Chiggs@mac.com
New Member
Am contemplating a move from Toronto to San Francisco and would be very interested to get the perspective of someone from that area who now lives in Toronto.
Anyone ?
Anyone ?
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Anyone in the forum from San Francisco
- Thread starter Chiggs@mac.com
- Start date
adma
Superstar
CGM
Active Member
Interesting article... It proves my point about the OMB
Brandon716
Senior Member
I've been to SF but don't live there and know Toronto very well.
San Francisco and Toronto are two very different cities in my opinion. SF prides itself on cultural liberalism (in the American sense) and Toronto prides itself on multi-culturalism. Those two terms are differently mostly in the fact that San Francisco isn't a blue collar immigrant town in any way, shape, or form. Its a city that you absolutely must be wealthy to live in. Toronto is a more multi-economic class city.
That difference in character is the basis for what makes the cities different all around, because everyone worships the dollar in capitalism. San Franciscans are much more likely to worship the dollar and wear Gucci. Toronto is more blue collar, hands down.
With the above being said, San Francisco is absolutely a charm. There isn't significant amounts of brick structures in San Francisco, you'll see wood paneling, stucco, and other western US flair. Toronto's charming brown, red, and tan bricks are nowhere to be found in San Francisco's pastel wood and stucco colors. The feel of the cities is absolutely different.
Being in a Mediterrenean climate, San Francisco also has very different vegetation. The city is actually quite cold in the summer months as it rarely gets over 70 and is commonly 60 degrees, but its also warm in winter months almost never dipping below 50F in the daytime. San Francisco is a city where you'll want to wear a pullover jacket in June or January. There really isn't a canopy of trees as the city doesn't receive significant rainfall, but certain neighborhoods have trees. But in places like the Richmond District or Noe Valley or even the Castro which is American gay-central, you'll notice its total concrete and buildings with not a plant in site... Toronto has the ability to have forests inside the city. The ambience is quite different.
San Francisco is ironically also a business center even if a lot of people outside the city don't see it. Its home to the financial heart of the western United States. It houses former exchanges like the Pacific Stock Exchange which are now dormant, but the remnants of that industry essentially converted into the center of American IT industry.
But San Francisco is also something that Toronto is not: it is probably one of the most architectural cities in North America. Toronto has an international style that is purely functional first with architectural gems stuck here and there, San Francisco is a city that fights, argues, and complains until they get the most expensive looking building first.
It makes for slow growth in San Francisco, it takes forever to get things done there. In Toronto, things happen.
San Francisco is set in its ways, Toronto is open to things, even unsightly things, that couldn't be possible in a place like SF.
Both are culturally accepting of different types of people, Toronto just goes one step further by including blue collar immigrants into that mix.
That is my summary of the two cities. The one thing you'll love about SF is its topography and magnificent architecture. What you'll hate about SF is its topography (its basically a pain to get around town, especially on foot) and its magnificent architecture (you'll likely never be able to afford to live there long term).
San Francisco and Toronto are two very different cities in my opinion. SF prides itself on cultural liberalism (in the American sense) and Toronto prides itself on multi-culturalism. Those two terms are differently mostly in the fact that San Francisco isn't a blue collar immigrant town in any way, shape, or form. Its a city that you absolutely must be wealthy to live in. Toronto is a more multi-economic class city.
That difference in character is the basis for what makes the cities different all around, because everyone worships the dollar in capitalism. San Franciscans are much more likely to worship the dollar and wear Gucci. Toronto is more blue collar, hands down.
With the above being said, San Francisco is absolutely a charm. There isn't significant amounts of brick structures in San Francisco, you'll see wood paneling, stucco, and other western US flair. Toronto's charming brown, red, and tan bricks are nowhere to be found in San Francisco's pastel wood and stucco colors. The feel of the cities is absolutely different.
Being in a Mediterrenean climate, San Francisco also has very different vegetation. The city is actually quite cold in the summer months as it rarely gets over 70 and is commonly 60 degrees, but its also warm in winter months almost never dipping below 50F in the daytime. San Francisco is a city where you'll want to wear a pullover jacket in June or January. There really isn't a canopy of trees as the city doesn't receive significant rainfall, but certain neighborhoods have trees. But in places like the Richmond District or Noe Valley or even the Castro which is American gay-central, you'll notice its total concrete and buildings with not a plant in site... Toronto has the ability to have forests inside the city. The ambience is quite different.
San Francisco is ironically also a business center even if a lot of people outside the city don't see it. Its home to the financial heart of the western United States. It houses former exchanges like the Pacific Stock Exchange which are now dormant, but the remnants of that industry essentially converted into the center of American IT industry.
But San Francisco is also something that Toronto is not: it is probably one of the most architectural cities in North America. Toronto has an international style that is purely functional first with architectural gems stuck here and there, San Francisco is a city that fights, argues, and complains until they get the most expensive looking building first.
It makes for slow growth in San Francisco, it takes forever to get things done there. In Toronto, things happen.
San Francisco is set in its ways, Toronto is open to things, even unsightly things, that couldn't be possible in a place like SF.
Both are culturally accepting of different types of people, Toronto just goes one step further by including blue collar immigrants into that mix.
That is my summary of the two cities. The one thing you'll love about SF is its topography and magnificent architecture. What you'll hate about SF is its topography (its basically a pain to get around town, especially on foot) and its magnificent architecture (you'll likely never be able to afford to live there long term).
detroitbootybass
Active Member
Great place... my favorite city to visit.