Toronto/Chicago comparisons

[gabe]

Artists, film makers, musicians, designers, writers, galleries, performing arts venues, people who produce something creatively. Admittedly it was aeons since I was in Chicago, but it seemed like a pretty unimaginative ( "midwestern"? ) place compared to our town. I think you can get a pretty good sense of where a place fits on the creativity spectrum if you walk around a lot and get a feel of the place - and I did.

When it comes to art Chicago has Toronto beat. Chicago is number 2 in America (behind NYC) for art lovers like my self. They have range of galleries, from the world renowned Art Institute to the Museum of Contemporary Art. to the small galleries in wicker park. plus many other museums.

As for theatre i still think Toronto is a better theatre town. And for hotel snobs and foodies like me. Chicago has Toronto beat. Despite a rescission going in America there is no shortage of newer 5 star restaurants and hotels!! I was amazed to find out Chicago has more 5 star restaurants and hotels than all of Ontario put together. Toronto is finally catching up with with Chicago in the hotel department. I really can't see restaurants with 200 dollar tasting menus opening in Toronto any time soon. I wouldn't say torontonians are cheap but it seems people in Toronto would rather spend 200 dollars on leaf tickets than on a spectacular meal

 

[Torontovibe]

New York VS. Toronto OUCH!

http://www.thesharkguys.com/reviews/new-york-city-versus-toronto/Balcony

New York Versus Toronto:

In New York, people build on vacant lots. In Toronto, the vacant lot becomes a focal point of much discussion.
New York attracts the best and brightest across the nation. Toronto attracts the best and brightest from across the nation who then go to New York.
In New York, a successful writer gets by with a small apartment. In Toronto, a successful writer teaches on the side.
In New York, a successful young novelist is 31 and single. In Toronto, a successful young novelist is 48, divorced, with two kids.
In New York, there is cut-throat dog-eat-dog competition. In Toronto, there is as well, but a dog-eat-dog municipal leash bylaw is strongly enforced.
New York is the city that never sleeps. Toronto had a 1AM last call in the 90s. (this was fortuitously extended when The Shark Guys achieved the legal age of 19, almost as if we had friends at city hall)
In New York, when a new subway line is needed, it’s built. In Toronto, it’s treated like a vacant lot.
New York has a slogan and t-shirts are hawked with this slogan. In Toronto, there are numerous slogans, none of which stick and certainly not to a T-shirt.
New York has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline. Toronto has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline and costs $5.
New Yorkers think their city is great. Torontonians think their city could be world class.
Everyone outside of New York hates it, but flocks to it. Everyone outside of Toronto hates it.
Many movies and TV shows are filmed in New York. Many movies and TV shows are filmed in Toronto, and passed off as New York.
In New York, a month is required to get a sense of the city. In Toronto, a long weekend will suffice if you hustle.
New Yorkers are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and find out this is often not the case. Torontonians are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and…(fill this in if you live elsewhere in Canada)
When abroad, Torontonians are treated like Americans until this is corrected and then they’re treated as Canadians. New Yorkers are treated like New Yorkers.
There is a huge Italian population in New York. There is a huge Italian population in Toronto, yet finding good pizza is difficult, a decent baked ziti next to impossible.
In New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. In Toronto, if you can make it there, you try LA or New York.
New York sets trends, Toronto takes these trends and disseminates them throughout Canada (unless it’s music, where we set trends and await New York’s validation).
New York is unlike any other place on earth. Toronto is a much larger, more diverse, Northeastern version of Seattle with a better tower.
New York has Times Square. Toronto has Yonge Dundas Square, which is often compared to Times Square.
New York has a spectacular park enjoyed by everyone. Toronto has a spectacular park enjoyed by people who live near it.
New York has a spectacular bridge that is celebrated on film. Toronto has a spectacular bridge that people frequently jumped off until suicide barriers were erected.
New York has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine. Toronto has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine, out in the suburbs.
In New York there are happy hours and you can buy beer around the clock in a corner store. In Toronto, there are no happy hours and you buy your beer from a government monopoly. During a recent World Cup, local businesses petitioned the city to extend bar hours for the week of the tournament, to accommodate the games’ time difference so locals could enjoy the biggest sporting event in the world—it was turned down.
In New York, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world. In Toronto, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world, but on Mondays, a surprising number of restaurants are closed.
In New York, the subway runs all night. In Toronto, the subway starts running at 6AM (9AM on Sunday)
On the Waterfront, Rear Window, The French Connection, The Godfather, Network, Annie Hall, just to name a few, were set in New York. Both of us at one point lived in Toronto and can’t think of one film actually set here off the top of our heads.
[Editor's note: We've spent considerable amounts of time in both cities. If you'd like to pit one city against another, preferably ones we've never set foot in---we'd appreciate the challenge--- please email us at admin@thesharkguys.com and we'll do our best to accommodate]

