To bring the topic back, sometimes I get the impression that Toronto used to be an amazing place in the 80s and 90s, and it since grew into a giant mess of big corporations and multicultural squalor (not that I'm saying anyone from such-and-such is bad, just noticing the dynamics of how everyone fits together).

I wasn't here back then, so I wouldn't know. Is that what happened?

Last edited by Taz on May-19-2008 at 15:23

I don't really see how "corporations" have even the slightest thing to do with it, though I realize it's convenient to blame them for everything under the sun.

In more recent years the balkanization of Toronto probably has had a little to do with it - diverse cultures are generally a good thing until you have entire sectors of the city that don't speak more than 10 words of English. However, that's only a symptom of a policy problem at the federal level, and the biggest cities like Toronto are the ones that suffer.

More than anything else it's just that over the past 25 or 30 years, both the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario have had very weak and short-sighted leadership, mostly pandering to NIMBYs and fringe lobby groups from all sides of the political spectrum. Feds haven't been so great either. We've had a few good leaders come in and out but for the most part it's been a disaster. Ever since the city caved in decades ago and halted both the highway AND mass transit extensions to appease a few loony environmental groups, we knew we were screwed.

None of this makes it a bad city to live in; just, not as good as it could be.

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Anyone who complains about the TTC fares.... compare it to the DC Metro system, and then feel better about what you have. There is no such thing as a flat-fee monthly pass.

Metrorail fares vary depending on the length of your journey, and whether you travel during 'rush hours' or not.

Metrorail fares
Regular fare (In effect on weekdays from opening to 9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m. and 2 a.m. to closing)

$1.65 minimum
$4.50 maximum
Reduced fare (All other times)

$1.35 minimum
$1.85 mid-range
$2.35 maximum

Transfers
Metrobus to Metrobus — If you pay your fare with cash or tokens, ask your driver for a free transfer. It’s valid for unlimited Metrobus connections (including round trips) within a two-hour period. If you pay your fare with a SmarTrip card, you don't need to use paper transfers.

Metrorail to Metrobus — Rail-to-bus transfers are worth 90¢ off your bus fare, whether you ride a regular or express route and whether you pay with cash or a SmarTrip card.

Bus fare with transfer:

Regular route using SmarTrip 35¢
Regular route using cash 45¢
Express route using SmarTrip $2.10
Express route using cash $2.20

Metrobus fares
$1.25 using SmarTrip
$1.35 using cash
$3 express routes using SmarTrip
$3.10 express routes using cash
Senior/disabled fare is 60¢

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^^your reponse made me wanna write:


What I like(d) about Toronto: TA-BBQ's put on by mat and graham

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quote:

Originally posted by yankeeBaby ^^your reponse made me wanna write: What I like(d) about Toronto: TA-BBQ's put on by nat and graham

fixed.

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dislike;

weather
cops
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like;

nature
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Seems like the powers that be are more aware than ever about changing Toronto's current image to tourists/visitors... this is just as excerpt taken from the article:

quote:

Personally, if I were to be in the business I'd come up with a different slogan for each target group. Talk about the zoo and the Toronto Islands and the Ex when you target the families. But if you want to get the professionals and the edgy, younger crowd, I'd give $10,000 to some struggling artist with lots of tattoos in places you don't want to think about and let them come up with images for a campaign. I leave it to the smart folks to figure out what the images are, but it's obvious that they need to be hip and urban and sleek and chic, and it's critical they not look like the usual stuff people think of when someone whispers the word "Canada." And, if we must have a slogan, what about this: "Toronto – Not a Mountie in Sight." It's a start, eh?

The STAR Source


For me, Toronto is like that kid in grade school who grew faster than everyone else, yet despite his 'big' appearance, is still a kid at heart. Toronto's glory days were the 80's and very early 90's when the world said we were like New York being run by the Swiss. Since then, we've deteriorated fairly quickly. More so , as a result of amalgamation and the creation of the 'Mega-city' that went through despite an overwhelming majority of the city's population voting against it.

We're still a fairly young city compared to Montreal and even by North American standards, and especially when compared to most European cities. We're just going through the same growing pains most large cities/urban centres experience until they truly mature and establish it's own identity.

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Here's a really cool article about Toronto in the New York Times on Sunday, video included.

New York Times' Toronto story

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quote:

Originally posted by tatgirl Anyone who complains about the TTC fares.... compare it to the DC Metro system, and then feel better about what you have. There is no such thing as a flat-fee monthly pass. Metrorail fares vary depending on the length of your journey, and whether you travel during 'rush hours' or not. Metrorail fares Regular fare (In effect on weekdays from opening to 9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m. and 2 a.m. to closing) $1.65 minimum $4.50 maximum Reduced fare (All other times) $1.35 minimum $1.85 mid-range $2.35 maximum Transfers Metrobus to Metrobus — If you pay your fare with cash or tokens, ask your driver for a free transfer. It’s valid for unlimited Metrobus connections (including round trips) within a two-hour period. If you pay your fare with a SmarTrip card, you don't need to use paper transfers. Metrorail to Metrobus — Rail-to-bus transfers are worth 90¢ off your bus fare, whether you ride a regular or express route and whether you pay with cash or a SmarTrip card. Bus fare with transfer: Regular route using SmarTrip 35¢ Regular route using cash 45¢ Express route using SmarTrip $2.10 Express route using cash $2.20 Metrobus fares $1.25 using SmarTrip $1.35 using cash $3 express routes using SmarTrip $3.10 express routes using cash Senior/disabled fare is 60¢

I love how all the DC metro stations look like nuclear attack shelters. i think someone mentioned to me once that they could be used to evacuate people underground in the event of a surface threat.

anyways, the fares are higher than the TTC, but the service i found was quite decent. and this was like 11 years ago when I last rode it!

ps. i like Springfield station

quote:

Originally posted by Stilez Seems like the powers that be are more aware than ever about changing Toronto's current image to tourists/visitors... this is just as excerpt taken from the article: The STAR Source For me, Toronto is like that kid in grade school who grew faster than everyone else, yet despite his 'big' appearance, is still a kid at heart. Toronto's glory days were the 80's and very early 90's when the world said we were like New York being run by the Swiss. Since then, we've deteriorated fairly quickly. More so , as a result of amalgamation and the creation of the 'Mega-city' that went through despite an overwhelming majority of the city's population voting against it. We're still a fairly young city compared to Montreal and even by North American standards, and especially when compared to most European cities. We're just going through the same growing pains most large cities/urban centres experience until they truly mature and establish it's own identity.

I agree on the point about Toronto deteriorating from its glory days, but at the same time I also think that other cities, especially ones within North America have caught up if not surpassed us over the recent years. We might still yet be able to claim and cling to the whole 'multiculturalism' banner but even that is starting to change. Especially given that other cities across Canada and the US are undergoing their own demographic changes, coupled with the fact that virtually every new immigrant moving to Toronto now is either from China or India.

Toronto really needs to find its own identity.

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quote:

Originally posted by dEsidEL I love how all the DC metro stations look like nuclear attack shelters. i think someone mentioned to me once that they could be used to evacuate people underground in the event of a surface threat.

interesting fact. the DC metro stations were modelled after the original TTC.

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quote:

Originally posted by dEsidEL Toronto really needs to find its own identity.

most of the time identity starts with food, i have a hard time finding a special dish found only in Toronto, sure we don't have hotdogs in the streets, but thats only because of a bylaw.

So is there a toronto dish that I'm unaware of?

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