The Immensity of Toronto

[BrandonTO416]

Now that I ruined my Chicago thread with my love of Toronto, let's expand on that.

Not many North American cities have the "immensity of Toronto" as I call it. Sure, nothing compares to New York. So NYC people don't get all mad at me.

Back in May 2002 I got some really good shots from the CN tower. This hopefully helps you to put things in perspective.

Let's take your average view from the CN Tower looking to the northeast toward the Scarborough area:

Looks nice, until you realize a camera doesn't do anything justice. In order to see more on here, you must zoom in (in real life, no need to zoom in, your eyes view it all with pleasure as your jaw drops, hehe):

Ah, I bet that surprised you, didn't it? Because that's just one small view - cameras do this no justice. Sorry about the blurry pics, it was taken through dirty glass at like 1,455 ft above the surface of the earth.

Now how about a look north of downtown?

AH, but you see, there is more then this grainy pic can show you (again, even this doesn't do it justice):

You see the cluster of buildings in the far, far distance that couldn't be seen w/o zooming in? That's North York. It looks like this when you stand in the middle of it.

For a suburb, North York sure is nice.

Ah, the joys of Canada. Yum.

All pics taken by me. Feel free to promote Toronto at your own liking.

[monsoon]

[Brickell]

That looks like classic mass tranist based urbanism. I assume those mini-skylines are built around heavy rail stops.

That being said, I didn't seem all that immense to me.

Still seems like a very nice city though.

[Wendell FOX]

Nice collection of pics! Toronto is a skyline in which you can't truly get the full feel out of by just looking at a pic of its tallest in its CBD.

[G W North]

Toronto has 7 commuter rail lines (heavy rail), 3 subway lines (73 stations between them), 3 LRT lines, and 9 streetcar lines. Trains connect downtown to suburbs in every single direction. People who are headed downtown can take the train no matter what suburb they live in, or no matter how far they live from downtown, or what direction they live in.

I'm not sure where you think it's lagging.

[BrandonTO416]

Brickell, have you ever been to Toronto and actually seen the city? And when I say "seen the city" I mean toured the many urban parts - from West Queen West through downtown all the way to the Beaches east of downtown (all connected with LRT/streetcars - Toronto's streetcars are LRT grade and there are many lines). From Bay Street to Bloor up Yonge, meander through areas like Yonge-Eglinton to "suburban" North York (could be a CBD of a US metro of 1.5 million LOL).

Then you have neighborhoods east and west - across the Don Valley you have Greektown and the Indian village on Gerrard (Gerrard has a streetcar/LRT line to downtown, Greektown is on the TTC subway line). Then west to neighborhoods like Chinatown on Spadina.

"suburbs" like Mississauga which are more urban then many American cities as a whole?

I think you get my point.

Ever driven on the 427 west of downtown up to the 401 around up east to Scarborough? Its 40 miles of nothing but highrises. And when I say its non-stop highrises - that's what you see. You simply don't see that here for suburbia.

Toronto is quite a city.

[Brickell]

Brickell, have you ever been to Toronto and actually seen the city?

Toronto is quite a city.

No, I've never been. I'm not denying that Toronto is quite a city. I've heard a lot of good things about it. Actually, we have a radio talk show host down here, who moved there recently. He broadcasts from there and talks about it all the time. I'll take your word for it, I was just basing my opinion on the pictures shown.

It does sound like somebody is a little infatuated with the city though. Not that I blame you.

[G W North]

If "immensity" refers to the number of highrises, the numbers speak for themselves:

Completed highrises:

------------------------

city - 1589

some suburbs:

Mississauga - 197

Brampton - 57

Richmond Hill - 18

Oakville - 26

Vaughan - 14

Markham - 18

(close to 2000 in the metro)

Highrises u/c:

----------------

city - 52

Mississauga - 6

On the other hand, if he's referring to the number of very tall buildings, than Toronto is not immense, but rather modest.

[BrandonTO416]

Yea, I'm talking about the number of buildings dotted here, there, everywhere.

[Scott]

I kinda like Montreal, it will always be Canadas most important city.