 

[kkgg7]

And when I say this city has problems, don't jump to violence rates or vibrancy, we all know Toronto is vibrant and is very safe, how about we adresse the most important isssues. It can be done.

This is exactly the "we are fine" mindset that I despise. Every time someone brings about issues with the city, they don't look at the issue and admit it but rather start talking about how many pedestrians on the street. how safe it is at night and blah blah. Chicago has 8 subways lines connecting both airports, so what? Our precious 2 line TTC subway is cleaner, so it even things out! Chicago's waterfront is 10 times more beautiful than our ugly condo town along the lake, so what? Our streets are more vibrant, and they shouldn't have spent all that money to make downtown beautiful at all!

it may be cliche, but i hear the first step to tackle a problem is to admit there is one. Repeating that you have a healthy kidney doesn't make your high cholesterol automatically disappear, does it? I also make me puke to hear someone say he actually prefers Toronto's waterfront/subway to Chicago's. Such home bias is not only sickening, but also detrimental.

 

[kkgg7]

New York VS. Toronto OUCH!

http://www.thesharkguys.com/reviews/new-york-city-versus-toronto/Balcony

New York Versus Toronto:

In New York, people build on vacant lots. In Toronto, the vacant lot becomes a focal point of much discussion.
New York attracts the best and brightest across the nation. Toronto attracts the best and brightest from across the nation who then go to New York.
In New York, a successful writer gets by with a small apartment. In Toronto, a successful writer teaches on the side.
In New York, a successful young novelist is 31 and single. In Toronto, a successful young novelist is 48, divorced, with two kids.
In New York, there is cut-throat dog-eat-dog competition. In Toronto, there is as well, but a dog-eat-dog municipal leash bylaw is strongly enforced.
New York is the city that never sleeps. Toronto had a 1AM last call in the 90s. (this was fortuitously extended when The Shark Guys achieved the legal age of 19, almost as if we had friends at city hall)
In New York, when a new subway line is needed, it’s built. In Toronto, it’s treated like a vacant lot.
New York has a slogan and t-shirts are hawked with this slogan. In Toronto, there are numerous slogans, none of which stick and certainly not to a T-shirt.
New York has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline. Toronto has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline and costs $5.
New Yorkers think their city is great. Torontonians think their city could be world class.
Everyone outside of New York hates it, but flocks to it. Everyone outside of Toronto hates it.
Many movies and TV shows are filmed in New York. Many movies and TV shows are filmed in Toronto, and passed off as New York.
In New York, a month is required to get a sense of the city. In Toronto, a long weekend will suffice if you hustle.
New Yorkers are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and find out this is often not the case. Torontonians are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and…(fill this in if you live elsewhere in Canada)
When abroad, Torontonians are treated like Americans until this is corrected and then they’re treated as Canadians. New Yorkers are treated like New Yorkers.
There is a huge Italian population in New York. There is a huge Italian population in Toronto, yet finding good pizza is difficult, a decent baked ziti next to impossible.
In New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. In Toronto, if you can make it there, you try LA or New York.
New York sets trends, Toronto takes these trends and disseminates them throughout Canada (unless it’s music, where we set trends and await New York’s validation).
New York is unlike any other place on earth. Toronto is a much larger, more diverse, Northeastern version of Seattle with a better tower.
New York has Times Square. Toronto has Yonge Dundas Square, which is often compared to Times Square.
New York has a spectacular park enjoyed by everyone. Toronto has a spectacular park enjoyed by people who live near it.
New York has a spectacular bridge that is celebrated on film. Toronto has a spectacular bridge that people frequently jumped off until suicide barriers were erected.
New York has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine. Toronto has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine, out in the suburbs.
In New York there are happy hours and you can buy beer around the clock in a corner store. In Toronto, there are no happy hours and you buy your beer from a government monopoly. During a recent World Cup, local businesses petitioned the city to extend bar hours for the week of the tournament, to accommodate the games’ time difference so locals could enjoy the biggest sporting event in the world—it was turned down.
In New York, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world. In Toronto, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world, but on Mondays, a surprising number of restaurants are closed.
In New York, the subway runs all night. In Toronto, the subway starts running at 6AM (9AM on Sunday)
On the Waterfront, Rear Window, The French Connection, The Godfather, Network, Annie Hall, just to name a few, were set in New York. Both of us at one point lived in Toronto and can’t think of one film actually set here off the top of our heads.
[Editor's note: We've spent considerable amounts of time in both cities. If you'd like to pit one city against another, preferably ones we've never set foot in---we'd appreciate the challenge--- please email us at admin@thesharkguys.com and we'll do our best to accommodate]

