Things I Love and Hate About Toronto

The Toronto Star is featuring "List Week," and is publishing lists such as "7 Athletes Who Changed The World" and "11 Things Restaurants Do To Rip You Off."

The other day it featured 5 Things To Hate And Love About Toronto. Interesting.
So I decided to create my own list... what's on yours?

5 Things To Hate

1. Municipal government doesn't work well. Whether it's because of amalgamation, or not, the plain fact is that there's too much talk, not enough action and everything gets tied up in layers of bureaucracy.

2. Biking in this city sucks. Big time. Why can't we mimic Ottawa or Holland on this one?

3. It takes too long to get out into deep nature. Plus, there's nothing more annoying than sitting in non-moving traffic.
In some cities, a half-hour drive will take you to places greener and climes sweeter. In Halifax, you can be downtown, then in less than half an hour, frolicking in Herring Cove (pictured right). This would be less irksome if we could swim in the water that borders our fair city -- and without having to cross a buzzing highway.

4. We razed and replaced most of our history. Of course, we're not alone on this one, but I'm researching a trip to Quebec City and I can't help but wonder what Toronto would look like if we hadn't torn down some of the incredible buildings that once graced our streets. (The pic below is of the Queen's Hotel, demolished to make way for the Royal York.)

5. This summer has been like a light, refreshing breeze in comparison, but I truly abhor those hot, sticky, stinky summers when the air has substance -- and not a pleasant substance. I get headaches, I hide inside and I'm wrung out like a limp dishrag by the end of the day. Blech!

5 Things To Love
1. It's a cliche to say that Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, but it is and I relish them. I think I only really appreciated this after seeing places that seemingly lack neighbourhoods entirely, such as many towns in upstate New York with dead cores, but ringed by thriving malls featuring chain restaurants.

2. Our markets. Both Kensington and St. Lawrence Market are bustling, hustling and beautiful. Then there's the thriving and growing Farmer's Markets, too.

3. We've got a lot of trees and we take care of them. In our urban core, we have more trees than other large cities I've visited and it adds a green coolness and a neighbourhood warmth. Ditto with our parks.

4. Ottawa may be the nation's capital and it IS chock full of marvellous cultural institutions, but we have the ROM, the AGO and the Science Centre. So there.

5. Toronto is a city that's constantly evolving and thriving, as opposed to dying and shrivelling. New, hip areas emerge with regularity and we've had some impressive makeovers lately, from the ROM, to the AGO, to parts of the waterfront. It would be sad to live in a city that was reaching its end days; there's a vibrancy to living in a place that evolves and grows.

Cheers,
Vanessa
PS I really would love to see YOUR list in the comments. It can be short and sweet!