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I apologize for bumping this thread. I spent four years in Philadelphia as an undergrad, have been in Toronto for the last ~6 months or so searching for a job. There's a chance I might end up in Philadelphia again, and to my surprise I was almost sad at the thought of leaving Toronto. So this is as much for me, weighing out the two cities in an internal monologue, as it is an actual discussion post:
-Nightlife
This is tough. Toronto has better clubs and lots of good bars scattered around neighborhoods like the Ossington Strip, King, Queen, Entertainment District. It's also much more expensive. Philadelphia wins hands-down when it comes to beer selection and more casual places. I love the diversity, from getting loaded at Ethiopian Restaurants in West Philadelphia to Fishtown to South Street. If anyone knows of something like Hop Sing Laundromat or The Barbary in Toronto, please let me know, because I have yet to find it. Edge: Philadelphia
-Cuisine
Another tough one. There's a better variety of cuisine in Toronto, owing to its multiculturalism. Philadelphia definitely punches above its weight-class though, lots of amazing restaurants tucked into nooks and crannies. BYO is a huge selling point as well, really unique to the city and adds to the dining experience. I can't really evaluate Toronto as a whole, since a lot of the authentic ethnic food has moved to the burbs and I don't have a car, and being poor I don't really do fine dining (never did that as an undergrad either, though). Slight Edge: Philadelphia
-People
Toss-up, I mean, I don't really know what this means. People in Toronto are polite and nice in that Canadian way, but I think they can also be cold on the surface. I think there can be an air of pretension too, since Torontonians tend to overweight the significance of the city on a global scale. Philadelphia is much more laid back, but at the same time people can be more overtly rude or aggressive. I don't know. Slight Edge: Toronto
-Scenery
I don't think either city is very scenic. Maybe if you're looking at Toronto from the lake. Some of the spots by the water are nice, but the giant highway that runs along it detracts from that as well. Philly has Fairmount, and the rivers aren't really an impressive sight. Let's not kid ourselves neither of these cities are SF or Vancouver or LA. Tie, slightest of possible edges to Toronto
-Weather
After this winter, Philadelphia hands down.
-Culture
This is a tough one. I'd visited Toronto a few times before, and I never really cared for it because it feels like its identity is steeped in the fact of being multicultural without much else. There's no unique Toronto-thing, whereas Philadelphia is bursting with identity and grit. Somewhere deep down though, Toronto does have a pulse, even if it's not immediately apparent and takes a lot of digging to get to. I guess that's endearing in its own way. But I think Philadelphia still wins, especially given all the museums, symphony, opera, etc that feel more accessible than in Toronto. Philadelphia
-Walkability/public transportation
Toronto has a more robust public transit system, but the "downtown" area (let's say Bathurst to Sherbourne, from the Lake to Bloor) is just a litttttle too spread out in terms of walkability, at least relative to Philadelphia. Philadelphia is much more compact. Really depends on preference, but altogether the solid street car system might give a Slight Edge: Toronto.
-Diversity Toronto. There's no question about this one.
4 for Philly, 4 for Toronto. Hah.
They're really quite different cities, though. Philadelphia has grit and identity, a really amazing downtown core (maybe not comparable in terms of skyscrapers, but in a lot of other ways I think it beats out Toronto) and a renewed sense of optimism. Toronto feels young, is better to look at, safer, is growing faster, but sometimes feels sterile and sanitized. The fact that a lot of downtown was built in the 70's/80's doesn't help, because there's a lot of concrete slabs, and now a lot of identical-looking glass towers. Even though Philadelphia's economy might be bigger, Toronto feels much more affluent. Philly is more affordable, and even the burbs are nicer than the truly awful sprawl that surrounds Toronto city proper.
I don't know, word vomit. Just my thoughts.
Great analysis of both cities. This is spot on! Thanks for a thoughtful and unbiased breakdown.