any NYC vs Toronto is completely useless as the are two cities are two leagues apart. Just because they are the biggest cities in their respective country doesn't make them comparable. Like you can't compare Trois-Riviere with Montreal or Sacramento with San Francisco.

Cities that I think are comparable to Toronto: Philadelphia, Boston, Miami etc.

 

[steveve]

New York VS. Toronto OUCH!

http://www.thesharkguys.com/reviews/new-york-city-versus-toronto/Balcony

New York Versus Toronto:

In New York, people build on vacant lots. In Toronto, the vacant lot becomes a focal point of much discussion.
New York attracts the best and brightest across the nation. Toronto attracts the best and brightest from across the nation who then go to New York.
In New York, a successful writer gets by with a small apartment. In Toronto, a successful writer teaches on the side.
In New York, a successful young novelist is 31 and single. In Toronto, a successful young novelist is 48, divorced, with two kids.
In New York, there is cut-throat dog-eat-dog competition. In Toronto, there is as well, but a dog-eat-dog municipal leash bylaw is strongly enforced.
New York is the city that never sleeps. Toronto had a 1AM last call in the 90s. (this was fortuitously extended when The Shark Guys achieved the legal age of 19, almost as if we had friends at city hall)
In New York, when a new subway line is needed, it’s built. In Toronto, it’s treated like a vacant lot.
New York has a slogan and t-shirts are hawked with this slogan. In Toronto, there are numerous slogans, none of which stick and certainly not to a T-shirt.
New York has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline. Toronto has a ferry that offers a spectacular view of the skyline and costs $5.
New Yorkers think their city is great. Torontonians think their city could be world class.
Everyone outside of New York hates it, but flocks to it. Everyone outside of Toronto hates it.
Many movies and TV shows are filmed in New York. Many movies and TV shows are filmed in Toronto, and passed off as New York.
In New York, a month is required to get a sense of the city. In Toronto, a long weekend will suffice if you hustle.
New Yorkers are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and find out this is often not the case. Torontonians are gruff and unfriendly, until you interact with them and…(fill this in if you live elsewhere in Canada)
When abroad, Torontonians are treated like Americans until this is corrected and then they’re treated as Canadians. New Yorkers are treated like New Yorkers.
There is a huge Italian population in New York. There is a huge Italian population in Toronto, yet finding good pizza is difficult, a decent baked ziti next to impossible.
In New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. In Toronto, if you can make it there, you try LA or New York.
New York sets trends, Toronto takes these trends and disseminates them throughout Canada (unless it’s music, where we set trends and await New York’s validation).
New York is unlike any other place on earth. Toronto is a much larger, more diverse, Northeastern version of Seattle with a better tower.
New York has Times Square. Toronto has Yonge Dundas Square, which is often compared to Times Square.
New York has a spectacular park enjoyed by everyone. Toronto has a spectacular park enjoyed by people who live near it.
New York has a spectacular bridge that is celebrated on film. Toronto has a spectacular bridge that people frequently jumped off until suicide barriers were erected.
New York has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine. Toronto has a massive Chinese population and incredible Chinese cuisine, out in the suburbs.
In New York there are happy hours and you can buy beer around the clock in a corner store. In Toronto, there are no happy hours and you buy your beer from a government monopoly. During a recent World Cup, local businesses petitioned the city to extend bar hours for the week of the tournament, to accommodate the games’ time difference so locals could enjoy the biggest sporting event in the world—it was turned down.
In New York, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world. In Toronto, there are more than 100 ethnic groups, nearly half the population is foreign-born and there is food from all over the world, but on Mondays, a surprising number of restaurants are closed.
In New York, the subway runs all night. In Toronto, the subway starts running at 6AM (9AM on Sunday)
On the Waterfront, Rear Window, The French Connection, The Godfather, Network, Annie Hall, just to name a few, were set in New York. Both of us at one point lived in Toronto and can’t think of one film actually set here off the top of our heads.
[Editor's note: We've spent considerable amounts of time in both cities. If you'd like to pit one city against another, preferably ones we've never set foot in---we'd appreciate the challenge--- please email us at admin@thesharkguys.com and we'll do our best to accommodate]

