So what are Canada's 18 hour cities?

[flipv]

Originally Posted by Stryker

In the literal sense, it's astounding how early Toronto shuts down.

Seriously St john's night lift doesn't even start until after 11, Whereas in toronto everything dies by 130.

It's a huge difference honestly. You can goto a 24 walmart or grocery store and it's far busier after 10 than I seen on in toronto.

In toronto sunrise is morning, in newfoundland in general it's just a guideline.

Whatever you smoke, give me.

See the thing with a very, very, very big city like Toronto (where neighbourhoods sometimes have a larger population than all of St. John's) is that there are neighbourhoods that are dead, and neighbourhoods that are hopping overnight.

I can assure you I've partied well into dawn, and then couldn't get a cab home on a Saturday morning at 630AM because of demand. In a Canadian context, it's as 24/7 as it gets - for shopping, convenience and partying.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I was in Ottawa on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago and I can confirm this. Around 7-8PM on a Friday night, Byward/Rideau Centre were still hopping, but cross the canal into the CBD and you'd wonder if you were in a ghost town.

That's probably because there isn't much residential in the CBD; it's all government and offices, so once 5PM hits, it empties out and there's no reason to stick around. The residential parts around the edges of it have some life at least.

.

Elgin St. which is on the eastern fringe of the CBD has a decent street life until fairly late. All nights of the week.

One thing though is that Bank St. south of downtown Ottawa in the area known as the Glebe, is one of the city's most attractive urban stretches. Yet it's pretty dead after 9 pm. Even on Friday and Saturday nights. There are bars and restaurants there with some people in them, but there's rarely many people on the sidewalks. That's always surprised me.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I wonder if that's as much a factor of the car society as anything else.A small town like Woodstock, NB has a number of 24h and 8-11PM/Midnight businesses, and it's largely because of the highway. They stay open to service cars (and truckers) passing by on the TCH. Going past the highway zone however, and everything shuts down around 6PM usually.

This is a factor to some degree, but the car-oriented society has been around for a while. I think there's more to it than that. More stuff open later seems and even 24 hours seems to be a trend, even away from major highway interchanges (your point for these is valid).

But like, why is the Tim Hortons in Meteghan, Nova Scotia (some distance away from the main Highway 101) open 24 hours? Not that I am against it, it's just a noticeable change.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

I don't think we have any 24 hour Walmart here. But when the Dufferin Mall Walmart is 24 hours that place is insane.

Lol how many 100 thousand people live in the radius of the duffer-in mall?


I can remember quite regularly going to the 24 metros-dominion places, and seeing rather small numbers considering the population of etobicoke-toronto.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by flipv

Whatever you smoke, give me.

See the thing with a very, very, very big city like Toronto (where neighbourhoods sometimes have a larger population than all of St. John's) is that there are neighbourhoods that are dead, and neighbourhoods that are hopping overnight.

I can assure you I've partied well into dawn, and then couldn't get a cab home on a Saturday morning at 630AM because of demand. In a Canadian context, it's as 24/7 as it gets - for shopping, convenience and partying.

It's ironic your using populations and yet you don't get how the numbers are drastically in stjohn's favor in this regard, so much so it's actually a major reason I never go out anymore.


Lol I honestly don't think you've been to st john's.

What your describing which to you is some special event is every weekend downtown here.

In toronto christ if you can even find a place to go at 1.

I don't think you get just how on a regular night in st john's, I hoped to get home before sun rise, whereas in toronto, I had to be ambitious to keep drinking at one.

This isn't a debate of anecdotes the drinking regulations and the tendency to enforce them reflect this.

[flipv]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Lol I honestly don't think you've been to st john's.

What your describing which to you is some special event is every weekend downtown here.

In toronto christ if you can even find a place to go at 1.

I don't think you get just how on a regular night in st john's, I hoped to get home before sun rise, whereas in toronto, I had to be ambitious to keep drinking at one.

This isn't a debate of anecdotes the drinking regulations and the tendency to enforce them reflect this.

My friend, to properly experience Toronto's nightlife, you need locals. I can take you to numerous after hour clubs where knowing the right people can get you drinks way past 2. Also, go to almost any restaurant in Chinatown, and ask them for 'cold tea' past 2AM - they serve you beer in a teapot.