Nightlife - Toronto wins (subjectively), with a better range of upscale to casual nightlife. Philadelphia is more casual all around, and quite dangerous. This kind of puts a damper on going out at night.
This is so hilariously incorrect. Most of the top nightlife sections of the city (Rittenhouse, Washington Square West, Old City, Northern Liberties/Fishtown, South Street, Passyunk Ave, University City, Main Street Manayunk) are nowhere near the bad sections of the city. If you think the dangerous parts of Philly put a damper on going out and enjoying Philly's nightlife, then you've clearly never been here. Are you also aware that Philadelphia's crime rate is down 47% since 2007 and is close to Boston's crime rates? Guess not....
Quote:
Cuisine - Toronto wins (subjectively) for greater access to ethnic/international food. Philadelphia is a great food town with more affordable eats. If you are a meat and potatoes blue collar kind of person, Philadelphia probably has better restaurants for you.
Again, hilariously biased. Is your view on Philadelphia 30 years old? Yes, yes it is. Philadelphia is HOT right now as far as the food scene goes. Top restaurateurs are setting up shop here and nationwide chefs are fighting to be here.
IDK if you're just misinformed or if you've never been to Philly before at all. If you have been here it obviously has been QUITE some time since you were last here.
I apologize for bumping this thread. I spent four years in Philadelphia as an undergrad, have been in Toronto for the last ~6 months or so searching for a job. There's a chance I might end up in Philadelphia again, and to my surprise I was almost sad at the thought of leaving Toronto. So this is as much for me, weighing out the two cities in an internal monologue, as it is an actual discussion post:
-Nightlife
This is tough. Toronto has better clubs and lots of good bars scattered around neighborhoods like the Ossington Strip, King, Queen, Entertainment District. It's also much more expensive. Philadelphia wins hands-down when it comes to beer selection and more casual places. I love the diversity, from getting loaded at Ethiopian Restaurants in West Philadelphia to Fishtown to South Street. If anyone knows of something like Hop Sing Laundromat or The Barbary in Toronto, please let me know, because I have yet to find it. Edge: Philadelphia
-Cuisine
Another tough one. There's a better variety of cuisine in Toronto, owing to its multiculturalism. Philadelphia definitely punches above its weight-class though, lots of amazing restaurants tucked into nooks and crannies. BYO is a huge selling point as well, really unique to the city and adds to the dining experience. I can't really evaluate Toronto as a whole, since a lot of the authentic ethnic food has moved to the burbs and I don't have a car, and being poor I don't really do fine dining (never did that as an undergrad either, though). Slight Edge: Philadelphia
-People
Toss-up, I mean, I don't really know what this means. People in Toronto are polite and nice in that Canadian way, but I think they can also be cold on the surface. I think there can be an air of pretension too, since Torontonians tend to overweight the significance of the city on a global scale. Philadelphia is much more laid back, but at the same time people can be more overtly rude or aggressive. I don't know. Slight Edge: Toronto
-Scenery
I don't think either city is very scenic. Maybe if you're looking at Toronto from the lake. Some of the spots by the water are nice, but the giant highway that runs along it detracts from that as well. Philly has Fairmount, and the rivers aren't really an impressive sight. Let's not kid ourselves neither of these cities are SF or Vancouver or LA. Tie, slightest of possible edges to Toronto
-Weather
After this winter, Philadelphia hands down.
-Culture
This is a tough one. I'd visited Toronto a few times before, and I never really cared for it because it feels like its identity is steeped in the fact of being multicultural without much else. There's no unique Toronto-thing, whereas Philadelphia is bursting with identity and grit. Somewhere deep down though, Toronto does have a pulse, even if it's not immediately apparent and takes a lot of digging to get to. I guess that's endearing in its own way. But I think Philadelphia still wins, especially given all the museums, symphony, opera, etc that feel more accessible than in Toronto. Philadelphia
-Walkability/public transportation
Toronto has a more robust public transit system, but the "downtown" area (let's say Bathurst to Sherbourne, from the Lake to Bloor) is just a litttttle too spread out in terms of walkability, at least relative to Philadelphia. Philadelphia is much more compact. Really depends on preference, but altogether the solid street car system might give a Slight Edge: Toronto.
