Quote:
Originally Posted by kool maudit
Interesting, and perhaps reflective of the fact that my impressions came from a vacation and not a real move.
|
I really enjoyed your reflections. I've also spent time living in all three cities -grew up in Montreal and spent 23 years there, some school in Halifax for 3 years, Toronto for the past 3 years working.
I moved to Toronto because my lady friend moved here from Halifax. My plan had always been to return to Montreal but, well, things happen.
TLDR: Like Toronto. Love Montreal.
Background: Anglo Montrealer with sufficient French language skills to crack the workforce. I consider myself 80% bilingual, which could only improve with a job in a French language milieu.
Disclaimer: opinion piece.
I think you hit the nail on the head about Toronto when you said that many people here seem to be doing what they're passionate about. It's a good city and it's thriving. I feel as though this didn't come naturally to Toronto but it has consciously worked very hard to shed itself of its "good" image and has succeeded at becoming very, very dynamic.
I also think that maybe the vacation here and not the day-to-day may have have painted a bit of a rose-coloured portrait. I find that streets that should feel "major" are kind of sleepy. I like to use Bathurst as an example. It has a subway stop and a streetcar line. It's downtown adjacent. And yet, it doesn't hold a candle to Wellington in Verdun in turns of activity. I actually feel that it's Toronto that has more holes. I have a hard time getting on board with the amalgamated Toronto that is, in reality a small, hyper urban core surrounded by rings of (older) suburbia. That Toronto has a bunch of smaller downtowns is pretty cool and definitely boosts the feeling of major metropolis, but there's something about a 60 floor tower next to a street of single family homes that I just don't care for. I can't deal with the public transportation system here. It's not up to par for a city that considers itself world class. The cost of living is becoming an issue for me.
So... I want to return to Montreal. In fairness, I always did. I have friends who have moved to Toronto and I'm aware that we (Montreal) are still on the losing end of this exchange. That said, it's getting better. I'd estimate that 75% of my high school graduating class has remained. There are things about Toronto that I wish Montreal would emulate. I realize that this is a rather blasphemous statement, but what the hell. That said, I can't shake Montreal. That city. My bias is obvious but damn that city is fine, often for reasons that are hard to describe (this post is getting pretty lengthy so maybe another time).
We'll see how things shake out. I look forward to what Montreal is becoming. I have high hopes for it. Toronto is living its moment. It's the shit and it'll be just fine. But I want Montreal.
Oh, and Halifax was dece.