What you think is Toronto's nightlife hub, probably isn't - I think that's the problem here.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Stryker

In the literal sense, it's astounding how early Toronto shuts down.

Seriously St john's night lift doesn't even start until after 11, Whereas in toronto everything dies by 130.

It's a huge difference honestly. You can goto a 24 walmart or grocery store and it's far busier after 10 than I seen on in toronto.

In toronto sunrise is morning, in newfoundland in general it's just a guideline.

Maybe it just depends on what areas you are in? I can think of many places that don't begin to get packed until 11pm (most bars in the west end). While last call is 2am it's rare to see a bar empty at that time. And when last call is extended to 4am due to events - which is increasingly often - bars are still quite busy until the bitter end. Lots of illegal after hours too. Beyond this it's not just the Fri/Sat party scene. You can go to a bar (not all bars mind you) on a Monday 11pm and it will still be busy.

Not counting the bar stuff there are a number of places serving food ranging from divey to higher end snack food in my general area that are open until 4am, plus multiple 24 hour food stores and some all night diners.

The main reason I could see this impression is that St. John's is a party city for its size and the majority of nightlife is concentrated in a relatively small area. In Toronto it's spread across a huge swath of the central city. Some areas shut down early while others are much later and take up the slack. The biggest example I can think of is that Kensington is pretty dead at night with the exception of a few bars. Huge contrast to the Queen/Ossington/Dundas W area, which is relatively dead during the day.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by flipv

My friend, to properly experience Toronto's nightlife, you need locals. I can take you to numerous after hour clubs where knowing the right people can get you drinks way past 2. Also, go to almost any restaurant in Chinatown, and ask them for 'cold tea' past 2AM - they serve you beer in a teapot.

What you think is Toronto's nightlife hub, probably isn't - I think that's the problem here.

See I believe you that there are theorectically places to go all night in a city of 6 million.

however I drank with plenty of locals who never had a clue.

Sure if you know someone etc you can party with whoever.

But this is where your numbers make no sense.

You goto a bar at 1030 in st johns, and its dead.

The vast majority of people that go out flood in at around 12.

With peak hours between 1, 1:30 with a gradual trailing off of people.

This is what is typically what your describing is far from the average.

Per capita in the direct context of being up all night st john's is a late night city.

[north 42]

Saying that St. John's has better nightlife than Toronto is just ridiculous! I've partied in Toronto many a weekend well past sunrise. To dismiss Toronto as shutting down at 1:00 am is absurd, and shows how little someone actually knows about the city and where to go.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by niwell

Maybe it just depends on what areas you are in? I can think of many places that don't begin to get packed until 11pm (most bars in the west end). While last call is 2am it's rare to see a bar empty at that time. And when last call is extended to 4am due to events - which is increasingly often - bars are still quite busy until the bitter end. Lots of illegal after hours too. Beyond this it's not just the Fri/Sat party scene. You can go to a bar (not all bars mind you) on a Monday 11pm and it will still be busy.

Not counting the bar stuff there are a number of places serving food ranging from divey to higher end snack food in my general area that are open until 4am, plus multiple 24 hour food stores and some all night diners.

The main reason I could see this impression is that St. John's is a party city for its size and the majority of nightlife is concentrated in a relatively small area. In Toronto it's spread across a huge swath of the central city. Some areas shut down early while others are much later and take up the slack. The biggest example I can think of is that Kensington is pretty dead at night with the exception of a few bars. Huge contrast to the Queen/Ossington/Dundas W area, which is relatively dead during the day.

Yes it's concentrated and that's the whole dam point.

To drink at all your up all night.

Where as in Toronto pockets(i.e. smaller portion per capita) are still up.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by north 42

Saying that St. John's has better nightlife than Toronto is just ridiculous! I've partied in Toronto many a weekend well past sunrise. To dismiss Toronto as shutting down at 1:00 am is absurd, and shows how little someone actually knows about the city and where to go.

I never said it had a better night life the point is that the average person is up late.

To say I'm just generalizing and don't know the exceptions is intensely missing the point.

toronto folk on average get up early. People in St johns' on average are up late.

As I said many posts ago that wasn't even the literal point of the thread.


