The Changing Face Of Toronto

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The modern Dundas Square is ver much so modelled after its New York companion. It wasn't even a square until 2002. The Yonge Street strip has long had advertising but Times Square has had it far longer.

That, or you should have a /s at the end of your post..

It wouldn't surprise me if both have adopted cues from each other. Broadway was closed long after 2002.

In all seriousness, I don't know why taking successes from other cities and making them their own is so loathe on the forum.

[Torontopia]

YES, I hate this sign this much! Well, it's not the original sign I hate, it's what Ryerson did to it, that really pisses me off!
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[Torontopia]

Toronto FC wins!
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[MolsonExport]

bogto

Wow!

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by Torontopia

YES, I hate this sign this much! Well, it's not the original sign I hate, it's what Ryerson did to it, that really pisses me off!

Yes, it is a disgrace, and I agree that Ryerson undoubtedly wanted to penny-pinch as much as possible with this installation. It looks okay at night, but considering what a landmark of old Toronto is this sign, this cheap, half-baked treatment is a besmirchment of the city's history.

[Torontopia]

Here is a tour of Chinatown East, which still seems to be holding on, although the area is slowly being gentrified
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[Torontopia]

These new subway stations are quite nice!
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[Torontopia]

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[Kngkyle]

You must be Toronto's bnk.

[Torontopia]

New subway station
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[chris08876]

What has happened in Toronto in the last 10-15 years is nothing short of amazing. Its a success story on a grand level. From neighborhoods changing, transit improvements, GDP rising, and so on... Toronto is on the ball every time.

Its a success story that should be replicated and I feel a model of success for other cities to look at, study, and aim to replicate.

Good job Toronto!

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by chris08876

What has happened in Toronto in the last 10-15 years is nothing short of amazing. Its a success story on a grand level. From neighborhoods changing, transit improvements, GDP rising, and so on... Toronto is on the ball every time.

Its a success story that should be replicated and I feel a model of success for other cities to look at, study, and aim to replicate.

Good job Toronto!

It helps when you have a culture of urban living, low crime rates, low racial tension, and high urban core growth rates. Unfortunately, only a few cities in America fit that bill today.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

It helps when you have a culture of urban living, low crime rates, low racial tension, and high urban core growth rates. Unfortunately, only a few cities in America fit that bill today.

Ontario benefits from a number of other characteristics too. It's located in a densely populated region of north America and borders all 5 great lakes. The Golden Horseshoe is home to lots of highly regarded universities, access to quality education/health care is universal, Toronto is an established global financial centre (ranking 7th globally in the GFCI), the economy is very diverse with a presence in almost every industry, and a third of immigrants to Canada settle in the region.

Toronto has been a late bloomer relative to US cities. That said it's been a success 100 years in the making. A tipping point was reached around 2000 and the city seems to go from strength to strength. I had expected growth to level off around 5 years ago but things keep snowballing. Exciting times for Toronto (and Canada). Canadians are finally getting the metropolis they'd always wanted.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Ontario benefits from a number of other characteristics too. It's located in a densely populated region of north America and borders all 5 great lakes. The Golden Horseshoe is home to lots of highly regarded universities, access to quality education/health care is universal, Toronto is an established global financial centre (ranking 7th globally in the GFCI), the economy is very diverse with a presence in almost every industry, and a third of immigrants to Canada settle in the region.

Toronto has been a late bloomer relative to US cities. That said it's been a success 100 years in the making. A tipping point was reached around 2000 and the city seems to go from strength to strength. I had expected growth to level off around 5 years ago but things keep snowballing. Exciting times for Toronto (and Canada). Canadians are finally getting the metropolis they'd always wanted.

I think you will find that every major Canadian city is currently experiencing a renaissance. There is an air of optimism in the country as a whole.

Quebec is happy in its own skin and within a united country and the native populations are engaged like never before. The key to the latter issue I always believed was education. Now that native population is getting better educated, they are becoming more confident and competent at running their own affairs and becoming better advocates for themselves. It is all a very positive trend.

[hauntedheadnc]

I wanted to like Toronto when I visited. I really did... I did all I could to like it, right down to staying in an historic hotel.

But it didn't work. It's in good company though, because Vancouver also did not, for lack of a better term, flood my lady basement.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I wanted to like Toronto when I visited. I really did... I did all I could to like it, right down to staying in an historic hotel.

But it didn't work. It's in good company though, because Vancouver also did not, for lack of a better term, flood my lady basement.

It's not the easiest city to enjoy if you don't know where to go, really. Downtown and the highrise districts are the least interesting areas. I am hoping the hotel you are referring to wasn't the Gladstone... (although that area has gotten increasingly commercial and the cool stuff moved outwards)

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Ontario benefits from a number of other characteristics too. It's located in a densely populated region of north America and borders all 5 great lakes. The Golden Horseshoe is home to lots of highly regarded universities, access to quality education/health care is universal, Toronto is an established global financial centre (ranking 7th globally in the GFCI), the economy is very diverse with a presence in almost every industry, and a third of immigrants to Canada settle in the region.

I mean, yeah, these are all good things, but they aren't directly related to Toronto's growth. Toronto is a relative boomtown because of liberal Canadian immigration policies. That's basically it. It isn't because of the Great Lakes or University of Toronto or access to Cleveland and Buffalo.

The fact that it's the primate English-speaking city in a major, first world country that's extremely pro-immigrant has led to a dramatic transformation over the past half-century. I don't think there's anything else remotely relevant. Toronto gets a shit-ton of immigrants, mostly educated and skilled, every year.

[C.]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I mean, yeah, these are all good things, but they aren't directly related to Toronto's growth. Toronto is a relative boomtown because of liberal Canadian immigration policies. That's basically it. It isn't because of the Great Lakes or University of Toronto or access to Cleveland and Buffalo.

The fact that it's the primate English-speaking city in a major, first world country that's extremely pro-immigrant has led to a dramatic transformation over the past half-century. I don't think there's anything else remotely relevant. Toronto gets a shit-ton of immigrants, mostly educated and skilled, every year.

Crawford is spot on. My favorite thing about Toronto is just how diverse it is. You go out and will interact with people from around the globe. It's also not as segregated by neighborhood. NYC is also very diverse, but I hate to say this, but when you look at a neighborhood level, there are some that are much more homogeneous. Toronto just seemed like more integration in the neighborhoods.

[C.]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I wanted to like Toronto when I visited. I really did... I did all I could to like it, right down to staying in an historic hotel.

But it didn't work. It's in good company though, because Vancouver also did not, for lack of a better term, flood my lady basement.

I know what you mean... it's hard to explain what's wrong when I'm visiting but it feels... underwhelming. I was disappointed my first visit, but had a much better time when venturing to areas outside of downtown.

I also visited Montreal for the first time awhile back, and had an incredible time. I highly recommend it.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by niwell

It's not the easiest city to enjoy if you don't know where to go, really. Downtown and the highrise districts are the least interesting areas. I am hoping the hotel you are referring to wasn't the Gladstone... (although that area has gotten increasingly commercial and the cool stuff moved outwards)

No, it was the Hotel Victoria on Yonge. We had wanted something close to the train station so we could get back and forth easily to the airport.

We puttered around downtown and hit up the gay neighborhood on Church Street.

Originally Posted by CIA

I know what you mean... it's hard to explain what's wrong when I'm visiting but it feels... underwhelming. I was disappointed my first visit, but had a much better time when venturing to areas outside of downtown.

I also visited Montreal for the first time awhile back, and had an incredible time. I highly recommend it.

I keep wanting to go to Montreal...