-Diversity Toronto. There's no question about this one.
4 for Philly, 4 for Toronto. Hah.
They're really quite different cities, though. Philadelphia has grit and identity, a really amazing downtown core (maybe not comparable in terms of skyscrapers, but in a lot of other ways I think it beats out Toronto) and a renewed sense of optimism. Toronto feels young, is better to look at, safer, is growing faster, but sometimes feels sterile and sanitized. The fact that a lot of downtown was built in the 70's/80's doesn't help, because there's a lot of concrete slabs, and now a lot of identical-looking glass towers. Even though Philadelphia's economy might be bigger, Toronto feels much more affluent. Philly is more affordable, and even the burbs are nicer than the truly awful sprawl that surrounds Toronto city proper.
I don't know, word vomit. Just my thoughts.
Surprisingly, I agree with your assessment even though we reached different conclusions. In other words, I understand how you came to that conclusion. Looking at it from the perspective of an undergrad student, I would have probably also preferred the accessibility of Philadelphia (being more compact and affordable) during those years. It's a big city with a college town feel. Toronto can be quite expensive. I also agree that the good ethnic restaurants are out of the central core and difficult to reach.
This is so hilariously incorrect. Most of the top nightlife sections of the city (Rittenhouse, Washington Square West, Old City, Northern Liberties/Fishtown, South Street, Passyunk Ave, University City, Main Street Manayunk) are nowhere near the bad sections of the city. If you think the dangerous parts of Philly put a damper on going out and enjoying Philly's nightlife, then you've clearly never been here. Are you also aware that Philadelphia's crime rate is down 47% since 2007 and is close to Boston's crime rates? Guess not....
Sounds like someone from Philly is hurt by the truth. The best parts of Philly are more dangerous than Toronto. Crime may be down, but Philly is a dangerous city by most standards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Summersm343
Again, hilariously biased. Is your view on Philadelphia 30 years old? Yes, yes it is. Philadelphia is HOT right now as far as the food scene goes. Top restaurateurs are setting up shop here and nationwide chefs are fighting to be here.
IDK if you're just misinformed or if you've never been to Philly before at all. If you have been here it obviously has been QUITE some time since you were last here.
I did say SUBJECTIVELY. In other words, it is my opinion based on my tastes. Did you miss that? I respect if you disagree with me. You don't have to be childish about it. I don't care if top restaurateurs are fighting to be there. I want good authentic ethnic food.
BTW - This is not about putting down Philly, it is about comparing Philly to Toronto. Philly just does not the diversity of cuisine of Toronto because of demographics. Calm down
Sounds like someone from Philly is hurt by the truth. The best parts of Philly are more dangerous than Toronto. Crime may be down, but Philly is a dangerous city by most standards.
If you're afraid to be outside at night in any of the sections of the city I listed, you're officially a vagina. Plain and simple.
It's laughable that anyone would feel in danger in any of these sections.
I'm not hurt by the truth, because you didn't post the truth, I'm laughing at your ridiculous claims.
If you're going out for a drink in Hunting Park, maybe I would understand, but come on you can't honestly have been to Philly in the last few years and think nightlife in Center City or any other areas I listed is haltered by crime in other sections of the city. The nightlife in these sections is alive and kicking.
If you're afraid to be outside at night in any of the sections of the city I listed, you're officially a vagina. Plain and simple.
It's laughable that anyone would feel in danger in any of these sections.
I'm not hurt by the truth, because you didn't post the truth, I'm laughing at your ridiculous claims.
If you're going out for a drink in Hunting Park, maybe I would understand, but come on you can't honestly have been to Philly in the last few years and think nightlife in Center City or any other areas I listed is haltered by crime in other sections of the city. The nightlife in these sections is alive and kicking.
