fuelled by lack of opportunity in the less salubrious parts of the city.

Stop spreading lies.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by OB1

Stop spreading lies.

What the hell are you on about?

I am not saying that being poor makes you a criminal, I am saying that lack of opportunity can drive, especially young, people into gangs and thus criminality.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by James L

Voted best place in the world to live several times.

Eug, you are welcome anytime! Brew on me (well, the first round anyway).

Actually, I lived in North Van for a year. Liked it cuz it was so close to the mountains, but was surprised at just how much the locals hated Toronto.

Eug: I'm moving to Toronto, because I found a position there.
Local: Oh, I'm so sorry.
Eug: Actually, I'm happy, because it's a good position.
Local: Yeah, but it's in Toronto.
Eug: What's wrong with Toronto? What part do you hate the most?
Local: Well, I've never been there, but I hear it's really obnoxious.

This happened to me on more than one occasion too.

Originally Posted by Mastrap

Yes, but nothing ever happens in Vancouver. Apart from rain.

Heh, the year I lived there it was always raining in the winter (like usual), but I didn't mind it that much because when it was raining in the city, it was snowing on the mountains. I went skiing/boarding over 40X in one season on a local mountain's night pass. Nothing like that here.

[Binarymix]

At least Toronto doesn't have a population of like 75% heroin addicts. Unlike Vancouver.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Binarymix

At least Toronto doesn't have a population of like 75% heroin addicts. Unlike Vancouver.

The first time I drove into Vancouver, it was 1 am and I was driving along East Hastings. Surprised the crap out of me, all those people shooting up in the bus shelters.

I wonder why it is so rampant there? Cheap heroin from Asia? Mild weather in the winter? They like to spend their weekends at Whistler like the rest of us?

[James L]

Originally Posted by Binarymix

At least Toronto doesn't have a population of like 75% heroin addicts. Unlike Vancouver.

75% of Vancouver's population are heroin addicts?

Umm.... no.

[Binarymix]

Originally Posted by James L

75% of Vancouver's population are heroin addicts?

Umm.... no.

It was a pleasent jab, not 100% factual.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Binarymix

It was a pleasent jab, not 100% factual.

However, substitute "potheads", and it's factual.

[Binarymix]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

The first time I drove into Vancouver, it was 1 am and I was driving along East Hastings. Surprised the crap out of me, all those people shooting up in the bus shelters.

I wonder why it is so rampant there? Cheap heroin from Asia? Mild weather in the winter? They like to spend their weekends at Whistler like the rest of us?

Probably cheaper heroin, and a large supply of it.


It's really no different then the constant 1am drug deals I always see when visiting DT Toronto, their drug of choice seems to be cocaine however

[Monique]

For some people where they are, is heaven. It always depends on your life experience. Putting people down all the time is not an indicative of your intelligence. It might be great or bad.

[ReggieX]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Actually, I lived in North Van for a year. Liked it cuz it was so close to the mountains, but was surprised at just how much the locals hated Toronto.

That's just North Van being themselves. (locals, back me up, eh?)

[bboisvert]

Originally Posted by Binarymix

At least Toronto doesn't have a population of like 75% heroin addicts. Unlike Vancouver.

HA 5000 hard core drug addicts makes 75% of the population? Man you need to go back to school and take Math. Vancouver is a very dense city, its not that we have more then other cities, its just they are gathered together in closer quarters then other cities. So it looks worst then it really is. At least our air is breathable and we dont have acid for rain.

[Binarymix]

Originally Posted by bboisvert

HA 5000 hard core drug addicts makes 75% of the population? Man you need to go back to school and take Math. Vancouver is a very dense city, its not that we have more then other cities, its just they are gathered together in closer quarters then other cities. So it looks worst then it really is. At least our air is breathable and we dont have acid for rain.

Perhaps I need to learn math, or perhaps you need to learn to read a whole thread before jumping on someone about something they have already explained was in jest.

ALso,last time I checked I could breathe in Toronto, and my clothes seem to be intact, even after a rainfall.

[Binarymix]

Originally Posted by bboisvert

HA 5000 hard core drug addicts makes 75% of the population? Man you need to go back to school and take Math. Vancouver is a very dense city, its not that we have more then other cities, its just they are gathered together in closer quarters then other cities. So it looks worst then it really is. At least our air is breathable and we dont have acid for rain.

Perhaps I need to learn math, or perhaps you need to learn to read a whole thread before jumping on someone about something they have already explained was in jest.

Also, last time I checked I could breathe in Toronto, and my clothes seem to be intact, even after a rainfall.

[James L]

Originally Posted by Binarymix

It was a pleasent jab, not 100% factual.

Gotcha. In that case: