Home from Toronto

[MINE!!]

I just got back from Toronto Monday and there are some things that I noticed that were quite different from where I am now.
#1 VERY little police presence. Those roads are very scary.. no cops... I was in the city for a week and I think that I saw 2 police cars and 3 cops on bikes.
#2 There have been some shootings in TO... 31 people killed this year... To me... we hear about people being shot all the time... big news up there.
#3 They encourage large groups of random people to get together... with no police presence... hmm.. or security...
#4 I was soooo tired of people asking me for money on the street. Everytime we went out there was someone asking for change or money... even when we were sitting outside in a restuarant... people would come up and beg for money. You could never look anywhere but forward.. and there is no discouragement to the begging.
#5 The weather was AWESOME!
#6 The obnoxious cell phone conversations that you have to listen to ALL the time in the states... there were not even half as many people with cell phones on their ears.. very refreshing.
#7 I did not see as many people smoking and there were not cigarrette butts all over the road...

Just wanted to share my observations.

 

[movie zombie]

we are preparing for our 5th trip to toronto in 6 years to once again attend the toronto international film festival. i''ve never once felt unsafe and we are out very very late due to film schedules. but then, of course, i lived for a period of time in stockton, california which was for some time the murder capital of the US.....

coming from california i find the smoking on the streets to be unbearable but then i find that is true for anywhere on the east coast of the US. ditto the weather: i do not like humidity and tornoto gets its fair share. but i do like the cultural diversity of the people, the fact that it really is a city that is alive 24 hours a day, that i can use public transit to get pretty much anywhere i want to go. i am more affronted by cell phone users than i am by homeless persons begging.

toronto is a great city....despite the destruction of the Uptown theatre to build another 50 story condo complex.

peace, movie zombie

 

[zdrastvootya]

Hi,

A Torontonion here. The shootings we''ve been having are big news. I know in large American cities - no big deal, but I can''t remember anything like this in the 15 years I''ve been here. We took some pride in being "Toronto, the good".

Pan handlers - not sure where you were. They''re around - can''t remember being approached on a patio - that''s a drag. We''ve got squeegees - they''re annoying, but what can you do? Can''t run them over

We''ve got no smoking in bars & restaurants - a good thing for us non-smokers. Cell phone use in restaurants - my pet peeve.

I''ve been told our subways are pretty clean. I''ve always felt safe walking around where ever here - even rougher neighbourhoods, but the shootings are making me wonder.

It''s been a hot sticky summer this year.

Hope you enjoyed your time here.

Z.

 

[movie zombie]

thanks, Z...we always do!

i miss the big art mooses! i understand they were auctioned for a good cause, though.

yes, your subway system is pretty good..and clean. we''ve taken the lines out to the ''burbs just to see what they''re like but we spend 90% of our time near younge and/or bloor.

see you at the movies!

peace, movie zombie

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 8/23/2005 7:41:38 PM
Author: zdrastvootya
Hi,


A Torontonion here. The shootings we''ve been having are big news. I know in large American cities - no big deal, but I can''t remember anything like this in the 15 years I''ve been here. We took some pride in being ''Toronto, the good''.


Pan handlers - not sure where you were. They''re around - can''t remember being approached on a patio - that''s a drag. We''ve got squeegees - they''re annoying, but what can you do? Can''t run them over


We''ve got no smoking in bars & restaurants - a good thing for us non-smokers. Cell phone use in restaurants - my pet peeve.


I''ve been told our subways are pretty clean. I''ve always felt safe walking around where ever here - even rougher neighbourhoods, but the shootings are making me wonder.


It''s been a hot sticky summer this year.


Hope you enjoyed your time here.


Z.

We were spent time in Little India, Little Italy and U of T a lot.. We visited the annex(Dh has friends who live there, Bloore street west, My DH used to live on St. George, Yorkville... that is pretty much it.. we also went to the ''island'' for a picnic.. that was cool.. the city lights look awesome from there. I like the fact about the smoking.. that is wonderful.

 

[movie zombie]

yep, view from the ''island'' is great at night. last time we were there 2 years ago Bjork was doing a concert and we got to hear the sound check.

peace, movie zombie

 

[Daniela]

Canadian cities are a different animal from US cities. 31 murders in one year is a BIG deal in Toronto, and everyone is talking about what to do about it. We like to think that our cities are very safe.

It''s interesting to me that the lack of police presence scared you.

 

[MINE!!]

YOu know what... I thought about that to. I thought.. it is so bad that I am frightened by the lack of security... I did think about that hard to.. and my conclusions is not that I am scared by the lack of police... I am scared about the fact that when the police were needed there would be none there...

I understand about the shootings... this was not a critical view.. just an interesting one.. I wonder if they have an increased police presence in those areas now....?

 

[zdrastvootya]

there is now increased police presence in problem areas and elsewhere. My bro said he saw a beat cop & bicycle cop in his neighbourhood, where there were never any before. Mayor & police chief want to look like they''re doing something. Not sure if it will have an actual effect.

Reminds me of when I went to Trapper''s Alley/Greektown in Detroit. It was one of the few tourist areas in a pretty rough downtown, back when. There were multiple cops on every corner! They obviously wanted to keep it safe.

