Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

Refreshing post JETS, thanks. I'm weary of these random "polls" that suggest Torontonians have no pride in their city. It's a decades old cliche that has worn thin... my random poll (my little circle) suggests the exact opposite. Namely residents who love what the city offers them and the excitement that comes with explosive change (caveats: idiotic "leadership" and traffic).
 
Exactly. Well said jets and 3D. Ironically, the people complaining about Torontonians not being proud of their city are not only the ones who truly have no pride, but they're also the ones spreading this negative vibe. Maybe they wish they were elsewhere? Many of us love Toronto, and are not only glad to live in such an amazing city, but we feel lucky for having this special privilege.

On topic: how many floors until the curve is on both sides of the tower? I'm looking forward to that curve and the curtain wall.
 
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[video=youtube_share;f2ZXXiuZIOU]http://youtu.be/f2ZXXiuZIOU[/video]
The beasment retail spaces, at Aura.
 
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You couldn't have said it better, jetsbackincanada. I am very proud of what Toronto is and is becoming. I visit the US regularly and am pleasantly surprised how much more advanced Toronto is compared to the majority of most American cities, in terms of infrastructure, architecture, cultural interaction and the global vision Canadians have. Whenever I read the threads here (which I do daily) I am sometimes disappointed in the negativity expressed by some of the contributors. As jetsbackincanada stated, the examples may not be the most attractive, highest, colourful, etc. in the world, but we're getting there. We are so quick to criticize ourselves ( I guess it's a result of being next door to a country that constantly boasts they have the biggest, longest, shortest, tallest, most world renown, etc. of anything in creation). We need to take a look at what is going on here and be proud, if not downright amazed.
 
3Dementia said:
Refreshing post JETS, thanks. I'm weary of these random "polls" that suggest Torontonians have no pride in their city. It's a decades old cliche that has worn thin... my random poll (my little circle) suggests the exact opposite. Namely residents who love what the city offers them and the excitement that comes with explosive change (caveats: idiotic "leadership" and traffic).
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Agreed as well, many Torontonians love their city, sure there could be improvements (also agree with leadership change being completely necessary) but which city could not be improved. We have very few of the really hard-to-fix problems that other cities around the world have. ( For example, extremely old infrastructure needing complete replacement, extremely high rent, crappy healthcare or education system, etc..) As well, I know shit loads of people who were born in NYC that dislike the city for living purposes. Sure culturally it kicks our butt, but which cities butt does it not kick really in North America. In terms of living in the city, I think Toronto is in a much better position, maybe unless someone is a multi millionaire , in which case they probably only "live" in one city for a few weeks or months each year. ;)

Cheers and happy new years all! Sorry to continue the off topic tangent
 
Torontovibe said:
The beasment retail spaces, at Aura.
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After watching that video, I just don't see how those retail spaces will be successful. I hope I'm wrong though. IMO, the space with the most potential is the (presumably) food court area vendours. Admittedly I haven't been down there yet myself.
 
cruzin4u said:
I think this is where the Toronto Humane Society is relocating to (or should). It sure seems more adequate for animals.
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LoL your funny but yes the space looks weird in the basembent. What kind of retail is planned for there?
 
I haven't seen the basement retail inperson yet, but it looks like a more claustrophobic and sterile version of Blue Banana in Kensington Market.

In 40 years though, this could be a cool, weird incubator of a commercial space.
 
The basement retail is just so weird. Surely they have something specific in mind? Not just expecting alternating Mobilicity and Fido booths?
 
mckarisma said:
Agreed as well, many Torontonians love their city, sure there could be improvements (also agree with leadership change being completely necessary) but which city could not be improved. We have very few of the really hard-to-fix problems that other cities around the world have. ( For example, extremely old infrastructure needing complete replacement, extremely high rent, crappy healthcare or education system, etc..) As well, I know shit loads of people who were born in NYC that dislike the city for living purposes. Sure culturally it kicks our butt, but which cities butt does it not kick really in North America. In terms of living in the city, I think Toronto is in a much better position, maybe unless someone is a multi millionaire , in which case they probably only "live" in one city for a few weeks or months each year. ;)

Cheers and happy new years all! Sorry to continue the off topic tangent
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One final comment here... Thanx all for the kind responses....

But to be compared to NYC is a compliment and a measure that every city falls short of .....!!

As far as the history of the modern city , New York is the embodiment of all that is Gotham City.
New York is the human experience working, and a logical place for Toronto to be compared to..

N.A. really only has three or four real urban downtowns with 200 000 people!!!
Last I saw Houston had fewer than 2000 people living in the core.
Toronto does somethings better than even New York, and they are both "worlds" larger than life in some regards. ( When your there, everywhere else is nowhere)
Toronto is emerging on the global scene without question, every American knows Toronto, few know our capital when asked.....

I have come to love 2 kinds of Americans, those who have traveled abroad, and New Yorkers......... They are so traveled, within those 5 boroughs!!!!

Anyway , my point is, to be mentioned with New York, even if to fall short, is still a great measure of a former provincial, industrial, town arriving on the big league stage.

The inner city that is Manhattan, is a great success story, and one of the worlds great storys, and to borrow from her is admirable.
That is how a city will flourish, without freeways, with all incomes brackets, and races intermingling generating innovation!!!
Vs suburban stagnation. ......
 
Where Toronto measures well is with its liveability. It is still reasonably affordable and it is still largely structured around low rise urban neighbourhoods that do not feel oppressive, and that still manage to feel somehow 'small town'. Add to this the fact that it is an incredibly safe, tolerant and diverse place with a large social safety net it is no wonder that though Torontonians may admire the glitz, glamour and cutting-edge wonder of other burgs they remain by and large content with things the way they are in old steady-as-she-goes Hogtown...

In the end this just may be what Bourdain missed, which is fair enough because judging by the boosterist posts here of late this is what most UTers also miss. Toronto is not a capital of style, design or architecture, and it is not a beautiful city that will blow the minds of anybody who comes here (yet). In fact, it is the very opposite of those things... which is not to say that style, design or good architecture are not to be found here... or beauty (just talke a walk through Cabbagetown in the autumn or along the boardwalk in the beaches)... but that as with everything else that is 'Toronto' these things are somewhat random, understated, unplanned and sort of taken for granted amongst a lot of other mediocrity.

... and all of this is offered with the caveat that Toronto is indeed changing. On the one hand it is struggling to clean up its act and catch up to the urban big leagues ( particularly with regards to its waterfront), on the other hand its decaying infrastructure, political and popular complacency, and lack of fiscal responsibility is threatening its very liveability (sustainability, transit and crumbling highways). It'll be interesting to see how these things play out over the next ten to twenty years and what kind of city we will be left with afterwards. This to my mind is what makes Toronto exciting and interesting, not supertalls. Bourdain will just have to come back.
 
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