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In the old parts of Toronto you have a very well balanced commercial and residential component of the city. What often amazes me about Toronto is how you can just turn a corner off of Younge Street, and you are into a residential neighbourhood complete with single family homes. This is something that is missing in the US cities I have seen. Toronto has also the lake at one end of it which effectively prevents the downtown from being ringed by suburbs. Further Toronto was a huge magnet for European immigrants who are used to living a more tight knit urban lifestyle than north Americans. Toronto is a very tolerant city where people for the most part get along pretty good. The immigrant culture combined with the neighbourhood layout of the city has helped maintain the inner city a great place to live. Add to this the way the city is planned and the local rate payers associations who monitor development in the area and you have another effective way of maintaining a sense of community.
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One thing that has always amazed me about Toronto is that there is no "other side of the tracks". To be sure there are areas that have poverty but, generally speaking, they are quite mixed in with the more affluent areas.
For example St. James Town is surrounded by Cabbagetown, Rosedale and the Gay Village... My own neighbourhood, Riverdale, is a mix of ethnicities and levels of income. Whenever I travel in the states I find that there are clear divisions.
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At one time they couldn't decide whether to build a Queen Street line or a Bloor Street Line. They chose Bloor, but not before they built a Station at Queen / Younge. It's down there, all boarded up, but it's there.
Same with Bay Street. There is another station that was built below the Bay Station. All you see on the Bay Street Station is this mysterious door that leads down to a second Bay Street Station below the one that everyone uses.
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A note on the subway... The purpose of the Lower Bay station was to let the Yonge/Univerity line work as a loop. It became too confusing for many transit riders so they discontinued it in favour of the current format. The Lower Bay station is used as a set for many film productions and commercial shoots.
As for the station below Queen, it was actually supposed to be a station for a streetcar line rather than a subway. They ditched the concept in favour of the Bloor line.
A report was released this morning that attempts to map out the future of the TTC. They clearly state that Subways are not in the plans and that they will be leaning towards more dedicated streetcar lines like the Spadina line and the forthcomming St. Clair line.
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When I was in University I was dating a girl who's family lived out in the country. Farm country, not too far from Hamilton. I remember they had this huge 4,000 ft2 house, a couple of barns, 25 acres, etc. Big everything. I remember at the time thinking that it was a life that I might like.
Now, if you were to suggest a lifestyle like that, I would consider it hell on earth.
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I'd have to disagree with you on this... while I will never live in the suburbs, I would be willing to live in a rural area or a very small town. It has to be one or the other and no inbetween.