Z.

 

[soulsis]

Coming from a fellow Canadian...
I live in Edmonton (north of Calgary). I just finished a sales conference with two gentlemen that were up from Miami and the other from Pittsburg. Both were shocked that Canada was nothing like they suspected. He actually said he was surprised that the women here could not only be beautiful...but smart! What a nice compliment

 

[hlmr]

Date: 8/23/2005 1:07:30 PM
Author:MINE!!
I just got back from Toronto Monday and there are some things that I noticed that were quite different from where I am now.
#1 VERY little police presence. Those roads are very scary.. no cops... I was in the city for a week and I think that I saw 2 police cars and 3 cops on bikes.
#2 There have been some shootings in TO... 31 people killed this year... To me... we hear about people being shot all the time... big news up there.
#3 They encourage large groups of random people to get together... with no police presence... hmm.. or security...
#4 I was soooo tired of people asking me for money on the street. Everytime we went out there was someone asking for change or money... even when we were sitting outside in a restuarant... people would come up and beg for money. You could never look anywhere but forward.. and there is no discouragement to the begging.
#5 The weather was AWESOME!
#6 The obnoxious cell phone conversations that you have to listen to ALL the time in the states... there were not even half as many people with cell phones on their ears.. very refreshing.
#7 I did not see as many people smoking and there were not cigarrette butts all over the road...

Just wanted to share my observations.

Just wondering what you meant by this? Who/what are random people? Oh, and who are the they that encourage it?

Heather

 

[vsylvia]

Hey! i''m from Toronto! i''m a student at UofT living in the beaches. i was just reading this rants&raves board on craig''slist and read a bunch of people bashing Toronto so I''m glad to read all this nice talk of T.O.

in case you come back go to green mango near yonge/bloor for yummy fast food thai. did any visitors come to the beaches? very nice boardwalk by the lake but a little crowded and too many dogs.

 

[vsylvia]

oh yeah, i went to that bjork concert! best concert i ever saw.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 9/1/2005 7:19:20 PM
Author: vsylvia
oh yeah, i went to that bjork concert! best concert i ever saw.

i was afraid of that! only got to hear the sound check....had to meet people for dinner at marche.

btw, we like the place across the street from where the Uptown used to be: Spring Rolls. lots of good cheap eats in the neighborhood you mentioned, which is very convenient when one is on the move during TIFF! also partial to a pub in the neighborhood: Duke of York....did you know a film was made there?

if you wonder by a line near a theatre keep an eye out for woman with a green aussie style hat with a red letter''v'' pinned on it......or the glazed over look: we''re seeing 49 films in 8 days.....

peace, movie zombie

 

[ccuheartnurse]

Good to see you had a decent time here in Toronto. Not a lot of cops, good sign, 31 murders this year, mild compared to other cities but those homeless begging for money, oh boy, thats a pain! I dont sound nor am I empathetic to their cause, I work downtown & I used to live downtown. They would get a few bucks & buy Scope then suck it back for a cheap thrill. Sheesh, life is worth more than that thats for sure. I lived in Durham, NC & didnt see too much begging at all.
Movie Zombie, I used to live in Yorkville.

I dont recognize it now with all the condo''s these builders are putting up. Still, a great to roam around & see the fancy people that drive the fancy cars. [$$)]

Judy

 

[movie zombie]

oh, yeah, Yorkville is a real people watching place during TIFF...which is the only time we get to toronto. standing in line for movies at the Cumberland we see some really interesting cars and equally interestingly dressed people going to and fro trying to ignore the inconvenience we movie addicts present. there is some realy $$$ in toronto.....even when TIFF isn''t going on!

peace, movie zombie

 

[vsylvia]

Yeah! I was waiting for a friend at the yorkville starbucks the other day and i saw stephen sabados and chris hyndman from HGTV''s "designer guys/design rivals" drive by in a convertible! i always wondered if they were dating...i think stephan is sooo out of chris''s league!

 

[zdrastvootya]

Date: 9/1/2005 8:20:46 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 9/1/2005 7:19:20 PM
Author: vsylvia
oh yeah, i went to that bjork concert! best concert i ever saw.

i was afraid of that! only got to hear the sound check....had to meet people for dinner at marche.

btw, we like the place across the street from where the Uptown used to be: Spring Rolls. lots of good cheap eats in the neighborhood you mentioned, which is very convenient when one is on the move during TIFF! also partial to a pub in the neighborhood: Duke of York....did you know a film was made there?

if you wonder by a line near a theatre keep an eye out for woman with a green aussie style hat with a red letter''v'' pinned on it......or the glazed over look: we''re seeing 49 films in 8 days.....

peace, movie zombie

Russell Crowe was on the patio at "The Duke", I guess after some filming for Cinderella Man. We were standing at the bar wondering whether we should try to get a picture. He came out, on the way to use the facilities, and stopped for a pic and shook everyone''s hand. He was very friendly - no phone throwing or punching anyone out. (He looked taller, younger, thinner than I would have thought.) My brush with greatness.

I''ll look for the green aussie hat, but now that the uptown is closed, I don''t think I''ll be passing any movie lines. I imagine you''re here already.

Z.