[G W North]

It must be, being the only major Cdn. city you've been to

I was in Montreal last weekend (about my fifth or sixth trip there now), and still don't see what you think it offers that Toronto doesn't.

[Neo]

Most excellent pictures Heckles! BTW, is CN Tower the only observatory deck in Toronto?

[G W North]

BTW, is CN Tower the only observatory deck in Toronto?

Nope. In fact, it's not even the only rooftop revolving restaurant in downtown Toronto.

[Scott]

I was in Montreal last weekend (about my fifth or sixth trip there now), and still don't see what you think it offers that Toronto doesn't.

No difference between Montreal and Toronto? Are you sure you are from Canada?

[G W North]

Unlike you, I've been to both cities....many times.

I didn't say there are no differences, but they are mostly superficial. I don't see anything that Montreal offers that Toronto doesn't. When I asked you this question previously, you avoided the question. I was even talking to my uncle about it who lived in Montreal for several years and now lives in Toronto. Apart from French being the primary language, and a small amount of different older architecture, Montreal is like a smaller, more quaint, less busy version of Toronto in most respects. He agreed with me on this. The largest difference is that Montreal is poorer and more run-down. Oh, and it has WAY more parking lots downtown, if you like that sort of thing.

I'm of the opinion one shouldn't comment on a city without visiting it a few times first. But feel free if you want

Postscript: I've posted my Montreal pictures:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...st=0#entry29188

[monsoon]

[G W North]

skyscrapers.com shows 386 completed highrises for Montreal, and 1589 for Toronto. The numbers speak for themselves.

Despite this though (and despite what some people who haven't spent time in both cities say), the two cities are remarkably similar in almost every way. With the exception of Calgary and Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal are as similar as any two cities on the continent, even though French is Montreal's first language. I suppose this might make Montreal seem more "exotic" to an American who doesn't speak any French, but I can speak French somewhat, and can read French quite well, so that's no big deal to me.

A different first language, and a small amount of different older architecture are all Montreal really offers visitors that Toronto doesn't.

[Cotuit]

It's not the language it's the culture. If you haven't felt the culture I feel bad for you. How sad it would be for Canada to have it's two largest cities be more or less exactly the same. How really do New York and Chicago differ at the end of the day? The culture. There's more to cities than the number of tall building.

And before someone gets all over my ass about, I'm not saying that Toronto lacks culture.

[G W North]

Montreal's culture isn't any different from Toronto's. Despite the stereotype that Montreal has a "European" culture, it's culture is as North American as any city. It is not at all European. My uncle who lived in Montreal and now lives in Toronto told me this himself. Given that he's actually LIVED in both cities, he's a hell of a lot more qualified to comment on the similarities/differences than anyone on this forum.

Yes, I have felt Montreal's "culture" in my 6 visits there, but that culture is Canadian, no different from Toronto's. Yet I'm sure people with very limited experience in both cities will disagree with me

[wolfdawg54]

I love Toronto but I have never been there. Hopefully, I will be able to visit someday!

[BrandonTO416]

I'm sure Montreal's culture is Canadian, but its not identical to Toronto - no two cities are identical. Especially with the Francophones in Quebec.

Montreal looks semi-european in style of the city, however.

[G W North]

Montreal looks semi-european in style of the city, however.

A few blocks here and a few blocks there. 99.9% of it though, is no different than the rest of the country (though a little more run down in areas). The fact that they speak French simply means they speak French. It does not mean a "European culture", despite it's image in some people's eyes as "European".

[monsoon]

[BrandonTO416]

From pics I've seen, it doesn't look like 99.9% of North America to me. Most cities aren't remotely that urban.

Boston is another european-esque city.

[G W North]

Well, I said 99.9% of it looks like the rest of the country, not the rest of the continent. I meant in terms of "look" and architecture. It's much more urban than most mid-sized Canadian cities, but not really any more urban than Toronto.

Montreal's suburbs are indistinguishable from the rest of the country's suburbs save for the French language signs.

Quebec City is very European because the entire "old" (walled) city looks and feels VERY European with narrow winding streets, etc. Montreal has a small area sort of like that near the river, but even it follows the city grid. Quebec City, to me, is the only Canadian city that feels like Europe.