It’s been about five months since I left Toronto for Vancouver and, after a sunless summer, my emotions are mixed. I recognize the value of having my family and friends close by, but Vancouver leaves me feeling… blah. I just can’t get excited about living here. Though I try my best to keep my mind to the here and now, I find myself planning my move back to Toronto next summer more often than I’d like to — and perhaps a bit prematurely.
I left Vancouver five years ago for Toronto. I can’t even begin to explain the rush I felt when I first arrived there, alone, disoriented, unsure, but not in the least afraid. That was excitement. Being in a city that was bigger than I had imagined, having the opportunity to explore it, and being completely anonymous to its entire population — the best. Recalling it now makes me look forward to when I get a chance to check out New York (I’m told it puts Toronto to shame).
In any case, after the expected pangs of homesickness subsided (I won’t lie; it took a few years), I settled down quite happily in the big smoke.
When I finally decided to move back “home,” it felt like the right thing to do. I’m sure it was the right thing to do. Still, I think the reason I feel so disillusioned only five months in stems in part from the fact I’ve joined the East versus West rivalry full force. As much as Vancouver has grown and is home to, I’m sure, many talented people, it completely lacks the energy and spirit of Toronto. And what’s worse is Vancouverites are very defensive about it. I used to be, too: “What does Toronto have that we don’t, besides a higher crime rate, more pollution and no ocean? What makes them think they’re the centre of the universe?”
I suppose the little power feels hard done by the bigger power. Toronto gets more attention than Vancouver. And those in the more powerful group know why. So... what does Toronto have that Vancouver doesn’t?
1. An extremely diverse culture: Yes, both cities have a mosaic of cultures living within them, but Toronto is the number-one destination for immigrants, which makes it a very culturally rich city. As such, there are lively, thriving pockets of culture in the city: Greektown, Chinatown(s), Little Italy, Little Portugal, Little India... I could go on. The city makes banners for each neighbourhood, allows street signs to be multilingual and even subsidizes cultural street fairs for its residents. And, although the ethnic populations in each distinct neighbourhood make up the majority of the residents in that area, anyone can live anywhere they want. I lived in both Little Korea and Greektown, and no one ever made any mention of the fact I am neither Korean nor Greek.
2. A robust social scene: Whatever you enjoy doing, you have the opportunity to partake in it any night of the week, any time of the year. If you like dancing or music or theatre or sports, there are multiple organizations and promoters putting something together just for you. It’s almost overkill sometimes. You can pick and choose events that seem to have been created just to suit your taste, no matter what that may be.
3. Sidewalk traffic day and night: I have never seen the sidewalks of any Toronto street void of people. Sometimes there are too many (mostly when I'm in a rush), but there are never too few. And interesting people, too. There are the street people, the bar hoppers and the artists out for a midnight break. There are students making their way home from class, and young women and men getting some fresh air or milk from the corner store (and every corner has a corner store, no matter how residential the street is). There are kids out past their curfews and Bay Street workaholics gulping down coffee. You name it, day and night, the streets of Toronto are alive. Vancouver is a ghost town by comparison. Where is everyone all the time?
4. Entrepreneurs: Seems like people in Vancouver are scared of going out on a limb. Actually, I don’t blame them. Change isn’t widely accepted here. But walk up Queen Street and check out the independent designer stores one afternoon. It will take you days to get through them all. These brave people pay huge rents and make truly unique pieces, often by hand, that are better than anything you can find in Aritzia (which supplies most Vancouver women with their uniforms).
5. The vintage: Old? New? Pre-loved? It’s all in Toronto and it ranges from filthy expensive to absolutely free. Want cheap vintage clothing? Go to Kensington. How about antique furniture? Queen East. Vintage items make people unique, since they’re usually one-of-a-kind. So, unlike the copy-cat fashions and styles of Vancouver, Torontonians wear and live in vintage that can never be reproduced.
6. Rudeness: Yes, I’ll say it. I love how rude Torontonians can be. They’re not rude because they're mean or selfish or stuffy or yuppy (am I getting a little too close for comfort?). They’re gruff because they’re busy, because you’re in their way, because they've got things to do and you're wasting their time. Finally, a city where I can be me. Don’t get me wrong, Vancouverites are mean, too. But in a different way. I remember a petition the residents of Kitsilano started, to shut down the Kits Beach basketball courts because the kids made too much noise in the evenings. Now, every night, some guy from the city arrives at the courts and covers (and padlocks) the nets. And what about the Vancouverites who rallied to get the city to evict the herons that had taken to nesting in Stanley Park after being forced out of their natural habitats? This group was upset because they couldn’t walk through the Park without finding heron crap on the ground (or being crapped on; I was under the impression that was lucky). Bird crap? In a park?? Unthinkable!
7. History: Now, this isn’t really Vancouver’s fault, but she’s a pretty young city, relatively speaking. Toronto’s got some roots laid down, and it shows. Many buildings have survived from bygone times, and each has its own story. When people see these structures, they don’t say, “What an eyesore! Let’s tear it down and put up a sterile condo complex to spruce up the neighbourhood!” Rather, the site will become a historical landmark, and the public will be invited in to view it during Open Doors. Or, they’ll find some way to restore it and make it useful again. King West is a good example of this type of work. What was once a series of broken-down warehouses from the early 1900s has been restored to a chic district with fancy restaurants, shops and even a mini dealership.
8. Downtown TO: It doesn’t become a ghost town after 5 p.m. and on weekends. Since lots of people live right on the busiest streets, there’s always action, all the time. Robson? Unless you like flossin in your benz, don't even bother.