OMG!!! I was JUST about to post that exact article! i found it a few years ago and have bookmarked it ever since. Though i don't agree with every single point in the article, for the most part, it's humorously true!!! ... I love TORONTO !

 

[vatche]

New York city population 18.5 million
Chicago 9.2 million
Toronto 5 million

how could u compare these cities!!???

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

This is exactly the "we are fine" mindset that I despise. Every time someone brings about issues with the city, they don't look at the issue and admit it but rather start talking about how many pedestrians on the street. how safe it is at night and blah blah. Chicago has 8 subways lines connecting both airports, so what? Our precious 2 line TTC subway is cleaner, so it even things out! Chicago's waterfront is 10 times more beautiful than our ugly condo town along the lake, so what? Our streets are more vibrant, and they shouldn't have spent all that money to make downtown beautiful at all!

it may be cliche, but i hear the first step to tackle a problem is to admit there is one. Repeating that you have a healthy kidney doesn't make your high cholesterol automatically disappear, does it? I also make me puke to hear someone say he actually prefers Toronto's waterfront/subway to Chicago's. Such home bias is not only sickening, but also detrimental.

Thank You. How do we fix it if we can't admit it. The subway being cleaner does not make the commute across the city better.

 

[adma]

Cities that I think are comparable to Toronto: Philadelphia, Boston, Miami etc.

Miami?!?

 

[kkgg7]

Considering all the public transit mishaps (aka crashes) i don't think we should be looking at anything done in China. In order to do so much so fast they cut way too many corners.

Yeah, it is so convenient to hold on to one accident of others and then pretend the progress doesn't matter at all. We often boast how clean and nice looking our subway stations are, but if you ever take the Shanghai subway, you will be awed how clean, modern and well designed they are, and you will, I guarantee, never ever say the ttc stations are clean and nice-looking.

The ttc subway runs into mysterious "signalling problems" and incurs delays ranging from 5 to 90 minutes on a daily basis, while operating on its tiny 2 line "network". I don't know what to say, come on, you have 2 lines and incur frequent signalling problems?? What happens if you have a real "network” ten times the current length, as Shanghai does?

And speaking of accidents, it is not that only China has it.

In 2009, the NYC "D" train derailed at the 81st Street/Museum of Natural History station on the IND 8th Avenue Line;
In May 2008, A Brooklyn bound "N" train derailed at the 57th Street/7th Avenue station on the BMT Broadway Subway;
In June 2009, A subway train has smashed into the rear of another at the height of the evening rush hour in Washington DC, killing at least six people and injuring scores of others.
in 1995, 2 Toronto TTC trains crashed in rush hour and 3 women were killed. The worst accident ever to happen.
in 2003, More than 30 people have been taken to hospital after a Tube train carrying 800 people derailed in central London.