EDIT: In general though I think this is what toronto folk don't get. People in ontario seem to put so much effort into things, in contrast in newfoundland everything seems to be an effortless flow.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Stryker

I never said it had a better night life the point is that the average person is up late.

To say I'm just generalizing and don't know the exceptions is intensely missing the point.

toronto folk on average get up early. People in St johns' on average are up late.

As I said many posts ago that wasn't even the literal point of the thread.


EDIT: In general though I think this is what toronto folk don't get. People in ontario seem to put so much effort into things, in contrast in newfoundland everything seems to be an effortless flow.

Stryker, you should hang out with Québécois people more. We're so much more on the same wavelength in spite of the language barrier!

[flipv]

Originally Posted by Stryker

I never said it had a better night life the point is that the average person is up late.

To say I'm just generalizing and don't know the exceptions is intensely missing the point.

toronto folk on average get up early. People in St johns' on average are up late.

As I said many posts ago that wasn't even the literal point of the thread.


EDIT: In general though I think this is what toronto folk don't get. People in ontario seem to put so much effort into things, in contrast in newfoundland everything seems to be an effortless flow.

Yes, it's called having jobs because everything in the city costs 2-3x the Canadian average...

I don't put any effort into my drinking (because I barely drink - drinking is expensive, unhealthy, and at 26, I no longer stomach having a hangover), but if I want to get shitfaced, I can assure you it doesn't take any effort. One streetcar ride and I can be drink (illegally) from 2-6AM.

You generalize a city of 6 million and a province of almost 14 million. I think that's your problem.

[north 42]

I think that too many people who are not from Toronto seem to think they know everything about the city, and try to claim how their little cities is just so much better in so many ways. Sorry, but I don't think anybody's buying this, lol.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by flipv

Yes, it's called having jobs because everything in the city costs 2-3x the Canadian average...

Lol when you can't win by ignorance you have to through that at us.



Ironically this is one stereotype that is so incredibly true and false at the same time.

For one things actually did cost alot here until the oil market collapsed last year.

I payed 700 a month to be in walking distance of bathurst and bloor. Where as here I pay about 550 to be within inches of mold.

That's ignoring of course how much of the young population was working on the mega projects-tarsands- works two jobs just so they can afford a pickup.

Even owning a home wasn't that differrent.

It was actually largely depressing hanging with my working class friends in toronto, know full well they'd make more here (at the time)

this all of course is done thankfully.

and now were reverting back to our work 6 weeks a year ethic.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by north 42

I think that too many people who are not from Toronto seem to think they know everything about the city, and try to claim how their little cities is just so much better in so many ways. Sorry, but I don't think anybody's buying this, lol.

What the hell are you talking about I fucking hate st john's.

The fact I can't even go out drinking in summer without having to calculating sun rise is shit.

I much preferred going out and getting home by 1.

Not to mention being able to experience a sunrise that doesn't consist of **** is still dark/ or is it just really foggy***


EDIT: anyways I always find it funny that people make these comments like we haven't done both, and will likely moving back and fourth between the toronto and elsewhere for the rest of our lives.

[caltrane74]

Alright we get it! Toronto is not a 24h city and St. John's is.

Let's move on, I think this thread has some interesting possibilities.

[flipv]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Lol when you can win by ignornance you have to through that at us.



Ironically this is one stereotype that is so incredibly true and false at the same time.

For one things actually did cost alot here until the oil market collapsed last year.

I payed 700 a month to be in walking distance of bathurst and bloor. Where as here I pay about 550 to be within inches of mold.

The cost of living is significantly higher - it's not all about housing. Food, alcohol, transit, cabs, etc - it's all higher.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by north 42

I think that too many people who are not from Toronto seem to think they know everything about the city, and try to claim how their little cities is just so much better in so many ways. Sorry, but I don't think anybody's buying this, lol.

While I can understand the frustration to some degree, I'd venture a guess that most Canadians living in the "little cities" as you call them, especially on SSP, have more experience with Toronto (and its nightlife, culture, etc.) than vice-versa.

So...

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Stryker

toronto folk on average get up early. People in St johns' on average are up late.

On average sure, but when a sample size is large enough averages don't matter quite as much.