9. The rich and the poor: Toronto’s financial demographics aren’t necessarily separated, as they very clearly are in Vancouver (East Hastings and… the rest of the GTA). In the hippest part of Toronto, you’ll find people of every background, ethnicity and income level living on almost every block. Even some of the “rougher” neighbourhoods and ghettos include tenants of all classes. This kind of multi-zoning makes for a more interesting and, quite frankly, safer city.
10. Free stuff: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a weekend when there isn’t something happening in Nathan Phillips square, even if it’s just hundreds of families skating on the public rink — for free. There seem to be art shows and craft sales and public awareness concerts and political rallies and cultural festivals and lectures and concerts (real concerts, big names) and parades all year-round. There is always something going on. Always. My pockets were always full of flyers, and always full of cash. I was never, ever bored, or broke.
11. Old, brick buildings: Like old, hardcover books, they’re just better.
12. The subway: Vancouverites who don’t agree with me probably own their own beamers.
13. Garbage in front: I wouldn’t have had half my furniture (and half my money) if Torontonians put their garbage in their back lanes.
14. Porches: No one in Vancouver sits on their front porch. Hardly anyone even has a front porch! Do you know how many more people you meet when they’re sitting on their front porches all summer long? LOTS.
15. Dog parks: There’s nowhere to walk your dog in Toronto. So, you go to the dog park. There’s one in every neighbourhood, if not more. The dog park Wally and I used to go to had a minimum of 20 dogs there each night. I haven’t found a dog park in Vancouver yet, and I've discovered most of this self-proclaimed "outdoorsy" city is actually pretty dog-unfriendly. Poor Wally.
16. Pets allowed: Vancouver has a bylaw that allows landlords to ban pets from their buildings. This has made it impossible for me to find my own place here (I’ll get to the cost of rent later). In Toronto, no landlord can prevent you, as a tenant, from keeping a pet. And you know what? That just makes sense.
17. Attached housing: It’s kind of like the concept that you can’t know what happiness is without having ever experienced sadness. Attached housing makes you appreciate detached housing (and a backyard) all the more.
18. Higher salaries: Pick a job, any job. The salary is higher in Toronto. Also, every job is listed online, on one web site or another. I feel like Vancouverites have yet to figure out what the heck the Internet is.
19. Reception: I can’t get reception for my cell in many parts of Vancouver. What’s up with that? So much for being a "world-class" city. Get with the times.
20. Better rental prices: The subway connects everyone to downtown. No matter where you live, as long as you’re on or close to the subway line, you can get downtown in minutes (no traffic, remember?). This means you can live outside the downtown core, which ultimately means cheaper rent for bigger spaces. No such thing in Vancouver.
21. Sunshine: Oh, stop it, you whiny Vancouverites. Toronto winter’s may be colder than Vancouver’s, but at least they’re sunny! I found myself having to explain SAD (seasonal affective disorder) to many Torontonians who’d never heard of the term. I’ll take snow and sunshine over rain any day of the year. And, despite the humidity, at least they’ve got a summer over in Toronto. I can’t say the same for Vancouver, not after this year’s letdown.
22. The shopping: Nuff said.
23. Pizza pizza. 24/7.
24. Restaurants that are open but probably shouldn’t be operating. There's something really neat about that. Seriously.
25. Authentic curry.
I could go on. The range of shopping districts and stores make things cheaper. The spread of the city makes housing more affordable. Job offers are so numerous, you can apply to 20 in the morning, have 15 interviews that afternoon, and be sitting in your new corner office the next day. Individuality thrives in Toronto, whereas it seems to be squelched in Vancouver. People there are real and, to me at least, half the people I encounter in Vancouver seem totally fake. The Karaoke Van — shame on Vancouver for not having one of these. El Convento Rico — can someone tell me where in Vancouver I can go to see an amazing Latina drag and karaoke show every Saturday night? Food is available in Toronto well past 2 a.m., so there’s no going home hungry after the bar. Friendly neighbourhood bums say hi to you each morning on your way to work, no matter how grumpy you look. Toronto Island is much closer (and much cheaper to get to) than Vancouver Island. Free admission to the ROM each Friday night. The Real Jerk. Ghandi’s Roti. And don’t worry, there’s a Starbucks on each corner in Toronto, too. Montreal, another great city, is only hours away, and there’s a train that will take you there! New York’s just a flight away. Seattle? A glorified Vancouver, and there’s nothing else beyond it but Oregon. Hot guys without faux-hawks. Real hip hop. Natrel fine-filtered milk. Fuck cabins. I'm going to the cottage.
Now you know why I’m so restless in Vancouver. I miss my pulse, my bloodline, the energy of the city. I miss the filth and the indifference and the struggle to survive. I miss our collective urban disdain for the “905ers” who play in the city every weekend. I miss sitting on the sofa, watching some inane thing on my three-channel TV, knowing that all over the city, very cool things are happening, and I don’t feel pressured or like I’m missing something because a) cool things are always happening and b) there’s gotta be someone else in a city of 6 million just sitting at home watching TV like me. I miss Toronto and all of its crazy people that yell at their imaginary friends and make me wish for a fantasy world. I miss my crooked floors and brightly coloured walls and mismatched furniture. I miss my Jawrsh, despite everything, and I miss our huge, cheap apartment on the Danforth. I miss Tim Hortons, and Lucy and Eddie, and feeding kittens at the Humane Society, and the pigeons, and the cops on horseback and my strange, mixed-up group of friends who don’t know me too well but would always be there when and if I needed them and I miss Jordy and Christmas and being in love. I miss it all.
On the bright side, I'm catching up on sleep, reality TV, quiet time, beach walks and getting my mind right. I’m definitely going to need it when I move back to Toronto next year and start bitching about how much I miss Vancouver...
No comments:
Post a Comment