Vibe You Felt When Visiting Canadian Cities - Page 3

eemy · #41 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 12:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BretttheRiderFan

Ottawa - very clean, very proper, every tourist attraction seems to be within walking distance of the Hill

There are loads of attractions that are beyond walking distance of the Hill. If you limited yourself to stuff you could walk to, though, it would seem that they're all within walking distance.

Nouvellecosse · #42 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 4:07 PM**

And of course, some people can walk farther than others!

BretttheRiderFan · #43 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 4:35 PM**

And Edmonton's downtown is bigger than three blocks, but this thread isn't entirely for factual information

Razor · #44 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 6:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BretttheRiderFan

And Edmonton's downtown is bigger than three blocks, but this thread isn't entirely for factual information

Indeed not..It's about first impressions...The spirit, energy level, Urban culture..etc.

Regarding Montreal again..

I haven't been in a few years, but honestly the heart of St Catherine street on a busy summer Saturday felt no different then Yonge at Dundas to me tbh. The "electricity" level felt the same.

It was high energy with lots of buskers and interesting people milling about.This was few years back, so as others have alluded to, Toronto has ramped up since.

While visiting Montreal, I remember seeing a large van with a full rock band playing while the van's rear door was open and driving down the street..It made me chuckle, and it's these little things all amassed on a given day that make the 'experience" when visiting a large city..Even if we were just aimlessly walking around checking out shops.
Ottawa's strength I feel is it's market patio scene in the summer time.. Especially with all the tourists visiting. It's actually pretty buzzing down there.Just not all the time. More during the summer season.This is where one can take a friend to a random patio, have a pitcher and randomly talk to people from say Denmark or Liechtenstein who are travelling. Maybe I'm wrong, but I met some people from Halifax down there one time, who told me that the Market reminded them of what they have going on in Halifax, and again during the summer months as well.

Overall though, when it comes to that energy created by people gathering in the same genral area, Ottawa is pretty mid energy with the Market in the summer time being the only exception.

Ottawa's real M.O is geared at out of town families visiting museums and institutions...I doubt if there are too many out of towners coming into Ottawa for their bachelor parties.

Acajack · #45 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 6:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

Indeed not..It's about first impressions...The spirit, energy level, Urban culture..etc.

Regarding Montreal again..

I haven't been in a few years, but honestly the heart of St Catherine street on a busy summer Saturday felt no different then Yonge at Dundas to me tbh. The "electricity" level felt the same.

It was high energy with lots of buskers and interesting people milling about.This was few years back, so as others have alluded to, Toronto has ramped up since.

While visiting Montreal, I remember seeing a large van with a full rock band playing while the van's rear door was open and driving down the street..It made me chuckle, and it's these little things all amassed on a given day that make the 'experience" when visiting a large city..Even if we were just aimlessly walking around checking out shops.
Ottawa's strength I feel is it's market patio scene in the summer time.. Especially with all the tourists visiting. It's actually pretty buzzing down there.Just not all the time. More during the summer season.This is where one can take a friend to a random patio, have a pitcher and randomly talk to people from say Denmark or Liechtenstein who are travelling. Maybe I'm wrong, but I met some people from Halifax down there one time, who told me that the Market reminded them of what they have going on in Halifax, and again during the summer months as well.

Overall though, when it comes to that energy created by people gathering in the same genral area, Ottawa is pretty mid energy with the Market in the summer time being the only exception.

Ottawa's real M.O is geared at out of town families visiting museums and institutions...I doubt if there are too many out of towners coming into Ottawa for their bachelor parties.

"Vibe" is something that's intangible and while population size is important (you need a certain level of critical mass), it's far from the lone determining factor.

I mean, let's not forget that Madrid is quite a bit bigger than Barcelona... (Both are great cities BTW.)

SignalHillHiker · #46 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 6:46 PM**

There's a certain threshold, at least for someone from a city the size of mine, where population really doesn't matter anymore in terms of contributing to vibe. I'm not sure exactly what that number is, but Montreal and Toronto and both definitely on the same side of it. Neither is overwhelming, but both are exceptionally busy. They pull off, at minimum, an off-season George Street Friday night during basically all daylight hours, and over a huge area. You really have to get to Asian-level pedestrian congestion before it feels truly different from that level of business that, from my perspective, Toronto and Montreal have basically in common.

Acajack · #47 Posted **Sep 10, 2016, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

There's a certain threshold, at least for someone from a city the size of mine, where population really doesn't matter anymore in terms of contributing to vibe. I'm not sure exactly what that number is, but Montreal and Toronto and both definitely on the same side of it. Neither is overwhelming, but both are exceptionally busy. They pull off, at minimum, an off-season George Street Friday night during basically all daylight hours, and over a huge area. You really have to get to Asian-level pedestrian congestion before it feels truly different from that level of business that, from my perspective, Toronto and Montreal have basically in common.