I guess all these accidents make subways in London, New York, including Toronto are completely irrelevant too, or only when it happens in China it makes you think they cut too much corner? You should really learn more history before judging other countries and find lame excuses for our own inefficiency.

 

[adma]

Urban Toronto some 30-40 years ago, and kkgg7 would be ranting about Toronto's short-sightedness in stopping the Spadina.

 

[Red October]

[Editor's note: We've spent considerable amounts of time in both cities. If you'd like to pit one city against another, preferably ones we've never set foot in---we'd appreciate the challenge--- please email us at admin@thesharkguys.com and we'll do our best to accommodate][/I]

For people who say they've spent considerable amount of time in both cities, their comparisons are filled with ignorant, dated, and plain wrong stereotypes that make it seem like it was written by someone from Montreal, Western Canada, or America.

Literally half these are just plain incorrect, not to mention cherrypicked to put Toronto in a bad light.

Did habfanman from Skyscraperpage write this?

We often boast how clean and nice looking our subway stations are, but if you ever take the Shanghai subway, you will be awed how clean, modern and well designed they are, and you will, I guarantee, never ever say the ttc stations are clean and nice-looking.

Obviously you've never been to half our subway stations, and haven't even glanced at the ones being planned and built as we speak.

 

[OttoSchloss]

I don't think anyone outside of a town with a population of 7 would consider Torontonians gruff and unfriendly. Standoffish or passive aggressive, maybe but unfriendly, nope.

And Chicago's population is somelthing like 2.9 million (not including the greater urban area) while Toronto's is about 2.6 million -I suppose that's why people think they're comparable.

And there are similarities. The Great Lakes build/architecture, the lakes themselves, the historic second *cityness* etc.

But they feel very different, notwithstanding they have very different population make-ups. Chicago is a very attractive city, Toronto is attractive in areas -overall though I prefer the *feel* of Toronto. Chicago actually feels like the New York of the Midwest. Toronto, despite all efforts to pigeonhole it and give it a comparative description actually just feels like Toronto. It's way more unique in the Americas than it gets credit for.

 

[Thanos]

Urban Toronto some 30-40 years ago, and kkgg7 would be ranting about Toronto's short-sightedness in stopping the Spadina.

He also would have thrown a celebration when the old Toronto Star building was replaced by FCP because obviously bigger is better.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Up until 2004 the Raptors were always in the top 10 in attendance. In 2008 and 2009, they were in the top 10 again. The only times the Raptors have not been in the top half in attendance is 2006 and 2011.
Comparing the White Sox to the Jays is better. This past season in the MLB the Jays had just over 22,000 fans/game. The White Sox were at 24,000. In 2008 the difference was 1,000 fans/game. In 2005 when the White Sox won the world series they were averaging 4,000 fans/game more. Not a big difference. The Jays fans are out there. They're just frustrated. Same as Raptors fans. I also the find the MLS, which the TFC fans arguably among the best fans in the league, to be far more interesting then the CFL.

fair enough. Again I only brought the CFL for comparisons sake, I don't really like it at all.

I completely agree with you. Our waterfront needs work. We need more subways (1 running down Queen Street asap). I'd love to see a full evaluation of every single position of the TTC. Our politicians need to get more cocky and confident about the city. We also need a square to go and relax after a long day of work and Dundas Square is not it. We also need a pedestrian/cyclist bridge to the islands. And those god awful wires and poles all over our sidewalks must go.

Good Points. I would also say we need to integrate all six former boroughs better, because right now what we have is not working.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

For people who say they've spent considerable amount of time in both cities, their comparisons are filled with ignorant, dated, and plain wrong stereotypes that make it seem like it was written by someone from Montreal, Western Canada, or America.

Literally half these are just plain incorrect, not to mention cherrypicked to put Toronto in a bad light.

Did habfanman from Skyscraperpage write this?

Those guys are from here. Most of that list is true. In no way is Toronto better at anything than New York City.

Obviously you've never been to half our subway stations, and haven't even glanced at the ones being planned and built as we speak.

When I go to station, I am paying fare waiting for the next train. Not running an HGTV special.