Toronto Ripley's Aquarium of Canada | 13.11m | 2s | Ripley Entertainment | B+H

condovo said:
I never understood the cliché that Toronto's 'a city of neighbourhoods.' All cities are cities are cities of neighbourhoods. It's almost like saying 'We got nothing going on here. Oh, wait. We're a city of neighbourhoods!'
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The meaning of the phrase isn't that Toronto is literally composed of neighbourhoods. Obviously that's true of every city. The meaning is that, whereas Toronto as a whole doesn't seem to have one particular culture or personality, each neighbourhood does have its own unique and thriving culture, probably due to various clusters of immigrants that populate the city. For that reason, I often find that Toronto doesn't feel like one large homogeneous city, but dozens of different towns that all happen to be adjacent to one other. You can't take the entire city in without exploring the idiosyncrasies of each neighbourhood. I don't get that feeling quite so much in other cities, but that's just me. Perhaps I'm not as well travelled as lead82.

I still find it staggering when someone claims "We got nothing going on here." That's precisely the kind of insecurity that has mystified the non-Torontonians in this thread.
 
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Over the past three years at Dalhousie, wherein the students hail from all over Canada and the world, I've learned that:

a) Most foreigners (especially Americans and Europeans) absolutely adore Toronto, and are thoroughly confused when people criticize it

b) Most Canadians from outside Toronto hate Toronto, but can't really justify their hatred, and plan to move there anyway

c) Torontonians themselves think worse of their own city than either of the other groups


Thank god that nearly half of Toronto is comprised of people from group A, otherwise the whining would be deafening.
 
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Ramako said:
The meaning of the phrase isn't that Toronto is literally composed of neighbourhoods. Obviously that's true of every city. The meaning is that, whereas Toronto as a whole doesn't seem to have one particular culture or personality, each neighbourhood does have its own unique and thriving culture, probably due to various clusters of immigrants that populate the city. For that reason, I often find that Toronto doesn't feel like one large homogeneous city, but dozens of different towns that all happen to be adjacent to one other. You can't take the entire city in without exploring the idiosyncrasies of each neighbourhood. I don't get that feeling quite so much in other cities, but that's just me. Perhaps I'm not as well travelled as lead82.

I still find it staggering when someone claims "We got nothing going on here." That's precisely the kind of insecurity that has mystified the non-Torontonians in this thread.
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'We got nothing going on here' is not a sentiment that I agree with necessarily but I think the 'city of neighbourhoods' thing subliminally conveys that very notion. And again, your description of Toronto is applicable to any large city, giving rise to the nagging suspicion that we really got nothing going on here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that empty, tired slogans like 'a city of neighbourhoods' ought to be laid to rest.
 
condovo said:
'We got nothing going on here' is not a sentiment that I agree with necessarily but I think the 'city of neighbourhoods' thing subliminally conveys that very notion. And again, your description of Toronto is applicable to any large city, giving rise to the nagging suspicion that we really got nothing going on here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that empty, tired slogans like 'a city of neighbourhoods' ought to be laid to rest.
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To me it's always signified the fact that there is a lot to explore outside of downtown Toronto if you're willing to spend the afternoon in a neighbourhood that you wouldn't otherwise pay any attention to. There's absolutely no reason to interpret the meaning negatively, unless you're looking for ways to express some inherent dissatisfaction with the city.
 
Ramako said:
To me it's always signified the fact that there is a lot to explore outside of downtown Toronto if you're willing to spend the afternoon in a neighbourhood that you wouldn't otherwise pay any attention to. There's absolutely no reason to interpret the meaning negatively, unless you're looking for ways to express some inherent dissatisfaction with the city.
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Yes but how is that any different from Chicago or San Francisco or Vancouver or Montreal? Doesn't that make them 'cities of neighbourhoods' too? If so, what makes us unique? What do we have to offer that they don't? This is what we need to start defining for ourselves and for others. I am inherently dissatisfied with the tepid way in which we imagine this city.
 
condovo said:
Yes but how is that any different from Chicago or San Francisco or Vancouver or Montreal? Doesn't that make them 'cities of neighbourhoods' too? If so, what makes us unique? What do we have to offer that they don't? This is what we need to start defining for ourselves and for others. I am inherently dissatisfied with the tepid way in which we imagine this city.
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That we are a "city of neighbourhoods" is a symptom of the fact that we have a far more multicultural city than any other, by virtue of the many immigrants that populate and create the different neighbourhoods. The fact is that Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Montreal don't have the same level of diversity as Toronto. I agree that they may all claim that they are a "city of neighbourhoods" and that may be true to some extent, but by that metric alone they pale in comparison to Toronto. Why not trumpet the fact that we stand out in this regard?

I find it ironic that you are inherently dissatisfied with the "tepid way in which we imagine this city." If I came up with an even more boisterous way of conceptualizing the city, you'd surely shoot it down or find some way to criticize it for being some kind of overcompensation for our many supposed flaws.

Tell me, how would you promote/characterize Toronto in a positive way?
 
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Ramako said:
a) Most foreigners (especially Americans and Europeans) absolutely adore Toronto, and are thoroughly confused when people criticize it

b) Most Canadians from outside Toronto hate Toronto, but can't really justify their hatred, and plan to move there anyway

c) Torontonians themselves think worse of their own city than either of the other groups
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I think you are spot on. I also think most Torontonians are very proud of their city, but they are embarrassed by their pride. They think it makes them look provincial. And like any person who is too self-serious, we get so embarrassed by our defects that we spend all of our time poking them and trying to make them go away. New Yorkers can tell you that true character comes from embracing your defects and making them your signature (New Yorkers always shouting and getting into fights? That's just their "brashness"!). Torontonians are too busy trying to present a featureless, uncontroversial front to outsiders ("city of neighbourhoods") when we should just be honest and confident about our downsides as well as our upsides.
 
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A lot of my Genevan friends want to move to Toronto.. They consider it French friendly but English speaking - so they can at least learn it.

In fact I know of a lot there studying English over the summer.
 
Interesting conversation but this has nothing to do wit the new Aquarium at the base of the CN Tower. Please create a thread for this as those of us interested in the aquarium are being repeatedly notified of updates when none have been provided.

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I'm going to leave these posts here for now... but further discussion regarding Toronto's inferiority complex re: things to do here should go to a new thread (which you are encouraged to start if you so desire), but otherwise new postings in this thread should relate more directly to the Aquarium please!

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Walking by this site yesterday after the Jays' game, I really felt that this area has immense tourist potential. Right there you have the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Air Canada Centre, Roundhouse (with the new rail museum), MTCC and the new aquarium of course. Plus it is a minyte from the waterfront. I am excited because there is so much potential here. Great job Toronto!
 
This nascent area's still very rough around the edges but you're absolutely right, it screams of potential. Once its basic urban form takes shape (buildings around the ACC - Ice, 18 York - are done), this place is going to need a lot of refining, like those ass nasty gardens by Convention Center South
 
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