Why can't you be accepting of opposing opinions without resorting to aggressive and offensive behavior? If you would like to discuss crime in Philadelphia, I'll be glad to have a cordial discussion with you.
If you are representative of Philadelphia (hope not!), TORONTO wins in the People category hands down.
Why can't you be accepting of opposing opinions without resorting to aggressive and offensive behavior? If you would like to discuss crime in Philadelphia, I'll be glad to have a cordial discussion with you.
If you are representative of Philadelphia (hope not!), TORONTO wins in the People category hands down.
I actually really can't comment on Toronto to much - very limited experience
I agree crime is still an issue with Philadelphia on the whole especially though there have been significant strides in this regard.
On nightlife and dining Philly is pretty good and actually quite the variety of ethnic as well as high end food - again an are that Philly has mode huge strides. Imagine that Toronto may have little more ethnic variety
On people again I can only speak for Philly in this comparison but in general think a lot of Philadelphians are very friendly and genuine. I think some folks get a little overzealous on some aspects but I think some of this is an old perception and find many people under-estimate (today maybe over estimate crime but it is still bad and there is far to much ghetto in the city IMHO, still love my city though) what is available in Philly
I actually really can't comment on Toronto to much - very limited experience
I agree crime is still an issue with Philadelphia on the whole especially though there have been significant strides in this regard.
On nightlife and dining Philly is pretty good and actually quite the variety of ethnic as well as high end food - again an are that Philly has mode huge strides. Imagine that Toronto may have little more ethnic variety
On people again I can only speak for Philly in this comparison but in general think a lot of Philadelphians are very friendly and genuine. I think some folks get a little overzealous on some aspects but I think some of this is an old perception and find many people under-estimate (today maybe over estimate crime but it is still bad and there is far to much ghetto in the city IMHO, still love my city though) what is available in Philly
Thank you for being the voice of reason. Philly is a great city. This is not about putting Philly down but about comparing cities based on the factors listed, based on our own perception and opinions. I don't doubt that Philly has great dining, but in terms of ethnic cuisine (which is my preference), Toronto wins.
I have read that Philadelphia has made great strides in reducing crime. I never advised total deprivation of nightlife in Philly because of crime. I just think any reasonable adult will consider the crime problem at some point. It is a real issue.
Why can't you be accepting of opposing opinions without resorting to aggressive and offensive behavior? If you would like to discuss crime in Philadelphia, I'll be glad to have a cordial discussion with you.
If you are representative of Philadelphia (hope not!), TORONTO wins in the People category hands down.
The people of philadelphia tend to be honest, trustworthy and loyal. They will not only defend the ones they care about, but their city as well. I guess it's wrong for people to stand up for the things they care about and believe in. Philadelphian's wear their emotions on their sleeves. You'll know if they're sad, mad, happy, etc. They'll confront you if they have an issue with you, they'll tell you if they like you or don't, and they'll let you know how they feel. I guess some see this as a bad quality, or rude, but I don't. Philadelphian's are some of the most caring, loyal and trust worthy people you will meet, and we're not like others who will be fake to your face and then talk about you behind your back. I guess that just makes us terrible then.
I'm calling you out because you're not expressing your opinion, you're spewing out false information and trying to pass it off as truthful and factual and I'm calling you out on it. If that makes you upset then so be it.
If you wanna talk about crime, then so be it. Let's talk about the crime, blight and deep intrenched poverty that woes some of the city, but if that's what you wanna do, why would you make ridivulous claims like the crime halters the enjoyment of nightlife in good areas of the city- because that's truly hilarious. Center City philadelphia and other nice sections of the city is no worse on crime levels than Manhattan or downtown Toronto. It's the bad sections of the city that raise up he crime rate and give Philly a bad name. However, unless you're looking for a party in Kensington, Hunting Park or Kingsessing, it truly baffles me why you would bring this about about nightlife.
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