Earlier this week, I promised I would share my New Year’s Resolution with you. Well, here it is: I resolve to try and enjoy city living more. I want to rediscover what I love about Toronto. I used to really love living here, but when we came home from Brooklyn back in September, I started to compare the two cities, and I started to think that Toronto paled in comparison to NYC. That, plus finding it really difficult to secure affordable childcare, and all that nonsense that’s been happening at City Hall, all added up to a big case of Toronto disappointment.
I mentioned this to some friends on Facebook, asking for help reminding me why I love the city. Here were a few of their answers:
So many good places to meet and eat just steps from your door. Creative people all around you. Hundreds upon hundreds of people making deputations to preserve what is good about the city, because we are at heart a city that does care deeply. The Islands. High Park. Riverdale Farm. The Martin Goodman Trail. The Greenwood dog park. People who say thank you to bus and streetcar drivers.
I think Toronto looks really awful without snow or leaves. It looks a bit dowdy right now. And we’ve got this awful mayor and it does cost a LOT to live here. So I understand why you’d want to look around. But there will always be trade-offs and I think Toronto is a vibrant city with a great cultural scene probably unmatched in any other Canadian city (and most American ones). And Momofuku is coming. And the new bakery. And you will always do well in real estate here.
What makes Toronto a great place to live and raise a family Avery are peeps like you! Diversity, overall cleanliness, access to boat loads of services, extremely safe, creative people and communities, good schools, yada yada yada. Yes housing is very expensive as well as other day to day expenses (many which will follow you where ever you move to). Other cities are facing these problems as well and it will only get worse. Take a week or a weekend and visit our great city like a visitor would and maybe you will remember why we think its such a great place to live!
One pal even went so far as to start making a list for me of great things in Toronto, including the AGO, the new Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Momofuku that’s coming, the HBC Collection, and even the Lake! I have great friends, huh?
So, dear readers, I’m going to take this one seriously. I already share a bunch of cool Toronto things with you here on the blog, but I resolve to get out to even more cool events, restaurants, shops, and attractions, and I’ll tell you all about them. In my heart of hearts, I really do think this is a great place to live. I”m excited to remind myself as often as possible.
Now I’ve told you mine… what’s your New Year’s Resolution?
PS – a really cool idea care of Swiss Miss… a website/movement that encourages people to resolve to help others, instead of just working on personal goals.
[image above of an orange neon bike by Michael Chrisman for Torontoist. It’s part of the Good Bikes Project – just another cool thing happening in Toronto that I might have taken for granted]
I used to think that way about Toronto too. Eight years ago I changed my life and stepped off the corporate treadmill to live a different kind of lifestyle. Now I operate Toronto Bed and Breakfast on a boat in the heart of downtown Toronto during the summer. As tourism ambassadors of the city we have continue to spend time getting to know the really cool things about the city. Last summer we did a city tour on a double decker bus, just to experience it for ourselves so when our guests ask us we know more about it. I still haven’t been to the Bata Shoe Museum but it is on my list to do this summer. Every day I am learning (and writing in my blog) all about how great Toronto is. Running the only Boat Bed & Breakfast (www.boatel.ca) is another cool thing about Toronto. My advice is to keep playing tourists in your own city.
Thanks Diane. Your Boatel is so cool! What a great way for visitors to enjoy the city.