Yeah, and even the greatest European cities (with very few exceptions, and even so it's only over a very small area when it happens) don't really reach that level of human crush. So it's probably not in the cards for Toronto and Montreal either.

ue · #48 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 7:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by giallo

You felt a racially-tense vibe in Vancouver? I know this sort of thing is portrayed in the media with the whole China/foreign investment issues, but you actually felt like people were tense with each other based on their ethnic make up? Interesting. I've never experienced any sort of racially-motivated outbursts in all my time there. What did you experience? Just curious.

Perhaps I should've clarified that one. I've never seen any outbursts myself, but there is definitely this undercurrent of passive-aggressive racism. It doesn't come across in literal actions of Vancouverites, but permeates in the feelings and opinions of people there.

And it comes from both sides. You've got the Asian community secluding itself from wider society, having tenant meanings in Mandarin, having vendors in a Chinese-Canadian establishment glare at white patrons, etc. On the other hand, you've got the white community longing for the Vancouver of decades past, when that community was the unequivocal dominant force in the Lower Mainland, whom I've personally witnessed say derogatory remarks about the East Asian population and even extrapolate it to other cities that don't have the chronic real estate issues of Vancouver, from which a lot of this resentment stems.

Oddly enough, it seems to mostly be between whites and East Asians. Not so much with South Asians, Eastern Europeans, Aboriginals, the scant few blacks, or any other group. I guess these groups are not nearly as dominant as the former two, who seem to be duking it out amongst themselves.

Marshal · #49 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 8:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ue

Perhaps I should've clarified that one. I've never seen any outbursts myself, but there is definitely this undercurrent of passive-aggressive racism. It doesn't come across in literal actions of Vancouverites, but permeates in the feelings and opinions of people there.

And it comes from both sides. You've got the Asian community secluding itself from wider society, having tenant meanings in Mandarin, having vendors in a Chinese-Canadian establishment glare at white patrons, etc. On the other hand, you've got the white community longing for the Vancouver of decades past, when that community was the unequivocal dominant force in the Lower Mainland, whom I've personally witnessed say derogatory remarks about the East Asian population and even extrapolate it to other cities that don't have the chronic real estate issues of Vancouver, from which a lot of this resentment stems.

Oddly enough, it seems to mostly be between whites and East Asians. Not so much with South Asians, Eastern Europeans, Aboriginals, the scant few blacks, or any other group. I guess these groups are not nearly as dominant as the former two, who seem to be duking it out amongst themselves.

This is just bs in your head, and the few anecdotes you have experienced or pulled from the local press.

ue · #50 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 8:09 AM**

lol this thread is about anecdotes, not factual representations. I don't get people who tell others that their own firsthand experience is incorrect because it is not their experience.

Marshal · #51 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 8:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ue

lol this thread is about anecdotes, not factual representations. I don't get people who tell others that their own firsthand experience is incorrect because it is not their experience.

I didn't express my experience at all. And, opinions are fine, but some are bullshit, like yours.

Pinus · #52 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 8:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

The fact that most posts don't include Regina and Saskatoon is probably the best description of Regina and Saskatoon.

Better that than to have the rest of the country dump all over your city.

Acajack · #53 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 10:49 AM**

I think it's highly plausible that there are white anglo Vancouverites who, when "amongst themselves", bitch about the ''Chinese takeover" and other such unpleasantries.

I've had people in Vancouver (when I was there) and from Vancouver (met elsewhere) say such things to me kind of in confidence in the past.

Nouvellecosse · #54 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 2:25 PM**

For the life of me, I can't figure out the Halifax "stupidly pretentious" line either. Perhaps someone could shed some light on what it's pretending?

flipv · #55 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 3:09 PM**

When I was younger (7-10 years ago) one of my favourite activities was to walk for hours through Toronto. I discovered much of the city that way and grew to love it (before I desperately wanted to move back to Europe ASAP).

Ever since I began working and 'adulting' I've neglected doing this. Restarted it a few weeks ago and I'm falling in love with Toronto again.
Yesterday, a buddy and I walked from Union through Yorkville, down to Queen and along Queen to Roncesvalles. The diversity in architecture, energy, people, feel is out of this world and I don't think I've ever wandered through what felt like so many 'worlds' in a few hours.

Highlight was of course Queen, which I think is the ne plus ultra high vibrancy strip in the entire country. There was a mile-long skateboarders parade, bands practicing above consignment stores with the windows open, techno blasting from basement stores, eclectic shops, restaurants, people and that's a 4km stretch of solid human energy.

Yorkville (my personal favourite) has gotten both prettier, busier and more gentrified. Interesting direction this city is going in. The wealth is palpable now.

Overall... Love it.

logan5 · #56 Posted **Sep 11, 2016, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshal

This is just bs in your head, and the few anecdotes you have experienced or pulled from the local press.

There is most definitely an anti Chinese sentiment in this city. You can easily see it. Any time theres a story about real estate in the Vancouver Sun or the Globe (etc.), have a look at the comments section.

To clarify though, it's not just white Vancouver.