christmasoompa

Personally, because it's too built up, industrial, sprawling, soulless, etc.

Those are my reasons, obviously others may differ. I've spent a lot of time there and it just never appealed to me, other areas of Ontario/Canada are much nicer imo.

ShawnMcCrea

haha Good one... I think a lot of Canada suffers from what I would call "pen#@ envy". Its the same thing as you get in the States with New York, but hey who cares.

Anyways people can hate all that want thats fine, the difference is people in Toronto dont care enough about other places to put the effort fourth to hate. Its kind of like the big brother syndrom, the little brother is always nagging for attention and will say everything and anything to get it.

Good try from that video... Im sure he will go back to Eastern Canada or some other superbly unpopulated place in Canada and tend to his cows. Cheers for the laugh.

ShawnMcCrea

Large-ish? Only the fourth largest city in North America but good try.

Bland-ish? Only if the most action you get all day is from internet forums

Boring-ish? Only if you personally are a boring person. Ive always been a believer in the fact that if your bored its because you are lacking something within yourself. If you HONESTLY at the end of the day cannot find something entertaining to do in Toronto than you need to take a walk to a clinic.

I could name countless things to do in Toronto, and whether you choose to snub them all and say "nope there not fun" is up to you... but thinking logically they are fun.

christmasoompa

But where are you comparing it to? I don't see world class museums, art galleries, stunning architecture, etc, in Toronto. There is stuff to do, but certainly not as much as in other major cities - i.e. London, where I still haven't seen everything I want to there despite living so close to it for many years of my life!

Just a guess, but I think perhaps you've never been to a European city? So perhaps your frame of reference isn't the same as the majority of us? Apologies if I'm wrong.

ShawnMcCrea

I have only been to Paris for a short amount of time, but If the majority of this room is considering Europe as the center of the universe and the be all and end all of what a great city should look like than your obviously not going to think Toronto is the Holy Grail. So thats fine if the Brits want to toot their own horn on that one.

I however have spent a good amount of time in a lot of the major cities in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. I have also been to some major American cities where I have family in.

I have lived in Toronto all of my life and still havent done close to all their is to do, do you ever think that possibly your not looking hard enough?

As for stunning architecture, that is soley based on your OWN opinion and many may differ as to what conotates stunning architecture. For a few pieces of eye opening archcitecture in Toronto try the AGO, ontario College of Art and Design of=r the Royal Ontario Museum for starters.

Completely agree we dont have near the same types or quantity of museums and art galleries that Europe as a whole has. I did happen to study Design in University and having plenty of friends who live/travelled to Europe and I am completely aware of this fact. You guys definately have a heard start on us for building thats for sure. I didnt realize we were basing our judgement of cities on museums and art galleries as the only "stuff" to do.

el_richo

Paris is in France

These contain "new" cities and i think what a lot of people are getting at is that many of them have no character or charm like for example, Prague, Paris, London, Munich, Cologne, Zurich, Oslo, to name a few. And on top of that, European cities have access to these places and more with such ease.

Most North American cities look the same to me. The only characteristic parts of them i like are their natural surroundings. If they don't or didn't have that, to me they're just Blah.

All in my opinion of course, no offence intended etc etc.

ShawnMcCrea

Thanks champ... she said she didnt think I had been to a European city before and i said I had been to Paris so not sure what the issue is on this one?

I think part of the difference is that your equating Old and "been around for awhile" to "having character". One may easily say that all European cities look alike just as you pointed out that you think NA ones do. A matter of opinion of course.

Remember most of the rest of the world hasnt been around as long as you guys have so therefor you will not find the same older architecture reminiscent of the different periods in which it had been built.

el_richo

I have to disagree with that opinion. Many cities within the same country can look similar but between European countries this is definitely not the case.

I think you just have to accept that some people like places, and others do not.

ShawnMcCrea

I 100% agree and accept that fact. I dont accept the fact that there is NOTHING to do in Toronto unless your in your death bed.

And again a lot of European cities definately have many similar characteristics.

Oakvillian

I don't think anybody's said that there's nothing to do in Toronto. Simply that there are other cities with more. It's not a zero-sum thing. You shouldn't be so quick to take umbrage.

I entirely disagree with you about European cities - a subject which by your own admission you know nothing about. Spend twenty minutes in Bruges, Bordeaux, Bologna, Bergen, Bremen, Barcelona (none of which, deliberately, is a national capital city) and there would be absolutely no doubt which you were in.

Muskoka

Err, ok I've visited or lived in Tobago, St Kitts, St Lucia, Tobago, Barbados, New York, Panama, St Marten, Venezuala (and no, I can't spell) Mexico, Cyprus, Spain, Canaries, Australia, Kenya, S.Africe and loads of other places. Currently in the U.K. , but I just love Toronto - tons to do & see and the people and the way of life are just fantastic - out of this world. Maybe cos I was born in TO!!

ShawnMcCrea

Well calling the city the a&hole of the North America would basically imply that there was nothing to go there for or worth seeing wouldnt you agree?

I agree that there are obviously other cities with more to do in general. There are also thousands of others cities with a lot LESS to do. That statement of "there are cities with more" is highly subjective, in terms of more of what are you talking about?

One who is educated and very familiar with all of the cities you have listed may be able to distinguish what city they were in, but anybody who has never been to any of them would most likely have no idea. That is the exact same case with dozens of Canadian cities... if your familiar with them than you can distinguish the similarities and differences....

Alan2005

Butch did compare it to an arse or sphincter earlier (can't remember which one exactly). Nevertheless, I suspect that one should probably assume a certain amount of hyperbole in that assessment.

dbd33

I've been to dozens of Canadian cities. If dropped from a plane I'd be able to recognize Quebec City and Vancouver; the rest of them look like Pittsburgh.

I think Canadians hating Toronto has two roots:

- money and power are/were concentrated there for a long time

- it's big and ugly and in the way and, in summer, it smells. Truck drivers hate crossing it as do tourists.

Of course the attitude of Torontonians doesn't help, that whole TCU thing. Why foreigners hate it is a bit of a mystery, I wouldn't have thought it would make a strong impression on a casual visitor. I'd expect them to feel the same as I do about, say, Omaha; I hardly remember the place.

But haven't you chosen to move away from Toronto, why be so defensive of it?

ShawnMcCrea

Havent been to Pittsburg but again from the pictures it looks nothing like ive seen other than the fact that is has buildings?

Anyhow I have friends from Muskoka at my cottage who live in Calgary and asking them why they have a problem with Toronto they said because we get all of the media attention and all everyone does is basically talk about Toronto. My response was that we have no control over any of that so why hold a grudge to the general public?

I again liken it to 'penis envy'. Yes were big, yes we are the financial center of Canada, yes the province has a third of the population of Canada, Yes we can be bold, and Yes we control the majority of power. So what?

I think a lot of other Canadians from towns that nobody has ever heard of are mad that they dont get the attention that Toronto does. And as for truckers, they really dont need to be using the infastructure including road ways and such built for the GTA if they dislike it so much. The Greater Toronto Area contributes a ton of business that keep truckers busy, if they dislike Toronto go another route and stop meeting the demand this area has.

I love half an hour north of Richmond & the DVP, I guess im so defensive because I infact hold a sense of pride for the area in which I have spent many years of my life working/living etc. in and feel that despite the brutal traffic, this area has a lot to offer. I also think that other posts steering the OP clear of Toronto are not warranted and would like others to get a full spectrum of what the area is like.