Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Line up at the check-in desk.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

As a tourist why would you even go to Mississauga? As a tourist you would only go to downtown Toronto, where all the tourist attractions are and its easy to move around. Mississauga was created to provide housing outside the city for people who live and work in Toronto. The only reason I went there is because my cousins live there. As a tourist you would find it very difficult to move around unless you had a car with GPS, and even then, you are right there is nothing to see there, just regular shopping centres, golf courses, parks, cinemas and indoor activity centres, everything you need if you live there.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

I'm going to take a stab in defence of Mississauga. I think much of this applies to Oakville too.

The northern parts, north of the QEW, are granted, without merit, cheaply constructed subdivisions, built on farmland so no trees, no pubs, nothing the developer couldn't sell for a profit, awful. (OK there's 100 yards of high street in Streetsville that's been preserved as a sort of Disney facade, that looks ok). South of the QEW is, however older and although the target of the very worst infill development (a $2,000,000 house is assured to have every style of window ever devised and both copper and brass external trim) still has some older houses on lots commensurate with the size of the house. The Canadian Olympic swimmer who drowned in her own pool lived in such a house in the White Oaks area. I mention this because, having one's own pool among the trees and being so far from the neighbours as to drown unnoticed is what one is buying here.

This part of Mississauga, and of Oakville, is still recognizably the site of small towns that once existed, Port Credit until less than ten years ago was a mixture of restaurants, bars and places of work. The places of work were, unfortunately, heavily polluting industries so it wasn't quite safe to live there but it was a reasonably interesting small town.

The recent developments, the town houses along the lake, the Mattamy project on Indian Road, are on the site of oil refineries and toxic waste dumps, they're expensive but not ideal places to live. Around them though are the classic suburban houses of the American dream, half an acre, a detached house, maybe 3000 square feet, lots of trees. Rattray Marsh, Lorne Park, Mineola, apart from the Sopranic monstrosities thrown up recently (and that replica of the Disney castle on Mississauga Road) the structures in these areas are those of American Beauty, they speak of the fifties; cars with fins, women at the stove, God fearing people speaking highly of Senator McCarthy, they are, I think what people think of when they say the attraction of Canada is that it's 30 years behind the times.

Rich suburbanite is never going to be my style, but if you want lawn, and you want neighbours who compare lawns. If you can bring yourself to live next to Tiger Woods but no one blacker than that and you can't afford Guildford or Royal Tunbridge Wells, then Mississauga might well work for you.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Assuming what you need is bland, generic chain stores and restaurants - and that you are happy to drive to all of these (and to anything else you might want). One of the things I like about both Vancouver and Toronto is that both have proper neighbourhoods where one can be within walking distance of what one needs, and for these to be met by a range of interesting, independent shops, restaurants, cinemas etc (as well as the chains). This is probably the thing I like most about where I live at the moment. I would suggest Hazelville (leaving aside Streetsville perhaps) doesn't offer this. I cannot imagine any benefit to leaving the UK to live there.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Surely you may be able to pick up a spot of dwyle flunking?

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

While I accept this "I cannot imagine any benefit to leaving the UK to live there" as being generally accurate.

I think this "proper neighbourhoods where one can be within walking distance of what one needs, and for these to be met by a range of interesting, independent shops, restaurants" is true of Port Credit. At least, in as much as it's true of, say, Queen Street West. I don't know of an independent cinema there but they're a necessary feature of any place targetted by Starbucks so, if there isn't one now I expect it'll be along soon. I think it qualifies as sanitised or corporate bohemia as well as most of the neighbourhoods that grace Toronto Life's pages.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

They call it "flonking" here. Is it something one should think of as being specifically British?

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Sorry Millie but Pickering and Oakville are the opposite sides of Toronto. I doubt you'll get any sense out of this thread now.

You could try a new one and be more specific in your area and what type of things you are hoping to find there. Someone on here may have children of your age that you could get in touch with. There's also a forum for teens, it's somewhere near the bottom of the forum list.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

My home is not cheaply constructed, I back on to Bronte Provincial Park, so hardly without trees or scenery. My neighbours are varied in culture, shows you how much you know. Do you realise how bitter you sound? Horses for courses and all that.

It may not be your cup of tetley, but it's just dandy for others. Those others don't appreciate your continual scathing remarks of where they live and their homes.

If everywhere in the GTA is vile, why do you still live on it's outskirts??

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Where, exactly, do your friends live? More to the point, how long have they lived here?

There are older neighbourhoods (and I live in pretty much the oldest) which are not shit-holes, merely surrounded by them.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Hamilton is a craphole. Remember that post?

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

It was swiftly followed up by haven't been there in a while;)

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Well, that's the best I can do in praise of the 'burbs. Perhaps you can offer a more eloquent defence of life in the limbo between city and town.

I'm still here for the same reason I always was, it's where the work is. I suppose it to be true that 90% of the people in the GTA would rather not be but are tied for the same reason.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

Not everyone wants to live in the city though, so what are the options? all suburbia isn't bad, Oakville is nice, great for kids and families. It doesn't have the charm of some Brit towns etc but it's not Britain.

Re: What to do in Toronto?
 

I thought I'd made my view clear, suburbia is bad for children because it ties them to their parents for transport to everything, the city's better for them. Once they grow up and leave, if the parents want to choose Oakville well, that seems odd, but good luck to them.

On edit: Oakville/Burlington/Ajax/Whitby/Brampton/etc.