Thoughts on Providence, RI

[adma]

Your second point isn't what i was referring to. There are references to important figures and events in London and England's history everywhere in London. There are memorials and monuments, statues, plaques, etc on every street in the city. They aren't afraid to let you know something or someone of importance came from there. They're proud of it. And frankly, I'm not sure if you've been to London but fake half-timbering, powdered wigs, tea shops and beefeaters aren't the images of London I remember having been there a couple times.

However, it didn't prevent London from performing its share of shortsighted urban vandalism in the 20th century: destruction of anything from Soane's Bank of England to Euston Arch, etc...

 

[jn_12]

Of course. You'd be hard-pressed to find a city without it's share of "urban vandalism." It's certainly unfortunate. I don't think that's enough to derail what I've said though.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Providence,Rhode Island thoughts and comparisons with Toronto and Hamilton...

LM and everyone: Interesting thoughts and comparisons between Providence and Toronto-I will mention Hamilton because Providence is similar in distance from Boston like Hamilton is from Toronto - 44 railroad miles from South Station to Downtown Providence compared to about 40 between Toronto and Hamilton.

Providence has benefitted in recent years by its proximity to Boston and by having lower real estate prices a boom of sorts
has happened making the City even more desirable as a place to live.

From my time here at UT I have noticed a similar situation is happening where Hamilton is concerned-lower real estate prices
have helped people afford housing in Hamilton more then the high-priced real estate and high cost of living in Toronto.

Thoughts from LI MIKE

 

[Urban Shocker]

However, I should add that we do have the ability to "sell" our history to people who have tons of it already. We can tell Europeans: Come look at the cities your people helped create and learn about who they were and what they did. And people from Asian countries are already fascinated by our cultural history.

... and we can certainly sell our history to the Americans - Upper Canada came into existence because the United Empire Loyalists who moved to Quebec after the War of Independence petitioned to live under English civil law with parliamentary democracy and freehold land tenure. By the time the Americans invaded in 1812, the vast majority of the people who lived in this Province were American born.

 

[Ladies Mile]

I can't think what the ad campaign would be. "Come to Toronto! 200 years ago you invaded it!" I suspect they don't much care one way or the other by this point.

 

[jn_12]

And that's why our tourism sector is slumping. It's not that they don't care. It's that we don't care enough to think they would.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I can't think what the ad campaign would be. "Come to Toronto! 200 years ago you invaded it!" I suspect they don't much care one way or the other by this point.

Actually, I think it's a rather catchy slogan. Tourist boards the world over could use variations on it to attract the Yanks.

 

[adma]

"We're the reason the White House is white!"

 

[Tewder]

Take on Canada this summer, it'll be a mere matter of driving!

 

[cfloryan]

Providence recognizes what it is and what it has. Look at how they incorporate their own unique architecture and sense of place in their new downtown developments:

And as an Ontarian who's been out of province for a while, I now appreciate the architectural and cultural roots that make Toronto unique (Just like I couldn't hear the Canadian accent until I started visiting home from school in the US). Most Torontonians seem oblivious to their city's sense of place and most new developments don't to draw from it. Things uniquely Toronto:

 

[Urban Shocker]

And as an Ontarian who's been out of province for a while, I now appreciate the architectural and cultural roots that make Toronto unique (Just like I couldn't hear the Canadian accent until I started visiting home from school in the US). Most Torontonians seem oblivious to their city's sense of place and most new developments don't to draw from it.

Some are in complete denial that said uniqueness even exists.